American Virtual Business Academy for International Students
Cultural differences influence how people do business. It plays a huge impact on several components – decision making, marketing, supervision, business protocol, etc. When working with globally diverse clients, it is common to find that business practices, communication, and management styles will be distinct from those to which you are commonly familiarized. Understanding the dynamics of culture with whom you are working with is important to having successful business interactions and accomplishing business goals and objectives. Ignoring cultural differences can put a company’s business at a disadvantage. One wrong signal has the potential of dismantling what otherwise should have been a successful alliance between two (2) cross-border businesses.
“Understanding cultural diversity in business is important to interacting with people from differing cultures while preventing problematic issues. If you know you'll be negotiating with foreign businesspersons, for example, study in advance how their manner of doing business differs from your own… Potential cultural barriers in business can be avoided simply by understanding the impact of culture on business environment.”
Okonta Solutions American Virtual Business Academy is a virtually instructor-led training program of study in the foundations and interpretation of American Business Essentials. The curriculum is concentrated on the most modernized areas of commerce that is highly recognized in today's constantly progressing global economy. Our Business Academy goes beyond the standard American "Introduction to Business" courses and we incorporate real-life Project-Based Learning (PBL) assignments. Students will grasp specific applied knowledge that governs the American Business Systems and is needed for mutual successful connection and effective communication. The Academy stays abreast with up-to-date research that is influenced from reputable American industry sources to include U.S. Department of Commerce, Forbes, Chron., Harvard Business Review, BusinessWeek, Bloomberg, Indeed, Inc., and SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and we assess specific learning outcomes using taxonomy tools. Instructional classes are comprised as follows:
- The Characteristics of American Business - The statement by President Coolidge in the 1920s, "The business of America is business," points to an important circumstance in today’s American economy; business institutions are at the heart of the American way of life. This course is designed to illustrate the meaning of business to Americans, which is - private and profit. We will cover the ideology of how businesses are directly or indirectly owned and operated by private individuals (or groups of individuals) in order to make a profit in contrast to public businesses and discuss the task-oriented mindset of business in America. In addition, the class will discuss and classify the 5 Principles of the U.S. Free Enterprise System.
- Customer Relations – is understanding the business market and its clients goals, challenges, and desires. This course will help identify and understand a client’s needs and analyze a solution for research and development, customer service and successful business decision making. We will explore the three (3) main types of customer needs (functional, social, and emotional) and the “power of listening.” The course includes practice with the various types and formats of written communication (another formal way of exchanging important information by which professional relationships are maintained.)
- Corporate Culture – Students will learn about an organization’s main ambitions and objectives. Organizational culture is incredibly important for the overall success of a business. It influences teamwork, productivity, and efficiency – which in turn effects employee job satisfaction and morale. We will examine and graph the result of heightened productivity from gratified employees in contrast and diagnose the four (4) main types of corporate culture (adhocracy, clan, hierarchy, and market). Administrative procedures, organizational structures, business hierarchy (the 8 types of organizational structures), and the distinction between hard and soft skills (which are of equal importance in any organization) will be described and modeled.
- American English for Business (Industry English) – According to Harvard Business Review, “Global Business Speaking English,” English is the global business language of today. It is the lingua franca of international trade. Consequently, a Business English-language education is good preparation for the increasingly competitive global economy of the future. Major corporations (Airbus, Dalmler-Chrysler, Nokia, and Microsoft in Beijing) have mandated English as the corporate language. Having one shared language supports the effectiveness of closing central business deals of vital importance with international partners. Students will solidify their general English proficiency by incorporating English for Specific Purposes (ESP); English used in the corporate contexts, such as International Trade, Finance, Banking, Marketing, Sales, Customer Relations, The Energy Sector, and other work or office settings by studying vocabulary, writing and grammar usage.
- Leadership Teams – Emotional Intelligence - Emotional Intelligence (referred to as EQ) is the ability to better empathize with the relationships and emotions that exists in a team-oriented environment. To have the innate skill of working with cross-functional teams is critical to the success of any organization. Students will learn how to develop and use their self-awareness, self-regulations, and social skills to collaborate well and function productively as a team.
- Preservation, People and Planet – The Business of Sustainability – this course focuses on the skills, values, and societal impact associated with “responsible business.” We will examine the modern conventions, principles and standards of balancing profit and conscientiousness towards the environment, people and equitable resolutions. You will see how Apple, Google, Intel, ExxonMobil, and Nestle, among others, are practicing innovative sustainable business practices that impact the environment, workplace and society.
This list represents current and planned program content; exact course lineup and/or titles may change.
Population Served*
This program is designed for graduate (preferably MBA) or post-graduate students and working adults/professionals that have a desire to work with or in American companies that are doing business in their country (or overseas firms that are doing commerce with American industries). Students must be tech-savvy and have access to technology for virtual learning. *We also infuse in our services corporate training for support staff, directors, managers, and transitional employees. For the ESP class, students will need to have a communicative level of basic English.
Experience and Education
Okonta Solutions’ CEO has over a decade of experience in academia both as an educator and administrator. She has her own practice as an independent contractor for schools, universities, and organizations; writing and implementing curriculum, staff training, and workforce development. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Education, Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration, Post-Graduate Degree in Cross-cultural Education, and pending Certifications/Licensures in Behavioral Intelligence Assessment (BIQ) and Executive/Leadership Coach - Board-Certified Coach (BCC), ICF certified; January 2024.
