Students who pursue business degrees in the Eternal City start their careers with a competitive edge by immersing themselves in a hub of international trade. Italy is the home of iconic luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada, and Lamborghini. It also presents a fascinating window into the world of small and medium-sized businesses – which number over three million and account for much of the economic vitality of the country.
In addition to benefiting from internships with international companies and making contacts from all over the world, there’s another way business students can boost their career prospects while studying abroad in Rome. And that’s by minoring in psychology.
Psychology can help business professionals in a myriad of ways. An understanding of human behavior can help you work better with a team, grab the attention of more customers, and become a stronger negotiator.
Read on to discover other ways a minor in psychology can complement your business training, and improve performance on the job.
A Minor in Psychology Helps with Employee Management
Courses such as “Theories of Personality” can give future business leaders valuable insight into the different kinds of people they might work with and manage. And as our workplaces grow increasingly diverse, understanding various personality types can help business grads facilitate more effective team work and establish positive working relationships.
Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, successful leaders operate with a nuanced awareness of their employees’ strengths, weaknesses, and behavioral tendencies. They customize their approach by finding different ways to motivate, critique, and connect with each individual. Business students who study abroad in Italy get a head start on enhancing their cultural awareness on the John Cabot University campus, which plays host to students from all over the globe.
Psychology Helps Predict Consumer Behaviour
These days, marketing is more about targeting very specific groups rather than the public as an indiscernible mass. And to do this well, business grads will need to understand how the demographic they hope to attract thinks, feels, and behaves with respect to a particular product or service. What unites these people and prompts them to make similar consumer choices?
Business majors who have completed courses in social psychology will have an advantage here because they’ll be familiar with the fundamentals of group decision-making behaviors. They will also understand which marketing tactics are most likely to resonate with their audience’s unique interests, motivations and concerns - an enormous help when devising a marketing strategy!
A Quick Word on Statistics
Statistics play a vital part in both business and psychology. They help us understand broad trends in certain populations, and notice correlations between different variables like age and consumer preferences.
Among other things, large companies use statistics to gather employee performance data, measure the effectiveness of different campaigns, and create data-based strategies for continuous improvement.
Professionals working in business might also use statistics before making important decisions. For example, you might consult statistical data to determine whether or not to open a new branch, and the location in which it would be most likely to thrive.
As you study Business Administration in Italy, you can use a maximum of two courses from your major, and count them towards a minor. Because statistics plays such a vital role in both business and psychology, at JCU you can also use credits earned from your statistics courses and apply them to your minor in psychology.
Are you thinking about studying Business at an English speaking university in Italy? In what ways do you think learning about human behavior can enhance a career in business?
