Company Posts

Macau Polytechnic Institute
http://www.ipm.edu.mo

Interesting site. They regularly offer classes in three languages: Mandarin, English, and Portuguese???? The class list seems somewhat limited to a few broad areas. I was interested by the way schedules were set up for classes. The objectives of the university were very different than would be seen in an American university I thought.

Where do the majority of the students going to this university come from? Is it local?

Are there some specialties of the university or is it there to give a broad based education?

How has the governments involvement in the university system changed over the past 10 years or so?

Sands Casino
http://www.sands.com.mo

This place looks like fun. My favorite part of this sight was the restaurant portion. The Sands offers a variety of Chinese, American and other international choices. The Entertainment includes a cross section of western and Chinese type attractions.

When choosing entertainment for the casino, how do they get a feel for what international customers really want?

What are the most popular restaurants in the casino? Are the western types accepted well?

What does a cross section of management look like in this multinational firm?

New Century Casino
http://www.newcenturyhotel-macau.com

The website does not offer much information about the casino. It highlights some of the surround attractions offers a few links to local events. The site did not offer any information as to what was happening with entertainment or events at the casino.

Are there any differences in how domestic casinos are regulated as apposed to multinationals?

Who is the biggest casino in Macau?

What makes Macau a Casino hot spot?

Wynn Casino
http://www.wynnmacau.com/

This is a very professional looking website. Of the casinos we plan on visiting, from the website this looks to be the most luxurious. I see more services included in this casino with shopping and a spa. The entertainment link had nothing on it.

What is the role of entertainment in the Macau casino industry?

How does the Macau casino compare to the Las Vegas location?

Lisboa Casino
http://hotelisboa.com

I found this site very confusing and difficult to explore. The casino seemed nice in the limited pictures that were shown. I am starting to see a continuing pattern in the Chinese casinos. Their sites are more functional and not so much entertaining. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that none of the casinos have an extensive entertainment list in Macau.

What is this casinos theme? In other words, what separates it from the others?

Is there a demographic difference in the visitors of western casinos and domestic?

What do Chinese casinos offer there guests that western casinos do not?

International game Technology
http://www.igt.com/au

There was a problem with this website

Suzhou Industrial Park
http://www.sipac.gov.cn

Suzhou Industrial Park was a joint partnership with Singapore. It was created in 1994 by the government of China. This project created the largest economic and technological cooperation between China and Singapore. Today it acts as a door to Chinas development into international business. It is one of the fastest growing and most successful of its type in the world.

How are economic zones like these governed and what are their tax systems like?

Will the government be developing any more of these in the future?

How much economic progress can be contributed to these zones?

Carrefour China
http://www.carrefour.com.cn/

The Carrefour China’s website did not give much insight into the companies dealing in China. This site was more of a consumer site meant for customers. The English site gave an overview of product offerings and briefly discussed them. The site offered access to Carrefour’s online shopping page.

How was Carrefour’s relationship started in China and was it before Wal-Mart?

What is Carrefour’s outlook for greater China?

What other Asian countries has Carrefour started doing business in?

21 Manager
http://www.21manager.com

The site looks kind of like a Blog. There a many picture of animated animals.

Thompson
http://www.thompson.com

Thompson is a publishing group that seems to focus heavily on regulatory type publications. They were started in 1972. The company has online resources, books, Blogs, and email alerts available to it customers.

What are the sources of their information and how do they deal with accuracy?

How do they determine the most lucrative industries to add publications for?

What are their most lucrative markets in China?

Peking University
http://en.pku.edu.cn

This impressive university consists of 31 colleges, 15,000 undergraduates, and about the same in graduate/doctorate students. In the recent news section, almost all of the publications included some US university personal visiting PKU. The university has some pretty interesting programs for undergraduate, graduate, and PHD international students.

What are some of the major events of the international cultural festival?

Do masters and PHD students get as personal attention like some California universities?

How long does a typical graduate of PKU look for a job after graduation? What are there salaries like? Do many of them work outside China?

Wal-Mart Global Procurement Center

http://www.walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg337

The site has all the usual bare bones Wal-Mart stuff. I saw lots of references to sustainability on the site. Additionally, diversity came up quite often.

What has prompted Wal-Mart to push themselves to the front of the pack in social issues such as sustainability and diversity?

What were the three biggest challenges breaking into the Chinese market?

Do they source any products from the US and what are they?

Yantian Port Logistics (YPL)
http://ytport.com

This is going to be a fun visit. The site is not very user friendly for English speaking clients however it does seem to have a lot of information. I would like to see what is being discussed on the logistics link.

How does the port system in China work? Are there specialized ports for certain products? Who manages these ports? What is the government involvement? What is the technology like? What are the major challenges in getting products to the ports?

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

http://supec.org/index.html

This site offers information to visitors who want to see where Shanghai is going in the future. Because the site is in mandarin, it is hard to tell what kind of information is actually on it. The graphics of the site tells me that it is of relative importance.

What exactly is the purpose of a place like this?

What were the influences leading up to its construction?

Shanghai Museum
http://www.shanghaimuseum.net/

The site was one of the better Chinese sites I have seen yet so far. There will be a lot to learn here about the Asian continent. The coins and furniture seem like they could be interesting exhibits. In the special features they are having a 300 years of American art display. Looking at is from their perspective will be different.

What periods of history contribute most to the museums collection?

Is there any censorship in the museums collection?

KPMG
http://www.kpmg.com.cn/

I found it interesting that KPMG was the first accounting firm grated a partnership license in china for their industry. Having an office there since 1945 made them an early player in the Chinese market. There services seem very similar to the ones offered in the US.

What is the single management structure highlighted on the website?

How has there early presence in the market affected there business relationships?

Has KPMG played any role in aiding the Chinese government with regulation type issues?

Starbucks
http://www.starbucks.com

The Starbucks China website was really interactive and fun looking. I can really see how people could make a culture around something like this. Of the international sites, this was one of the most developed. Seeing how extensively Starbucks has covered China was really a shock to me.

What are the challenges of sourcing products for the Chinese market outside China?

Who are the other players in Chinas coffee/tea market and how are they different?

Are there any issues and if so what are they in transporting supplies to inner China locations?

Callison Architecture
http://www.callison.com

This company should be a good source of information to the group. There portfolio covers many countries, some of which are sill in their developing stages. There projects make them seem like a large player in the industry.

How did Callison get started in China?

Do they employ Chinese architects to keep with more modern styles of Chinese taste?

Where in China do they do the most business?

Is China a significant part of their business and how significant will it be in the future?

CF Racing
http://www.cfracing.cn

I could not read much on the website but the models spoke an international language. A lot of American brands showed up in their commercials. It was funny how the site was not in English, but yet the clips shown on the side panels were.

Why does the website use English phrases in there advertising?

What role does sex appeal have in this industry?

Are there any similarities between the Chinese racing industry and the US. NASCAR? INDY?

Augmentum
http://www.augmentum.com

Augmentum is a startup software firm in the Silicon Valley. They offer software solutions for a variety of business around the globe. They offer software that is compatible with many different operating systems and platforms.

What is their relationship with China and what companies are they currently working with there?

Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Technology
http://www.zhku.edu.cn/english/english.htm

The website is under construction.

I would like to know what type of Agricultural work they do here.

Is their work production or research based?

Where are the largest majority of student coming from in China to study Agriculture?

Winglok Textile Factory
http://www.gzpyyl.cn

It looks to me like this company makes clothing for off brand type shops. I did not see any brand names on the sight nor did I see any reference to retailers. The English link did not work and the sight seemed to be unfriendly to western computer formats.

Who is the target market for their clothing?

Because the sight is not in English, do they only sell domestically?

What is the incentive for them to improve their sight?

VTREK Audio and Video Products
http://www.elec-vtrek.com

Not a bad looking sight. Looks like a electronics manufacture with quite a large range of product offerings. The products look stylish and clean. Very up to date looking. Saw some reference to I-pod products.

Is this a Chinese company?

The company is named a car audio company yet it seems like the majority of stuff I see is for home use.

What is the demand for car audio equipment in China?

Pegasus Footwear Company
http://www.pegasusshoes.com

Hey, these guys make my favorite brand of boots. Ariat is a brand little know to most people, but in the boot world it is one of the best. Very good sight with good pictures and media. This looks like an American company manufacturing shoes in China. I could not find on the sight where they made any reference to producing in China. The company did say they were based out of New York.

With 75 brands, how do you manage your supply system effectively?

How many factories are producing shoes for this company?

Where do they source the majority of their raw materials?

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy

Brief Synopsis:

The travels of a T-Shirt in the global economy was a good book for those interested in economics and how they affect global business decisions. This book takes the reader from the cotton field of west Texas to the factories of eastern China and back to the United States. Winding its way through the journey, the book mainly focuses on fiscal policies adopted by counties to encourage and hinder trade.

Viewpoint and Audience:

The audience of this book is defiantly not high level economists nor is it your everyday man. Background knowledge of how trading between countries is done and regulated is useful for a better understanding of what Rivoli is getting at in the book. So, I would call the audience of this book an educated bunch with an interest in where the imports and exports of there nation are ending up. To truly appreciate this book, the reader must enjoy soft macroeconomics. A person apposed to trade may find some of the ideas in this book insulting because this book seems to be pro globalization.

Strengths:

I really liked the way this book broke down some of the complex economics of trade reform and tariff/quotas. Reading this information in a story type book make is more palatable to the reader. The history of the book is very informative. I liked how Rivoli developed each segment of the production process from a historical point and took it to modern day.

The politics of the book were very insightful. Rivoli introduces a very powerful lobby sector in the US. Thought the book does not say it, agricultural institutions are said to be the 10^th largest lobby group in Washington. Consequently, no matter how hard the WTO or other nations push the US to quickly eliminate domestic supports, there will be a fight. Agriculture, like GM and Ford, is a staple in the American way of life. Efficient or not, policy makers will fight for it.

Another strength of the book was the discussion on the race to the bottom. In my international food policy class this quarter we discussed this topic in great detail. As a manager it will be important for me to be able to identify the best solutions to sourcing issues internationally. The race to the bottom is not something I really believe in however. I feel as if moving production to underdeveloped countries to take advantage of their most abundant resource (labor) helps that country establish a capitalistic government. In that establishment they begin to enjoy the benefits, such as increased wages and standards of living.

Of course I liked the history from the agricultural perspective in the beginning of the book. Though it was not as informative as it could have been, it served its purpose to inform a reader with little to no background in the subject.

One topic I found particularly interesting was the market for used clothing. I never knew it existed. It is good to see that the stuff spoiled Americans throw away is going to a better use.


Weaknesses:

My main criticism of the book was its one sided argument. I think Rivoli could have done a better job presenting some of the negative aspects of trade. Yes, he continually brought up how jobs were being sent over seas and little towns across America were disappearing, but there are better arguments out there. I will not go off on a rant here.

Personal interests:

I felt like this book help me understand some of the micro and macro teaching I received in the MBA program. I especially enjoyed the synergy between the book and my AGB classes. Much of the micro economics we discussed in world food policy showed up in this book. Having this happen is comforting because it lets me know the information I am being taught is not just political/technical garbage. I feel as if my new job will benefit from some of the knowledge I gained in this book.

My Overall Impression:

Overall I liked the book. It made some very important economic issues more clear to me. The simplified way in which the author presents the information made it a somewhat easy read.