So far the communication between Chinese office workers is different than that in American offices. In the morning the workers do not chat about their lives or work they just get down to business. Since I sit in the front of the office I often don’t notice when they sneak in, when I look behind me I am sometimes surprised to see that they have all arrived!
On the phone the communication is very fast; I can’t understand what they are saying but I can tell that immediately after the “hello” they are off an running with their question and hardly stop to take a breath it seems, no “So how are you today?” to start things off!
Our office is arranged in a typical Asian layout. By that I mean that the important people sit in the back and the new comers are in the front. My desk is in the front row! The managers here do not get offices or their own cubical; their space is just as big as everyone else’s. As you can see from the picture the dividers are very low so you can see what others are doing.
Even though we can see all of our co-workers the Chinese don’t just shout across the room if they have a question. Everyone in the office has MSN messenger so they are constantly typing away to their friends asking questions about work and non-work related things. I was surprised to see people sitting about 5 feet from each other sending messages on the computer. If it were me I would just turn my head and ask them directly! I have heard from my co-workers that instant messaging is not allowed in other companies. Instant messaging may be used primarily by logistics companies.
I also think that the guidelines that the workers follow are a lot more open to interpretation. I have not seen a manager or worker layout what they wanted and the steps to achieve that goal. They just give a general idea and sometimes the end result is unclear! My manager asked me to do a task for her but I had to ask her many questions before I felt like I knew what she was asking me to do.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Now that you are here, what would you like to do?
The first full week of my internship was full of learning about how Chinese offices work. My manager has a very relaxed and hands-off style as far as I can tell so far. Planning here is also not done in advance; the course of action is usually decided right before you begin something. I wasn’t sat down and told what I should accomplish in my time as an intern but rather was asked the question “So what would you like to learn while you are here?” Very flexible! I think one reason they are flexible is because they have not had a foreign intern before. During the first week for a few hours each day one of the workers explained to me part of her job. I also had a lot of time to study things on my own.
I think one big difference between Americans and Chinese is their thoughts on planning and time. When doing business in America you say “Ok we will meet at 3:15 pm” and everyone should show up on time. I have noticed in my office that when people plan things they don’t use specific times, rather they say “Well lets meet this afternoon.” That may mean 2 or 4 pm depending on when they get around to things.
So what is the logistics business like in Southern China? Very competitive! Since this area is heavy in manufacturing the will naturally be many exports from the local ports. H&T is a freight forwarder which means they are the third party in the shipping business. They contact clients (sometimes manufacturers or exporters) and book spaces on the large ships that carry the containers around the world. They also handle all of the paperwork to make sure they customer in the final destination gets their goods.
So do all of the containers go straight to America and fill Wal-Mart’s warehouses? No! Many of the shipments that this company handles go to other countries like Japan, Malaysia, India, Chile, and Europe. H&T is the general agent for IRISL in Southern China. IRISL is an Iranian company which is interesting to me because in America we would not be doing business with this country. It is interesting to be in a different country that has different allies than America.
I think one big difference between Americans and Chinese is their thoughts on planning and time. When doing business in America you say “Ok we will meet at 3:15 pm” and everyone should show up on time. I have noticed in my office that when people plan things they don’t use specific times, rather they say “Well lets meet this afternoon.” That may mean 2 or 4 pm depending on when they get around to things.
So what is the logistics business like in Southern China? Very competitive! Since this area is heavy in manufacturing the will naturally be many exports from the local ports. H&T is a freight forwarder which means they are the third party in the shipping business. They contact clients (sometimes manufacturers or exporters) and book spaces on the large ships that carry the containers around the world. They also handle all of the paperwork to make sure they customer in the final destination gets their goods.
So do all of the containers go straight to America and fill Wal-Mart’s warehouses? No! Many of the shipments that this company handles go to other countries like Japan, Malaysia, India, Chile, and Europe. H&T is the general agent for IRISL in Southern China. IRISL is an Iranian company which is interesting to me because in America we would not be doing business with this country. It is interesting to be in a different country that has different allies than America.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
First Day on the Job
Hello everyone! Now that I am checked into my room it is time to start the internship! Vennie (the supervisor the overseas department) from H&T said I could come in the afternoon because she thought I would be tired from traveling. She also had meetings to attend. It was good to have the extra time so I could get a bank account opened and unpack more of my things.
I started to get ready for work after lunch by taking a shower. Showers here are necessary but about 1 hour after I take them I am really hot and sweaty again so it almost seems like I shouldn’t take them! I got to the bus stop where I would meet Vennie and then gave her a call. She sent one of the workers to meet me and we went to the office, what a place!
The whole office is decorated in very traditional Chinese style. The office is honestly unlike anything I have seen before; I didn’t know something this unique existed! You enter the building in a large entryway. Outside are two small ponds that continue inside the building, the entry path is like a bridge over the pond. To get to the work area you take one of two curved stairways. On the main office floor there is a stream along the perimeter with real fish, plants, and small bridges to other offices. My favorite area is a small pond where you can take stepping stones to a wooden deck in the corner that has a table where you can sit and drink tea. It really needs to bee seen in person to be appreciated!
Since it was my first day I though I should wear a suit so I would not be under dressed. I was definitely too dressed up though, the office culture here is to wear much more relaxed clothing. You see people wearing short sleeved dress shirts, polo shirts, and even jeans and a t-shirt. There is more emphasis on creating a comfortable work environment than being perceived as professional.
I get my own desk like the other workers and access to the internet. Since I was only in the office for the afternoon I was given an H&T handbook to study so I could learn more about the company.
I started to get ready for work after lunch by taking a shower. Showers here are necessary but about 1 hour after I take them I am really hot and sweaty again so it almost seems like I shouldn’t take them! I got to the bus stop where I would meet Vennie and then gave her a call. She sent one of the workers to meet me and we went to the office, what a place!
The whole office is decorated in very traditional Chinese style. The office is honestly unlike anything I have seen before; I didn’t know something this unique existed! You enter the building in a large entryway. Outside are two small ponds that continue inside the building, the entry path is like a bridge over the pond. To get to the work area you take one of two curved stairways. On the main office floor there is a stream along the perimeter with real fish, plants, and small bridges to other offices. My favorite area is a small pond where you can take stepping stones to a wooden deck in the corner that has a table where you can sit and drink tea. It really needs to bee seen in person to be appreciated!
Since it was my first day I though I should wear a suit so I would not be under dressed. I was definitely too dressed up though, the office culture here is to wear much more relaxed clothing. You see people wearing short sleeved dress shirts, polo shirts, and even jeans and a t-shirt. There is more emphasis on creating a comfortable work environment than being perceived as professional.
I get my own desk like the other workers and access to the internet. Since I was only in the office for the afternoon I was given an H&T handbook to study so I could learn more about the company.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Jinan Check In
As I mentioned in my last entry I flew from Hangzhou (Near Shanghai) to Guangzhou (Near Hong Kong). I didn’t have any problems during the plane flight except for my luggage was overweight. I was packing extremely light by American airplane standards, but I was 14 Kilograms over for Shanghai Airlines. While I was at Eau Claire I had studied Chinese with a professor from Jinan University 
I also have my own balcony; not because my dorm is luxurious but because there are no dryers here so everyone hangs their clothes outside. Many of the “Overseas Chinese” have washing machines but most of the “Mainland Chinese” students just wash their clothes in a bucket. I am cheap inAmerica and even though I am in China
My room and bed. I have a double room to my self right now so there are two beds. The water machine is necessary because I can’t drink the water. And yes that colored pad is what I sleep on, it is feeling more and more comfortable every day!
I am living in an “Overseas Chinese” dorm with students from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. (Foreign students are not allowed to live with Mainland Chinese students) I found out the hard way that Chinese students don’t like soft beds. The beds they provide are just wooden boards, many of the students buy thin pads; I bought a ¾ inch pad which I am getting used to! I have my own bathroom/shower which is nice. Showers here are different; there is a shower head on the wall and a drain in the floor, no separate stall so the bathroom basically is the shower. There is only hot water from 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm so I have to get used to taking night showers. This shouldn’t be a problem though because I am not used to the hot sticky weather so I am ready for a shower when bed time comes.
The view from my room/drying clothes on my balcony
I also have my own balcony; not because my dorm is luxurious but because there are no dryers here so everyone hangs their clothes outside. Many of the “Overseas Chinese” have washing machines but most of the “Mainland Chinese” students just wash their clothes in a bucket. I am cheap in
Monday, June 16, 2008
Arriving In China and First Impressions of Chinese Industry
Hello everyone I am now settled into my routine here in China and I need to give you an update! I have done so many things over these 3 + weeks so I will start from the beginning to fill you in.
My adventure began when I flew from Minneapolis to Shanghai with a stop in Chicago. I flew into Shanghai so I could visit MEGTEC (A company that paid for my plane ticket!) and also visit some relatives in a nearby town, Hangzhou. From Chicago to Shanghai it was about a 14 hour plane ride but I got bumped up to business class! I have never been in anything other than coach so it was a fun ride.
When I touched down in Shanghai I took a train to a subway station and from there I went to my hostel. My first impression was that it was really hot and humid (not like the Minnesota/Wisconsin weather I had just left) and of course there were lots of people! It was a little intimidating to be in a city the size of Shanghai by myself but I had no problems getting where I needed to go. I checked into my hostel put my things in a locker and then headed out for some excitement on the more popular streets in Shanghai, East Nanjing Road. I really wanted to see the Shanghai skyline at night because I had seen pictures of it, and it lived up to my expectations. I didn’t know what time the subway stopped (I had tried to ask in my limited Chinese but was still unsure) so I decided to head home and get a good night’s sleep.
The next day I went to visit MEGTEC which was outside the city center. I took a subway to my stop and then got off. I was instructed to get in a taxi from there but I didn’t see one, there were a bunch of guys on motorcycles waving me over to them so I decided to give it a try! I hoped on the back of one and away we went. We eventually got to the factory and the ride only cost a little over a dollar (I realize now though that he overcharged me!)
I got a tour of the plant and saw the two types of machines that they make. I don’t know exact details but I can tell you that one of them is a splicer used for large printers. About 150 hours go into one machine and it is all done my hand with some tools, no automation. I was very surprised to find out that a factory in China…well looks like a factory in Wisconsin. I have been on many tours of factories in the Chippewa Valley with APICS (a management club on campus) and besides the fact that the workers didn’t speak my language the place looked normal. I was expecting that they would work long hours in not the best conditions but it was exactly opposite.
I was also able to sit down with one of the operations managers and the purchasing manager. They told me about the different production strategies they use (all the same as the one’s we learn in class) like Lean, Kanban, 6 Sigma, MRP, etc. A lot of their suppliers are in China also but they mentioned that for some components it is actually cheaper to get them from America! It is cheaper because they get them direct from another MEGTEC in Wisconsin, but still interesting. It is also faster to get them from America than China also because parts from America come by air where as parts from Chinese suppliers come by rail or truck. The lead times for some Chinese components were a month or more!
After my visit to MEGTEC I went to my relatives in Hangzhou and then to Guangzhou where my internship is.
My adventure began when I flew from Minneapolis to Shanghai with a stop in Chicago. I flew into Shanghai so I could visit MEGTEC (A company that paid for my plane ticket!) and also visit some relatives in a nearby town, Hangzhou. From Chicago to Shanghai it was about a 14 hour plane ride but I got bumped up to business class! I have never been in anything other than coach so it was a fun ride.
When I touched down in Shanghai I took a train to a subway station and from there I went to my hostel. My first impression was that it was really hot and humid (not like the Minnesota/Wisconsin weather I had just left) and of course there were lots of people! It was a little intimidating to be in a city the size of Shanghai by myself but I had no problems getting where I needed to go. I checked into my hostel put my things in a locker and then headed out for some excitement on the more popular streets in Shanghai, East Nanjing Road. I really wanted to see the Shanghai skyline at night because I had seen pictures of it, and it lived up to my expectations. I didn’t know what time the subway stopped (I had tried to ask in my limited Chinese but was still unsure) so I decided to head home and get a good night’s sleep.
The next day I went to visit MEGTEC which was outside the city center. I took a subway to my stop and then got off. I was instructed to get in a taxi from there but I didn’t see one, there were a bunch of guys on motorcycles waving me over to them so I decided to give it a try! I hoped on the back of one and away we went. We eventually got to the factory and the ride only cost a little over a dollar (I realize now though that he overcharged me!)
I got a tour of the plant and saw the two types of machines that they make. I don’t know exact details but I can tell you that one of them is a splicer used for large printers. About 150 hours go into one machine and it is all done my hand with some tools, no automation. I was very surprised to find out that a factory in China…well looks like a factory in Wisconsin. I have been on many tours of factories in the Chippewa Valley with APICS (a management club on campus) and besides the fact that the workers didn’t speak my language the place looked normal. I was expecting that they would work long hours in not the best conditions but it was exactly opposite.
I was also able to sit down with one of the operations managers and the purchasing manager. They told me about the different production strategies they use (all the same as the one’s we learn in class) like Lean, Kanban, 6 Sigma, MRP, etc. A lot of their suppliers are in China also but they mentioned that for some components it is actually cheaper to get them from America! It is cheaper because they get them direct from another MEGTEC in Wisconsin, but still interesting. It is also faster to get them from America than China also because parts from America come by air where as parts from Chinese suppliers come by rail or truck. The lead times for some Chinese components were a month or more!After my visit to MEGTEC I went to my relatives in Hangzhou and then to Guangzhou where my internship is.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
I'm going to China!
Hello everyone! Let me introduce myself and give a brief introduction to what I am going to be writing about in this blog. The UWEC College of business received a grant to internationalize the curriculum and provide for international opportunities for students and faculty. Part of this initiative is an international internship. Dr. Rama Yelkur visited many companies in China to build relationships. During this trip she arranged an internship at H & T International Logistics LTD. in Guangzhou (Near Hong Kong in the Guangdong province -and no, not close to the earthquakes!). I am extremely excited to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I hope to learn more about business culture in China, international logistics, and how I can use this experience to start a career in international business.
I am writing this first entry only a few hours before I get on my plane bound for China. I will first fly into Shanghai to visit Megtec, which makes products for the printing and flexible packaging industries. Megtec’s has generously paid for my plane ticket so I thought I would visit their company to say thanks! Their world headquarters is located in De Pere, WI but they have operations in many different countries.
After visiting Megtec I will stop by Hangzhou to visit some relatives for a few days who are teaching English at a University.
The next leg of my journey will take me to Guangzhou. A Jinan University Professor will meet me at the airport and then take me to the main campus. I will stay there for the summer while I work at H & T, which is only 20 minutes away by bus.
I have studied and traveled in Asia before but I have don’t know what to expect when I get to China. China has fascinated me for quite some time; I will try to learn as much as I can about the language, culture, politics, and business while I am here. I will be immersed in Chinese daily life by working at a Chinese company and living with Chinese students. I will even get to do some socializing- on Thursdays the whole office plays ping-pong after work! I should have been practicing so I don’t get embarrassed!
So, check back for more updates and send me any questions you have! This experience will be very interesting and I hope I can share some of it with you!
Eric Becker
beckerel@uwec.edu
I am writing this first entry only a few hours before I get on my plane bound for China. I will first fly into Shanghai to visit Megtec, which makes products for the printing and flexible packaging industries. Megtec’s has generously paid for my plane ticket so I thought I would visit their company to say thanks! Their world headquarters is located in De Pere, WI but they have operations in many different countries.
After visiting Megtec I will stop by Hangzhou to visit some relatives for a few days who are teaching English at a University.
The next leg of my journey will take me to Guangzhou. A Jinan University Professor will meet me at the airport and then take me to the main campus. I will stay there for the summer while I work at H & T, which is only 20 minutes away by bus.
I have studied and traveled in Asia before but I have don’t know what to expect when I get to China. China has fascinated me for quite some time; I will try to learn as much as I can about the language, culture, politics, and business while I am here. I will be immersed in Chinese daily life by working at a Chinese company and living with Chinese students. I will even get to do some socializing- on Thursdays the whole office plays ping-pong after work! I should have been practicing so I don’t get embarrassed!
So, check back for more updates and send me any questions you have! This experience will be very interesting and I hope I can share some of it with you!
Eric Becker
beckerel@uwec.edu
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