Melanie Intriago ‘19 showcased intercultural competencies during Nov. 1-3 conference.
By Erin Manchuso ’19
Martha and Spencer Love School of Business senior Melanie Intriago competed in the 2018 X-Culture/Academy of International Business Student Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee, hosted Nov. 1-3 by Belmont University.
The annual academic symposium provides attendees with opportunities to attend professional development workshops, leverage intercultural communication skills, network with world-class international business scholars, and learn about the exciting world of international business research and academia. The weekend’s events culminated with the X-Culture Competition in which teams delivered a presentation of findings and recommendations to corporate executives and X-Culture professors.
Former X-Culture competition participants were invited to apply and after undergoing a competitive selective application process a committee chose 50 participants.
Competitors were placed on international teams of four to seven students in which they collaborated virtually on a corporate case for four to six weeks prior to the conference. Reports were finalized face-to-face in the days leading up presentations.
“My team was comprised of five students – three of us from various parts of the United States, a girl from Uganda, and a boy from India,” said Intriago, an international business and international studies double major.
This year’s case focused on Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based charity that collects new and used shoes and redistributes them through direct donations to people in need. Teams were challenged with finding a way to easily clean, dry and transport piles of muddy shoes left behind after obstacle races such as the Mud Run or Spartan Race.
“It was difficult to understand each other at times and to keep team members focused on the project at hand, but this challenge taught me what it means to work with people from different backgrounds and the different ways to approach a problem,” Intriago said of her experience.
Intriago was accompanied by Carri Tolmie, assistant professor of international business, who also presented her research at the Academy of International Business – Southeast conference.