By Shelly Goehring, MBA 2013

Shelly at Corcovado Mountain, Brazil

I was standing in line with a basket of a few groceries. When it came my turn, the cashier scanned my items and I handed her my card. It was a VISA debit card that I had already used several times in Brazil. I told her, “Credit, por favor.”

A line had formed behind me and the store was increasingly crowded.

The cashier looked at my card and saw that it had “debit” written across the front. She pointed this out to me and said a few things in Portuguese. I could not understand her, but generally ask for my VISA debit card to be run as credit. So far, this had not been a problem in Brazil. I pointed out the VISA sign and repeated, “Credit, por favor.”

She shook her head “no” and said many things in Portuguese that I still could not understand. I again pointed to the VISA sign. She pointed to the word debit and I again pointed to the VISA sign. Then she called the manager over.

At this point, the woman behind me in line started to crowd me. I heard her sigh. I could feel the restlessness among others in the line without even having to look. And then I got an image of being in a grocery store line in my home neighborhood of Dorchester. I could see an immigrant who has poor English skills trying to explain something to the cashier, and the cashier not being able to understand. I felt myself getting anxious for having to wait because a customer who could not communicate appropriately.

Suddenly I felt an overwhelming sense of empathy that I had not previously experienced. I had often times been the impatient person in line behind someone without proficient English language skills in the United States. Yet I had never really tried to understand what it feels like to be the one struggling to communicate with a host of strangers frustrated at your back.

I snapped back to the present and told the cashier, “Debit, por favor.” She ran my card, bagged my groceries and I quickly moved on.

The cashier assumed I was wrong and I did not have the language skills to explain otherwise. I can only imagine how often this happens to immigrants in the United States. And there is nothing like a little old-fashioned humility to make us more sensitive to the experiences of others!

Shelly is an evening MBA student at Babson, graduating in May. This reflection is from a recent Babson Elective Abroad to Brazil. She works in the non-profit sector, currently focusing on expanding affordable housing options in the Greater Boston region. Her past work has been in small business development and urban commercial revitalization. Originally from California, Shelly has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Davis in Sociology and Political Science, as well as a Master’s Degree from Eastern University in Urban Economic Development.

By Kaz Kawaguchi

Since I came to Babson in 2012 summer, I have faced many challenges. I have lived in Japan for around 30 years, and this was my first time to live abroad, so I expected that I would face many challenges such as language issue and cultural difference as well as study at a business school. However, the real challenges exceeded my expectations. The first Pre-MBA week was the toughest moment for me. I remember that I couldn’t participate in the first group discussion at all. Even though we were all international students, other team members spoke English very fluently and aggressively expressed their opinions during the discussion. I needed more time to come up with and express my ideas than others, and the discussion topic had changed while I was thinking about it. I was disappointed that other team members seemed to consider me as shy or having no unique ideas. Class participation was also a challenge for me. In my school experience, our learning style is basically listening to and writing down what teacher said and wrote. If I have questions about the class contents, I asked questions for teachers after classes. Here, the learning style is opposite. The role of the faculty is a facilitator, not a teacher. Students have to speak up during the class discussion. Besides language issues, I had to overcome such cultural differences.

To overcome these challenges, I tried multiple ways.

1). Speech Resource Center

I went to the Speech Resource Center frequently to improve my English speaking. During the session with the counselor, I practiced presentations, mock interviews, imitation of famous public speech, and reflection of what I learned from each subject.

2). Mind Shift

As some of the international students may feel the same thing, I felt that other students, especially native English speakers, seemed to see me as something weird or ignored me when I talked mainly due to my poor English. However, I changed my mindset into ignoring their attitude and focused on my delivery. I learned confidence is one of the most important factors for communication here.

3). Extracurricular activities

I tried many extracurricular activities to improve communication skills. Case competitions, Business Idea Pitch, Conferences, Networking events, Student Clubs, and alumni relations committee. These experiences helped me a lot not only for communications skills, but also for many other skills and connections with others.

I’m still on a way of trial and errors. It is obviously important to “get out of your comfort zone”, but sometimes it was just exhausting for me, and that fatigue made things worse. It was a vicious cycle. More importantly, I would say “you should expand your comfort zone”, and sometime you need to get out of your comfort zone in order expand your capacity and capability.

In my experience, the worst period was the first three months. After that, I felt I was getting better, and from spring semester I could say I enjoyed my MBA life. Some people may pass that bad period faster, and others may do more slowly. But, I promise you that you will get better sooner or later if you continue to try to improve. I hope you can do it, and I am willing to help you whenever you need any help.

Post by Kate Mowles, Class of 2013

For me, studying abroad was about having experiences that I could not have at Babson. Even with a very diverse student body, nothing matches actually diving fully into another culture. I wanted to learn more about the world we live in because I was never really exposed to diversity growing up. But I never expected to end up in Asia or Africa. I have now been to both continents twice. While we’re told when we return not to just wrap all of our experiences up and stick it on a shelf (figuratively or literally), I’m now going to attempt to fully yet concisely reflect on my incredible experiences.

Kate with Professor Deets and her Entrepreneurship class in Ghana

• I learned that people really are not all that different. No matter where I went there were parts of the local culture that people were intensely proud about (rugby in South Africa, K-Pop in Korea, etc). Each culture also had its own struggles. People were, in general, welcoming. Sometimes it took a little more for them to open up, or to cross cultural barriers, but I think this goes back to the cultural pride. People were generally excited to share their culture.
• I learned to be patient. This was probably one of Dean Hanno’s favorite things to remind us of in Ghana. It really is applicable in a lot of situations though. There were many moments in my international experiences when there were communication barriers that had to be breached. These issues were solved much more smoothly with a level head than with panicking. In South Africa I learned a new concept of time: saying you’ll be somewhere “now” means you’ll leave home pretty soon. Then there’s just-now and now-now on top of that. At the end of the day, all I could do in many situations was just take a deep breath and try to relax; I only had so much control over what was going on and I just had to let go of the rest.
• I learned how to communicate interculturally. Sometimes this meant communicating with gestures, especially in Korea where I had to learn the writing system. Sometimes, it was learning slang. Quite often there were miscommunication issues (pronounce a word slightly wrong and you accidently insult someone instead of asking where the bathroom is…yikes!). Then there are differences in physical gestures that are appropriate, ranging from who can take a drink first to declaring you’re in mourning based on where you leave your chopsticks.

Cultural mishaps abound, but I somehow managed to survive my study abroad experiences. Would I say I’m a changed person? Not really. But I have gained a deeper understanding of and greater appreciation for other cultures.  The experiences I have had are truly unforgettable. I have made friends from all over the world. The lessons I’ve learned along the way will stay with me forever. I have been inspired and touched in more ways than I could ever really tell. But I’m still me. I think that’s the important part. These experiences don’t define me, I define my experiences.

About Kate:

I graduated in May with a double concentration in Accounting and Global & Regional Studies. I will jump straight into my Masters in Accounting before starting a job in the fall. My first Babson Abroad experience was the elective abroad, Social Responsibility in Malaysia. After that I spent a semester in Stellenbosch, South Africa, a semester in Seoul, South Korea, and then finished my abroad experiences with the elective abroad in Sekondi, Ghana. I also managed to do some other travel while I was abroad, hitting a total of seven new countries.

Since 2011, Babson has been bringing teams of volunteers, including students, staff, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends to various countries of the world with the Babson Entrepreneurial Leadership Academies (BELA). This week, Lorien Romito, Glavin Office’s Director of Education Abroad traveled to Ghana to work with roughly 100 high school students to develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

Visit Babson’s website to learn more about BELA and other Global Programs opportunities.

Ghanaian students hard at work at BELA

Lorien leaders her group in discussion in Sekondi, Ghana.

Hello!  My name is Brett Chin. If you’re thinking about studying abroad during your time at Babson, chances are we will work together.   I  manage and advise Undergraduate Semester Abroad programs in Asia (China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea); Europe (Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Italy); and the Middle East (Jordan).

Originally from Southern California, I started my career student affairs at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities where I worked in Residential Life for eight years.  I come to Babson College from California State University, Northridge, where I served as a Senior Community Director.  I also sailed with Semester at Sea to 15 countries as a Resident Director on the Fall 2012 Voyage on the MV Explorer.

I attended the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities for my Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Experiential Education and attended California State University, Northridge for my undergrad degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. I’m very excited to join the Babson community and look forward to meeting you!

Post by Zak Barry, Class of 2014

Over the past couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to befriend a family who lives in a shack at the end of our street. Beside the fact that the lot is kept vacant because it used to be a cemetery, this rolling green hill is prime real estate in the vibrant Bo-Kaap neighborhood overlooking Cape Town’s city bowl, nestled underneath the iconic Table Mountain. In the summer months it is a camper’s paradise, but amidst the winter’s howling wind and rain there is nothing but each other’s company to keep warm. Around a small fire stories were shared with me through the eyes that have resided on that property for 28 years, witness of the transformation of the Apartheid system into what it is today. After a night of singing Afrikaans songs and dancing around the fire, I felt moved to give something back.

Sitting on the dirt, squinting my watery smoke filled eyes, I was clothed with the smell of burning wood, which triggered memories of being at home… roasting S’mores! Excited to share a favorite childhood pastime, I was determined to gather all of the supplies for the following day. Have you ever tried to describe a marshmallow to someone who has never had one? Neither had I. A few grocery stores later, I was equipped with the necessary supplies and on my way to my first S’more demonstration.

The adults watched me curiously as I roasted the white, corn starch coated, cylindrical glob of gelatin over the fire. No one joined me except the youngest daughter Cheride. John told me that his wife did not eat sweets because she only has a few teeth. Anna said her husband Moses was a sugar diabetic and it wouldn’t be a good idea. John’s wife asked me if I had brought any Chicken to Braai (South African word for BBQ). They looked hungry, but not for S’mores.

Although they all loved S’mores by the end of the night, I quickly understood why I was not met with the same level of excitement I had expected. My imagined idea of what would be a pleasurable treat for them was merely a projection of my own idea of a “pleasurable treat”. Stuck in my small illusion of reality, I had given little to no thought about what is valued from the South African perspective. A wise man once told me, “In a world where content is king, context is GOD.” As a student who aspires to become a social entrepreneur on a global scale, I realized how important it is to make a conscious and mindful consideration of the setting when conducting business. This lesson will stick with me through the rest of my years at Babson and beyond the bounds of my career because it can be applied to many avenues of life.

Post by Kaz Kawaguchi, MBA Candidate, Class of 2014

In May of 2013 Kaz, along with Babson alum and Professors, organized a program to his home country of Japan for Babson students and spouses. There were 18 participants  (15 students and 3 spouses), from the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Venezuela, Iceland, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan.

Before the trek, Kaz writes of his expectations:

Many of the participants will come to Japan for the first time, and it is a good opportunity for them to come with MBA classmates including Japanese students. I hope the participants will be exposed to a very different culture from that of the United States and their home countries, learn advanced technology and business models from leading companies such as Toyota, Mitsui, and JR, and build strong connections with Babson Alum in Japan through the networking party.

Japan Trek was an official program until 2010, but after the earthquake it was cancelled and never resumed. Even though this Japan Trek is just a grassroots effort, Professor Matsuno and Mr. Sato (M’06) helped our Japan Trek by setting up company visits and alumni network party arrangements. I hope Japan Trek will become an official trek again for next year, and replicate this kind of trek in other countries where we have strong Babson Community such as Mexico, Chili, Thailand, and India.

Upon the group’s return, Kaz shared the video below:

Here at the Glavin Office of Multicultural & International Education we are constantly capturing statistics of incoming international and outgoing study abroad students. In fact we have entire teams dedicated to supporting and guiding these populations. A community that is perhaps more complicated to define is that of Third Culture Kids.

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) or Global Nomads are individuals who have spent a significant part of their lifetimes outside their parents’ cultures, usually because of their parents’ work. The “Third Culture” refers to the a combination of the expatriate culture in which the students often live, the culture of their passport country, and the culture of the host country.  Examples include a US student growing up in Malaysia because her mother and father teach at the international school; or, a Korean student who has lived in Singapore, Kuwait, and Vancouver because his father is in the Korean diplomatic corps.

As we work to build an inclusive campus environment, it is helpful to broaden our definition of multiculturalism and to be mindful of the assumptions we make of others. There may be more to a classmate’s story than meets the eye.

For more background on TCKs, watch the video below by filmmaker Aga Alegria.

In light of Mandela’s recent passing, Professor Emeritus Jean-Pierre Jeannet shares this reflection on a not-so-chance meeting:

I have had an opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela as part of the Emirates Global Business forum held in Dubai in the year 2000. I received an invitation to join the conference during an already busy travel time. After some discussions with my family, we decided I should attend the conference as session chair since Nelson Mandela, who the year before had stepped down as President of South Africa, would be the keynote speaker. One caveat, however: I was to bring home a picture with Nelson Mandela! And so I took off in March of 2000 to spend 4 days in Dubai.

The conference was held in the Jumeirah Beach Resort Hotel just outside the city of Dubai, and an opening breakfast for speakers was scheduled in the nearby Burj Al Arab Tower overlooking the Gulf. There, on the morning before the conference was to start, and in the restaurant Al Muntaha Restaurant some 200 meters above the Persian Gulf were seated all invited speakers and their hosts from Dubai, as well as government ministers and other dignitaries. The breakfast had already started when suddenly the elevator doors opened and Nelson Mandela stepped out and approached the seated tests. Everyone immediately got up and formed a large semi circle around Mandela who began to greet every guest, asking them abut where they came from, and engaging in small talk and even joking about his hearing aids to an executive from Siemens. Then suddenly he motioned to the back of the room and asked “Young man, what are you doing back there. Step Forward!”. It was a waiter, obviously an immigrant as many of the employees were, and he asked him to take his place in the semi circle together with the ministers in traditional arab dress, the executives, and the professors, engine the waiter just as he had everyone else about his whereabouts, and smoothly moving on continuing his greetings of all present. This majestic gesture, demonstrating to all present that there should be no difference based upon status, remains firmly implanted in my mind and still gives me goose bumps when I think about it.

At the same conference, I met a Saudi businessman who had come to attend simply because of Mandela. I mentioned to him that I had come also because elf Mandela, and that my family expected me to bring home a picture with him. No problem, I was told, and he, the Saudi, would take care of it. After three days we were finally seated for the final dinner, and I still had not yet gotten my picture. I was seated with the Saudi businessman and our table was net to the honorary table with Nelson Mandela. As my back was against the table with Mandela, my Saudi acquaintance mentioned to me that I should just follow him quickly once he would get up, and that he would await the end of the dinner for that. And so it happened, that I notice a stirring behind me, the Saudi jumped up, and a short whistle from him produced a photographer who had been waiting in the bushes nearby. I rand behind the Saudi and the photographer and stood next to them as they asked for and got permission to take a photo with Mandela. But then they suddenly left, and I stood alone next to Nelson Mandela. When I indicated to him that I had come all the way from the US to bring home a photo of himself, he took my hand, and realising that the photographer had vanished, asked everyone “Will someone please organise a photographer so that this man can get his picture!”. While we were waiting, he kept holding my hand, smiling, and a photo could finally be taken. After thanking profusely, I retired to my room and called my family to report the big event. There was just one problem: I could never locate the photographer who had taken the picture! So I came home, enriched by this story, but without the photo. Only months later I received by email from the Saudi businessman the photo he had taken and it shows me on the photo, awaiting my turn to greet Mandela. But what I remember was the kindness of Nelson Mandela to respond to me, a person he did not know, in such a gracious way, just as he asked the immigrant waiter during the breakfast meeting to join the ranks of dignitaries on the same level.

Post by Fernando Maturana & Hernan Sangueza MBA, Class of 2014

Hernan and Fernando at INCmty

INCmty is a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation that aims to bring together in the same place both entrepreneurs and their business ideas with investors, following the model of a Festival, and seeking to become an international benchmark for entrepreneurs in Latin America.

The first edition took place at the main campus of TEC de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico, on November 15 – 17, 2013.  Babson College was also present through the attendance of Babson Latin American Club (BLAC) Leaders Fernando Maturana and Hernan Sangueza, whom traveled to TEC de Monterrey supported by Babson Global.

Highlights of the lectures included “The Art of Innovation” by Guy Kawasaki, “The new entrepreneur in the age of Innovation” by Michael E. Gerber, “The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” by Jack Canfield, “Strategies of Productivity for Super-Executor Entrepreneurs” by Darren Hardy, “Likeable Social Media” by Dave Kerpen, and “8 keys to building lasting enterprises” by Gary Hoover.

From this experience, Fernando and Hernan took several innovative ideas that they intend to use in the 6^th Edition of BLAC’s Latin American Entrepreneurship Forum, which will be held in April 4^th, 2014. INCmty served as an example to show them that there are no limits to create memorable events that generate high impact and high value for Babson College.

The challenge for the 2^nd Edition of INCmty 2014 is great: they intend to attract 8,000 participants to more than 300 activities and 10 lectures in the second edition of the festival to be held in November 2014. This event brings together entrepreneurs from all around Mexico, is a hotbed of entrepreneurship and innovation, and it is certainly tremendously appreciated that the #1 School for Entrepreneurship in the world is watching what is being done in this area at other institutions around the world, so hopefully, Babson College will be represented also this year.

Read on for Spanish:

INCmty es una celebración de innovación y emprendimiento que tiene como objetivo reunir a empresarios y sus ideas de negocio con inversionistas, siguiendo el modelo de un Festival, y aspira a convertirse en un referente internacional para los emprendedores en Latino América.

La primera edición tuvo lugar en el campus principal del TEC de Monterrey, México, entre los días 15 y 17 de noviembre de 2013. Contó con la participación de 4.263 asistentes y 52 instituciones, y acogió 218 eventos, 9 conferencias, 53 talleres, 43 lanzamientos de riesgo, 7 eventos de premiación y 250 lanzamientos de startups. Tuvimos el privilegio de representar a Babson College como líderes del Club Latino Americano (BLAC) gracias al apoyo de Babson Global, por lo que viajamos a Monterrey a ser testigos de esta celebración.

El ambiente era festivo y los asistentes estaban infectados de esta alegría. En el marco del Festival, tuvimos la oportunidad de asistir a varios eventos que abarcaban los más diversos temas. Entre ellos, destacamos las conferencias “El Arte de la Innovación” de Guy Kawasaki: “El nuevo empresario en la era de la innovación“, de Michael E. Gerber, “Los Principios del Éxito: Como llegar de donde estas a donde quieres estar ” de Jack Canfield,” Estrategias de Productividad para el Súper-Ejecutor ” de Darren Hardy,”Likeable Social Media ” de Dave Kerpen, y” 8 claves para construir empresas duraderas ” de Gary Hoover.

De esta experiencia nos quedamos con varias ideas innovadoras que pretendemos implementar en la 6ta Edición del Foro de Emprendimiento Latino Americano que BLAC está organizando para el próximo 04 de Abril de 2014. INCmty nos sirvió de ejemplo para mostrarnos que no hay límites para crear eventos memorables que generan alto impacto y son de alto valor para el Babson College.

El desafío para la segunda edición de INCmty 2014 es inmenso: tienen la intención de atraer a 8.000 participantes en más de 300 actividades y 10 conferencias en la edición del festival, que se celebrará en noviembre de 2014. Este evento reúne a empresarios de todo México, es un semillero de la iniciativa empresarial y la innovación, y sin duda aprecia tremendamente que la Escuela de Negocios N º 1 en Emprendimiento esté pendiente de lo que instituciones amigas en otros lugares del mundo están haciendo en este ámbito. Esperamos que Babson College esté representada también este año, es un evento imperdible.

Post by Doug Hardy, from http://entrepreneurshipofallkinds.org

Steve Case must be an optimist. The co-founder of America Online and current CEO of blue-chip venture firm Revolution LLC thinks a bipartisan majority in Congress will pass immigration reform this year … or at least the targeted reform of Startup Act 3.0 (pdf), a bill designed to keep the best of foreign-born brains and talent in the U.S.

Immigration is a hot-button issue but, whatever their feelings about comprehensive immigration reform (dealing with the 11 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.), business leaders and advocates are pushing the message that the political snarl over immigration is hurting American business by preventing the world’s best and brightest from working here. Knowledge-intensive industries such as information technology and biotech are especially impatient for the reforms that Startup Act 3.0 promises.

Startup Act 3.0 (a nice techy sounding name that also reflects the fact that Startup Act 2.0 died in Congress last year) contains a bipartisan set of measures expanding current visa regulations. The new act would:

• Create a special entrepreneur’s visa for legal immigrants aimed at encouraging foreign-born workers to start companies. Consequently, immigrants won’t have to depend on a company to sponsor their residence in the U.S.
• Create a new visa specifically for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) professions
• Eliminate per-country caps for employment-based visas, encouraging U.S. companies to hire talent wherever it’s found

The act also institutes five tax, procedural, and funding measures to encourage new business formation. It was introduced in February by a bipartisan congressional team that included Republicans, such as Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, and Democrats, such as Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia. The act is meant to answer a long-standing frustration for business leaders: our laws make it easy for the foreign-born to get an American education, but difficult for them to start an American company.

The U.S. leads the world in size and quality of its education sector. Twenty of the U.S.News & World Report top-50 universities are in the U.S. Half of the Financial Times top-50 global business schools are American. And, the list goes on—technical schools, medical schools, law schools—the world’s best and brightest come here to learn. (Babson College’s student makeup is 27 percent international.)

But, as Bill Gates points out, U.S. immigration policy disregards this asset. “You can be a student at UC Berkeley, foreign-born, and get this wonderful subsidized education. Microsoft offers you a job for over $100,000 a year [but] … most of those students are told they can’t stay. They have to go to Canada or India or somewhere else.”

Supporters of Startup Act 3.0 also say America’s shortage of native-born STEM professionals makes reform urgent. For example:

• In 2009, 33 percent of U.S. science and engineering doctorates were earned by students on temporary resident visas
• More than 200,000 science and engineering doctorates¹ were earned in the U.S. by foreigners from 1987–2007
• More than 60 percent of employees in Silicon Valley tech companies are foreign-born

Foreign-born graduates have a strong influence across all industries in Silicon Valley, not just those in the STEM fields. Forty-seven percent of Silicon Valley’s college-educated workforce is international, although nationally, this figure drops to 17 percent. Annually, Congress issues 85,000 new H-1B visas for the highly trained workers that make up this 17 percent, and that allocation hasn’t changed in nearly a decade despite the acceleration of tech jobs. That simple math indicates shortage and its predictable effects—recruiters from Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Asia can offer easier routes to employment to elite non-U.S. engineers, PhDs, and professionals.

Politically, Startup Act 3.0 is meant to answer the complaint that foreigners will take American jobs. Says Case, “The mistake that opponents of immigration reform make is believing that our society and economic growth are zero sum. They are not. More talented immigrants joining the American family does not equate to fewer jobs, it equates to more jobs. … Studies show that from 2000 to 2007, every 100 additional foreign-born workers in STEM fields created 262 additional employment positions for native U.S. workers.”

The bottom-line appeal of Startup Act 3.0—hundreds of thousands of jobs created by the brains and entrepreneurial zeal of foreign-born individuals—gives it a fighting chance of becoming law this year. The lure of new job creation in a struggling economy has bridged divisions between influential conservatives and liberals already; the votes might just be there to reform America’s attitude toward foreign-born entrepreneurs.

¹Source: National Science Foundation Report Higher Education in Science and Engineering, Chapter 2 (pdf) 

For immigration related inquiries, please contact isss@babson.edu

Some good advice for all, particularly our incoming students!

Article by Andy Molinsky from http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/07/adapt-to-a-new-culture-but-dont-go-too-far/

One of the most popular pieces of advice that people receive when operating across cultures is, “When in Rome, Act Like the Romans.” This advice essentially means that in order to be successful in a situation different from your own, you need to adapt to the local customs, whatever they happen to be. But what happens when you don’t have a perfect read on what these customs or rules exactly are?

Imagine the following: Cheng, a Chinese professional, is starting a new job as a management consultant at a major strategy consulting firm in the U.S. Cheng is explicitly told that he needs to show his leadership potential in meetings with senior colleagues and partners by outwardly expressing his opinions and even, on occasion, directly disagreeing with his superiors. Cheng realizes this, despite how uncomfortable it feels, and decides to go for it. The first chance he gets, Cheng tells his boss how “crazy” his idea is and how a much more sensible strategy would incorporate various other features that he did not consider in his analysis. As uncomfortable as it was to call out his boss in this way, Cheng feels proud about having expressed himself.

A few hours later, Cheng gets a message to meet his boss in his office. Is Cheng’s boss likely to praise him for a job well done or chastise him for speaking about him publically in an inappropriate manner?

The answer is clearly the latter. Cheng went too far in his behavior, and unless he has a very smart“forgiveness strategy,” he’s likely to land in his boss’ doghouse. Cheng knew that he needed to be more assertive with his boss than he otherwise would have been in China, but he wasn’t able to adjust to the appropriate American level. If in China, you are supposed to act with a 1 or a 2 on a seven-point scale of assertiveness, and in the United States the appropriate level is a 5, Cheng produced a 7.

This story is emblematic of so many other similar stories that I hear in my work teaching and training people to function successfully overseas. Individuals attempt to adapt their behavior to match a particular culture but end up pushing too far, making larger mistakes than if they had just stayed true to themselves. It’s the problem of what I call “over-switching.”

I see this over-switching phenomenon quite often in my work as a business school professor. It happens when students who are generally quite deferential with professors in their native country realize that the U.S. standards are more informal, but they inaccurately calibrate where that level of informality actually is. It also happens often in interviews and cover letters. Students from countries where self-promotion is taboo learn that it’s required in the U.S., but don’t quite understand to what extent self-promotion is acceptable. I remember helping one foreign-born student with her application essays, where the first attempt was low on the self-promotion scale (talking about how “we” achieved certain individual results instead of “I”), but in the second attempt, she leapfrogged well past the level of acceptability to become overly self-promotional (touting her single-handed accomplishments on what was obviously a group-oriented endeavor). Although the student was embarrassed to see the difference, she also appreciated the feedback because it helped her calibrate her behavior the next time around to the appropriate style.

Individuals need to take steps to avoid over-switching and decrease the likelihood that it will interfere with their success abroad. One essential strategy is to develop a detailed sense of the “cultural code” — the correct and appropriate interpersonal style — for whatever key situations you’re working in. How assertively are you expected to act in your role in this setting? How directly are you expected to communicate, and with how much emotional expressiveness? Of course, the rules for how to behave are not the same in all situations you encounter in a foreign culture. Taking Cheng’s case as our example, some work cultures are extremely informal with very high expectations for assertiveness on the part of employees. Others are much less so. Some bosses also have styles that are more or less conducive to the behavior that Cheng exhibited in this situation. The overall goal is not to just learn how the new culture is different from yours. It’s to calibrate the specific level of difference and to learn how to acclimate your behavior to that particular level.

But even if you do work hard at mastering the cultural code, mistakes are still inevitable. You must also find ways to mitigate the brunt of these inevitable faux pas. Do what you can to develop a sense of rapport or, when possible, a relationship with the person you’re interacting with. Express genuine interest in the new culture and bond over areas of mutual interest, such as sports or family. And in certain cases, if the relationship allows, see if the other person might even be able to mentor you about cultural differences and the appropriate level of accommodation.

Over-switching is a natural part of the adaptation process. The trick isn’t to make it go away; it’s to try your best to convert these inevitable errors into valuable learning opportunities.

By Mike Brady and Mary Testa

This past week presented us with a broad range of experiences. Over the past seven days each of us has had to adapt to varying circumstances. From seven hour bus rides to five star meals to living with lizards and mice to sunrise yoga this week had a little bit of everything.

The highlight of our week was staying and volunteering at the Bal Ashram orphanage. The orphanage rescues boys who have been subjected to child labor. Located in the middle of a desert the orphanage has received much attention recently largely due to it’s founder, winning the Nobel peace prize just a few months ago.

At the orphanage though, there hadn’t been any noticeable change as a result of all the attention. Except, in addition to us there were also journalists learning about bal ashram while we were volunteering.

It was fascinating to observe the journalists as they asked questions and took pictures. The journalists, from Sweden, staged their cover photo by taking one boy away from his football game and having him stand alone by a window. The photographer then proceeded to take the boys picture through the window screen–achieving a photograph which was almost entirely out of context.

Now we have no idea if they photographer will use that photo or how it will be presented but regardless this observation showed us how media and images can tell stories that differ from reality.

Moreover, in our post trip discussion several good points were made about how journalists may look to force stories to fit narratives that readers want or expect. In this example, the reporters entered a playful and joyous room of 30 young boys but appeared to ignore the remarkable resilience of the boys choosing to instead portray a solemn and isolated orphan.

Understanding how peoples expectations can alter the way they perceive events has been a common theme in all three countries we have visited.

Posted by Babson Latin American Club

Maria Cristina Cruz, 2nd Year MBA, Venezuela

1. What is your favorite Latin American dish? I love arepas (the Venezuelan ones, which are different from Colombian ones), and pabellón criollo (our national dish made up of white rice, black beans, fried plantains and shredded beef)- I have no idea how to make it, so thinking of it makes me homesick! I also love our tropical fruits- I miss drinking passion fruit juice every day!

2. Why did you come to Babson? My mom did her undergrad at Babson, so I came to visit campus many times while growing up. It was always a life goal to come live here and study business. So when I was looking to get an MBA, coming to Babson was a no-brainer.

Post by Laura Jimenez ’17, who recently returned from a study abroad trip to Florence, Italy.

And this is me, having a taste of my last day in Florence.

Post by Jin Lin ’17, who shares a fun cultural experience during her study abroad program in Dublin, Ireland. Click here to learn about the many opportunities to travel abroad at Babson.

Courtesy of Arcadia University, I got the chance to learn and experience the heart of Irish culture, the Gaelic Games! We were able to learn the rules and play a game of Hurling, Gaelic football and Gaelic handball in 2 hours. I love anything athletic so I was pretty excited for this excursion. We bused to Na Fianna GAA Club with a few other Arcadia abroad students studying in Trinity College.

After getting briefed about the 3 sports, we were on our way to the fields! The first sport we tackled was Gaelic hurling. We all wore helmets and received a hurley and sliotar. The Irish calls the wooden stick a hurley and the ball a sliotar. Sophisticated, indeed. Anyway, boy was this game confusing! Hurling was like a mix of hockey, volleyball, and LOADS of balance.

Learning the basics of Hurling

Group photo with Stephen, our awesome Arcadia staff

You can hit the sliotar with the hurley to the net to score a point. You can catch the sliotar with your hands. You can pass with a bump with your hands. There were so many rules, I only remembered I could hit the sliotar with my hurley. Our group was separated into two teams and we played a game of hurling after learning the sport in 30 minutes. Not going to lie, it was intense.

Gaelic football had just as many rules. This game was a mix of soccer, American football, volleyball and basketball. I suck at hand-feet coordination and memorizing so many rules made this sport a difficult one for me.

Attempting some chest passes

The ball looks like a volley ball doesn’t it? It was so much harder!! I would knock out if some one hit that to my head… I don’t know about other Gaelic clubs in Ireland, but the Na Fianna one we went to was super friendly! We were offered water and snacks between games. Before we left, we managed to squeeze in 30 minutes of Gaelic handball which is exactly like the handball I used to play in middle school. I haven’t touched a handball in 6 years but at least I can still hit it back to the wall!! Yesssss haha.

Super fun event by Arcadia. After experiencing how difficult and intense this sport was, I commend Irish people for continuing and preserving their national sport by attending neighborhood Gaelic clubs all over the country.

Empathy and sympathy seem like similar concepts, but are they? Researcher Brené Brown tells us they are very different.  While one connects us to one another, the other can pull us further apart.  And in our interconnected, multicultural world, being able to connect with and understand others will be to our advantage.

More compassion. Stronger relationships and business partnerships. More socially-conscious companies. More justice.

Empathy vs. sympathy — Do you know the difference?

Watch this brief video by freelance illustrator Katy Davis to find out.

Babson BRIC: The Cornerstone of the New Global Economy is a semester-long, globally comparative and academically rigorous study abroad experience. To learn more about this unique opportunity, click here.

Babson BRIC study abroad participants write blog posts during their time in Russia, India, and China. It’s a great way for them to reflect on their experiences, and is a wonderful way for you to learn about the program and what it entails. To learn about BRIC from their perspective of those who participated in the program in 2014, read the articles below.

Goodbye Beijing

Adventures to Yiwu and GE

Updates from Shanghai

Zdravstvujtye Russia!

Memorials and Museums

 до свидания, Санкт. Петербург !*

Managing Perspectives

Belonging & Heimat in India: Winding Down #BRIC2014

Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved

To learn more about study abroad at Babson, visit the Education Abroad website (link).

To learn more about Babson BRIC and to read more blog posts, click here.

In the Glavin office, we work closely with students who are eager to expand their global mindset. This group of students are passionate about raising awareness about the possibilities for creating social and economic value in the Middle East. Read about their organization and look out for their activities on campus!

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We are starting a student organization here at Babson called “Al-Tareeq”. This is Arabic for “The Path”.  Our mission is to empower Middle Eastern entrepreneurs whose ventures advocate for gender equality and education for children in Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

Our reason for targeting these countries is varied; however, we as board members all share close ties to the Middle East that have inspired us to make a difference. We are not a political organization by any means: our passion is to provide younger generations with the same basic necessities we were granted throughout our lives.

The figures regarding quality of life in many of these areas are staggering: There are 2 million people currently living in the Gaza Strip, 38% of whom live below the poverty line and 55% of whom are unemployed. Additionally, according to UNICEF, 123,000 children in Gaza were forced to drop out of school as a result of nearby violent conflict.

In light of these facts, we strongly feel that an environment encouraging sustainable and responsible job creation will be most conducive to initiating change in the everyday social, economic, and academic spheres of these people’s lives.

We have a desire to make a tangible difference by leveraging resources available to us through Babson College and other institutions across the country. The grants we hope to receive will go towards entrepreneurs who are responsible and able to present concrete evidence of the development of their sustainable businesses in the Middle East. Through the guidance of these entrepreneurs, we hope to ensure that all generations of Arabs are empowered to make differences in their own communities by taking advantage of the resources that will enable them to grow socially, academically and professionally.

Our current team is made up of 6 students. The President, Aboudi Al-Qattan, is a Palestinian junior at Babson who has always wanted to improve the situation in the Middle East. With help from Co-Founder and Director of Strategy Fredrick Rading, his passion became a reality as they spent large parts of the summer developing a plan of action. Fredrik is a senior at Babson and attended high school with Aboudi in London. Director of Research, Blaise Cohen also attended the American School of London, and is currently at Boston College with Director of Marketing Waleed Snobar. Our last two members both attend Babson, as Sophomore Tala Malas is our Director of Events and Hamza Bilbeisi is our Director of Communications.

This blog will provide a forum to keep our followers informed about everything we do. Additionally, we will also be holding events to raise awareness at Babson College in order to create a connection between students, faculty, donors, and the entrepreneurs we choose to fund. It is our belief that the process of choosing entrepreneurs must be transparent and straightforward in order to ensure no funding is misdirected.

For more information, visit Al-Tareeq’s website (link) or contact Aboudi Al-Qattan at aalqattan1@babson.edu

We look forward to seeing you all at our events!

Al-Tareeq- The Path

Babson BRIC: The Cornerstone of the New Global Economy is a semester-long, globally comparative and academically rigorous study abroad experience. To learn more about this unique opportunity, click here.

Babson BRIC study abroad participants write blog posts during their time in Russia, India, and China. It’s a great way for them to reflect on their experiences, and is a wonderful way for you to learn about the program and what it entails. To learn about BRIC from their perspective of those who are participating in the program right now, read the articles below.

BRIC 2015 Week 1

From Russia With Love – BRIC 2015’s First Week in St. Petersburg

Russia Restaurant Tips and Verbiage

BRIC 2015: Business Environment in Russia

Embracing the Ambiguity: BRIC 2015

To learn more about study abroad at Babson, visit the Education Abroad website (link).

To learn more about Babson BRIC and to read more blog posts, click here.