International Business and Communication

Advances in technology over the past few decades have created an extensively interconnected world. Products, services and ideas flow across national borders at rates and in volumes unimaginable even 10 years ago. To successfully compete in the global marketplace, business professionals must attain the capacity to think globally and communicate in an intercultural context.

In the International Business and Communication Learning Circle, students and professors compare the varying business practices and cultural aspects examined in and between each country we visit as a means to engage in broader discussions about international business and communication. Furthermore, academic field study during port calls provides an invaluable learning opportunity for students to reflect outside the classroom, in a context that resonates long after their voyage concludes.

Subjects

• Cross Cultural Management
• Introduction to International Business
• Media Cultures
• International Marketing
• Tourism and Hospitality Management
• International Communication
• International Television

Themes

The following themes play a prominent role in the subjects offered:

1) Changing World Business Dynamics:

• Emergence of China, India and other emerging economies
• Shifting economic power centers
• Global Marketplace

2) The Critical Roles:

• Marketing
• Finance
• Management

3) Global Issues in Media:

• Narrowing of ownership and content
• Different media usage and cost in different cultures
• Censorship and legal controls
• Handling of privacy

4) Tourism’s Role in the World Economy:

• Tourism as a means to peace
• Homogenization

Learning Outcomes

The core learning outcomes for this learning circle are to enhance students’ ability to:

• Understand the fundamental principles and practice of international business and communication



• Develop an appreciation of the tools and systems of international business and communication



• Analyze international business relations and communications

Fields of Study commonly associated with the International Business and Communication Learning Circle

• Advertising
• Business Administration
• Communications
• Economics
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Journalism
• Management
• Marketing
• Public Relations