Internationalization of MBA Students’ Career and Academic Life: An Integrating Approach Modeling

Abstract

The opportunity for exchange experiences, skills acquisition, and international network has stood out among the MBA students’ priorities. This paper seeks to build and test a research model that integrates the main concepts around the internationalization of MBA students’ career and academic life, in a worldwide perspective. We proposed a modeling design composed of four fundamental constructs, usually presented in the literature in an isolated or partially combined manner, but never in an integrating holistic approach for higher education. A survey was carried out with in progress and former Brazilian MBA students, and the models were tested and validated using Partial Least Squares. The results confirm Internationalization at Home and Experience Abroad as antecedents to Global Skills and Global Mindset. These findings can reduce the fragmented vision of the elements related to the career internationalization and help Institutions and students to identify the main factors that deliver better global skills and mindset needed to a global success.