Alexa Porter wanted one last opportunity to gain cross-cultural experience before she graduated from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in May 2020. As a business administration student focusing on international business and strategy with a minor in public policy, Alexa was looking for a course that would advance these passions. Studying abroad had never been a good fit given her course schedules in previous semesters. Alexa was excited to find the Cross-Cultural Business course offered for the first time at the Ross School of Business. Cross-Cultural Business is part of the Business & Culture: A Virtual Practicum program (B&C), an action learning course on international business cultures that connects students from Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, and the U.S. This experiential course had a deep and lasting impact on Alexa even after she completed it and graduated — so much so that she still reflects on it today.
“I was interested in international business from the start and learning about other cultures, so it was a no-brainer to take a course like this,” Alexa said. “It gave me some useful insight into what it would be like to be involved with a global company and interact with clients from across the world.” Her view about culture has also evolved since completing the Business & Culture program. Alexa says that being able to virtually connect with faculty and students from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) throughout an entire semester to collaborate on assignments, including a final international consulting project, made the class a unique part of her degree program. “B&C definitely had an impact on my view about culture,” Alexa said. “Now, I’m more comfortable talking about culture. Not just talking or hearing about differences, but more so about acknowledging those differences and taking it a step further and trying to actually understand those differences.”