Next Steps and Future Activities

Transcription

1 Next Steps and Future Activities

2 Wagner College is renowned for its curriculum which focuses on the Practical Liberal Arts. The Business Administration program emphasizes practical applications of business theories, and the conference focuses on current business issues. Participants gave presentations on practical aspects of current business issues within the African continent. Overview The conference gathered business leaders, NGO leaders, researchers, and students from African countries, from Wagner College, and from the local New York City community to present information on the current state of business in African countries. Issues discussed revolved around the reciprocal impact of businesses, government, and society. Participants interacted with the Wagner community and participated in campus life. The conference goal is to create long-term collaborative relationships between business leaders, faculty, students, and community members from African countries, the Wagner community, and the New York City community. The impetus of the conference is the discussions held at UNCTAD 14 (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) in Nairobi, Kenya in July, 2016 which Professor Shani D. Carter of Wagner College and Otieno Lorine Achieng, Youth Representative, African Youth Commission-Kenya Nairobi, Kenya attended. Topics Business, Strategy, and National Culture Issues / Civic Engagement Business and Medical Care Business and Women Business and Legal Issues Business and Sports Organizers Shani D. Carter, Ph.D. Associate Professor Business Administration Department Wagner College Staten Island, New York shani.carter@wagner.edu Scholastica E. Udegbe Ph.D. Faculty of Management Sciences Department of Marketing Lagos State University Lagos, Nigeria scholastica.udegbe@lasu.edu.ng Otieno Lorine Achieng Youth Representative African Youth Commission-Kenya Nairobi, Kenya otieno07@gmail.com Business and Accounting Business and Civil Business and Finance Business and Youth Business and Marketing Business and Management Business and Education

3 Presenters as of April 19, 2017 Name Locale Title Abe Unger Wagner Business Improvement Districts in South Africa: A study of African municipal public private partnerships Chelsea Carbajal & Danielle Gaglia Wagner International Trade Issues Cynthia Onyangore Kenya Commodities Trading Management: Case study of grain trading at Trade Up Commodities Ltd (TUC) Dominic Zmarlicki Wagner United Nations Activities Donald Crooks Wagner FDI from China and Another Investment Opportunities: How Companies Like VW Might Try to Unload Diesel Vehicles in Countries that May Not Have as Stringent EPA Laws Edward Strafaci Wagner Bollore Controls the Largest Integrated Logistics Network in Africa Frank DeSimone Wagner Hofstede Cultural Dimensions in African Countries Ian Wise Wagner Independence of Monetary Policy Jennelly Burgos & Milot Muca Wagner Chinese funded Ethiopian Railroads Justus Lavi Mwololo Kenya Small-Scale Farmers in Kenya Lahoussine Aboudrar & Omar El amili Morocco Entrepreneurial Intention among University Students: Impact of Entrepreneurship Training (coauthor: Omar, El amili) Philip Munyao Mutisya Kenya Eyecare and Optical Supplies Business Scholastica Udegbe Nigeria (1) The Effect of Brand Credibility on Consumer s Brand Purchase Intention in Nigeria Automobile Industry; (2) Impact of Market Orientation Practices on Business Performance of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketing Firms in Nigeria (coauthor: Ebhodaghe Peggy); (3) Effects of Culture and Traditional History on Entrepreneurial Development of Borno Youths, Nigeria (w/: Bintu Chibok) Richard LaRocca Wagner Corruption in Finance and Government Spending Tinuke Fapohunda Shani Carter Nigeria Wagner (1) Organization Culture and Impression Management Behaviours in the Nigerian Workplace (2) Impression Management Behaviour and Nigeria s Underdevelopment quagmire: A Human Resource Management Appraisal UNCTAD14: Summary & Proclamations Steve Thomas Wagner Reassessing the Movie Industry in Ethiopia William Dubovsky Wagner Doing Business with American Entrepreneurs. Discussing cultural differences and how to build bridges for successful, mutually beneficial, short-term and long-term business alliances. Milot Muca Wagner Chinese funded Ethiopian Railroads Richard Larocca Wagner Corruption in Foreign Direct Investment Dominic Zmarlicki Wagner UN Issues in Global Trade Ryan Fulse Wagner Sweden s H&M and Kenya s Kiko Romeo. Danielle Gaglia & Chelsea Carbajal Wagner Mental health and psychological health.

4 The Way Forward CBIAC will result in ongoing partnerships between Wagner College faculty and students and faculty and business leaders in African countries. Teams will consist of conference presenters and other interested parties focused on creating practical recommendations the following issues of business in African countries and trade and investment with business entities in the United States. Each team is tasked with developing: (1) Guiding principles (2) Action steps (3) One major objective (4) Progress on action steps Teams (1) Entrepreneurships (2) Farming (3) Import / Export issues (4) Finance (5) Corruption (6) Civic Engagement, NGO, Philanthropy, Corporate Social Responsibility (7) Technology, Social Media (8) Marketing, Entertainment (9) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (10) Impact on African businesses of donations of 2 nd - hand goods from U.S.A. (11) Gender equality

5 Examples of Critical Issues (1) Entrepreneurships (2) Farming Training youth and college students Student exchange program, perhaps with USAID funding USIU US International University in Nairobi (Justus lectures here) Strathmore University Needs for equipment, tractors, processing equipment, and technology, kosher food, standardization, AGOA (African Growth & Opportunity Act in the U.S.A.) (3) Import / Export Issues (4) Finance Links between local organizations in the U.S.A. & African countries African trade unions: NEPAD, CAADP (Maputo Declaration, Malabo Commitment, 2014), ECOWAS, SADEC, EAC. Kenyan Government Devolution System to distribute funds to the 47 Counties and track the funds with the PETS (Public Expenditure Tracking System) (5) Corruption Foreign Direct Investment, micro-loans (6) Civic Engagement, NGO, Philanthropy, Corporate Social Responsibility Encouraging grass-roots links to corporate activities (7) Technology, Social Media Using social media to promote global linkages (8) Marketing, Entertainment Similarities and differences across countries (9) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (10) Impact on African businesses of donations of 2 nd - hand goods from U.S.A. Used clothing and electronics have a significant negative impact on African businesses (11) Gender Equality Employment and wage disparities within countries Link girls from U.S.A. and African countries

6 Future Conferences Future conferences may be held at Wagner or in an African country. Issues that must be addressed are: (1) Invitation: (2) Sponsors Ambassadors, Embassies from African countries, business owners (3) Site visit to local businesses (4) Local tours for cultural tourism (5) Publicity on social media (6) Hold a play for a fundraiser (like La Cage) (7) Obtain feedback from attendees What attendees liked, disliked, and plans for the way forward (8) Discussions of having a Wagner facility in an African country