International Business

Rivier University is a private liberal arts catholic university. Its locations are in Nashua, New Hampshire.  It offers a mixture of programs that comprises of sciences and liberal arts and also in studies that are professional. The university’s academic programs reflect its commitment to Catholic’s ethics, values, social justice and peace. Students from River University are well equipped with global, historical and cultural perspectives within their fields and within the context of the society. The university is also efficient in offering adequate and professional skills to students in their various fields.

Currently, Rivier University is looking forward to introducing a new Master’s Degree in a Business related Program.  It is therefore, working on the plan regarding that Program in order to introduce it to the university. The new business related degree program that will suit Rivier University best is Masters in International Business. I think this new program will do well in the Rivier University because it is not highly competitive in other universities. Following my research, International Business, has not been one of the major courses in that region, hence this one will give Rivier University a priority to be competent in that particular field.

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

According to Brown, Robert, and Gutter man (09), the reputation and learning system of the University is said to have a strong student support system which will offer maximum support to that program and to the best of their knowledge. Rivier University is highly specialized in Business Administration courses among others, and this will facilitate enhancement of International Business. The school has the most qualified staff with professionalized business skills hence they will be very suitable in taking the students through this program.

The resource center and the writing at the Rivier University are of great help to the students across the peer tutoring in all the subjects and in academic curriculum. Students in this University take the responsibility of helping others as well as their today’s world roles. The school has enough resources, for example, it has a Regina library that that will provide great access to the new program as it has approximate of 100,000 databases and volumes of books that are licensed and are available for all the subjects that it takes its students through. The school is also very efficient as it offers the students with places for private work and group work. This center of career development enables students in exploring in major careers, find employment, interview skills practice and preparing resumes. Students, who will enroll in International Business at Rivier University, will also enjoy the counseling sections that the counseling center provides to the school dealing with a wide variety of issues. They can even be counseled and be advised further on this new program.

The University also provides the healthy facilities to its students as it has a nurse who is available on full time basis and they also have a health center known as Quibin. This will, therefore, attract many people due to the availability of this amenity. There are also a wide variety of organizations and clubs that students involve themselves in that is, students can build houses with Humanity Habitats and practice surplus transactions with the company that is within their institution thus, this will be of great significance and importance to the students that will take this International Business course program. It will nurture their skills and even equip them with professional and adequate knowledge in that field.

OPPORTUNITIES

The technology of the University is up to date and it is adequate for computerized studies and other related courses. This will therefore, be an added advantage to the students who will take this program. The starting costs associated with establishment of this new program will be low because little or no capital will be required to employ other personnel and there will also be no need of accumulating new resources because it has enough resources for study. The exemption of employing new staff will be because the school has existing potential teachers who take the students through business courses hence they will also teach International Business effectively.

Rivier University offers both online and hybrid courses. Their online courses are fully completed online hence do not need any physical attendance by their teachers. This is a great advantage to the students because they can take these courses at which ever place that is accessible to the internets. In addition to that, they also offer hybrid courses that consist of both face to face and online learning via the use of online technologies. For students who may be interested with physical interactions with their classmates and instructors, but other times they are not comfortable in attending the traditional classrooms, then these hybrid courses suits them bests and works as great options for them.

THREATS

However, despite of these great opportunities, Rivier University also has its threats for example, the costs that are involved in the development of this master’s program needs to be taken good care of.  The top management and the Finance Department of the institution should therefore, ensure that minimum costs are incurred in the establishment of the International Business. They should ensure that minimum costs are incurred in acquisition of inventories, personnel and the resources required in order running this program efficiently and effectively. These strategies will therefore, facilitate the success of this new program in this institution.

Since MBA International Business is one of the largest sectors in the business field, Rivier University will be faced with a number of competitors such as Lynn University, Oxford University and Harvard University among other institutions. Following their profiles, it is evident that these institutions are the most competitive in the MBA International Business and have been running this course for a long period of time. This is through their standardized learning systems, specialized examination bodies and high qualified staff that offers adequate knowledge to their students. Competition from these institutions will therefore, motivate and inspire Rivier, to put extra efforts in their curriculum, and more so, in this new program. Here, experiences and highly skilled staff will be required so as to gain this competence.

STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES

In order to succeed in the development of this new Master’s program, Riever University needs to set objectives and strategies and work upon them so as to get the best out of it. Firstly, the university should lower their school fees so as to attract a large number of students to those who wishes to join them. This will also lower the risk of competition from other cheaper institutions.  The school should also ensure that expertise is employed in the International Business. Once the program is introduced in the school, their management should ensure that the students are equipped with adequate skills and knowledge and this will be by acquiring professional staffs at the particular fields.

In regards to the website of International Business, (15), it is important that the University practices benchmarking in order to make the program premium and of high standard. By this, they should visit those schools that are ranked top in their regions, study their learning systems and also their examinations systems and hence utilize this  knowledge to the best of their institution also or even emulate them.

They should also ensure that there are enough resources for example books and journals that students can refer to in relation to this new program.  This will discourage inconveniences that will lower the reputation of the schools hence making students to relocate to other institutions. Rivier           University may come up with the plans of motivating students after they have attained or reached certain grades and targets and this will motivate the students in putting extra efforts and even attain higher grades in that program (Brown, Robert and Gutterman, 09).

Rivier University can also open up many branches of their institution to different regions to make their new Master’s program accessible by a great number of people. Because it is a development of a new Program, Rivier University should consider prioritizing this new program so as to enable it to catch up with other courses that the institution offers. The plan should also involve a good strategy whereby they minimize costs while maximizing profits. This is by carrying out researches on the affordable places to buy the learning equipment’s, where to outsource the best instructors who are well qualified and the most affordable ones. They should plan on the best ways to advertise on the development of the new program, the method that will be so convincing and the one that will reach a large number of people.

According to the journal of International Business (835), it is important that during the initial launch of this new program, Rivier University should strategize a very pleasant location where it will create awareness of this new program. It should also come up with good advertisements strategies, for example, the new product being aired on the TVs, publication of this information in the newspapers, giving out posters and use of social networks for advertisements. Rivier University should come up with appropriate strategies in these expenses and budgets to enable it to generate revenues at the end of the year.

Other than costs, the institution should also work on its objectives and the strategies set for the success of this new program.  In order to make the new product successful, the university should utilize the knowledge and the skills acquired during the benchmarking sessions with the best performing schools. It should also provide fees structures that are pleasant to the newcomers in order to avoid this new product from getting obsolete. To ensure that this new product is in track, Rivier University should employ instructors that are best and are professionally trained in this field.

They should also start with examination n bodies that are premium and are of high standards. Despite of this new product they should also work best in the rest of the courses so as to create a good image of what the school curriculum offers and this will draw the attention of many people who will finally join the school.

Works cited

Brewer, T. (n.d.). Perspectives on International Business Research: A Professional Autobiography Fifty Years Researching and Teaching International Business. Journal of International Business Studies, 817-835.

Reference for Business. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Gr-Int/International-Business.html

Brown, Robert, and Alan S. Gutterman. A short course in international business plans charting a strategy for success in global commerce. Petaluma, CA: World Trade Press, 2009. Print.