It seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and sensitivities that will help them manage more effectively in an international environment. In particular, the course is designed to address the creation and management of competitive advantage in the multinational corporation, with an emphasis on responding to major challenges in the 1990s. The courses include a comprehensive advanced grammar review, introduction of vocabulary related to functional areas of business and economics through content based readings, and discussion of current political, social, and economic issues relevant to doing business in the Spanish speaking world. The courses focus on the role of management, organization of company structure, banking and accounting processes, capital investment, human resources management, production of goods and services, marketing, financial management, international operations, and import-export functions. These functional areas are, in turn, articulated within geographic and cultural contexts that deal with the geography, demography, government, and commerce in Spanish-speaking countries, and address social and business related issues.
Special emphasis is placed on the growing Hispanic population in the United States.
An ongoing review of grammar and basic phonetics is incorporated in the context of business, technology, and everyday life to provide an overview of French industry and corporate structure. Through examination of case studies and group discussions on economic, societal, and governmental issues affecting commerce, students analyze and compare customs and practices in French and Francophone cultures, particularly Qu bec. Specialized vocabulary is incorporated into each unit to prepare students for the Chambre de Commerce et d Industrie de Paris exam for the Certificate of Proficiency in French. Students in the Seminar identify, plan, and study specific management issues related to doing business in a particular region of the world. Students design projects that address a real business concern, such as entry into a foreign market, or the resolution of country-specific human resource management challenges, or the development of a marketing plan.