International Business Newsletter

June 2009 College of Business Volume 1, Issue 1 International Business Newsletter Innovative Applied Global Editorial Inside this issue: IB Advisory Board IB Program Update This is Who We Are Faculty Who’s Who Packing Tips/ Study Abroad Benefits Announcements and Events Global Viewpoint International Business Association IB Community Faculty Publications in IB Field Newsletter Editorial Board Contact Information 2-3 3 4 5-6 8 8-9 10 11 12-14 15 16 16 Welcome to the first issue of the EMU International Business Newsletter. We trust that you will find this newsletter a rich source of information on the varied IB activities going on in the EMU College of Business. The Newsletter The mission of the EMU IB Newsletter is to provide a vehicle to promote and provide news about EMU’s International Business programs and to share the understanding of the emerging global business issues. To that end, you will find in this twiceyearly newsletter regular information on six major subjects: 1. EMU’s IB program and degree 2. International Business Association student club 3. IB faculty and student publications in IB area 4. Careers, opportunities and trends in the IB field 5. IB-related events taking place at EMU 6. Updates on the EMU IB community including alumni experiences, student internships and study abroad experiences, and faculty exchanges The Program Since its founding in Winter semester 2006, the International Business Program has been a success. The IB undergraduate degree was designed with input from employers, alumni and benchmarking of other IB programs. Employers and alumni consistently shared the suggestion that our IB program provide a multi-disciplinary approach that reflects the reality that international business as a field does not pigeonhole easily into one specific discipline. At the same time, we were told that students need a solid business foundation in a specialized area. EMU’s IB degree reflects this input. The result is a multidisciplinary program that combines IB coursework, foreign language and a major in one of EMU’s 10 other business-related areas. Thus, an IB student actually graduates with a degree in IB and Accounting, IB and Finance and so forth. To this is added a study abroad experience and proficiency in a foreign language (either acquired at EMU or through passing a proficiency test). Thus, the IB degree is multidisciplinary in its very structure. Students graduating with an IB degree from EMU, in essence, have training in three fields: 1) IB as a discipline, 2) a second business-related discipline, and 3) the language the student has undertaken. In this way, the IB degree offers students the flexibility to pursue a wide range of interests while enriching their overall international education by cutting across disciplines. Building on this model, all courses with the IB prefix are designed to be interdisciplinary. To this end, professors from all business disciplines rotate in teaching the new IB prefix offerings. To date, IB courses have been taught by faculty from Accounting, Business Law, CIS, Finance, Management and Marketing. Our successful “Doing Business In…” seminars have grown to maximum capacity in both Fall 2008 and Winter 2009. (continued on next page) Academic Programs Abroad 7 Special points of interest: • IB Advisory Board — Interview with Rob Simon, Senior Director Global Business Development, J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting • “Faculty Who’s Who” — Dr. Nesa Wu, EMU Professor of Operations Management • EMU Academic Programs Abroad — Interview with Justin Meilgaard, Study Abroad Advisor International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 2 (Editorial continued) These seminars provide pragmatic training on business as whole as it is practiced in each of the subject nations or regions. To date, we have offered “Doing Business in…” seminars on Japan (twice), China, Germany, France, Mexico (twice), India, the United Kingdom & Ireland, and the Benelux nations (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). In the 2009-2010 academic year, we will offer seminars on China, Korea and Italy. As the IB program ends its third year, we have seen our first graduating students go on to get jobs in the David A. Victor, Ph.D. United States and abroad. We have growing student Director of International Business Programs participation. Undergraduate IB credit hour production dvictor@emich.edu has grown well over fivefold from 87 credit hours in our first semester in Winter 2006 to 457.5 last semester in Winter 2009. In Fall 2008, we also added an IB graduate -level course required of all MBA students. An Invitation I hope that this newsletter will help keep you abreast of what is happening during these exciting times for the IB program at EMU. Please take a look at what we have to offer here, and I sincerely welcome your input and invite you to take part in the program. IB Advisory Board Senior Director Global Business Development J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting Robert T. Simon Interview conducted by Faye J. Kao Assistant Professor, Marketing Mr. Simon has served on the EMU IB Advisory Board for two years. As the global economy continues evolving, we asked him to share his vision with us in the first issue of the IB newsletter. Faye: J.D. Power is best known for conducting market research in the auto industry. What is the outlook of the current global auto industry? In other words, are you optimistic or pessimistic about the global auto industry? Why? Mr. Simon: The current global recession is the worst in 50 years. It started with the mature economies then quickly moved into emerging economies. Lack of available credit, the collapse in world trade, unemployment and low consumer confidence caused vehicle demand to plummet. Global capacity utilization has fallen sharply and continues to threaten the profitability of automakers. Cost cutting to survive the crisis will defi nitely cause consolidation of the industry. We believe however, that as we move into 2010, global economies will begin a slow rebound. It is our belief that we are close to the bottom, however recovery will take time. Extensive work by governments and policymakers to repair banking systems globally will help buyers to access credit at affordable rates. By no means will this be the magic bullet to fix the world economy; it will assist in the recovery of the automotive industry slowly but surely. Faye: EMU is geographically located in the Detroit area, which has been influenced by the declining sales in the auto industry. What is your vision for EMU as a regional education institution in the Detroit area? Mr. Simon: I believe that the University is in a position to benefit from this crisis. As lower skilled jobs are eliminated and competition for professional positions increases, the need and desire to become educated will bring many new students to our school. We must hope that the new administration will increase the growth of financial aid to assist in furthering the education of our citizens and allow EMU to be a key contributor to the recovery of our economy. This will only work if economic development is a key priority for the region. I see a lot of work being done to bring new industry and technology into the area. I see EMU staying on the cutting edge of the trends and positioning itself to answer the call. I challenge all EMU graduates to help promote the region wherever they are. Our location which is in commuting distance from most major cities in southeastern Michigan puts EMU in a very competitive position to capture students from this region compared to its peer universities around the state. (continued on next page) International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3 (Robert T. Simon interview continued) Faye: What will be your advice for EMU students who want to major in international business? Mr. Simon: Start by realizing without question that the world is flat! Understand that we are indeed a global economy and that business is done on a global basis. Whether it’s buying goods from low-cost countries to assemble in North America or selling technology and services to other regions in the world, very little business is done without some global influence. The best advice I can give a student is to visit and study abroad. Practice new languages and learn about other cultures. Culture is such a large part of the way business is done around the world. Take advantage of the global experience of the faculty in the IB program and do not discount the power of relationships. It is very likely that wherever a graduate lands, the company with be multinational. Having the advantage of an IB degree will give the graduate a key competitive advantage in his/her career. IB Program Update Bachelor of Business Administration Degree International Business Major in the College of Business Amelia S. Chan Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Programs Office national students who learned English as a second language are waived from language studies at Eastern Michigan University. The IB major is also required to study abroad in a short course or for an entire semester to live and learn in a different environment. The required International Business Ethics course further exposes students to the ethical aspects of doing business outside the United States. In addition to the twenty-four credit hours in International Business courses, IB majors are required to complete an entire functional business discipline such as accounting, finance, marketing, supply chain management, computer information systems, management, human resources, entrepreneurship, general business, or economics. This important aspect of the IB program is designed to increase the marketability of the International Business graduate for a position in his or her trained discipline area in a global organization with opportunities for promotion to an international business position down the road. The International Business (IB) major truly exemplifies the College of Business mission to provide an academic learning environment that fosters innovative, applied and global business programs. The IB program includes innovative and applied courses such as “Doing Business in …“ various countries or regions of the world. Students learn cultures and practical ways of doing business outside the United States. They are required to complete three 1.5 credit hour courses. IB majors (the only COB major that requires a second language) are also required to learn a second language including a business language course in French, German, Japanese, or Spanish. InterDr. David Victor, Director of International Business program, is faculty advisor of the active International Business Association. This is a great venue for students to network with professionals in International companies and with each other. The coursework in International Business including an entire business discipline, together with the second language requirement and study abroad experience help IB students to understand and perform in the work environment in the International business field. For more information, please visit the website at: ib.emich.edu International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 4 This is Who We Are IB Undergraduate Enrollment 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 UG Acce pted UG Intents Total UG WI '06 FA '06 WI '07 FA '07 WI '08 FA '08 WI '09 31 78 109 35 82 117 48 71 119 44 80 124 40 77 117 32 74 106 39 64 103 IB Major  Student Credit Hours 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 UG SCH GR SCH Total WI '06 87 0 87 FA '06 159 0 159 WI '07 171 0 171 FA '07 210 0 210 WI '08 227 0 227 FA '08 319.5 225 544.5 WI '09 457.5 222 679.5 IB Graduate Enrollment 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 MBA w/IB  Spec. Grad. IB Ce rt. Total GR WI '06 FA '06 WI '07 20 4 24 16 2 18 11 1 12 FA '07 WI '08 13 4 17 14 3 17 FA '08 WI '09 20 3 23 18 4 22 International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 5 Faculty Who’s Who Dr. Nesa L’abbé Wu Professor of Operations Management Interview conducted by Faye J. Kao Assistant Professor, Marketing Dr. Nesa L’abbé Wu (pictured with family second row, second from right) has taught at EMU, College of Business, for thirty five years. She has won various awards for her outstanding teaching, research in Operation Management, and student mentoring. She has taught in different countries including China, India, Taiwan, and many Western European countries. Her work has been published in China, Taiwan, India, Western Europe as well as the USA. In addition to English being her third language, she speaks Flemish (her native tongue), French, and German and understands Italian. Besides these credentials, Dr. Wu also leads a very international personal life. Her personal life nourishes the professional and vice versa. She is a lively example of a cosmopolitan in this modern world. Faye: Language is the most important carrier of a culture. We are very impressed by the fact that you speak four languages fluently. How does being multilingual influence your perception about the world? Dr. Wu: May I first point out that my husband is Chinese and speaks Mandarin and some Russian! So you see, no matter where we go, we most likely can communicate in the native tongue or in a language that the other party and ourselves are familiar with (and if none of these are possible, I have used “visual language” as explained in my abstract for the upcoming GABC Conference). This enables us to get close to the people we meet and generates a personal bond that results in friendship. To me and my family, this has helped us to see that people throughout the world are basically interested in learning about others. If you do not speak their language or are unable to communicate in a common language, they will not receive information they want, thus you keep them uninformed and create a distance. We are very happy we speak many languages, because it has resulted in picturing our view of the world as a friendlier place. Faye: Other than your professional engagements in the international business field, we know that you originally came from Belgium and have a very cross-cultural family. Can you tell us more about your family? Dr. Wu: We have three children. We like to refer to them as six children, because they are all married and our family has created a very close bond. Our family projects four cultures that I can best explain by introducing Joshua Craig, our grandson. Joshua is ¼ African American, ¼ Chinese, ¼ Caucasian, and ¼ Puerto Rican. At the age of 11, he is quite familiar with all aspects and differences in his background. It is so important that children are introduced at an early age to cultural differences and their commonalities. This forms their characters and makes them function better in this society and the international domain. We like to introduce ourselves as a most colorful family and we are proud of it. I cannot wait for him to grow up, so he can travel with us and help us with Spanish! Faye: You have been very productive in your professional life. How do you keep the creativity going? Dr. Wu: I do not know. It just happens. I must say that I received a lot of support from my husband, Jack. He always understood my need for researching and writing. I have mixed my teaching, research and writing with travel. Some people will refer to this as multi-tasking: have a vacation, collect data, be with your family, do some work, and have fun doing it. Some of that shows in the presentation I am making in the conference. At this point in my career, I am interested in getting students involved in publishing through mentoring them on the process of collecting data, researching topics, writing and presenting. This is fun too! Looking back at what I have done and am still doing, it looks like my career and work have been a hobby. Perhaps that explains my productivity, creativity. Faye: What advice will you give to the students who are interested in developing a rewarding career in international business? Dr. Wu: My advice to students is simply this: learn as many languages as possible; do not be afraid to make mistakes; embrace different cultures; do not openly criticize if you do not agree, but rather research the differences so you can better understand people. International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 6 Faculty Who’s Who (continued) Communicating with Visual Controls to Manage Operations by Nesa L’abbé Wu, PhD Professor, Operations Management Eastern Michigan University ABSTRACT Dr. Nesa L’abbé Wu will present her latest research at the Global Advances in Business Communications conference organized by EMU, College of Business. “Vision is perhaps our greatest strength, it keeps us alive to the power and continuity of thought through the centuries; it makes us peer into the future and lends shape to the unknown” (Li Ka Shing). This saying perhaps explains the successful implementation of visual controls, like charts and labels, that communicate to management and workers and guide them in expert execution of their future tasks. Lean operation systems use both visual and computer controls to communicate tasks and information for the purpose of managing operations. Visual controls are a system of symbols that conveys the right information to the right person in a timely manner. The objective of visual controls is to achieve management by sight. Often used visual controls are: visual production controls such as Gantt charts and kanbans; visual maintenance controls such as andons, maintenance load charts, color-coded tools and tool holders, labeled tool storage; visual inventory controls such as labels and taped off space on the shop floor for limiting inventory storage; visual quality controls such as X-Bar charts, Rcharts and p-charts; and visual office controls such as pitch boards and labels. Two business cases illustrate that these visual communication controls achieve management by sight. The first case shows how Gantt load charts can be implemented for the timely execution and management of the professional student APICS chapter at Eastern Michigan University. It helps communicate to the student board members of the organization how to peer into the future for prompt execution of their day-to-day activities. These charts are extremely helpful because the board membership of this organization changes every year and is composed of many foreign students of diverse cultures. Without these five charts on three pages the board members would have to consult and read on a regular basis numerous pages in the management handbook. Before using these visuals the EMU/APICS chapter was not able to achieve its objectives, because students just did not seem to have the time to regularly consult and execute the management handbook. Since we implemented this communication system, we have been awarded both Gold and Platinum Awards from National APICS and were invited to make a presentation on the subject of visual controls at a Great Lakes District meeting. The second case illustrates the implementation of a routine/preventive maintenance system for Mexican resorts via visual maintenance load charts. These charts were the result of a cross cultural collaborative effort, where trust was created by inviting input from Mexican resort supervisors. It was the objective to develop a communication system that with very little effort can be understood by all interested parties: management at the resorts (who are bi-lingual), maintenance people and their supervisors (who only speak Spanish), the general manager for all Mexican resorts (who is bi-lingual), the company president (who speaks English only) and her secretary (who speaks English and knows some Spanish) and all board members of this company (who speak English only). Armed with a dictionary this author, who does not speak Spanish, spent one week at each of the three locations to generate visual communications to help schedule, control and collect data for routine, preventive and breakdown maintenance activities. The manager at each location was the only person who was bi-lingual and who initially helped in getting the data. The only sentence that the manager had to translate from English into Spanish was a question addressed by me to the supervisor: “Give me an organized list (in Spanish) of all preventive and routine maintenance activities that need to be done throughout the year; indicate the date that this activity was done last; tell me who performs this activity (your crew or contracted) and tell me the frequency of occurrence (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, every three months, and so on).” By the use of a dictionary, this author developed an input sheet to collect all the answers and to develop the visual maintenance charts, which gave the maintenance supervisors a means to make their jobs easier. These communication charts also aided the timeshare company in shaping and defining the proper frequency of routine and preventive maintenance; in timely replacing equipment; and in improving communications between the resorts and their main office in California. International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 7 Academic Programs Abroad Justin Meilgaard Can Show You The World Article by Kiki Nice — Photograph by Alex Minkin ties may be limited.” The decision to study abroad should be made as early as possible, even before your freshman year. This allows you to be more flexible abroad than a graduating senior with a strict list of courses needing completion. The first step in choosing any program is the study abroad library, found on main campus in Boone Hall. The library features travel books and videos of destination areas so you can know what to expect when you get there. If you forgot to pay attention in middle school geography, the study abroad library will also help you decide not to bring snowsuits to Mexico. Meilgaard suggests considering a country where you know even a little bit of the language. “If you’ve got three to four years studying a language, you’ve got something invested there,” he says, adding that you should try to match that language with your major. With an idea of where to go, it is time to pick the program. EMU has over thirty study abroad programs, with options to study over Winter break, Spring/Summer semesters, Fall/Winter semesters, or even for an entire academic year. “The economy is having an interesting impact on the [study abroad] programs,” notes Meilgaard, stating that Semester/Year programs have not been affected by the recession but acknowledging that Spring/Summer enrollment is down. In times of financial difficulties, studying abroad is still possible with a little more planning. EMU offers a variety of scholarship and loan opportunities for which students can apply to help defray the costs of studying abroad. Business students should inquire about the 5/3 Bank tenyear interest free loans when looking for financing options. For information about these, and other, study abroad options, stop by the Academic Programs Abroad office at 103 Boone Hall on main campus for their informal information sessions daily at 10am and 2pm. You can also visit their website at www.emich.edu/abroad or contact Justin Meilgaard at jmeilgaar@emich.edu. (Kiki is President of EMU’s IB Student Association majoring in international business. Alex Minkin graduated from EMU in 2009 with a major in marketing.) Imagine yourself sipping espresso at a Parisian café, fighting poverty in El Salvador, and creating a business plan under a blossoming cherry tree in Japan. Every year over 250 EMU students have the chance to experience these and more as they earn credit toward their degree at universities around the world. With programs in Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia, the opportunities are as diverse as the students who pursue them. Equally as enchanting are the opportunities for students of those universities to discover America by studying at EMU. Orchestrating this ebb and flow of students is EMU’s Study Abroad Director, Justin Meilgaard. “It is a life-changing experience,” remarks Meilgaard of studying abroad. “[Afterward] you’ll find your whole perspective has shifted.” British-born Meilgaard was raised with a global perspective, having lived in both Denmark and Mexico before moving to the United States at age seven. He went on to earn degrees from both Princeton University and the University of Illinois in Chicago. If you are like most students and do not already have such extensive experience but would like to study abroad, EMU and Justin Meilgaard have made it as easy as possible to research and select a program. “The key to success is advanced planning. Don’t wait until the last year,” warns Meilgaard, “or your possibili- International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 8 Packing Tips/Study Abroad Benefits Justin Meilgaard’s “The Best Packing Tips You Never Got” 1. Whatever you do, don’t leave home without your IMAGINATION. 2. Even abroad, you might still need to STUDY. 3. Don’t even think about bringing your CELL PHONE. 4. When you travel, don’t be surprised if YOU GET A “TRAVEL BUG.” 5. Be sure to bring a copy of your HARD TO REPLACE DOCUMENTS (Passport, E-Tickets, Credit Cards). Three Benefits of Studying Abroad Meilgaard Bets You Hadn’t Thought of: 1. Gaining a whole new perspective on American culture, just by being away from it for a while. 2. Honing your street skills by trying to figure out how things are done in the new culture. 3. Maturing very fast from being more independent and dealing with setbacks (like getting sick abroad!) Announcements and Events Flag Dedication Reception, April 6, 2009 The flag dedication reception took place on the fourth floor of the COB to recognize the donors of the flags this year. The campaign resulted in 15 new flags with new sponsors and 28 existing flags with new sponsors this year. The total amount of money donated was $10,750. The new flags adopted are Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bahamas, Fiji, St. Lucia, Venezuela, Belgium, Belize, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Iraq, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Portugal, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ghana, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Haiti, Iceland, Kenya, Uganda, Kosovo, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Serbia, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, and Ukraine. The flag display is a very distinctive part of the COB and one in which we take pride. All the donors have contributed greatly to that pride. International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 9 Announcements and Events (cont.) EMU Day in Lansing, May 5, 2009 Two of our IB Faculty Members — Marketing Professor Sheila Sasser and IB Program Director David Victor from Management — along with IB Advisory Board Member and Consultant Blaire Miller participated in the annual EMU Day in Lansing field trip, joining in roundtables with legislators to advance EMU’s agenda. In the photograph below, State Representative John Walsh (R-Livonia) meets with EMU President Susan Martin, Student Government President Regina Royan, EMU Alumni Association President Eric Brown (Class of '03) and Director of IB Programs David A. Victor. First Tricontinental Conference—Global Advances in Business Communications (GABC) will take place on June 24-27, 2009 at the EMU Student Center The First Tricontinental Conference on Global Advances in Business Communications (GABC) will bring together academics and practitioners to consider ongoing scholarly activities and business practices which shape and are shaped by the changing nature and level of global business communications. The conference will have five tracks: (1) International and cross-cultural business communications and negotiations (2) Global aspects of integrated marketing communications (IMC) (3) Communications aspects of international law and global business ethics (4) Languages and business communications (5) E-Semantics (cross-cultural, language-based international issues associated with search terms, string searches, web design, web site user friendliness and electronic advertising keywords) For more information, please check the website: http://www.businesscommunicationconferences.org/ ocs/index.php?cf=27 International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 10 Global Viewpoint Anime in America By Sabrina Miller Have you ever stayed up late at night and found yourself watching Inyunasha on television? Or have you ever watched a sibling sit glued to the TV for an episode of Pokémon? Or maybe you heard a word called Pikachu, but do not know what it really means? Inyunasha and Pokémon are popular series of anime. Anime is the term used for Japanese animation. The earliest anime was created in Japan in 1917, and it was only a few minutes long. Originally, anime was created to bring old Japanese folk stories to life. Many Japanese animators worked from their homes in tiny studios, then sold their work to theatrical companies. During the 1930s, anime began to change from folk tales to a darker genre. As Japanese military strengthened, anime became propaganda cartoons, urging people to support Japanese troops. In 1955, Japanese took American know-how in animation and mixed it with Japanese art. Various types of anime came to the United States in the 1960s. One in particular is by the name of Astro Boy. Astro Boy was a robot boy trying to be a real boy. The story included huge fighting robots protecting Earth, space pirates, and alien invaders. America was intrigued by the Japanese story lines! Anime has slowly become popular in the United States since 1960s. While the overall audience size has increased, it still has a predominately male viewership. Anime gradually worked its way to big TV channels like Fox, CW50, and Cartoon Network with big names like Dragon Ball Z, Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, and Voltron. Some question anime cartoons because of their mature content. Therefore, anime has to be dubbed and edited for language and content that is too explicit for general TV audience. One anime in question was Sailor Moon, which featured protagonists in skimpy mini dresses participating in mature content. Although Sailor Moon attracted a female audience and brought in more revenue, people still questioned the significance of the series. There are many American cartoons that are very explicit, but they do not have to be dubbed; instead, they are just aired at a later time at night. However, many children stay up way past bedtime watching TV. Won’t they watch the explicit American cartoons? If anime has to be dubbed for American TV, the rules should be the same for any explicit cartoons. (Sabrina Miller graduated from EMU in 2009 with a major in marketing.) Invitation to submit your articles to Global Viewpoint Are there any topics in global business that interest you? Would you like to share your global viewpoints with the readers? www.astroboy-themovie.com (Astro Boy will be in theatres October 2009.) You are invited to submit your articles by e-mail to: ib.newsletter@emich.edu. Please limit each article to no more than 500 words. International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 11 International Business Association 30 Seconds Around the World: A Global Advertising Expo Article by K. M. Nice Photographs by Philip David Southern How does a chicken restaurant in Cairo advertise during Ramadan? Why do American celebrities appear in Japanese commercials? What sort of TV commercials are there in Africa? These issues and more were discussed by the International Business Association (IBA) at their first global advertising exposition, entitled “30 Seconds Around the World.” The event was held last March in the Student Center Grand Ballroom, featuring keynote speaker and advertising expert, Dr. Sheila Sasser. The event was chiefly sponsored by Dean David Mielke and the IBA student organization. Students of the IBA used television advertisements to examine the use of taboos, stereotypes and cultural norms around the world. Actual TV commercials were presented from Oceania, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East & India, North America, South America and Western Europe. “It was really cool,” said Gaber Burnik, a third-year economics major from Slovenia. “I really liked the commercials from Eastern Europe.” After seeing the performance of the IBA, Burnik now plans to attend the club’s weekly meetings at the College of Business (COB). Burnik was among the 100+ attendees, which also included students of the English as a Second Language program and Global Advertising classes at the COB. Students from the University of Michigan and members of the community were also present. The atmosphere was light as many of the clever advertisements brought the audience to laughter. A few advertisements more serious messages of AIDS awareness in Africa and anti-drug campaigns in South America. These moments often brought the entire crowd to silence, as the messages of the ads were absorbed. To ensure that information was retained through all levels of the performances, presenters asked questions of the audience handing out t-shirts as prizes. In all, over 25 t-shirts were distributed, increasing awareness for the COB’s Ethos Week in March, as well as for the IBA itself. Accompanying the speeches and videos was an assortment of International cuisine prepared by EMU’s house chef. The food included sweet pastries from the Middle East, curried chicken from India, soba noodles from Japan and dim sum dumplings from China. “I hadn’t tried any of it before,” admitted International Business major Tiffany Sims about the buffet, “So it was pretty neat.” As Dr. David Victor, the Director of the International Business program, pointed out to the crowd, “This is the kind of energy and enthusiasm this club has all the time.” Indeed, involvement in the IBA has increased considerably over the past year. Since last January, the IBA has grown from a relatively inactive student organization to a club with over twenty members, encompassing both graduate and undergraduate students. This was the first official event hosted by the IBA, and the COB should expect many more great events to follow. For more information about the International Business program or the International Business Association, email iba.emu@gmail.com or visit the IBA’s website at www.emich.edu/studentorgs/iba. (K.M. Nice is the President of the International Business Association and is majoring in international business. Philip David Southern is majoring in general business. He won the YOBIPICS grand prize award at www.yobi.tv.) International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 12 IB Community Curious about the Dutch? Student study abroad experience by Daniel A. B. Trenbath As I gaze out the window of a library far away from home, I ponder over the extensive history of the city of Groningen, which was established in 1040. This was long before Christopher Columbus’ voyages to the Americas in the late 1400’s and makes my 24 years of existence seem insignificant in comparison. To further add to this notion, the Academia building, which I am fixated upon, overwhelming in beauty and grandeur dates back to 1610, long before any universities in Michigan were even being conceived. bikes located under the ground, which is home to over 6000 bicycles daily. As a result of this relationship, many Groningans (citizens of Groningen) are not only brought up on the bicycle, but use it as their primary form of transport. Weekly Groningen Market Historic Academia Building If these three impressions have not already grabbed your attention, I will leave you with a description of my student house experience. Once I arrived in Groningen I was housed in a large seven storey building housing 150 exchange students from 43 nations. Each floor consisted of two kitchens, which each night wide arrays of international dishes were attempted both successfully and unsuccessfully. Due to the vast differences in cultures, every night in the house was a different experience. Over the period of the year I lived in the Netherlands, I was immersed in the Dutch culture, but was also subjected to influences from all around the world. Consequently, I learned both a different perspective to business and developed international relationships that will exist for life. I could not stress how important this year was to my development both in regard to maturity and intellectual capability. Whether you are considering studying for a semester or a year, I encourage every student to investigate the Groningen exchange program. (Daniel A. B. Trenbath graduated from EMU in 2009 with a major in international business.) However, the city of Groningen and its inhabitants often overlook their history, as today it is a diverse melting pot of students from throughout Europe and around the world. This is clear with a population of just over 180,000, but a transient student population of close to 50,000. Consequently, despite its size the city has a feel and atmosphere similar to Barcelona, but on a much smaller scale. As you walk through the center of Groningen, you quickly become aware that the city has an interdependent relationship with the bicycle. This concept is further made clear when you arrive in the city and venture out of the train station. Once out of the station you encounter a strange shaped structure with International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 13 IB Community (continued) Six Weeks By Sandra Redzovic As I said good-bye to my friends and family, I remember thinking that six weeks seemed like an eternity. I was unsure of leaving my comfort zone for a foreign place with people I didn’t know. Germany was no unfamiliar territory for me, for I had lived there when I was a child and had gone back to visit many of times since. However this was the first time I would be venturing out on my own. As a college student, I have had the pleasure of living at home for my college years. This being said, I must admit that I was accustomed to my mom doing my laundry and having the pleasure of her cooking my meals. The thought of having to survive on my own for six long weeks was terrifying. So how did I survive my time in Düsseldorf, Germany? Crucial to my survival abroad was my new-found friend/roommate Emily Barnes. Before we had left for Düsseldorf, we decided to request to be accommodated together in order to ensure that we had someone to lean on. This proved to be an excellent idea that turned two college students who had known little about each other besides the fact we both had a passion for German and that we both attended EMU into two lifelong friends. Getting off the plane in Düsseldorf, I had no idea what to expect. I always knew that Germany was a beautiful country but I had never really heard much about the city of Düsseldorf. I was pleasantly surprised as I soon came to see that the city was astonishing, mixing its long history with new-age architecture and cosmopolitanism. Needless to say there were countless things to be seen and explored. The city of Dusseldorf is Germany’s fashion capital as well as a robust business district. The streets are always bustling, full of people from all around the world. This makes the city even more charming and attractive to an outsider. At the end of my six weeks, I was ready to call Dusseldorf my home, because it had truly felt like it. The greatest part of the program, however, was not just being able to brush up and to enhance my language skills, but it was the great many things I had learned culturally. Along with our daily lessons, we also took many excursions on the weekends. We visited Brussels, the capital city of Belgium which is also the headquarters of the European Union, and we explored the cities of Amsterdam and Maastricht in the Netherlands. We got to experience first-hand the massive history and culture of all of these places which was more than any textbook could ever teach us. At the end of my six-weeks I had an even harder time saying good-bye to my new-found friends and a place I easily made my home for six very short weeks. I did not want to leave and it seemed as if the weeks flew by like a few short hours. I had fallen in love with the German culture all over again and I fell in love with a city that I previously dreaded visiting. This is not to mention that the many wonderful people I have met and gotten to know had each, in their own way, found a place in my heart. I returned home a cultured, selfsustaining individual ready to take on the world. (Sandra Redzovic is an international business major at EMU.) International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 14 IB Community (continued) My International Internship at NSF International By Xian Xu As I speak Mandarin, English and Cantonese, I have always wanted to work for an international company where I can fully use my language skills and international background. I was really lucky to get the International Internship at NSF International, which is a public health and safety company, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan and does business in over 85 countries. EMU Diversity Job Fair in the student center. Although I don’t have a science degree, I knew that being a trilingual and understanding the Chinese market and business cultural would work to my advantage. After four interviews with two general managers, two vice presidents, one engineering director and my supervisor, Rebecca, eventually I became the only intern NSF brought on board for this International Internship. My typical work schedule is two days a week, Monday and Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. During the three -month internship, I will rotate through different departments, including the labs, program offices, toxicology, human resources, marketing and accounting, and work with different managers or supervisors to learn all aspects of NSF International. Beyond learning the daily business operation, I am also learning the corporate culture because I will need to bring it to Shanghai one day. It looks like I work only two days a week, but I actually spend a lot of time studying all kinds of NSF brochures and materials at home after work. It is not only because there is so much to learn, but I also want to do my best to prove myself as an excellent intern. If I complete the internship successfully, I will start working full time in Ann Arbor as a certification project manager in June. In 2010, I can expect to be transferred to the Shanghai office. I know the ways people do business in China are so different than how people do business in the United States. I am glad I grew up in China and study in the US, and I have adapted to both cultures. Now I am excited and looking forward to taking what I have learned at the Ann Arbor corporate office to China and accelerating the overseas expansions. (Xian Xu graduated from EMU in 2009 with a major in marketing.) NSF International tests and certifies products from all over the world. It puts the “NSF” mark on the products to assure consumers products have been tested and are safe if they pass the tests against industry standards in the labs. As the economy of China is rapidly developing, there are tremendously increasing business opportunities from Chinese manufacturers. However, the four-year-old joint venture office in Shanghai is not well established enough to take full advantage of opportunities. NSF has seen the need to hire and train Chinese students here and transfer them back to the Shanghai office to help expand the business in China. I first heard about this opportunity from my academic advisor, Amelia Chan. Just one week later, I had a chance to talk to the NSF recruiting manager at the International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 15 Faculty Publications in IB Field 2008-2009 EMU Selected Faculty Publications in International Business Paul Chao (Marketing) “Guest editorial,” Special Issue on Country-of-Origin Effects, International Marketing Review, Vol. 26, No. 4 (August), 2009, pp. 351-353. Sam Fullerton (Marketing) “Examining the Ethical Predisposition of Our Next Generation of Business Leaders in China and the Republic of South Africa” (with Christo Bischoff & David L. Moore), South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, Vol. 11, No. 2, June 2008, pp. 157-171. “Comparing the Ethical Predisposition of University Students in Five English-Speaking Countries: An Examination of 14 Questionable Business Practices,” (with Larry Neale), Proceedings of the Association of Marketing Theory and Practice, W. Glen Rieken and C. David Shepherd, eds., Savannah, GA, March 26 – 29, 2008, pp. 144-152. (BEST PAPER IN TRACK AWARD) Ramesh Garg (Finance) “Outsourcing: A Win-Win Phenomenon for the United States & India,” in Amity Global Business Review, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2008, pp. 9-16. Phil Lewis (Accounting) “Reevaluating Face: A Comparison of Private Information Sharing Between Two Communitarian Societies,” Journal of International Accounting Research (working paper). Mahmud Rahman (Finance) “Evaluating Portfolio Performance: LPM Based Risk Measures and the Mean Equivalence Approach,” Handbook of Finance, July 2008, Wiley & Sons. David Victor (IB Director/Management) “An Interdisciplinary International Business Degree at Eastern Michigan University,” Business Communication Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 354-374. “Cross Cultural Awareness,” The American Bar Association Guide to International Business Negotiations: A Comparison of Cross-Cultural Issues and Successful Approaches.(3rd Edition, J.R. Silkenat, J. M. Aresty and J. Klosek, editors), pp. 143-158. 2008-2009 EMU Selected Faculty Accomplishments of Note in International Business Paul Chao (Marketing) Special Guest Co-editor (with Ian Phau) of Special Issue on Country-of-Origin Effects “Country-ofOrigin: State of the Art Review for International Marketing Strategy and Practices,” International Marketing Review, Vol. 25, No. 4, 2008. Special Issue Guest Editor for International Marketing Review “Social Marketing in the Global Context,” Guest Editorial, Special Issue on Social Marketing in the Global Context, International Marketing Review, Vol. 26, No. 3 (June), 2009. Sam Fullerton (Marketing) Co-edited (with David L. Moore) Global Business Trends: Contemporary Readings, The Academy of Business Administration: Ypsilanti, MI, 2008. Sheila Sasser (Marketing) Recipient of the Ronald W. Collins Distinguished Faculty Research I Award in March, 2009 Special Guest Editor for 2008, Journal of Advertising. Recognized as 2008 Google Online Marketing Challenge Inaugural International Professor. Appointed Editorial Managerial Review Board. International Journal of Advertising Appointed Editorial Board of International Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications. David Victor (IB Director/Management) Appointed Editorial Review Board of Journal of Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Globalization.” Diana Wong (Management) Co-editor (with E. H. Kessler, E.H.) Cultural Mythology and Global Leadership, Edward Elgar, May 2009. International Business Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 16 Newsletter Editorial Board International Business Advisory Board Edward G. Martin, Global Director, Breakthrough Innovation, International Research and Corporate Social Responsibility, The Hershey Company, Hershey, Pennsylvania Blaire Miller, Principal, International CFO Advisory, Beverly Hills, Michigan David P. Nick, President and CEO, DPNA International, Inc., Troutman, North Carolina Andrew Rooke, President & COO, Manitex International, Bridgeview, Illinois Robert T. Simon, Senior Director Global Business Development, J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting, Troy, Michigan Robert Swistock, CFO, CSM Worldwide, Global Headquarters, Northville, Michigan David W. Van Hise, Chairman, DVH & Group, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Dr. Iva M. Wilson, Consultant, The Coaching Collaborative, Santa Fe, New Mexico Editor Faye J. Kao, Assistant Professor of Marketing, College of Business, Eastern Michigan University Layout Editor Debra Craig, Senior Secretary of Marketing Department, College of Business, Eastern Michigan University International Business Faculty Committee Anne Balazs, Head, Department of Marketing and Law Kunal Banerji, Associate Professor of Management Ramesh C. Garg, Professor of Finance Faculty Faye J. Kao, Assistant Professor of Marketing Philip A. Lewis, Assistant Professor of Accounting D Robert Okopny, Professor of Accounting Elif S. Persinger, Associate Professor of Marketing Mahmud Rahman, Professor of Finance Sheila L. Sasser, Assistant Professor of Marketing V. M. Rao Tummala, Professor of Operations Management and Supply Chain Management David A. Victor, Professor of Management Diana J. Wong, Associate Professor of Management Nesa L. Wu, Professor of Operations Management Publisher David E. Mielke, Dean, College of Business, Eastern Michigan University Director David A. Victor, Director, International Programs, College of Business, Eastern Michigan University Contact Information Dr. David A. Victor International Business Program Eastern Michigan University 466 Owen Building Ypsilanti, MI 48197 Phone: 734 487-3240 Fax: 734 487-4100 E-mail: ib@emich.edu The electronic version of this newsletter is available online at: http://cob.emich.edu/ include/templatesubpage.cfm?id=1072