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D546
Introduction |
This course can be taken as either 1.5 credits or 3.0 credits which includes the trip to China for two weeks. There are two possible scenarios for the 3.0 credit course: (1) We will do consulting with a Chinese firm for about ten days and then visit Beijing; or (2) We will visit three or four cities (usually Beijing, Tianjing, Shuzhou, and/or Shanghai) visiting business offices, factories, and cultural sites. After taking this course, you will 1) Have valuable insight into China 2) Have a first hand view of issues facing Chinese firms 3) Have experience in gaining information about businesses and industries in China 4) Have a once-in-a-lifetime international experience in China
The course provides MBA students an opportunity to gain insight into doing business in China and in the Chinese business environment. If we do the consulting option, the course will provide you international consulting experience through an assignment with a 100% Chinese-privately owned firm or a State-Owned-Enterprise (SOE) in China. Our partner for the program is a Chinese university located in either the mainland or in Hong Kong. Our partner will typically identify the target firms for the consulting and the city in the People’s Republic of China where we will go. The 3.0 credit course meets throughout Summer I and II, which includes two weeks in mainland China. The first eight weeks are weekly classes discussing the economics, political, cultural, and historical environments of China. The course is coordinated with D594, so this is not a problem for those of you taking D594 and also taking the trip. Before you leave, you will study China, become familiar with the firms and prepare for the consulting if necessary. Those doing a study tour will prepare briefings on the cities and firms prior to leaving. Also they will break into teams and prepare a term paper on a particular aspect of China's evolving economy. In the past some of these papers have been on topics such as the financial sector, the stock markets, the health care system, distribution systems, and more.
The 1.5 credit course meets for Summer I and includes the background assessment of the historical, economic, legal, cultural, and business environments of current day China. Students taking the 1.5 credit course will have to turn in a term paper at the end of Summer I.
Those going to China and having the consulting project will do company tours, interviews with managers or government officials, customer surveys, and visits to the competitors. Prior to the trip, the students do background work and preparation for the consulting project by learning about China and its culture, doing an industry analysis, competitor analysis, and benchmarking for the industry. The firm identifies some of its problem areas, and each student team addresses one of the problem areas. In the past, the teams of students addressed problems such as Human Resources, Pricing Strategies, Organizational Structure, Service Quality, Customer Service, MIS, Pricing Strategy or Cost Control. Students will be broken into teams for the consulting and each team will have a problem area. At the end of the consulting portion of the trip the teams present their recommendations to management. One month after returning, you will have to turn in a written report. We will have the reports translated into Chinese. Our schedule includes the IU students arriving a day early in the city where the consulting project takes place in order to do some sightseeing. (There is no sightseeing once the consulting project begins since the consulting process is quite intensive.) The consulting portion takes about 1 week with several days devoted to interviewing managers to gather data. The final day with the firm involves each team giving a formal presentation of their recommendations.
Those taking the 3.0 credit course will always visit Beijing. We spend one day sightseeing (Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc.) and then do business meetings with representatives of some American firms. In the past we have met with firms such as Cummins, Sony, Cisco, Eli Lilly, Baker & Daniels, VISA, Allison, Motorola, the U.S. Commercial Service, and some American non-profits located in China.
Deliverables for the 3.0 course are a short paper prior to leaving for China, a written team report (about 40 pages) in English, the team report in Chinese that is then sent to the firm, a copy of the team’s presentation to the firm, and a self-learning paper (about 4 or 5 pages). The due date for the team report is about one month after the return.
D. Instruction Abroad
E. Tentative Course Schedule Classwork in Indianapolis: 1. Approximately May 8: Understanding the Political and Economic Environment of the Designated Country 2. Videoconference 1: Overview of Consulting Project with partner 3. Session 3: The Economic Environment of China 4. Session 4: Teams, Problem Selection, Student Discussion, Meeting Sharing Information about Industry, Benchmarking of local companies in industry 5. Session 5: Cultural Training, Practice Banquet 6. Videoconference 2: How to be a Consultant, Team Presentations 7. Session 6 & 7: Team Discussions, Industry Analysis, and Competitor Analysis; 8. Pre-trip Presentations and Papers Due Consulting and Beijing Trip: 2 weeks in China + final reports 9. Consulting for Chinese firm: 10 days 10. Beijing Side Trip: 3 days 11. Final Project Paper and Self-Learning Paper Due: 4 weeks after the end of residential trip. F. Logistic Arrangements for consulting
project 1. Our partner, City U of Hong Kong, identifies the target firm for the consulting project and makes the necessary arrangements. Usually they confirm the name of the SOE by May 1st. Translators will be hired to assist our teams if necessary. 2. One Videoconference meetings with students at IU and counterparts will be conducted before the trip begins. Students will also take advantage of other communication technology such as real time chat room conference calls via the Internet. 3. IU students will leave about July 3rd for China 2009. 4. Students will spend approximately 14 days in China including the Beijing study trip. Before they return to the U.S., team will present the findings and conclusions to the target firm. G.
Grading 1. 40% Final Team Paper: Recommendations to Firm 2. 30% Self Learning Paper and Journal 3. 30% Participation and Attitude H. Deliverables 1. Prior to Trip: · Industry Analysis · Competitor Analysis · Government Analysis · Benchmarking · Theory Development for Problem Area and Consulting Tool Analysis 2. Final Report in English a. At most 4 weeks after the residential period, students will produce a group report in English (approximately 40 pages). A mark will be given on the basis of the finished report and against the following criteria, as appropriate. (40% of the grade) · Identification of problems · Critical analysis of the situations faced by the company · Systematic industry or country analysis · Appraisal of the context for the problem at an appropriate analytical depth · Elegance and appropriateness of problem solving or analysis · Quality of solution, implementation or policy option identification, clarity and openness of presentation · Clarity and openness of presentation b. group report for the host organization 3. Participation The level of participation and contribution made by each individual student to the field study as well as preparation and reporting will also be assessed. (20% of the marks) 4. Individual Learning Paper Individually, each student will also submit a report (1,500 words) in which they discuss what they have learned about identifying and solving business problems through the case or any topic related to the field study. (20% of the marks) I.
Side Trip to Beijing (4 days) Example Day 1 and 2: Meeting with Business People Borg Warner Example Day 2: Sightseeing and Historical Discussion Great Wall of China (Approx. $43 per person
includes car and Beijing Roast Duck (Approx. $25 per person) Accommodations: Traders Hotel (Approx. $200 single; $100 shared double/per day) Misc. (Taxi, Meals, etc.) (Approx. $150)
Kelley School of Business of Indiana University |
