~Some Clips of the trip~
Videos taken with Canon Digital Elph SD800
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Final Reflection: China Trip 2007
By Steven Rodger Phuket, Thailand
Revised in Tokyo, Japan
and Hanalei, Hawaii
Only after the bus pulled away from the Grand Beijing Hotel, leaving me behind, did I truly begin to digest the size of the Chinese Tsunami heading east. I had two hours to find my new hotel, check in, get cleaned up before I was to navigate to one of many Starbucks in the eastern megatropolis of Beijing. I had a meeting with a famous Chinese Cinematographer who wanted to establish guan xi with me, and bring his films to America. We had an interpreter, Vivian from Beida (Peking University) translate our discussion, as I learned about the complexities of the film and television industry in China. Then, I described the United States television/film industry through Viv to the two film artists, Chen and Vivian and provided advice about how to establish their company's work in America.
It became incredibly apparent how important guan xi was in China. Chen had been granted access to several forbidden parts of western China by the government to film several documentaries about a Chinese breeding facility which very few have access to, let alone filming. He showed me a sample of his work on his laptop in the Starbucks and I was blown away by his talent. I thought to myself how an such a talented film director isn't rich. He also gave me a photo-book he had published with stunning scenic and cultural photography taken from rural western China. I was shocked by how intellectual property was so minimal in China, and how much he could prosper if I could find a U.S. based connection for his films. I realized how as Americans, we take such things for granted, and I assured him that I would do my best to market his work in the U.S. (when I return home in September). I was honored when he asked if I wanted to form a collaborated studio with his company and my own in California. Turns out, his last production was not cheap, costing over $100,000 USD to create. Already, several of his films have been popular in Japan, where Pandas and nature are sacred to the Japanese people. He had several other projects in the making but none have be possible without permission from the government . It became extremely evident how important connections to the local government, which I learned plays an imperative role in conducting business in China.
One of the things American companies could learn about doing business in China is to loosen up their rules to allow for more negotiations. There are less written out rules in China, which paves the way for increased business deals to be made. This is a primary reason for their recent exponential growth in the past decade, One way to really feel this is when bargaining for goods at one of the many markets in Beijing or any other city for that matter. Prices will be quoted at normal US prices. Then you can offer a low-ball rate, and see if they bite. Ninety percent of the time, the Chinese person selling the goods will chase after you and will be willing to make a deal even if they sell their good at just above their bottom line price, barely making a few yuan. I found that negotiations in China both entertaining and challenging, and thought some people need more practice at it. Interestingly enough, it seemed that the business deals made after a minute or so of bargaining yielded a more content customer and seller.
It is apparent that only the strong survive in China. While this is true in most business environments, it is especially a reality in Chinese culture. This is due to the astronomical abundance of labor. There seems to be endless workers doing mindless tasks which nobody in the United States would bother to do. The Chinese make hard-working people in the U.S. look lazy. For example, I went into a shoe store to see if they had any new kicks in my size. In a small shoe store about the size of a small Foot Locker there were 20+ shoe sales people, all wanting to size you up. While they did not carry any shoes close to my size it was interesting seeing the abundance of labor, and the immense size of the workforce. You can feel the fast paced movement of life the large Chinese cities we visited, which was much greater than similar sized cities in America. With the abundance of cheap labor, it means almost anything is possible.
Growth and development in China seems to be a textbook example of a third-world country. One disappointment was the lack of environmental standards in general in China. Though my undergraduate education was focused on researching solutions for such problems, I briefly ignored them in order to not have a biased opinion about what the companies had to say about their environmental efforts and advancements. The most common themed answer related to environmental based questions was that being profitable was their first effort, and sustainability and becoming green would come later.
The first solid example of environmentalism in action came from Lenovo computer manufacturing where an engineer designed a packaging devices which was not only lighter, but it also required less material and could be recycled. This translated into lighter shipments, and increased revenues. It is ideas like these which need to be set in place more in Chinese businesses. As manufacturers explode shipments to the world, wouldn't it be smart if they took a minute, thought about how to become more efficient, possibly do something green and save some money. While becoming sustainable is becoming trendy now-a-days in America, hopefully it will spread to Chinese businesses more.
An interesting portion of the trip occurred when we visited English corner. When I mentioned that I was completing my MBA, and I had a undergraduate background in Environmental Science, the eyes of the 8 Chinese circling me lit up. They claimed their government would hire me in a second...
This was reassuring as it showed that the Chinese too, care about their environment. Sucking up the pollution atop the Great Wall was the first time that I was really bothered by the pollution, as I still have a whooping cough which has been lingering for the last week. Eventually, I recovered but you could tell the amount of sick people in China was proportionally higher than other places I have traveled to. I am currently revising the draft of this reflection in Japan, and it amazing how much cleaner Japan is than China. The Japanese appreciate their environment much more than the typical Chinese person, and this can be seen through their large gardens and efficient transportation systems. I am currently in Tokyo, which has a similar population to Beijing, but there is relatively low pollution. Perhaps China should take a hint from their neighbors to the east regarding environmental business. Investing in a better transportation system would be a great first step.
Despite the pollution, the Chinese are now making a larger effort to be green, and clean up their environment. 
As one local told me, 'You think the pollution bad now....you should come here 10 years ago." We could also see this evident during company visits including Walmart who is supposedly building in sustainable practices into their business models. I was especially impressed with the work of UNIC, at Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP).
Alex Smayda and Jason Whelan who we had went clubbing with in Shanghai a few days earlier explained their businesses. Ironically, yesterday I was watching Chinese television and I saw a special on the discovery channel describing Mr. Whelan's business, Nature Works. This is the type of company which China should model their future businesses from.
Being one of the few students in the program with a science based undergraduate degree, this was the first company which I felt that I would most want to work with due to their philosophy of having a strong business foundation without draining the environment. Using fermented corn, lactic acid is formed into a polymer which is converted into a biodegradable plastic, instead of using petroleum based plastics which takes years to decompose in landfills. It was interesting to see how strong guan xi was established with Jason, and Alex's company Stream Source which used the PLA plastic to manufacture highly profitable hangers. Their companies demonstrated a refreshing example of the direction China must go in before they simply pollute their country until they start committing suicide by gulping the smog.
It became apparent that these expats saw the opportunity
to do business in China, and were riding the success. Their lives seemed fast paced, as business deals are made much more quickly than in the United States. Again, this is because of the lack of loopholes which companies must overcome. Not having an abundance of strict business rules to follow seemed like an incredible advantage to conducting business in China, whereas in America certain decisions take days if not years to take place. This faced paced growth certainly has advantages, yet I wonder sometimes about the integrity of some of the final plans.
China has made me appreciate growing up and living in the United States, similarly to how I feel when I visit any other third world country. The opportunities which Americans take for granted are the dreams for some Chinese. We are fortunate to live in a country which is far less polluted with a more heterogeneous population. While China is diverse with it's many different dialects and cultures, it made you realize how unique the U.S. is with many more nationalities represented. This becomes even more apparent when you visit a country like Japan. I also appreciate how much easier it is to make money in America. Chinese working the streets filled every nook and cranny marketing just about everything and anything you can think of. It was also incredible seeing that 'Everything' is made here in China. From Shirts, to Computers, and from buildings to clothes hangars, we saw a range of industries which gave a unique perspective of the origin of the world's material possessions. Traveling through China also gave a skewed perspective of the cost of everything. Now that I'm in Thailand, I find myself bargaining for goods merely to save small change after getting accustom to the cost of goods in China.
Overall, the fast paced environment of China makes one realize that anything is doable...at least much more so than the United States. It seems that a deal can always be conducted. The Chinese people have a strong desire to work harder than Americans, and you can feel this just by talking to practically any ordinary citizens. As Athena's cousin Matt explained, 'the Chinese are going to come to America and eat your lunch, and then steal your kids lunches too'. It is also becoming evident as they are learning English while we are simply watching. On one hand, poverty and pollution is rampant in China, representing a environmentalists worst nightmare. On the other hand, these problems provide for immense opportunities. While the government is attempting to fix these problems, they can provide only so much for their estimated 1.32 Billion individuals.
In a land where intellectual property rights are minimal someone like myself would find it difficult to make a living in China. 
Also, I'm not sure if I could handle so many bad drivers. As I ponder whether I could become an expat like Lonnie or Alex there are many pros and cons. Immense opportunities await to quickly climb a corporate ladder in China and bags of money hanging from trees for those who want to live outside of their American bubble of comfort. It seems like if you were to work in China, being young and single is the way to go, as bringing family and kids into the foreign culture seems like a struggle...Not to mention the many health hazards. Would I move to China for business? As Bob Barker used to say "If the price is right". To move to a land where American comforts are minimal, it would take a decent severance package to move me to a polluted foreign country. Personally, if I was to work in an Asian country I would prefer Japan as the country is cleaner, greener and has higher salaries.
Conclusion:
China provides an amazing opportunity for those who want to remove themselves from the normal working system in America and ride the growth as China booms. While many of the businesses in China mimic those in the United States, China does an amazing job of getting the job done in a timely, frugal manner which anyone can appreciate. Certainly there are many lessons to be learned from Chinese businesses, and I am honored to be able to have visited so many firms during our brief visit to the country. It will be those individuals who are working up the corporate ladder now in China who will be controlling the business world in the next decade, While it means giving up the comforts of America it should provide to be prosperous both culturally and financially to those willing to take the plunge.
There is a tsunami of Chinese coming towards America...who's going to catch it?
Steve Rodger
史提夫
-Recommendations for China-bound travelers
Some last tips for those who are coming to China in the near future. If you start your trip in Beijing consider flying with no baggage, then buy everything you need in the Silk or Pearl market at a tenth of the cost that it would cost you in the US. If you have feet bigger than size US 12 don't bother trying to find shoes that fit. For some good times, do go into a shoe store and tell them that you want size 12US shoes and get smiles and laughs from all 20 of the shoe sales people. Lastly, if you've always wanted to be a millionaire save up about $120,000USD and move to China, and live like a king.
written 7/10/07
Friday, June 01, 2007
CHINESE COMPANY PROFILE SUMMARY
The following is a list of companies which our MBA program will visit in China 
Additionally, there are some questions which will be asked to their managers.
Additionally, there are some questions which will be asked to their managers.
_____________________________________________________________
http://www.zhku.edu.cn/english/english.htm
Located on the south bank of the Zhujiang (
How does your ESL teaching program compare to that of other Chinese universities?
What is the most distinguished award or faculty member accomplishment at Zhongkai?
What innovations has the sub-tropical gardening research program discovered?
Winglok Textile Factory
http://www.gzpyyl.cn
This textile factory manufactures shirts, and other apparel for men and women. The company sells its products in
It appears as if your company was convicted or excluded from entry into the
How does your company prevent countries like the
VTREK Audio and Video Products
http://www.elec-vtrek.com
This Audio/Video company was established in 1999 in
What sets your company apart from the heavy competition in the AV industry?
What new technologies have you developed, and how you advertise your products?
How much of your budget is dedicated to R&D and what is the procedure for coming up with a new devise?
Pegasus Footwear Company
http://www.pegasusshoes.com/
This
How do you keep costs competitive with other Asian shoe companies?
How would an American Entrepreneur enter the market designing apparel and shoes in
Producing over a billion shoes a year, what types of environmental standards does your company have in place?
Macau Polytechnic Institute
http://www.ipm.edu.mo
This
As a relatively new University what does your institution need to do to become a distinguished center of education?
What is the future of Macau Polytechnic Institute? What are the long-term goals of the University?
Do you recruit many students outside of
Sands Casino
http://www.sands.com.mo
The Sands Casino is the first western-operated gaming and entertainment destination in the People’s Republic of
How does a western-operated casino differ from one run by people from an eastern-operated casino?
How does Sands distinguish itself from other casinos in
Why is Macau the only part of
New Century Casino
http://www.newcenturyhotel-macau.com
The New Century Casino hotel is an exclusive international 5-star entertainment & leisure complex on the
Why isn’t Poker offered in your casino?
What type of players play your VIP high-roller baccarat?
What type of security measures do you have within your hotel/casino, and what happens to prosecuted thieves/cheats within your casino?
http://www.wynnmacau.com/
Opened in
Future expansion will add 135,000 square feet of casino space and more dining and retail space. They also have plans to include a theater and a spectacular front feature attraction. After the expansion they will have roughly 1,280 slot machines and 420 table games.
How much of your casino revenue is taxed by the Chinese government?
How does your per-person profits compare with your casinos located in
Has the government approved your expansion on the Cotai Strip? How does this process work?
Lisboa Casino
http://hotelisboa.com
Known as the "Monte Carlo of the Orient”, the Hotel Lisbosa/Casino is one of Asia’s finest casino hotels, boasting 15 acclaimed restaurants, 24 hour entertainment all under the roof of a glorious architectural designed building. The Casino is owned by Stanley Ho, who is the wealthiest person in Macau, and one of the wealthiest in
How has Ho designed his business to be successful and competitive against other casinos?
How does the casino market in Asia compare to the
How does the government effect operation of your hotel, and how does this affect your operations?
International game Technology
http://www.igt.com/au
The IGT is a slot machine manufacturer with headquarters in
Have you considered an alliance with your recently acquired companies before you completed the take-over?
Who gets to pick the television or movies for your slot machines, and how much do you payoff these companies for use of their name and brand?
How has the online gambling industry affected your business?
Shenzhen
Wal-Mart Global
Wal-Mart Global Procurement Services are used to manage the organizations direct import business deals and handle their direct purchasing. They identify new products, new suppliers and they build partnerships with their existing partners. Wal-Mart employee’s business development and supplier alignment teams to help guide world class suppliers to give the best value to their customers. Additionally, they have teams working with trade relations and global transport to keep ahead of changing international laws and simplify their global supply chain.
When do you decide whether to choose a company which is more environmentally sound, versus saving a few pennies per transaction?
Does Wal-Mart model their Ethical Standards to another company? Is there a regulatory agency making sure ethics are environmental issues are taken into consideration in
Why was your
http://ytport.com
Shenzhen Yantian Port Logistics Co focuses on operating warehouses and container yard, in addition seeking further development in other logistics business areas. At present, YPL has three bonded warehouses with a total operation area of 36,000 m2, a customs supervisory warehouse and four general empty container yards. In the future YPL has a plan to expand by constructing a Modern Logistics. Their main business involves in logistics related business including warehousing, container yards, consolidation of export cargo, distribution of import cargo, customs clearance for newly-manufactured containers, simple processing, transportation, customs clearance and quarantine, and customs documents processing.
When will
How will YPL distinguish itself from other competing ports and port authority companies?
What is the company doing to promote the development of the Yantian port?
Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall
The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall has a total floor space of 19 thousand square meters. It fully displays the achievements of
How much of the future
Who is the most respected Chinese painter? Did European artists have any exposure to early Chinese artists/craftsman which is reflected in their artwork?
Who appoints the architects who decide upon the buildings and future of
http://www.shanghaimuseum.net/
This museum possesses a collection of 120,000 precious works of art with collections of ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world.
Founded and first open to the public in 1952 the museum developed very quickly in aspects of acquisition, conservation, research, exhibition, education and cultural exchanges with other institutes. In 1992, the museum moved because the
What is the most prized piece of artwork inside the museum?
Why was the museum moved?
What is the oldest artifact which the museum holds?
KPMG
http://www.kpmg.com.cn/
KPMG’s
How much of your business comes from foreign investors, as oppose to domestically within
What kind of sustainable accounting principals are at place in KPMG China?
How does the auditing process compare in
Starbucks
http://www.starbucks.com
Named after a character in the novel Moby Dick, Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world. The business is based in the
Why were there reports in early 2007, that Starbucks might be forced to withdraw from the
Does Starbucks use GIS (Geographic Information Systems) techniques to determine the best location for their new shops?
How does Starbucks prevent their company from becoming an eyesore for residents of
Callison Architecture
http://www.callison.com
Callison is an architecture company which provides planning and design services to retail, hospitality, mixed-use, healthcare and corporate clients throughout the world. They are presently ranked as the world’s top retail architect, specializing in graphic, interior, fixture and sustainable design. The company focuses their efforts on understanding market dynamics, which allows them to determine what to build, not just how to design it. Bringing business knowledge and design creativity brings excellence to their architecture firm. Based in
What are some of the sustainable architectural design projects currently in place at Callison?
As a firm which prizes creativity how do they hire/find these types of people?
How is building sustainability changing the architectural industry, and how is Callison guiding the way?
CF Racing
http://www.cfracing.cn
Based out of
Has CF looked into using eco-friendly designs to appeal to the younger environmentally friendly consumer?
What is CF’s strategy for future expansion?
Augmentum
http://www.augmentum.com
Augmentum is a company which offers software solutions services and IT services for Fortune 500 companies. The business also creates product development services to software companies, with teams who developing complex software themselves. They are unique because they develop software from people who have outsourced development for their own most complex, most important, and most profitable products and solutions. They work with companies such as Intel and Microsoft building software that gives consumers enabling abilities.
How do you overcome trust issues being an outsourcing company dealing with large American firms?
Explain what your company culture like?
How do you compete with Indian outsourcing companies?
http://www.sipac.gov.cn
The
After occurring a loss of nearly $90 million (
Has
How much does the industrial park pollute, and how do you regulate the damage?
What are the most profitable products manufactured in your industrial park?
Carrefour
http://www.carrefour.com.cn/
This French retailing giant offers top quality items at discount prices. They make products ranging from clothing to household goods such as T-shirts, skirts, jeans, trousers, underwear, shoes, towels and bedding. They have headquarters in
Their ‘First Line’ brand offers inexpensive kitchen appliances, audio, video and accessories, whereas their ‘Quality Line’ offers high quality and safety guaranteed fresh products such as pork, salmon, apples and oranges.
How do your company’s sales of such a diverse range of products help your profitability?
What will be the next move for expansion within Carefour?
Doesn’t four mean death in Chinese? How did you come up with the name for the company?
21 Manager
http://www.21manager.com
21 Manager hosts a website where managers from
On their website managers discuss recent business studies and they can exchange book recommendations and managerial suggestions. They also have job recruitment on their website.
Have you considered making your website in English, for increased business?
How do you generate revenue if your website is free?
Center for International Business and Ethics (CIBE)
http://www.cibe.org.cn
Located at
What is CIBE’s point of view about punishment when ethical issues are broken?
What organizations in
How do you convince a person that being ethical is more important than being profitable?
Thompson
http://www.thompson.com
Thompson is a publishing group starting in 1972 which provides professionals in business, government, law and academia the most authoritative, timely and practical guidance available. They provide tracking, and complying with, the dynamic regulatory mandates facing their organizations in a variety of areas. Some of the areas which they offer services in are with pensions and benefits, grants seeking, grants management, health care and with environment issues.
Which area of publication is seeing the most change and why?
How does Thompson keep such a healthy customer/ relationship?
How does Thomson keep a competitive edge over similar companies?
Lenvo
http://www.lenvo.com
Lenovo is an international technology company which develops, manufactures and markets cutting-edge, reliable, high-quality PC products. With over 19,000 employees worldwide Lenvo gives extra value with professional services that provide customers around the world with smarter ways to be productive and competitive. The company’s success is based on whether customers are able to achieve their productivity goals. Starting in 1984 with 11 computer scientists in
Has donating computers to victims of the SARS epidemic in
How much can Lenovo save with relatively inexpensive labor by operating out of
What are the key techniques your company uses to keep such high market share of the Chinese PC market?
http://en.pku.edu.cn
Originally known as the Imperial University of Peking, the University was established in 1898. With 30 colleges, 12 departments, 93 undergraduate specialties, 199 specialties for Master's degrees and 173 specialties for PhDs, National Peking University it is currently ranked as the best university in Asia, (14th in the world). The university has one of the largest pools of international students in
Why doesn’t
What types of research is your university most famous for?
As an older establishment, what does
Friday, May 18, 2007
The World is Flat: Book Critique
The World is Flat highlights how, practically overnight our world has become so interconnected with modern technology that it functions on an even playing field. Competitors around the world now battle for jobs in
are having (and will continue to have) a greater impact on the near future. Friedman explains that the primary drivers flattening of our world occurred because of relatively new technologies such as the personal computers, the internet and fiber-optics. History combined with suggestions for the future of how to handle our new globalization make Friedman’s book a decent read.
Mr. Friedman simplifies his theory of the flattening of the world into ten main topics. Most of these topics are technology based such as the introduction of Netscape, workflow software, open/out and in-sourcing and supply chaining. He provides a history lesson, as he travels through the world explaining how much the world has changed practically overnight. This book seems to be mostly directed towards business minded individuals, yet it should be interesting to anyone who wants to preview the direction where our world is heading. While the world is becoming flatter, benefits are seen all over the world as some industries and communities are becoming better connected, more efficient and more prosperous. One major problem which Friedman fails to really identify is to provide solutions to the immense environmental problems which the flat world creates.
Friedman provides personal insight on the developing problems of the world and plays devils 
advocate attempting to ring out the questions that must be addressed. While the flatteners he described play an important role in understanding why our world is what it is today, I couldn’t help but notice how some of his examples were practically identical. Another weakness is Friedman’s failure to address the variety of readers who may be reading this book, and he also contradicts his original premise with the chapter ‘the Unflat World’. While he does provide alternative points of view to many of his arguments, I am not certain that individuals of different disciplines would agree so much with his book. Finally, Friedman’s book may be a disappointment if you have already read his previous book The Lexus and the Olive Tree, as he basically rehashes his main arguments in a longer edition (without as much emphasis on technology).
Friedman focuses much of his story-telling about how we will see 
to the fact that wealth doesn’t make it past three generations.
As the book puts it “
Now that ‘being green’ is becoming more mainstream, perhaps Friedman should update his
book to make a green edition? With globalization comes a heavy cost… In September of 2006 China's E.P.A reexamined their GDP and found out that health problems, environmental degradation and lost workdays from pollution had actually cost China $64 billion, or an estimated 10 percent of its total economic output for 2004. Luckily,
Friedman’s novel should be beneficial to anyone who wants to gain a grasp of the world without flying all over it as the author has done to collect insight for his book. Reading this book may not provide the answers to solve the problems associated with globalization but it presents many of the fundamental ideas which business people can use to catch up while they were asleep. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not familiar with globalization or those who are living in a university bubble.
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