Over spring break, a group of Ivy College of Business MBA students, faculty, and staff traveled to the Philippines to experience how business operations are run outside of the United States. On this study tour, they had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at how companies like Dole Philippines and South Cotabato Integrated Port Services, Inc. (SCIPSI) operate.
Accompanying the group of Ivy MBA students was Henrik Sternberg, associate professor in supply chain management. When asked about the study tour, Sternberg said, “The Philippines is known as the call center of the world and a nation that exports labor around the world. In this study trip, the purpose was to make the participants understand how to do business in the Philippines. To fully learn that, we have to understand the regulatory environment, business culture, and the people of the Philippines.”
Second-year MBA student Jason Rieder went on the trip with a unique perspective. This was the second study tour he was able to attend while in the MBA program, allowing him to compare what he learned about business operations and the economy in the Philippines with what he experienced on the 2022 study tour to Portugal.
“A study trip is not only a lot of fun, it opens your perspective to how other people think and act in a business setting. It makes you a richer person and makes you see opportunities and challenges you would otherwise not.”
— Henrik Sternberg
“I would absolutely recommend a study abroad experience to other students,” Rieder said. “Beyond learning about the objectives outlined in the syllabus, you get to experience and learn about a different culture.”
Experiencing the Filipino culture also played a large role in first-year MBA student Grace Peterson’s study tour experience.
“This trip served as a reminder to me of just how big the world is. Lifestyles and culture vary so drastically between different parts of the world,” Peterson said.
The trip wasn’t all business.
Highlights for both Rieder and Peterson were the downtimes when they were able to bond with fellow MBA classmates. Being immersed in the Filipino culture, trying fresh pineapple they picked themselves, and swimming with whale sharks were just a few of the activities that stood out when reflecting on their time in the Philippines.
Sternberg concluded, “A study trip is not only a lot of fun, it opens your perspective to how other people think and act in a business setting. It makes you a richer person and makes you see opportunities and challenges you would otherwise not.”
October 9, 2023
