Why, How and What of implementing an International Business ePortfolio
WHY: We believe in preparing and inspiring international business students to become engaged, understanding and sensitive professionals to markets, culture, and politics outside of Albania and the US.
HOW: To do this, we provide our students with a learning agenda where they will create an electronic portfolio to apply what they have learned, work and share information with other students.
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WHAT: We prepare skilled business professionals interested in the global marketplace and doing business with other countries.
PART A: Simon Sinek (2009) offered an important insight into why some organizations and individuals succeed more and why some succeed less in really speaking to the heart of stakeholders – both inside an organization or a group or ones that are outside and impacted externally by the organization or group. As Sinek (2009) notes, people want to understand the ‘why’ behind ‘what’ one does, not merely the ‘what’. Hence, the ‘why’, the ‘what’, and the ‘how’ are all important for the innovation plan or any engagement.
The ‘Why’ - For US-format college-level International Business course taught in English in Albania, the ‘why’ here must naturally focus on ‘purpose’ of the course. It is clear for the instructor that the purpose of the course is a belief in the importance of an understanding of world cultures, cross-cultural differences, international institutions, and international business practices in order for students to be able to function, to accept, to thrive and to appreciate global differences and global complexities. The course should teach, prepare and inspire business students to constantly seek to expand their knowledge about global markets, global cultures, and global institutions beyond their borders of Albania and the United States.
The ‘How’ - Moving next to the ‘how’ or the process of learning, given that the purpose is to inspire students, it is important to develop the learning agenda that inspires students, gives them a voice, and make them engaged. This will involve creating an electronic portfolio to collect work samples and to build up a body of work to show that they can apply what they have learned to the global marketplace of doing business. The e-portfolio body of work will not only be evaluated and offered feedback by the instructor, but it will also be shared with other students to provoke interaction and peer feedback, and, as is expected, generate new ideas.
The ‘What’ - Next, looking at the ‘what’ or the result, the students in the learning environment can be seen within the international business class to be more aware, more inspired, and more engaged. These students will be more knowledgeable and competitive and confident in the global marketplace of doing business in other countries.
"It all starts
with a sense of
urgency"
PART B: In the learning environment where international business is taught, the ‘why’ statement can be used to express a sense of urgency and to speak to the heart of stakeholders, notably the students who will be the next generation of international business people. A sense of urgency is created among today’s students and tomorrow’s business leaders by noting that in our world today things are moving at lightning speed, technological change is increasing, the complexity of international business is increasing, and that there is so much to learn beyond the nuts and bolts of business – such as accounting, finance and management. Specifically, cross-cultural awareness, cross-cultural competency, an understanding of different economic models, political models, legal systems, and an understanding of business habits in different countries, coupled with adaptability and flexibility must characterize today’s international business students and tomorrow’s business leaders. Students, as key stakeholders, must take it to heart that if they want to succeed they must be more open and more flexible to the demands of doing business in other countries. This is a growing phenomenon that is part of today’s world.
Given the above discussion, the ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘what’ statements of Part A help us understand the sense of urgency and speaks to the heart in Part B. The ‘why’ states that the international business teaching must prepare and inspire students for a complex global environment, the ‘how’ process looks at using e-portfolio as a way to achieve this among students, and the ‘what’ looks at students gaining mastery and confidence in understanding other cultures, other countries, other knowledge, and other processes. The classroom students of international business feel the urgency to incorporate the why, how and what in order to gain competencies and skills that will allow them to succeed in a complex global marketplace. They see the importance, as Kotter discusses, of engaging in projects that produce passion which stimulate this sense of urgency. Confidence in the wide-ranging and complex material of international business – from trade theory to strategy to social responsibility - will also speak to the heart of students, connect students with their emotions and beliefs, and develop their emotional and behavioral responses.
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References:
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Kotter, J. (2011, March 23). The heart of change. YouTube. Retrieved January 21, 2022,
from https://youtu.be/1NKti9MyAAw
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Kotter, J. (2013, August 15). Leading change: Establish a Sense of Urgency. YouTube. Retrieved January 21, 2022,
from https://youtu.be/2Yfrj2Y9IlI
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Sinek, S. (2009, September). How great leaders inspire action. TED. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://youtu.be/sioZd3AxmnE
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