Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Week 7 or 8 posts due March 29
As I was gone the majority of last week with an English convention, I thought I would give you all a short respite from blogging/posting. Sorry if the absence of the post caused you any stress. For this week, you may post something from your reading from either last week or this week, but only need to do one post and one comment as usual. Please do not feel that you need to post twice in order to make up for last week. I hope you all are not only enjoying your reading, but also looking forward to the journey ahead. When you have time, check out this short documentary about the people and culture of the Yunnan province in Southwestern China. While we will not be visiting this area, the documentary will help you to realize that China is a much more diverse nation than many at first suppose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r9nHrGten8.
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In my recent reading, I have learned about the importance of the Internet in creating new companies. Many businesses have become powerful and influential because they were constantly seeking market advantages, investing massive amounts of money in marketing and advertising. However, not every company has used this approach. With the Internet, a small group of individuals or even one person within a short period of time and/or limited resources can create a business as powerful as a Fortune 500 company. The Internet is a powerful, affordable, and immediate tool for growing businesses. Yahoo, Amazon, and eBay are examples of brand-name companies built seemingly overnight.
ReplyDeleteI believe that my reading has shown the the Internet market is very welcoming to new entrepreneurs. With the Internet's support, you don't need a lot of capital and infinite resources. As long as you have a good idea, efficient planning, and the determination to see it through, you can build a profitable business.
That is true the internet is a great way for entrepreneurs to get into the market, even with the lack of resources or capital. It is amazing how our society is now being molded around the internet and a lot of business is done through the internet. Business transactions between investors in different can now be made instantly. However, I wonder what would happen if the internet were to crash, would our society be able to rely and fall back to previous methods of business?
DeleteAs a business major, all I hear about is the importance of staying up to date on social media sites and constantly updating company websites to remain relevant. It is imperative for companies to get their name online and on the screens of prospective customers. However, when I saw this post about the success of internet businesses, I was surprised because I assumed in China, were the internet is so heavily regulated, that the online business world might not be as popular or as important as it is in the United States..?
DeleteHmm...that is very interesting. I agree with your thoughts as I have always assumed the same thing myself. With such a heavily regulated and monitored Internet I would expect people to shy away from udon it for certain uses.
DeleteIn the last chapter of my book, Colin and Jacob return to Beijing. They decide to visit the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park and find that even in this park the minority groups are not properly portrayed by the Chinese government. They called Genghis Khan "one of the greatest Chinese leaders." Even though the rest of the world know shim as a Mongolian leader.
ReplyDeleteThey can't seem to find any Muslim Chinese citizen to work at the park. Even though they make up 10 of 56 ethnic groups. Colin and Jacob describe being Chinese as to being European. Meaning the Koreans, Tibetans, and Ughyurs within China physically are as similar as Spaniards, Greeks, and Russians.
This week I read about marketing in China. One thing I found particularly interesting was that at the time that China was starting to open up to the world, people attempted to market products to China, but ended up failing. This is because at that time, China was much more of a producing society, rather than a consumer society like the U.S. However, over time, China has grown to become a consumer society as well.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about China's attitudes towards consumerism, but I can see how this was the case in the past. China has been self-sustained for so long that people used the resources they already had to make what they needed. China's global economy is growing and so does China's approach to consumerism. As China becomes more open to global affairs, I believe that marketing products to China will become more effective.
DeleteIt is interesting to actually think about how China has become a consumer society over time, though they do still have a strong culture of production. China is a huge player in the world economy and their reliance on certain products will become a big part of how the world functions.
DeleteI find this interesting, as a marketing major especially. Thinking that a country is not a consumer country isn't something that crosses my mind when I think about marketing to other countries. I would have thought that there would be a harder time marketing to China since so many of our products come from China.
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ReplyDeleteSome of my past reading has focused on the village of Li Tang. This village became a very successful place of production during the 1980's. The Chinese believe this happened because of how the village was established. As the story goes, a very ugly girl from the village of Da Tang was forced to live in her father's attic because she could find nobody to marry her. A tax collector came by one day to buy grain and the girl poured the grain from a hole in the ceiling where the grain was kept. The tax collector was apparently amazed by her skill and decided to marry the girl before he had even met her. As they were on their way to their home the woman's hair began to grow and she became beautiful. The story tells of how their land prospered because of the tax collector's love and honesty. This land eventually became the village of Li Tang where the people prospered.
ReplyDeleteI thought this offered an interesting perspective on how the Chinese appreciate stories and their history.
I like that story! It's fascinating to see how stories are used to tell history when the actual facts may not necessarily be known. It gives China's history a lot more character and gives someone more appreciation for where they come from.
DeleteI think the story is funny. Somehow I don't picture their village sign saying:
DeleteLi Tang
Population: 75
Founded by: Ugly Girl Who Poured Grain
But in all seriousness, I do like how Chinese culture explains things through stories. Oral history and story telling are things that we don't tend to find as much in America. I think our cities would be much cooler if they had stories (especially legends) behind them. I mean, I hail from Beavercreek...I'd like to see someone make a legend about that.
Wow, that story gives a new meaning to "don't judge a book by its cover". It really makes me wonder what stories are behind the names of other villages and cities in China.
DeleteLast week I read about worker participation and voice. In my opinion, an effective manager listens to the ideas and opinions of his or her subordinates. Of course, when asked, most managers would say they have techniques and mechanisms in place to ensure employee's feel a sense of empowerment. However, the view points of a manager and a subordinate usually differ.
ReplyDeleteThrough my readings, I discovered this was true for several case studies done of Chinese businesses. However, with the economic reform, the difference between manager and employee perspectives has decreased, which is a good sign. Employees felt there was an increase in information sharing, an increase in formal meetings, and an increase in complaint mechanisms to help with the grievance process.
So in this aspect of business, it seems like the economic reform is giving employees more autonomy and a bigger voice, which, in my opinion, will lead to greater success for the business.
That is really good to hear that employees are having more of a voice in their place of business. I wonder what impact it would have on employees here.
DeleteTo me this really speaks tons about the Chinese nature and one of the reasons a lot of their businesses last so many generations. They use teamwork and understanding more than anything else which is unlike the western world. We really can learn quite a bit from China.
DeleteThis week my book has been talking about laws, regulations, and politics. In short China's attitude towards law is not identical at all with the Western world. China has a strong preference for nonlegal conciliation rather than litigation. Secret and internal regulations exist in China, these cause problems that cannot be revealed to outsiders. Many laws that have been passed in China are trying to join the international business community. Through all the legal turmoils of China politics are still regarded as being of prime importance.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how politics and relationships seem to be more important than laws. It makes sense in a system like this that trust and relationships would be more important than "getting down to business". China and the Western world are opposite in many more ways than I had realized.
Deletewhen you said an "nonlegal conciliation" I picture something like eastern duel. But I imagine that's something more of a western thing. I cant imagine two people shouting at each other and one saying that they must have satisfaction and grab a sword like in some of our western movies.
DeleteThis week I was reading about decision making and Chinese Strategy and how managers are strongly influenced by Neo-Taoism and Confucianism. Some of these decision-making strategies are: hands-on experience, action-driven decision-making, and emergent planning. I found it interesting that a lot of managers are more hands-on than most other managers in other countries. By having this hands-on experience, managers have a better feel of how the company is operating and what challenges workers face.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. I believe managers who are more on hands will be more successful than other managers who aren't hands on. Managers will have more of an idea with their company if they are involve in the day to day operations. Your reading sounds interesting.
DeleteThe chapter I read this week was about the accounting side of China's management. One accounting challenge that exists in the country relates to the availability of adequate and reliable information to make informed decisions. Another challenge is in auditing systems. I found kind of strange because when you think of the typical Asian race, you think of a smart, good with money types of people. In conclusion, the reading list many ways of solving their accounting challenges .
ReplyDeleteThis week as i was reading about the struggles of trying to start a large business like VW in China and reading about all their issues; and i read something that tied it all together. Mr Posth's secretary and translator said Germans like to get straight to the point, they want just the facts, Chinese prefer a bit of socialization first. When i read that it totally tied together with the video we watched during one of our China meetings. The Chinese have always been family & friend oriented even in a business, which is definitely a trust building approach that could benefit them in the long run.
ReplyDeleteThis week’s chapter in my reading is titled “Free Enterprise Cowboys”. It talks about the American negotiation style, with John Wayne as one of the examples (ok, I love this book!). The American negotiation style can be summarized by the statement “Shoot first, ask questions later. “ America is unlike any other country in the world in that its’ competitiveness and individualism are so highly valued. In business, Americans tend to believe that they can go it alone, while other countries favor the idea of more people in the process of negotiations. The Chinese look at negotiations as establishing a connection or relationship, not just getting the biggest piece of the pie. Persistence is yet another value of the American business culture. Most aren’t aware of other nations negotiating styles and just jump in with the “good ole boy” approach and hope that American charm will win over the world. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Meredith. How do they keep up with their securities with all of the business going on in China? But then, I applaud them for all that they have accomplished.
ReplyDeleteThis week my book highlighted the importance of good listening skills. There was one nuance of Chinese conversation in particular that I found humorous and interesting. The book pointed out that what is not being said is far more important than what is being said. It gave the example that a manager speaking to a Chinese employee will be met with "yes, yes, yes" but that is a very different thing from "Yes, I agree with you." Getting that out of an employee is a whole other matter all together.
ReplyDeleteMy reading has been talking about America's debt problem. As the author puts it, "In less than 50 years, we have reversed John F. Kennedy's call in 1960 to 'ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.'" Americans continue to make decisions that perpetuate the debt crisis. People no longer want to contribute, instead they look for the greatest tax breaks. Politicians reallocate taxes to gain votes, children grow up on welfare and learn to accept it as a way of life even as adults, and the government fails to properly enforce regulations on banks and other financial institutions. This is a scary thought, especially with the danger China poses to the American economy. We need to get our own act together before the biggest wave hits.
ReplyDeleteRural china takes off
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of state pricing for the counties good is to make sure equal distribution among the nation. The problem with state pricing is that the state often will get the demand for the product wrong thus making the price for the product wrong as well. production did not hinge on demand and sails but rather the states "plan" this often lead to shortages and mass excess of materials and good.
Your author makes an interesting point about how state pricing can influence the outcome of demand for certain products. It sounds to me as though this government influence has caused many different companies to experience unnecessary setback within production and sales. From what your author is portraying it sounds like too much government influence and regulation can hinder an organization and take away from the natural process of demand through competition.
DeleteThe chapter I had read for last week was about "Technology transfer and innovation" it is about how foreign companies have enabled the transformation of chinas automobile industry. The expansion has made vast improvements in all aspects of the economy. Much of the transfer technology comes from joint ventures with US automobile manufacturers. They were effective at partnering with china in production/manufacturing. However while China became efficient in production they lagged behind with regards to innovation. The reason for this was because US firms were afraid of spawning new composition for themselves. Over time China has much improved its innovation sector but it is still not as strong as its production and manufacturing.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that the Chinese culture has anything to do with the lack of or slow innovation possess? Hard word is something this culture knows about but change may be hard for a society that have been a particular way for such a long time.
DeleteMy reading for the past couple of weeks in “Dragons at Your Door,” expanded upon the idea of cost innovation and the ways that Chinese companies have been so effective in applying this idea toward their business. Since the average annual salary for Chinese citizens back in 2005 was only $1,200, many Chinese companies understood that in order to have demand for their product they must have low costs associated with their products. One way in which Chinese companies have cut back on costs versus their global competitors is that they do not focus a lot of their financial resources on R&D for new and innovative products, but instead focus on producing current products at lower prices than the rest of the competition. This idea of cost innovation through focusing on ways to produce products at a lower cost versus spending drastically high amounts on developing new products has caused these Chinese companies to grab a larger market share in their particular field.
ReplyDeleteIn my book last week, Leslie Chang is reflecting on the three main girls in the factory work force that she has been following and interviewing. The book goes on to show how emotionally attached the author is getting to these woman and their well being. According to them, learning English is the highest level of learning. Some women even strive to become translators. Studies of migrant workers shows that successful women who do well will set up stores or restaurants and hire those who have experienced factory life as well. All of this just goes to show hard much further women in China are willing to go to get jobs and provide money for their families. A lot of girls working every day and only making $150 a month? That must be dedication.
ReplyDelete$150 a month! That's ridiculous. It's quite sad that they work so hard and get so little.
DeleteIn a country where religion is important, many aspects of business are affected. Confucianism's strong values are the cornerstone of all management thinking and issues. In China the manager is seen as the father figure and manages with a style that is quite directive. This mentality comes from the Confucian value that respect is determined by age. I find it quite fascinating especially since this mentality is different from what w experience and how we manage in America.
ReplyDeleteThis religious aspect is something that would be really important to take into consideration when doing business with Chinese executives. Because many American executives have little to no religious affiliation and most definitely do not try to incorporate it into their work place. Being sensitive to this religious sanctity would be important in both developing networks and for conducting business.
DeleteMy book now shows that there is the possibility that the global economic architecture established after the Second World War, origination with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and finishing in China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) may be weakening, or at least may have to confront the stress of a rival consumer-oriented, technically astute, economic superpower coming on line. In this case, the rise of China may presage new systems architecture for global trade and investment, one that must somehow accommodate multiple entities with insatiable appetites for energy, vast internal markets and apparently unlimited productive capacity.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter I read was the myth that Guanxi is a time-consuming aspect of business that distracts from the real business of business. This myth is one that is especially perpetuated by western, and mostly American managers. This myth however could not be more wrong. The authors say that Guanxi is absolutely essential to conduct business in China. They also mention that whenever you are developing networks, you should not give the duty to anyone else to develop the networks.
ReplyDelete