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.