My initial impression of this faculty-led study abroad program in New Zealand was that it would provide opportunities for growth through learning about business practices, the city, and the country. I hoped to gain insight into how I could learn from this country and apply these lessons to my personal and professional life. While in New Zealand, I believe I embraced these opportunities by embodying the Aggie Core Values taught at Texas A&M. Although these values are instilled at the university, I firmly believe they encourage optimism and ultimately allow for greater personal growth and meaningful experiences.
Regarding my first impressions of the major differences in business practices between New Zealand and the United States, I noticed that the work-life balance is strikingly different. Many small businesses had only one or two employees, entire towns would close for holidays lasting a week, and some companies even implemented early retirement plans. As part of our experience, we visited a retirement village and learned how the business operates both internally and externally. Reflecting on this, I realized that although the business was small in scale, it operated very differently from a typical nursing home in the United States.
In addition to the business practices, I initially viewed the city as extremely diverse and strongly connected to the cultural roots of the indigenous community. One of our final group activities in Auckland was a walking tour of downtown. The tour guide effectively represented the identity of the city and explained why it operates the way it does. The people are known as Kiwis, a term that did not have much meaning to me at first. By keeping the Aggie Core Value of respect in mind, I remained open to learning about the strong cultural impressions of the community. The city left me with a sense of the importance of being committed to what you believe and of honoring those who came before you, as learning from the past is crucial.
Following these two key impressions of the businesses and the city, I was able to identify aspects of the country itself. While New Zealand is large in scale, this program allowed us to explore the city and broadened my perspective on just how vast the country is. I also did not realize that there are millions of sheep on the islands. I have since learned that sheep are one of the country’s largest exports and play a significant role in its economy. This differs from the United States, where the economy is more broadly agricultural based.
Through this global experience, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how cultural values influence business decision-making and develop a broader perspective on how countries differ and how I can grow moving forward.
