Florida Tech and Norwegian School of Business Finalize Exchange Agreement

MELBOURNE, FLA.—The Industrial Organizational (I/O) Psychology program at Florida Institute of Technology recently finalized a faculty and student exchange agreement with the BI Norwegian School of Business in Oslo, Norway. Starting in fall 2012, students in the I/O master’s and doctoral programs will spend one semester abroad as part of the program’s increased international emphasis.

Florida Tech students will enroll in courses in BI’s Organizational Psychology and Leadership program. Studying at BI, Norway’s largest and most respected business school, will allow Florida Tech students to gain knowledge and applied experience across a broad scope of business areas.

“A semester abroad will be an outstanding experience for our students and better prepare them for their role as international consultants,” said Richard Griffith, director of the Institute for Cross Cultural Management (ICCM) at Florida Tech. “While at BI, our students will engage in experiential learning in one of the top accredited business schools in Europe. In addition, they will be working closely with business students from around the globe. This early international experience increases the chance of successful international assignments later in their career.”

Talks between the two universities began when Astrid Richardsen, department chair of the Leadership and Organizational Behavior program at BI, visited the Florida Tech campus to meet with the I/O faculty and students last spring. Griffith visited Oslo in fall 2011 when the details for the agreement were finalized.

The Institute for Cross Cultural Management is an applied research center at Florida Tech dedicated to the study of cultural challenges brought on by increased globalization. ICCM works with its military and corporate clients to provide solutions to challenges that affect daily overseas conduct such as cross-cultural conflict as well as building, maintaining and repairing trust in multicultural work groups. The ICCM also focuses on strategic issues such as expatriation/ repatriation, cross cultural negotiation, and global leadership.

In addition to attending classes, visiting students from BI will assist in the research conducted at ICCM. The mission of the Institute for Cross Cultural Management is to develop leaders and organizations to succeed in the global environment through evidence-based research and programs.