International MBA

Globo Spotlight!

As most people who know me can tell you, I loved my time in Brazil! My only truly negative comment is that I could not stay longer. I know that there are issues there, just as in every place, but I still had a great time.

I noticed a lot of differences (not necessarily good or bad, just different) between the United States and Brazil as far as culture is concerned. Rather than voice these observations again here, please read the article where I am featured in Globo! Globo is the premier publication for Brasil and this company also produces the majority of programming on television in Brazil. We actually visited the Globo production lot as one of our company visits.

You can read the article here

If you do not read Portuguese, don’t worry! You can just copy the text and paste it into Google translate. Enjoy!

Bem-vindo a Rio!

It is raining in Rio…can you believe it! It has been raining off and on for the last week and the rain has hit storm levels this evening. Yet, despite the rain and crazy weather I still love this city. O place is perfect, but I believe Rio is the perfect city for me if I have to be in a city. I get to look at the ocean every day, I do not need a car and the cariocas (people from Rio) have been super helpful.

After a week in the most beautiful paradise, I was a little worried to come to Rio. I spent some time in Bahia, specifically in Itacare and absolutely love that place! I think I found myself in Bahia. If you ever want to go to a heavenly place where the Atlantic Rainforest collides with volcanic rock, white and black sand, and beautiful water then Itacare is for you! Everyone should visit at least once in a lifetime. I will definitely go back.

After Bahia, Rio is a totally different place in the world, but the Brazilian culture and Portuguese language that connects these places is the same. I have had my share of difficulties here (such as a landlord canceling my Air BnB booking 2 days before arrival even though it was fully paid), but no place is perfect. Every place is full of people and all people are imperfect. If I still love this place and the country so much even through challenges and trials, then that speaks volumes. I feel at home here. I can’t wait to come back and I haven’t even left!

Almost There…Sort Of

As we near the promised land of Thanksgiving Break, I see some relaxation (sleep has become a stranger), delicious treats and much needed time with friends and family in my future.  Hallelujah!  The holiday season is well under way and I think our entire cohort can use some time and space to just decompress and release.  Of course we also have projects and assignments to work on during this period, but I am so grateful to have freedom from my daily commute which is usually 1.5 hours each way.

Looking back at the last 6 weeks and cannot believe all of our accomplishments thus far in this GPMBA program.  We have had quizzes, midterms, projects, papers, homework, career coaching and so on, and so on.  We are only 6 weeks into this program and I already feel stretched and challenged mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  I have been through a roller coaster of triumphs, failures, ups, downs and everything in between in a very short time and it is exhilerating.  We have traveled far, avoided a major hurricane and met with the Board of Directors.  This is truly an all-encompassing program.

Despite the difficulty, I welcome these challenges.  Easy times are great, but the challenging times really let you know you’re alive.  I can assure you, I am DEFINITELY alive.

Yesterday marked a very important day for me quite unexpectedly.  We had rounds of group negotiations for our International Business Environments class and I learned a lot about myself, about improvements I need to make in myself and effective (and ineffective) ways of interacting with others.  We each represented various players in the Nissan-Renault-DaimlerChrysler negations in the late 1990s.  We saw the complexity of negotiation due to hierarchy, cultural differences, interests, financial standing and many other factors involved in the process.

Just like negotiations, our journey of self-discovery along this GPMBA road is a process.  This is not an easy process, but a process nonetheless.  I am learning to be more patient with myself and to acknowledge my own shortcomings and imperfections.  This increased understanding of myself will undoubtedly lead to a greater understanding of those around me.  I see my strengths and weaknesses a bit more clearly with each passing day of this program and these realizations and subsequent changes will make me a more effective leader.

Looking forward, I am really excited for the connections I am making with my classmates and with others I encounter through the GPMBA program.  Yesterday, in between rounds of intense negotiation, I met with an Executive Career coach which was a great experience.  My coach was a Director of Integration for a major healthcare provider.  I learned a great deal about digital marketing and the use of these tools to meet goals.  Her job sounds awesome.

Fingers crossed that I will find the right position on my career path that makes me happy to go to work every day like my coach has found.  Like Confucius said, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”.  Well played Confucius.  Well played.

D.C. Shocker

When compared to the culture and energy of Rio or the romantic atmosphere of Paris, Washington D.C. just does not seem quite as exciting.  I generally had low or no expectations for this trip, except a bit of interest in our meeting at The World Bank, an organization I have followed quite closely for the last decade and the Brazilian Embassy.  Perhaps, though, it was exactly this lack of expectation that made our trip to Washington D.C. so stellar!  As we walked through Capital Hill I found myself truly humbled and a bit overwhelmed by the immense amount of global forces housed in a relatively small amount of land.  These streets literally rule the world.  We met with representatives of The World Bank, UPS, the Senate Finance Committee, the Brazilian Embassy and the law firm McKenna, Long & Aldridge.

All of our meetings were informative and taught me a lot.  Even the World Bank gave me new information about global issues and about the organizations revamped tactics to reach its goals.  I may differ on certain issues personally, but professionally these interactions are priceless.  The Minority Counsel on Trade at the Senate Finance Committee gave insight into the world of international trade and negotiation.  He demonstrated the need for multidisciplinary strategies to succeed in trade, which pushed me to research a career in trade negotation (and new product development) further.

The relationship between government and business became evermore apparent for me with each visit.  UPS uses a considerable amount of its resources to create and maintain positive relationships with decision-makers in government.  If UPS needs a road to deliver a package to a remote location, for example, the company can lobby representatives to push for the road.  Then, like magic, a road is built.  This is a very simplified description of the process but the amount of influence a company can have on international and local politics is astounding.  Another issue of particular importance to many firms is the idea of “green business”.  MLA has earned certifications and awards for its “green” offices and UPS has worked hard to be documented as a leader in green practices for its industry.  Still it seems that a further shift is needed to focus on green business for its ecological and ethical efforts instead of as a means to efficiency and lower costs of production.

The Brazilian Embassy piqued particular interest because of our upcoming visit to Rio in January!  The trade counselor addressed tough questions about Brazil’s environmental, educational and economic interests.  I am pleased to see that although the system is far from perfect, the country has made and is making great strides in many areas.  Science Without Borders, for example, gives scholarships to Brazilians to study at a university abroad for up to a year, then return to Brazil to complete their program.  Programs such as this will only add to Brazil’s continued development and success in the future.  I can’t wait to go to Brazil!

For our first trip together, D.C. was a success…and this is just the tip of te iceberg!  Thanks to our professor Dr. David Bruce and Ms. Charlene Jefferson for arranging everything and accompanying us to D.C.  We got out of town just before Sandy hit, thank goodness.  My heart and prayers go out to everyone affected by Sandy’s terror.  GPMBA Class of 2013 got to know each other a little better and bonded over our excitement, lack of sleep, and impending doom of 2 midterms and 2 projects due this week!  Never a dull moment in GPMBA…and I love it!

Encapsulating China

At the end of our two week visit to China the story of the growth here has been transformed from headlines to a firsthand account. The headlines do not give an accurate picture of the massive development taking place in China. That growth has presented a host of problems that makes the business environment in China very difficult to navigate, but still extremely attractive for foreign investment. These are the five most prominent lessons that we learned from our time in China.
Language and Culture
China has been the culture shock of a lifetime and this is just from the perspective of a tourist. Imagine how severe the shock is from business point of view. The language and culture of
China play a huge role is determining the ease of the business environment in regard to foreign companies desiring to enter China. Chinese business culture is highly relationship based as opposed to the task-oriented Western business culture. Building relationships is the key to successfully doing business in China which is difficult for Westerners to adapt to. Deals are not done in a quick and efficient manner as is customary and preferred in the West. The manner of communication even fosters the relationship based business environment due to China being a low context culture, which basically means most of what is being said is not spoken. This aspect is very ambiguous, uncomfortable and problematic for say what you mean and mean what you say Western style communicator to adjust to.
Guanxi
The word and concept guanxi appeared a great deal during our studies of Chinese business and culture. This concept greatly conflicts with the American task-oriented style of business. Guanxi is a vital part of personal and professional life in China; however we encountered some differing opinions on the degree of its importance. During our visit with Dezan Shira & Associates we were told that guanxi was not very important and was an overrated concept. However, during our visit with the U.S. Commercial Service we heard the exact opposite, which is that the work being done there would not be possible without guanxi. These are two very different perspectives from two entities providing different services. The U.S. Commercial Services providing business development services for foreign companies entering China and Dezan Shira & Associates providing legal services to foreign companies. The concept of guanxi is not to be treated as a blanket term, but must be used accordingly depending on the situation.
Innovation
The economic boom in China is largely based on low cost exports which are now presenting the country with the problem of a lack of innovation. While there is still growth in China, it is beginning to slowdown and now the focus is figuring out how to continue to drive growth. The answer is innovation. China needs to not only expand the consumer market domestically, but also began to export developing innovation. Lenovo is a prime example of innovation within China. Lenovo has captured a significant global PC market share to become the no. 2 PC maker in the world. The company has accomplished this through innovation and not just by creating a cheap product for export. The Chinese automotive industry would do well to follow Lenovo’s example because the current saturated state of the industry is depleting innovation and fostering cheap product turnout. The Chinese automotive industry currently has 38 manufactures compared to the 4 in the United States.
Sustainability
The massive population in China, limited resources and rapid consumption of resources has made sustainability a hot topic in China. Businesses are beginning to use this as a method of differentiated themselves and making the company more attractive for entry into the Chinese market. Coca-Cola is at the forefront of sustainability in China mainly due to scarcity of water and the essential nature of water to their products. Coke has initiated projects ranging from sustainable sugarcane, artificial wetlands, and zero water discharge plants to recycling over 18,900,000 tons of water each year. Part of idea is to get government on board with sustainability efforts by presenting an example of benefits and creating an opportunity for partnerships. Our host at Coke told us that if you add sustainability to the value chain and make it profitable that it will become a consistent focus of the business.
Segmented Landscape
One of the most important lessons learned during our time in China is that is not one China. China is a massive and heavily populated landscape with various regions, languages, dialects, and governments. There is no such thing as the Chinese market and this principle has eluded companies that have been unsuccessful in the country. China must be treated as a continent and each region or municipality as its own country. Companies that have tailored their practices and operations to each local region have experienced a great deal of success in China by realizing that each region has specific needs and meeting them.

This Asian experience has opened our eyes to China like we never imagined and as a result it is much less of a mystery than it used to be. We can now put real experiences and firsthand knowledge with the headlines we will continue to read about the growth in China.