ECO 651 - International Business in the Caribbean

International business in the Caribbean is a truly worthwhile undertaking. The aim of this course is therefore to provide students with a general understanding of International Business , with a special emphasis on the Caribbean as a regional study area. Topics for discussion include a concise analysis of the many determinants of the business climate in the Caribbean, which include the region’s land, environment, location and geography ; its historical perspective briefly touching on the region’s population, intra- and extra- economic and business relations; its natural resource base and vast cultural diversity ; its business codes and business administration , as well as international trade in cash crops and other natural endowments of the Caribbean. The course further addresses various other business practices of the Region, including its participation in multilateral trade negotiations ( MTNs ) of the Lome Convention and WTO systems, and other multidimensional structures that constitute the engines of international business for profit of entrepreneurs in the region, and for development of the Caribbean. These in turn include the region’s natural beauty, the potential for tourism, investment, and business & job opportunities for Americans and other interested parties ; the relatively stable political conditions of the region; its extravagant hospitality , and constructive participation of the people in multilateralism, which create business incentives and opportunities for targeted investment in the Caribbean, including Foreign Direct Investment policy frameworks and other business machinery and platforms for various activities attracting and promoting tourism and investment. The realization of these opportunities creates economic growth and sustained development in the region. The course will also address the major obstacles to doing business in the Caribbean , such as poverty, ignorance and disease, besides the region’s dependency and debt burden, and vulnerability to natural disasters and environmental hazards, such as climate change and global warming. It will suggest ways and means of overcoming such impediments ; and will also examine the potential for trilateral approaches involving USA, the Caribbean and Africa as measures for constructive and productive international business, touching on these three regions of the world that experience many divergencies and similarities in their business interactions and relationships.
Lecture
3 Credits