The eight-day study abroad trip to Japan provided the graduate students with insights on working with varying perspectives and cultures, and real-world experience engaging with businesses on the other side of the world.
January 17, 2025
By Emma Carrillo
To begin 2025, a group of 24 graduate students took an immersive dive into global business in Japan. Over an eight-day period, the TCU Neeley School of Business graduate students in the Full-time MBA, Professional MBA, and MS Supply Chain Management programs gained valuable firsthand insights for success in an interconnected world.
For first-year MBA student Harrison Perry, the trip was particularly meaningful. He had never traveled abroad, so he chose to extend his trip to Japan by adding an additional month of travel to broaden his understanding of international business.
During the visit to Dentsu, Japan's largest advertising agency, Perry was struck by the country's unique perspective on measuring business success.
“It’s about strong intrinsic rewards rather than being entirely driven by money,” Perry said. “They focus on concepts like Gross National Happiness instead of just GDP, prioritizing well-being and measuring success through improved living standards and meaningful products. It’s not just about increasing the bottom line—a cultural difference that stood out compared to the U.S.”
Another highlight for Perry was observing how deeply the people of Japan value respect.
“Bowing to people we met was a new experience,” he said, adding with a laugh, “I often found myself in a bow-off with someone.”
Overall, the trip featured visits to top companies such as Dentsu, CyberConnect2, Intralink, and All Nippon Airways Trading. Students also experienced Japan’s cultural heritage through cultural visits to a tea farm, a kimono factory, a sushi-making class, and the bustling Tsukiji Outer Market.
Tina Ho, a second-year student earning her master’s degree in supply chain management, found the visit to a traditional organic tea farm both surprising and inspiring.
“It was fascinating to see how a company rooted in Japanese culture is incorporating global perspectives into its operations,” Ho said.
The visit gave her a new appreciation for the role of cultural exchange in business. She observed how the farm integrated diverse working styles to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment.
“It showed how leveraging different perspectives can drive innovation, even in deeply traditional industries,” she reflected.
Neeley faculty members David Allen and Laura Meade accompanied the students, offering support throughout the trip. Meade noted the program’s emphasis on personal growth through cultural immersion.
“We require students to complete a cultural agility assessment where they identify traits they want to develop, like tolerance for ambiguity, resilience, or curiosity,” Meade said. “Each student chooses a competency to focus on and reflects on it as part of their individualized learning goal.”
Meade emphasized the program's broader significance, saying, "It's not just about learning an international business culture—they also learn more about themselves and how to work with a variety of perspectives.”
