International business education experiences through temporary learning environments: evidence from Atlantic Canada

Purpose International environments introduce a number of learning-related barriers for students endeavoring to understand global business practices. One way in which these obstacles can be addressed is through participation in temporary learning environments (TLEs), such as trade fairs and similar events. This paper aims to examine how international trade missions (ITMs) – a type of short-term, study-abroad experience – were used as TLEs by students at an Atlantic Canada university as part of their EMBA curriculum to gain practical experience in international business environments. Design/methodology/approach This study explores the ways in which students benefitted from participation in the ITMs and resulting TLEs. Accordingly, an online survey that explored export-related issues and learning outcomes was administered to EMBA students who participated in this program to ascertain the ways in which these events furthered their educational experience and how the ITMs enabled them to perceive challenges and strategies related to international market expansion. Findings A survey of ITM participants revealed that students gained insights into firm-level barriers to internationalization in addition to a practical understanding of general challenges in international trade. At the same time, some observations suggested that more emphasis could be placed on pre-trip preparations and post-trip networking. The paper concludes with discussions on how short-term study abroad opportunities can serve as TLEs, in addition to proposing future ways in which the ITMs could provide even more experiences for the students. Originality/value The value-added from this paper is found in two ways. The first is to illustrate how ITMs can be a form of a TLE for students. The second, linked contribution, is to reinforce and to provide further evidence on how the TLEs – a short study-abroad opportunity – can be an environment in which students obtain valuable, hands-on international business experience.