Reflective Journal – Internship at the Port Adelaide Football Club

Abstract

The Reflective Report describes the internship undertaken by Andrea Senin, an Italian student who is enrolled in the Master of International Management and is part of the SCRIBE21 Double-Degree program, jointly offered by the University of Adelaide and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. The placement took place at the Port Adelaide Football Club, one of the oldest and the most decorated Australian football clubs existing in the country. The student was supervised by the head of Retail and Licensing, a figure whose role is to manage the entire range of the club’s merchandise. The following report is divided into four sections: overview of the internship; overview of the host organization; reaction to the internship; evaluation of the internship and traditional classroom learnings. The first section outlines the reasons for undertaking the placement, the duties and responsibilities the student had to adhere to and the skills and knowledge required for the experience to be as productive as possible. The second part – overview of the host organization – gives a brief introduction of the Port Adelaide Football Club and then goes into detail in explaining the corporate culture, using as references frameworks from Hofstede (Hofstede, 1980) and Lewis (Lewis, 1999). The second part of this section thoroughly explains the tasks performed by the student. The third section – reaction to the internship – starts with an overall evaluation of the placement experience and goes on to examine the areas where the student acquired new skills and knowledge; successively it describes the relationship with the co-workers. A special portion of the report is also dedicated to the relationship with the supervisor. The final part of the report tries to find some connections with the classroom learnings and, more in detail, with the Cross-Cultural Management (INTBUS 7500) course. The reflective report is then concluded with some reflections on the overall study and work experience and on the expectations for the future working career.