Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Week 1 posts and comments due Feb. 8
In order to make the posting easier and keep them in order, I will set up a weekly post section on Monday of each week. All you need to do is just click the comment button and add your post from your reading. Since this is the first week, and I imagine you're all rushing to come up with something to add or may have even completely forgotten to get your book from the library, why don't you just start by sharing the title and general topic of your different books. That way, we can work out any of the "kinks" in the whole process and then be prepared to make some more thorough posts next week. I'll add instructions for comments to next week's posting section on Monday. Good luck to all of you. The initial comment is a sample to give you all an idea of what you can add in the future. Note! If you do not have a google account, you will need to set up a gmail account to post on the blog, but you can delete it after the course if you wish.
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Sample Comment--Part of my reading this week discussed the passiveness emphasized by Eastern religions and how this differs sharply from what the text termed as the "action-oriented" thinking of my own Western culture. The text explained how Buddhism, for instance, sees suffering as illusory and therefore requires its followers to accept rather than resist suffering as a part of life. While I can understand some of the validity behind such a world view, I also feel that a person should take a stand for his/her self when necessary and not just take whatever lot life hands out. I think it may be difficult for me to understand this aspect of Chinese/Eastern culture, but I hope I can still connect with the people I meet while I am there and better appreciate where they may be coming from.
ReplyDeleteThe title of my book is An American's Guide to Doing Business in China. The book is essentially what the title is - a guide to teach those who wish to better understand what it is like doing business in the Chinese market. This includes understanding negotiation, looking for parters for manufacturing, and finding a location for doing business and hiring employees. The book also explains the Chinese culture, government, and current events that have shaped it to what it is today.
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting! I feel like this book will be extremely useful for students majoring in International Business or International Studies and for those who hope to work with international companies. With China being a huge power in the business world, it is clear why knowing about the Chinese culture, government, and business would benefit us today.
DeleteThat was my second choice for a book. I'll look forward to hearing what tips and tricks the book has to be successful in conducting business in a different culture. The current events though, I wonder just how current they are (2 or 3 years old). It would be interesting to see what this book has to say about the Chinese government.
DeleteThe book I chose to read is called "Invisible China: A Journey Through Ethnic Borderlands." It is about 2 guys who studied Chinese for a couple years and one day decided to visit the minority groups in China. The book is setup by regions and right now I am reading about the Northwest and Korean minorities. While reading, I have found out that a lot of Chinese culture has been lost because of government regulations. For example, in the northwest hunting was the livelihood of the people. Because of government regulations the people do nothing - they're way of life was prohibited. Another interesting thing I read about was the Korean minority group. What interested me the most was that in this autonomous prefecture you can actually meet North Korean Nationalists that work to preserve South Korean culture.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic! I never really thought about China having minority groups... But I could see it becoming more common especially as China becomes more influential in the world. I believe China has many more opportunities for "outsiders" to succeed in their economy than they used to. I would like to understand more about the differences between Chinese and Korean cultures.
DeleteThe title of my book is China in the World Economy. The first chapter gives a detailed, mathematical explanation to the major economic growth China has experienced since 1978, when China began its "open door policy" reforms. I find it absolutely fascinating how much China has changed - from an isolated country to a dominating world economic power. This book focuses heavily on macroeconomic modeling, using cointegration analysis to study and predict the patterns of China's market. The equations are a bit overwhelming (using some high level of calculus I presume?) and I hope that the following chapters won't be as number-heavy...
ReplyDeleteWow that is really impressive on how much China has emerged from being in isolation to a global economic force! I would love to know what kind of patterns China's market has.
DeleteThe title of my book is "Everyday Impact of Economic Reform in China." I had to order this book online and am still waiting to receive it, so I haven't been able to begin reading yet. However, I researched a little bit about the content of this book and it seems not only interesting, but relevant. The book discusses how the changes from government administrative enterprise to market-oriented enterprise over the past 30 years is affecting the daily lives and the employment standards for the Chinese. I'm not sure what has sparked these changes, but hopefully throughout my reading it will become clear as I gain a bette understanding of China and its economy.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good topic. I will be interested to hear what you end up learning about the changes in government and economic policies in the past several years
DeleteThe title of my book is "Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture" by Kevin Bucknall. This book takes a look at what it is like to live and work in the China of today. The book talks about the negotiation styles and expectations of Chinese people today. Also discussed in the book is how to socialize with the Chinese along with the challenges and rewards of living in China. Just looking through the first chapter and the chapter list I can tell that there will be many different aspects that I have never thought about when dealing with another culture, especially the Chinese culture. Reading about a different culture will definitely help me better understand the whys behind how the Chinese approach life.
ReplyDeleteIn order to do business, there must be an understanding of the culture, and this book seems to be a way to look into the culture of not only the business world, but also what is acceptable in the Chinese culture of everyday life.
DeleteThe title of the book I will be reading this semester is "The Artisans and Entrepreneurs of Dongyang County." As the title suggests this book focuses on the lives of workers in the Dongyang county of China. This particular county has three districts, one which focuses on agriculture and livestock such as pigs, another which focuses on the production of silk and the final district which focuses on the growth of medicinal herbs and teas. I'm very interested to see what this book addresses about the lives of an average chinese working class person such as those from Dongyang County.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a quite unique topic. I am interested to see the comparisons between the three districts and how life differs in each one. I also look forward to discovering what aspects of Chinese society hold firm throughout all three divisions.
DeleteMy Book is entitled, "China Shifts Gears" it is about the rise of the automobile in Chinese culture and because of this the increased consumption of oil, and increased emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. It also covers the changes in economic development because of this phenomenon. For instance, China has formulated new policies and development strategies for environment protection and national security. All these will impact the economic growth in China in the years to come.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting timing that you should choose a book about the emissions of pollutants. Recently the "orange fog" in China has been in the news because of how bad the pollution levels were. It was so bad that a fire burned for three days and no one noticed because the smoke mixed with the smog.
DeleteThe title of my book is "The Chinese Tao of Business: The Logic of Successful Business Strategy.This book is about for-profit businesses and their strategies in our economy. It also covers both chinese and western strategic management styles. The first chapter is about understanding the civilization chasm and criticism China faces as it becomes a larger economic force.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds really interesting to see how chinese and western management styles conflict or compliment the other.
DeleteThe title of my book is "China's rise and the balance of influence in Asia." This book points to China's complex and dynamic emergence as a world leader in the twenty-first century. It also shows how China uses a combination of disciplines, current information, and a shared goal to convert the minds of American policymakers, to one of mature, stable and constructive leaders in the international economy. In the first chapter china is referred to as a "magnet" capable of causing political and economical realignment throughout Asia.
ReplyDeleteI was actually going to select that book because of the title. Lucky you. Your book sounds interesting because just the title in it self makes me think about how China is taking over. I can't wait to hear more about it. I am kind of excited to see if that book will be good one or I hope its not just a bunch boring information. Have fun reading that book!
DeleteMy book is "ChinAmerica." Handel Jones (founder, owner, and CEO of International Business Strategies, Inc.) goes against the stereotypical flow of negative attitudes toward the competition between China and America. Instead, he believes that the future of the two countries lies in cooperation. Jones discusses actions the United States must take with China in order to remain a world leader.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very interesting book because most people tend to look at the negative side effects that can come from companies from the United States who do business with China. I look forward to hearing about what you learn because I feel that both of our countries are heavily invested with one another.
DeleteThat sounds interesting. I can't wait to hear what his suggestions are for China and America to cooperate.
DeleteMy lovely book is called The Changing Face of Management in China. This book basically talks about how and what managers in China are using to be so successful. It talks about how companies are using different ideas to produce such a profit.The companies have different organizing tricks that they use to be successful. Its going to be a good read.
ReplyDeletethis is an interesting book and a good choice. the way china is in the global market right now; any kind of insight into the mind of the management in those large companies would be quite informative.
DeleteMy book is titled "China Now" by Mark Lam. It's about the need to study a culture before you start doing business. China has over one billion people, meaning there's more than one billion potential customers. The book includes everything you need to know about China's people, negotiation styles, culture, history, economics, and business dealings. I hope this book will come in handy when we're in China!
ReplyDeleteThe title of my book is "Dragons at Your Door: How Chinese Cost innovation is Disrupting Global Competition." This book tells of how Chinese companies have exploited their cost advantage to become a leader within the global competition. Chinese companies have taken advantage of companies who are having setbacks and attack them by providing innovation at a lower cost. I hope to learn about the different techniques that companies within China have taken in order to seize a larger market share. This should be an interesting book and is very practical because global competition is rapidly growing every day.
ReplyDeleteThis book was my second choice because it sounds like it would be an interesting read. I'm interested how China's competitive advantage has helped them become the super power they are.
DeleteMy book is titled “Rural China Takes Off”. It is on how the rural based industry of China has become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. This book was written in 1999 by Jean Chun OI. The Author fallows the decentralization of China and how politics affect how the rural areas develop.OI argues that decollectivization and fiscal decentralization has helped the entrepreneurial spirit of china.
ReplyDeleteMy book is titled "Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China". Initially I thought the book simply entitled "From Village to City in a Changing China", so to my surprise this book is about lives of migrant women workers and how they struggle to escalate socially and financially. Also the author, Leslie T. Chang, talk a bit about how she can relate to these women. It has really caught my interest and I look forward to reading about the industrious factories of China.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really interesting. Narrowing the demographic should give you a very unique look into the culture. I'm interested to see how these women are affected differently than the male population.
DeleteMy book is "China Streetsmart: What You Must Know to Be Effective and Profitable in China" by John L. Chan. This book takes a look at the Chinese business market from a real-life perspective. Rather than just using academic theories, it gives you methods that have been proven to work in that particular market. I am excited to get a well-rounded look at business in China through this book.
ReplyDeleteMy book is "Myths about Doing Business in China." This book confronts the myths about China and Chinese business practice and provides a better understanding of the culture and how to engage with it successfully. I'm interested in understanding more of the Chinese culture and learning the truth behind the myths that exist.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like this book could be really interesting! I'm curious to see what they have to say about what people tend to believe about doing business in China.
DeleteIt will be interesting to hear about the myths. The eastern culture is so different in the way they approach business.
DeleteMy book is entitled "1000 days in shanghai" the book is all about a man named martin Posth who left his cozy job as an utive manager at VW and Audi AG to go to china to become the business leader for the first ever Chinese-german factory. the book itself is already quite interesting simply because of the pioneering aspect and the fact that he must fit into a country which he knows nothing about and doesn't even speak the language. the book really stretches the limits of communication.
ReplyDeleteWoW, That's going to be an interesting read considering the communication barrier. I remember have the some issue when i went to Thailand. Most of the time it was frustrating but it always was an adventure.
DeleteThe title of my book is Competition, strategy and management in China by Fang Lee Cooke. Basically my book outlines major sources of competition and change in a growning business environment. This is going to be very interesting considering China is the fourth largest in the world by GDP and market growth.
ReplyDelete