Running Head: Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

International Retailing – INTB3090 Section 001
Dr. Roseann Hassey
Audrey Ann Laster
Running Head: Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

Personal

My experience in the International Retailing class was very different from what I was

expecting which I believe can be echoed from everyone in the class. From this class I was hoping

to learn more about retailing in general as well as retailing in an international setting. I definitely

learned about that and more from this class even without going abroad and learning hands-on.

From a personal standpoint, I was hoping to gain experience in communicating with business

leaders abroad who may not speak English as their first language. I want to pursue a career in the

sports industry, and it is almost certain I will encounter people from all around the world.

Gaining communication skills abroad while in Italy would have helped me to better prepare for

my career. Although my experience with this class may have been different from what I was

expecting, I am still thankful for all that I learned and for the connections I made.

Even though the on-the-ground component of the course was canceled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic, I can still take some knowledge with me in future travel. This experience

has taught me to be flexible and understanding in my plans. Traveling internationally has many

factors that can change your plans in an instant. Thankfully when I have traveled internationally

before, I have not had to adapt my plans due to a global issue. This experience has shown me

that international travel isn’t just a one-way street, its more than just deciding one day that I want

to go across the ocean to a new country. Every day the political climate in a country can change,

a new disease could develop, a natural disaster can occur, or any other unexpected event can

happen that changes everyone in that countries lives. It is unfortunate that our trip got canceled,

but issues like these are more than just having summer plans disrupted. Peoples lives are affected

by these issues and that is more important than having to cancel a trip.
Running Head: Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

On the lighter side, my experience in this class has also shown me places I would love to

see when I do get the chance to go to Italy one day. Italy is a beautiful and I hope I get the

privilege of going there in the future. From the presentations by my fellow classmates and the

lessons taught by Dr. Hassey, I learned about a lot of history and landmarks I would not have

known about on my own. I also learned a little bit of Italian phrases which will help me if I get to

go.

The biggest thing I can personally recommend to an international traveler is to be flexible

and understanding. As mentioned above, anything can happen in the country you planned to

travel to that could cancel a trip. I learned the importance of being understanding about these

situations and I would recommend that train of thought to other travelers as well. Travel bans are

put in place to protect travelers’ health and safety but often people do not see the point in them

and think they are not to be taken seriously. By adopting a flexible train of thought, it is easier to

make yourself understand why travel is not allowed in the country. It also makes you consider

the people that are affected by these situations causing the travel bans. Additionally, I would

recommend investing in good travel insurance. I have always bought travel insurance for the

international trips I have taken but the COVID-19 situation really reaffirmed the importance of it

for me. You never know what kind of situations you will face before a trip or while abroad, so it

is important to protect yourself against potential losses. Lastly, I would recommend that

international travelers monitor international news related to the country they are traveling to as

well as surrounding countries. This will help travelers make the best, most informed decisions

about their trip to ensure safety and reduce risk. Part of this is following recommendations put

out by governments and health organizations. If there is a high travel advisory, it may be in your

best interest to reschedule your trip for a better time. Above all, I would recommend travelling
Running Head: Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

with an open mind and have fun! It can be scary to travel abroad due to so many uncertainties in

the world but if you only focus on that, you will not enjoy the trip. Enjoy your time exploring a

new country and safely take in as many experiences as you can.

Running Head: Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

Business

The COVID-19 virus has affected nearly every aspect of life across the whole world.

This is especially true for businesses and retailers. Because of the virus, governments have been

ordering all non-essential workers to stay home and socially distance to the best of their ability.

This means that retailers have had to shut down their stores and have lost much needed revenue

during this pandemic. The epicenter for this disease was Italy, specifically Milan. Unfortunately,

this could mean that Italy will see many of its retailers and businesses closing due to loss of

revenue and the lack of ability to recover their losses. However, retailers and businesses could

see a large consumption spike after the pandemic is over and they are able to open their doors

again. This could also come with and increase in customer loyalty depending on how the

businesses handle the COVID-19 situation. In a personal sense, small business owners may be

impacted even more. Small or family owned businesses in Italy bringing in less revenue during

this time may have to make difficult decisions that will financially impact their personal family

lives. If the pandemic does not pass soon, these businesses could be forced to close and give up

years or generations of hard work and family legacy. This is the unfortunate reality of many

business owners in Italy right now.

The Italian retail brand I will focus on is Prada, one of the luxury fashion houses in Italy.

Prada has been taking this “down time” to make the transition their factory from making luxury

garments to making non-surgical masks for health care workers in Italy. Prada is putting forth a

great example of what companies should be doing during this time. The company is doing a

great job of supporting their country and potentially their consumers by showing their support for

the fight against COVID-19. They are also making a great use of their presence on social media

to showcase their efforts. In my opinion, I think this will increase brand loyalty and bring them
Running Head: Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

even more customers for when this is over. If people see this massive company feeling a sense of

corporate social responsibility, they may be more apt to buying from Prada or even other

companies doing their part to help. When the stay at home orders are lifted and the big

consumption spike hits, Prada and other brands alike could see a boost in revenue from people

who are wanting to “repay” them for all that they have done for their community. Additionally, I

think it is good that many companies are offering online discounts in general to boost spending

in the economy but also offering extra discounts to healthcare workers during this hard time.

This is a great way to virtually support customers and keep their businesses afloat.

Italy scored similarly to the United States in individualism, power distance, and

masculinity according to the Hofstede cultural comparison. When responding to the COVID-19

pandemic, the differences between the two countries in their scores for uncertainty avoidance,

long-term orientation, and indulgent become evident. While the scores were very different, both

the US and Italy scored on the relatively high side for uncertainty avoidance. Italy had a very

high score which means that Italians do not like situations that create uncertainty. This epidemic

is one of uncertainty which is probably why Italy is taking so many precautions for their citizens.

The US is very different in a sense that our citizens are eager to get the country back up and

running no matter the situation and uncertainty. Italy is also very long term oriented when

compared to the US. I would predict that the Italians are doing better at adapting to all the

changes necessary to ensure their safety. They know that, while their normal lives have been

disrupted, that all the legislation in place is for the greater good. The US citizens are becoming

uneasy with having to put their normal lives on hold and adapt to a new norm in which isolation

is required. Citizens in the US are more set in their ways and are less willing to adapt than

Italians. Lastly, the US scored much higher than Italy when it comes to indulgence. The culture
Running Head: Post-Travel Integrative Assignment

of the US is focused highly on consumption and having a good time without having to consider it

for a long time before. The Italian culture is completely the opposite and they tend to favor

quality over quantity. I would predict that Italy will have a much smaller consumption spike after

the virus than the US due to their lower need to indulge in products. Neither country is right or

wrong in their responses to this pandemic, but it is interesting to see the Hofstede dimensions for

the cultures and use them to predict how the countries will react to a crisis.