Florida Tech Faculty Travel to Shanghai to Improve Human Resource Effectiveness between Chinese and American Companies

Faculty members from the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts (CoPLA) and the Institute for Cross Cultural Management (ICCM) traveled to Shanghai China to collaborate with partners on international management research and human resources consulting.  Dr. William Gabrenya, a cultural psychologist and faculty member in the Industrial Organizational Psychology program traveled with Dr. Mary Beth Kenkel who is the Dean of CoPLA, and Dr. Richard Griffith, the Director of ICCM.  They met with colleagues from East China Normal University to discuss formal exchange programs and a joint conference aimed at improving the effectiveness of human resource systems in multinational firms.

“The amount of Chinese-American business has increased drastically in the past decade and HR professionals, applied psychologists, and consulting firms have struggled to keep up with the pace of this growth.  “We want to work with our partners to develop a talent stream for these organizations.” Say Dr. Griffith.  “There is quite a shortfall of professionals with training and experience to operate effectively in this new global environment.  We hope our work with ECNU will enhance the training both institutions offer, and better prepare our graduates for work in international consulting firms.”

The Florida Tech contingent also met with leaders of multinational firms and global consulting groups, such as Development Dimensions International (DDI) to discuss how human resource systems and consulting can be improved through research and targeted interventions.