Good morning Miss Tay Mr. Lau Mr. Wong and Andrew Having not to be to China before, I used to think that China is a rather back ward country with poor toilet facilities and infrastructure. But after visiting China and Hong Kong for 10 days, I have changed my thinking about them. I believe everyone should remember about the toilet with air con at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. For every city that we have been to, I should say the infrastruture of the cities is considered comparable to some countries. At the start of the trip a set of objectives were set. But I dare say now that the objectives were not a huge part of the trip, the learning experiences from the networking dinner guests were more important and I actually learnt more than I wanted to. Another than managing to learning more about the culture and history and their way of doing business, I managed to pick up some key points from the guests from the 4 networking dinners. A key point I heard was to be thicked-skinned and to be able to think out of the box. If people think out the box they tend to be more creative will be able to succeed better in china jus like what the Chinese people are doing now. Another point is to the need for adaptability. In any country we doing business the business culture can be very different. We need to adapt to the particular culture of the country for example China where drinking is considered a very important part of the business culture. I remember during one of the networking dinners, one of the guests asked why we aren’t drinking alcohol. But we got to follow rules and regulations set by the school. And when we understand people’s culture we will start to appreciate each other’s culture. One more point I would like to say is the teamwork that the whole group has. I believe at the start of the trip, we would not many people at the start of the trip but as we went through the 3 workshops and 10 days, believe we made more friends and are a close bunch at the end the study mission and we have built a teamwork which enables to carry out instructions given. At the trip, I believe the whole group performed rather alright with little problems. On the whole, I believe this trip has been very interesting and beneficial to me. I am definitely glad to be on this trip. Thank you.
--Alex
11:26 AM
Name: Choo Chong Ling
Class: TB 55
I came for this trip without much information about the culture. During the trip, I have about the teamwork. How to work with the group and the cooperation between the teams. We have to responsible for ourselves and the team. Especially if the group is in-charged for the day. The group will have to make sure that everything goes smoothly; the response time is fast so that less time is wasted. I also enjoyed the networking dinner. We have the guests with us and they shared lots of stuffs with us. I realized I’m good at entertaining people. All I do is to nod, nod and smile. But 1 thing I didn’t enjoy is the fact that we ate little during networking business dinner ended up back to hotel called for room service ordered food. I’m not used to such dinner where eating and talking at the same time. But I’ll try to get used with it because I believe maybe in the future; I’ll will be having this kind of dinner. I observed that driver drives recklessly and they can overtake lots of cars. I f I own a license here, I think I would rather take public transport. I don’t want to die at a young age. I feel that it is an opportunity to come for this trip and I won’t mind working in china.
11:25 AM
Reflections
International Business Study Mission
A Chinese country and a 100% Chinese, all I can think of is going back to learning about my origins, speaking in my native language. I love Chinese, reading as well as speaking. But after going to China, I would say I am not that Chinese after all. First of all, I cannot speak in pure Chinese without speaking in mixed language. Secondly, I don’t know much about Chinese history. Thirdly, I cannot write Chinese that well. After the trip, I think things are being improved. Now, I know that Dr Sun Yat Sen is from Zhongshan. Though he was a man of dreams of ambitions, he was a humble man. At the Guangzhou museum, I also get to see the various artifacts and clay models which demonstrated the transitions between the different periods.
The trip actually makes me love Chinese even more. It’s so full of meaning. A phrase 破镜重圆 actually came about when a couple broke a mirror and placed each half in the male and female grave in hope to reunite the next time.
My second objective is to network with others and to learn from their strengths. In the short 10 days, I get to interact with various people. Each of them has their various ways of communicating and interacting with people. Most importantly, I think silences should be kept at minimum. The conversation must be continued. These Singaporeans who attended the networking dinner were inspiring to me. They taught me to get out of my comfort zone as well as shared their experiences in China. All these sharing sessions enforces my understanding about PRD region.
China has vast land. Singapore? We are only a dot on the world map. China has billions of people. Singapore? We only have millions of people. Singapore has technology but China is also catching up as well. This left me the thought of what Singapore business environment really have to attract investments which can stimulate the economy. Singapore has no natural resources but only human resources. Human talent and ideas are what we can tap on to continue to be one of the most competitive economies. Singaporeans need to think out of the box to think of ways to do things which is different from other countries. If other countries need 3 people to complete a job, Singapore needs to find ways to complete the same job using 1 person or 0 people. That’s where our competitive advantage can lie. The fast growing PRD has indeed posted serious threats to Singapore but it can also be an opportunity as well. We need to tap on the opportunity to counteract the threats.
Reading and hearing things is never better to seeing things. Seeing things creates memories that will stay but reading and hearing things maybe erased. I’ll thank everyone on this trip who created memories that never ends.
11:24 AM
Name: Jean Wee Yunling
Class: TB 42
Module: IBSM reflections
This study mission has definitely given me an experience of a lifetime. Such opportunities do not come by so easily and I am glad that I am part of this pioneer study group.
All these years, I always have a certain mindset of China, which was that China was a really backward country and that China had really bad infrastructure and the people there are ill-mannered. This mindset of mine has also encouraged me to step up and sign up for the International Business Study Mission (IBSM) trip. It was an opportunity for me to learn and explore more about China and also, it was a chance to actually clear up my misconception about China. Also, it gives me the exposure that I really need.
Upon reaching China, I realized that I was totally wrong about China. China was definitely not as outdated as I though. Take one of the company visits as an example, its whole building and décor was totally amazing. It left all of us in awe. China also has a very rich culture and it was really interesting to be able to find out so much about China in a mere 10 days. I am sure that if we are given even more days, we would be able to learn even more. Nevertheless, it was good enough.
The company visits that we had are also interesting and informative. All of the companies we visited tried their best to answer all of our doubts and questions. Learning and listening from them was totally different from studying in a classroom. The question and answer sessions were also very informative as we could ask the representatives from those companies about anything that we are unclear of. It has also boosted our communication skills. The networking dinners are something new to us. It was an amazing experience for us to actually sit down with real life entrepreneurs and be able to find out their views on certain issues.
This trip has actually allowed me to gain lots of experience and exposure. Of course, it has definitely cleared my misconception about China. China was not as outdated as I have thought. In fact, it was even more hi-tech and has a very efficient labour force. In terms of culture, I have learnt about how sensitive they are to certain issues, their attitudes and values. Also, I have learnt how to get along with everyone else and how to work with other people with a totally different character. For my project group, I am glad that we were able to communicate and work together even better than before. By taking care of everything ourselves, I have also learnt how to be more responsible.
Last but not least, it is also because of the lecturers and fellow friends that made this study trip so enjoyable. It has definitely brought me a lifetime of beautiful memories.
11:24 AM
Joanne Lim Fang Hou
IBSM reflection
3 main objectives achieved
I have benefited a lot from this ten days trip in PRD. First of all, I learned to push myself out to strangers from overseas and even school mates that I have never see before, work together and achieve our targeted result.
1) Better communication
I benefited most is through the networking dinner, I believe that’s one of the best section of the itinerary that most of us enjoyed most. We have been given this great opportunity to communicate with successful Business men and women who had chosen to venture out of Singapore. It is rather a relaxing item in the itinerary which also enhances our questioning power and etiquette manner over the table.
From the conversation that I have with most of the guests, I realized that they are more opened in their topics as compared to Singaporean. They are also able to share their experiences working in China and china’s way of doing business, mainly soft skill in surviving in this real world.
I also observed that what we say is rather important in a meeting or dinner. It expresses and shows our guest if we are prepared and that we are really here to learn or just for holiday. Thus, I would like to conclude for my first objective that, it is very important that ‘We are what we say’ and that I have learnt to act, think and react fast in whatever things we do.
2) Way of doing business in China
Most of us like wants to be an entrepreneur in future but of course it is not easy, it required a lot preparation, planning, product demand, capital, experiences and a lot of good connections. It is only with connection, we can joint venture or having partners with people we trust. China is indeed a great market to invest in, it have lots of land and labour. However, they still encounter shortage of skilled labour and good management systems
There is a lot of opportunity for us to venture in China as compare to Singapore, whereby Singapore is small in size, limited job vacancy and less opportunity to learn to be independent.
I have also learnt that there are four key factors to starting business in China, they are having good infrastructural, location, branding and most importantly Guan Xi. In China, business man talks a lot about Guan Xi, it is the key of getting business done even after the contract has been signed.
3) Understanding of China’s history and culture
Beside company visits, we also visit historical museums to learn more about Chinese china’s culture and believe. I benefited a lot from it as I get to know better at the same time I gained a lot more interesting topics to chat or share with my friends or even clients in future to come. Now that I have learned so much about china, I have no fear working in such a big and developing countries.
11:23 AM
Reflection
After spending 10 days in company visit, sightseeing & networking dinner with Singaporean working in China in different city of PRD Region. Last night, when I review the objectives that I had set for myself before coming to this trip, I feel that I had a sense of satisfaction.
Company visit
Before coming to China, I though setting up a business in China was like setting up business in Singapore. But setting up a business in China was not very easy. As you need to understand a lot of criteria such as industry trend, location, government incentive, the type of competitor, the infrastructure, finding a local partner and etc… Everyone has a culture that was immunity into their system was the giving out of name card.
Networking dinner
This is the first time, I attend a networking dinner. They invited Singaporean and foreigners who are working in china for a long period of time. They share their own working experience, lifestyle and culture difference working in a foreign country. Most of them give us opinion that it is time for us to come out of our comfort zone to experience a difference life and as Singapore is very well developed. In future year time, the market in China will be becoming bigger and bigger.
Sightseeing
I observe that different city had different lifestyle and culture. The most memorable was the crossing the road of a busy street. The traffic light was useless to the people as well as the vehicles as they did not obey the traffic and when we are crossing the road we were very afraid as we must look at both the traffic. I also remember that at the last night at the hotel Caton, our room had blackout 2 times and this teach me a lesson, remember to bring torchlight for overseas trip.
To wrap up my speech, as each of us come from different department and we only know which other for 10 days but I was very happy to know all of you.
11:22 AM
Through this trip, I have gained a better insight of China. Unlike those days where we have the perception of China as a backward country, it has been undergoing rapid economic development. As we pass through Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, and back to Hong Kong again, I begin to understand why they are progressing so rapidly.
Interacting with the locals there made me realize one thing, they are humble and welcoming. Being humble is one thing that makes one feel comfortable when doing business.
Not only that, I have also learnt to be more independent and confident. I used to be one who always carries out task that are instructed. I begin to open myself up when I was given a chance to speak confidently to guests, directly and managing people during the DHL Danza‘s visit. I had to overcome unforeseen circumstances during the trip. For instance, scripts were changed last minutes during the presentation. I had to quickly switch my mindset as well.
Ms Tay, Mr. Lau, Mr. Wong and lastly, Andrew have greatly influence not only on my knowledge on doing business in China, as well as my attitude towards doing things. I have become more motivated and focus.
Being a Singaporean, I realized that Singapore have begun to lose its competitive advantages. In order for Singapore to gain advantages from China’s development, Singapore has to work closely with them. We are bilingual and our people here are willing to learn. Hence, it is one of the things we can work on.
I have seen how important networking skills are in the business world. Exchanging name card is seen as a common practice in businesses. It is enjoyable interacting with the 31 other members. This trip not only allows me to know more friends, but these friends can be part of future advantages. We have people from different sectors like accounting, banking, IT. Hence, in the future when doing business, I believe that they are the ones that can help me as we have once been through China for 2 weeks.
To conclude, my trip to the Pearl River Delta is has been fruitful. It will always remains in my mind unlike what is learnt in the books. I would like to thank the lecturers for giving me this special opportunity.
11:21 AM
I am glad that our lecturers made it a point for us to sit with different people everytime, be it during our bus journey or even at meal times. At first I was really reluctant in doing so but I really appreciate them for coming up with this plan as I am someone who do not really open up to people that easily.
This trip has really trained me to be more independent and not take things for granted. This is my first time abroad without my family, first time bargaining at the stalls and my first trip to China. This trip has also changed my negative mindset towards China to a much positive one. Our tour guide Steven was very responsible and caring. During meal times he went round our tables to make sure everything is alright before settling down to eat.
Before going for the trip, I had heard numerous stories about how bad or less developed China is. However, I was taken aback by how advanced they are. They were many skyscrapers. The hotels that we stayed in were really grand and their facilities were much better than I had expected. I also realized that it is always better to know how to speak the country’s native language. It comes in very handy especially in business dealings as well as for bargaining at stalls. I had a similar experience in Hong Kong. I was given different quotations when I spoke in Cantonese and Mandarin. The quotation I was given was lower when I spoke in Cantonese.
Frankly speaking after the first few workshops I regretted signing up for this trip. However after the 10 days, I really enjoyed and glad that I came. The first hand experience and benefits that I gained is what we call experience that money can’t buy.
--Tay Lai Kuan
11:20 AM
I will never regret choosing IBSM as my elective as it was CHALLENGING. It was a brand new experience for me, and I believe, for all of us who are here with me, including all the facilitators.
As the students here for this study mission are from different fields, such as ACC, BIT, BFS and BS, this gave me the opportunity to gain knowledge from all aspect. Besides that, we are exposed to all kinds of expertise from different companies and they share with us their valuable advice and knowledge. This is definitely beneficial to each and every one of us here.
Students who chose not to come for this study mission missed a whole lot of fun and knowledge of different soft skills which we accumulate through companies’ visits, networking dinners and lunches.
Students would never know what a real world business world is like unless they are here with us during these 10 days.
One very important lesson I learned is that in a business world, we only have ourselves to depend on and not anybody else.
The study mission turns everyone a leader through assigning roles every single ones. Thus, we are given a chance to play the roles that we have no tried before to develop our leadership skills and ways of handling things.
As for myself, I am the group leader for my team. Thru this role, I learned to handle different situations and people. Of course, I have made a lot of mistakes, but I feel that it is alright to make mistake now then the next time we enter into the working world because we will only learn and become mature through mistakes.
Now, I’ll talk about teamwork. My group is actually formed by 4 students who do not really know each other well. During this trip, we got to know each other better and gets together as a group to settle and face problems I would say that my group is very corporative. When I suggest to do project at night during the trip, my group members will never say no to me. I really appreciate the hard work they have put in. Over the trip, we have developed a special bonding between us. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my group members “fei fei, esther and kok yong”
Before I choose to come for this study mission, I asked myself whether can I adapt to the different culture, environment, food, people and challenges that lie ahead for me, but I think no harm trying. Now, it has proven that I am flexible enough to adapt to all the different things I mention earlier on.
I have survived through these 10 days, and I felt so satisfied.
I look forward to another trip with all of you.
-- Koh Lay Hwa
11:19 AM
To be honest, in the first place, when I heard of this trip, first thing come to my mind is that how are the student’s going to learn anything in that 10 days. I mean it is really a short period of time, will everything that is got to be taught in the semester’s tutorial and lecture session be able to be taught in the 10 days. Nevertheless, with all these thoughts, I made my decision to go on this trip. Probably the main focus is the get the experience, and also to satisfy all my curiosity mentioned above.
In the workshop, all the limited time for project and working under stress, I realize that I learnt a lot. From the research, and discussion, information really flow into my mind and I could remember it clearly whereas for example you asked me what I have study for last semester, I wouldn’t remember it so clearly. And of course the trip to China itself adds on to it. It was really enjoyable, other than learning about China’s culture, their way of working etc, I also got to learn the skills to network, how preparation for meeting should be done, how modern China is, how is Singaporeans going to improve, what are the challenges I would faced if I were to venture in there, learning China history, how innovative they are. I have also written some objectives, so that I can gauge how this trip has enhanced my learning.
Firstly it is to get to know more about the PRD and be prepared for the future.
I learnt that in China guan xi is important, it would take a lot of time to inculcate relationship with the Chinese (patience is needed), they might agreed to do business with you because of their guan xi with you, furthermore after a contract is signed, to Singaporeans surprise, it is just the beginning of negotiations. Other than that, it is important to be able to speak their language. Able to speak mandarin isn’t good enough, Cantonese would be even better. Then they would be able to feel more comfortable to work with you. From what I have seen, Chinese are sincere, in most of our visit, they either have banners or applaud to welcome you. I was really shocked to experience this in the first company(Walmart), I thought that they employee were clapping for some high position authority, until the management told us that they were actually welcoming us.
Another factor is that, Chinese were enterprising, companies build hotels for businessman, it is really a good way of earning money. Adding to it, their goods are also up to standard, with nice packaging.
Next objective is to have team skills. In this trip, we almost meet up and discuss with our group mates, what questions to ask, how are we going to write our report. There is also one point of time when we are totally lost, we don’t know what other questions to ask, what topics we should cover in our report. Thus we anticipated it as soon as possible by drawing a draft out and asking Andrew for help. Although we are divided into 7 groups, I feel that this ibsm trip is also like a team representing NGEE ANN POLYTECHNIC, performing the best. We are kind of bonded together too, with all the interactions with each other everyday.Networking is really an everyday thing in life, we even network with each other when we were on the bus, having meals.
The last objectives I am going to elaborate on is being able to speak up. Although I am still not as out spoken as some of the ibsm mates, as compared to the previous me, I have seen improvement. Take for example in the networking dinner. There are a total of 4 networking dinners. In the first networking dinner, I am the representative of my group to sit on table 1, whereby the topic would be WTO. I really take that seriously, I felt that it is really an opportunity for my group so that we can have more information to write in our project. My group thought a lot of questions, and planned how are we going to ice break. However, i was too nervous so I kept quiet, until Mr Lau hinted. I was so ashamed of myself. Nevertheless, I improve a lot in the forth networking dinner. I was able to speak more freely with the auditor sitting beside me.
All of us also took up roles for this trip. I was one the photographers. Though it is really not an easy job and it is not something which I am really professional at, but after the photos and stuff are out, there is really a great sense of satisfaction. (although the photos might not be well taken)
Things here are totally different from what I have expected. I feel that Singapore cannot be compared to China. They are so huge (imagine one nansha = one Singapore)
Overall I enjoyed this trip very much, really a memorable experience for me, so many more friends. This is the first time I travel abroad without my parents’ company. I really doubt myself whether I living well for that 10days. In fact, I can say proudly I can!! I am able to take care of myself and belongings (passport and money isn’t lost, I am still well and healthy). I really enjoyed the trip very much.
11:18 AM
Before this trip, I have many doubts whether I will regret going on this journey as everything seemed so tough. During the trip, I felt that there was no point regretting as the journey has started. At the end of the 10 day trip, I realised there was never a need for me to regret.
As one of the designers for our journal book, we faced a lot of problems like getting the budget approved, finding pictures that will stand out and liaising with the supplier. I must admit that it was not an easy task, but we managed to come up with an interesting design that I am very satisfied with. Thankfully, we were able to negotiate successfully with the supplier to give us the best price for our design.
Next, my group encountered some problems in our project. But with the help we got from Mr Andrew and our lecturers, we were able to ratify our mistakes. During the trip, we had group meetings almost every other day, but we still faced some miscommunication along the journey. Fortunately, we were able to identify and come up with solutions to solve the problems.
Throughout the journey, we visited numerous companies. It was indeed a lifetime of experience. Having witnessed how the companies in China extend their warm welcome, it shows that the Chinese firms highly treasure relationships with others which is different from companies in other countries. Some companies were more willing to share information while others are more conservative. Most of the businessmen we met are enthusiastic in meeting us, therefore we felt at ease or rather, we were able to communicate with them. Despite the fact that we are all Chinese and able to comprehend the Chinese language, at times, I still felt that my Chinese needs to be polished up, particularly when I do not know how to write the Chinese characters immediately after their response.
The thing I enjoyed most during this trip was the networking meals, as we were able to interact and to have our meals at the same time. It was not easy at the beginning as I was unfamiliar with networking. However, as we had more meals with the businessmen, we got to know how best to conduct ourselves. To add on, I believe that all of us learnt something new from the different networking meals. What the businessmen shared with us is very valuable to our future prospects. Not only that, being able to interact with the businessmen widened our social circle, knowing more of our peers in school and speaking more with our lecturers enhanced our knowledge and opinions.
Being able to visit historical sites allowed us to know more about the rich Chinese culture, thus we will be able to relate the Chinese history to our partnership in china in future.
In conclusion, I believe that I have gained a lot in terms of experience and knowledge. It is something that I will not be able to absorb if I were to join other events. I am very thankful that I am on this special journey. Like many have said, this is just the start of an exciting journey, we will gain more experience as we interact more with others.
11:17 AM
In class, do you still remember the mind map we wrote about China? Most of us give negative remarks on them. But after visiting China, our perception has changed. During our visit to so many companies, we have met with many people. All of them look very professional in the way they dresses, the way they behavior and the way they talked.
Some of the observation made is the staff in Wal-mart supermarket is ranked differently from store man, supervisor, manager etc. The lower ranking staff must report to the higher ranking staff, although this is quite common in Singapore. What surprised me was that they form up in a squat and stand in straight position waiting for their attendance to be call and listen to instructions. In Spore, We can only see this in uniform group. This shows that the Chinese here are very well-discipline. They are not like Sporeans who tend to have high dignity. The Chinese are very serious in their work and they are very united when they are doing their work. They want to show others the best. All of these can be seen in the cultural show.
I personally think that we should focus on what we are doing. Don’t be easily influence by others; give yourself a target or aim, then go for it. Don’t give up easily. Tell yourself u can make it, then u will definitely can. The Chinese are very flexible in they way they do business. Unlike Singaporeans, we tend to be too systematic in work thus we’ll lose out easily. We should think fast and act fast. If not people will catch up with us in a short time.
In this trip, I have met with many Singaporean who are working in China. They shared with us their experience, some of them are rather positive. They actually move into China to have a taste of the China economy. It’s not easy to survive in China because the population here is very big and the way they do things is very different from our style. For me, I think that by just listening to their experience and visiting China, we don’t really feel anything. We must really get into the situation, and then we’ll know how it’s like.
I have gain better understanding of China, as I personally get to feel the things around me. It’s easier to feel yourself rather than someone telling you, how the world is. Lastly, I think that my group mates really help me a lot, especially Keena. They encouraged me, gave me support, and gave me chance to present myself. As I’m rather quiet, they taught me how to interact and be social to the friends around me. Through these, I made a lot of good friends in this trip. This shows me how important friendship is. I would like to thank our lecturer who made this trip possible. If not for u, I’ll not have change…. Thanks..
--Yap Qian Ru
11:17 AM
Throughout this approximate 1.5 weeks study mission, I’ve not only widened my knowledge on business practices, business culture and also cultural aspects of the Chinese in China and Hong Kong. It really proved to me how different the Chinese form different countries can be.
Firstly, the company visits had managed to reinforce my finding on my research topics. For example, the reasons why companies choose to invest in the PRD region. Besides that the company visits have also given me information beyond what can be found through researches. Especially during the Q&A sessions, we got to know about the different perceptions of the different guests speakers regarding similar issues. For example, most investors would think that the PRD region is worth investing, however, to Mr Raymond Choi, he felt that the PRD region’s market is already too saturated with the influx of investors. These experiences that businessmen have is much more convincing that facts.
This study trip has also helped me realize the effects of growth of the PRD region on the other countries especially Hong Kong. Hong Kong and China’s relationship are just like the left and right hands of a person, complementing each other in the business world. Hong Kong’s good logistics infrastructure aids China while the booming China also helps increase the demand for Hong Kong’s logistics services.
This trip has also helped me us widen my social circle. Through the business networking dinners and company visits, I’ve also managed to get to know more investors in the PRD region. Exchanging of namecards have also seemed to become a routine during the trip and we are getting better at it too. The importance of networking to the future working life was also highlighted to me on this trip. It is really an important key to business success.
On top of the business aspects experiences I gained. I also experienced the different cultures of Chinese in different countries. It was through this trip that I realized how bad it was for us to be speaking Singlish. It became so hard for me to speak pure English or Chinese. It was just too rooted into to mind. For example, daily speeches have also seemed to be so difficult and I just seem to be unable to get accustomed to the difference. Without this trip, I guess till now I still won’t be able to realize how hard it is to adapt to another culture.
This trip though tough, still has its little enjoyments occasionally. Most importantly, I managed to fulfill most of my pre-trip goals and I had also realized how important it is for us to observe as it is essential for such learning journeys.
11:15 AM
Su Fang's Reflection
International Business Study Mission Reflection
Project: Strategic Considerations of Foreign Direct Investments in the PRD region.
Q & A sessions:
We have to be fast in asking questions, if questions are not posed quickly, we will miss the opportunity to ask questions. An example would be at China South Material City whereby the lady Victoria was quick on her toes. When there was a moment of silence, she immediately mentioned to bring us on the tour in the material city. Therefore, we have to quick on our toes during question and answer sessions. Subsequently, the Q & A sessions were much better and next questions were posed once the answer was given for the previous questions. Therefore, there were great improvements
Chinese businesses are relatively structured. For example in Gree Electric Appliance, they adopted the six sigmas. In my opinion, this is good implementation as consumers are assured of quality of the products they purchase as these products have gone through stringent testing before it is sold to them. In this case, it has highlighted to me that rules are meant to be followed. In life, rules are there for us to guide us. Without rules, things may turn chaotic and this may result in misunderstanding.
To do business in China, one has to be fast thinkers and quick minded. My observation at EPCOS with John, highlighted this point to me. During the Q & A sessions with John, he was very fast in answering our questions. He answered our questions steadily and he knows his facts at his finger tips, this despite he had a meeting to attend to after us. I reckoned that in the business environment, when we have to meet datelines we have to be objective and know our facts well. Another example would be at KPMG where Mr Raymond also had to make an urgent phone call before he came to meet us. These industry people are able to take stress and be able to adapt fast and be steady in their approach. From these observations, I hope I’ll be able to follow into their footsteps and learn more from them so that I can be as successful as these people.
At EPCOS, we had lunch in a simple yet memorable experience for us. It allows us to integrate into the Chinese culture and to understand their way of life/work through my observations when I had lunch there. The Chinese people returned their trays to the respective area after they have finished their meals. In Singapore, or rather in Ngee Ann, we are also encouraged to return our trays after we’ve finished our meals. But, how many of us actually bothered to listen and heed the advice given by the school management? I think we should reflect ourselves and our attitude with these Chinese people.
Learning experience to do business in China through networking dinner / lunch:
1) Every minute is important as time waits for no man in the business world. This point has been highlighted to us by the Singaporeans working in PRD region many times. Therefore, it has inculcated in me that in life, we should seize our time and grab hold of every minute in life. If given the opportunity to venture and work in different countries, I would definitely not hesitate to give it a nod to work overseas.
2) Chinese workers are very hard working
à They are willing to work on Public holidays even on Chinese New Year. At Epcos, the workers are paid 3 times more, these workers are willing to strive and work though it is a public holiday.
à However, in Singapore, most of the Singaporeans are not willing to work on a public holiday given though we’re given a double pay increment. We will whine and cry “hoo- haa” over every small detail. In my opinion, Singapore has many things to learn from the mainland Chinese. If Singapore is going to slacken in our pace, we may have to play “catch up” in the near future and we may fall backwards as China garners the competitive edge over us.
Marketing Strategy in China
We have visited the Dragon Ball Tea Plantation and the “Ju Xiang Yuan”. From my observations, I noticed that their marketing strategies are almost similar as both used our human 5 senses to entice us to buy from them
Personal Experience
The first night at Canton Hotel was horrendous and almost everyone had an “Eerie” feeling about the “Eeerie” hotel. But after listening to Mr Lau had to say about his experiences, I overcome my fear about the ghostly feeling about hotels. 3 nights at Canton Hotel with no harm done onto me, made me overcome my fear of the darkness and eeriness. Therefore, if I’m to enter into a hotel which is similar to Canton hotel or even worse hotel, I will remember Mr Lau’s story and overcome my fear.
My room experienced blackout on the 3rd night at Canton hotel and we didn’t have any source of light except for a pathetic beam of light from the handphone. We were scared the wits out of us when we had total darkness in the room. One sure thing that I’ve learnt is to bring a torch light with me during the trips.
China has deep cultural roots. At the Wong Fei Hong demonstrations when the kids were demonstrating their kung fu skills, it came across to me that the younger generation is still very much attached to cultural roots. Moreover, what inspires me most is to find out that foreigners are also learning from the Chinese counterparts about culture traditions and I noticed one of the foreigners actually became a disciple of one kung fu masters.
At the Sun Yat Sat Memorial hall, I left the place with a lasting impression. The quote that I shared with everyone was “ Learn something about everything instead of everything from something”, which implies that in life, we should learn a little things from everything so that we can be more knowledgeable and resourceful in life by knowing a little of something.
Lastly, through my experiences to carry my “hippo” around which resulted in greater difficulty especially for the guys to carry my luggage up the buses, what I’ve learnt most is to “TRAVEL LIGHT”. If the others didn’t learn about that…I sure did… and I have all the guys to thank for working so hard… !
--SuFang
11:11 AM
Never regret coming for this trip. This trip is a fruitful trip and it was really an eye-opening experience for me. Through this trip, I get to know more friends and people in the business world. Social circle widen. Learn to take the initiative to talk to guests during networking. It is when you have a network that it will be easy for you to seek for help. Learn to adapt in different environment. For eg. Hotel Canton. Most of use find it eerie etc. but it was when we were told that it was because of the colour of the furniture that lead us to have such feelings then we feel much better. We were told to look out for more practical things such as the fire exit etc instead. Learn that we must control our thinkings and emotions instead of letting it control us. Communication plays an important role so as to allow everything to go smoothly. Through meetings, punctuality is important as it shows how serious are you to turn up punctuality. Quick response plays a part too as we must always be alert and able to react fast in different situations. During meetings, it is important to pay attention and being alert when the speaker is talking. We have to take note of what is being discussed in the meeting so as not to have any repetition. Gain a better understanding on doing business overseas. Such as in China, signing of contracts does not means that it is a deal. It simply means that it is when the negotiation just started. Relationship(GuanXi) with people is very important when doing business in China.Through the company visits, gain a lot of knowledge through the Q & A sessions, tour around the company etc. Had a lot of first time experience there. First time trying out how to make almond cakes, first time entering into production factory n know about those interesting procedures, first time visiting big warehouses with air-conditioned and without air-conditioned. Find it very interesting and fun. Have a better understanding on the different types of marketing. First time seeing human marketing whereby the staffs taking signboards and walking down the streets. Overall, from this trip, I have learned to be more independent such as making decisions on my own etc. After these 10 days, my impression on China has changed. After all, its not as bad as we thought of in the beginning. The Chinese are very keen to learn and are very willing to share. This trip is really a very good exposure for all of us. If given a chance again for this type of study mission, I’m sure that I would like to go again.
--Weiling
11:09 AM
Initially, during the first workshop, we were told to list out all our objectives for this trip. I have listed out 7 objectives in total.
- adapting to the different environment and culture
- Make friends and learn outside classroom
- Explore self
- Be more discipline
- Able to use mandarin more fluently
- Deeper understanding of China
- Have fun
I think I had met like around 5 objectives. The 5 are:-
- Adapting to the different environment and culture- Make friends and learn outside classroom
- Explore self
- Deeper understanding of China
- Have fun
I feel that I have actually adapted well in China, is because of that I am able to sleep well and sound through the night. I had also tasted one their dish, pig’s tongue, which I initially do not dare to try it at all. Although after trying it on the second networking dinner, it tastes like nothing, I would not try it again. Though is only a small piece of tongue, it is like a big step to me.
The next thing is that in the Hotel Canton, which is famous for the “eeriness” among us, at first I think we make a big fuss out of it of being so scary, but in the end we still stayed and survive for the 3 nights there and rested well.
The next objective that is met is that I had made lots of friends during IBSM. I the beginning of the workshop and everything, I only knew like 7 or 8 of them, but now is like the whole class and the business people including Andrew. The company’s visit really makes me learn a lot of things outside classroom because a lot of this company’s speaker shares their real experience which cannot be learn in the books. One of the example, I’ve learnt about giving a sum of money to a 3rd party company to settle the problems (bribery) and write off as a legal expense. That is something textbook would not write about.
And after the 10 days trip, I definitely had a better understanding of China. Some years ago when I came to China, I sworn to myself that I will never step in China again, but I did and broke my promise. However I had never regret breaking that promise and also I am now keener to join the workforce in China and Hong Kong. I believe that working in a developing country that is coming out fast; we could learn a lot more things than working in Singapore. Now instead of calling the Chinese cunning, I described them as clever. This trip had really makes me admire Chinese businessman.
Lastly, I had learned something new that was not listed in my objectives. I believe that my skill for crossing roads had improved from the so call training I received in China when we were out on the road. It does not makes any difference whether is there traffic lights or zebra crossing or not, it is still the same as they are not there. And finally, I believed that everyone here had real fun in these 10 days.
11:07 AM
Firstly, going for this trip was to allow me to gain a better view about China because my impression of it was very bad. I actually perceived China to be a rather backwards country with uncivilized and cunning people living there. However, I realize I should not have stereotyped the country without even being there and interacting with the people. Thus, I joined IBSM and the moment I arrived at ShenZhen, I knew I was wrong. There were high rise buildings and flashy signboards greeting us, giving the feeling that I was in Hong Kong. Besides this, through the interaction with the tour guide, Steven and other local businessmen that we met, I become conscious that the Chinese are very hospitable and helpful people.
Of course, before going for the trip, all of us were to map out our objectives and I actually met them. First of all, I wanted to gain independence such as waking up by myself on time and be punctual. This is important because back home I actually had to rely on my mum to wake me up which is a very bad habit.
Next, I wanted to widen my social circle and also learn teamwork. Through this trip, I actually made many easy-going and jolly friends which made the entire trip quite relaxing and fun. As for teamwork, there is tremendously improvement in our teamwork as compared to workshop 1. Everyone in the group is very cooperative and the amount of work is shared equally among the members, which made doing the project a lot easier and efficient. Besides this, networking skills had improved a lot. Through the networking sessions, I grasped the techniques of how to enjoy dinner while questioning your guests, how to break the ices by making small talks and be more confident. It was truly enjoyable.
Thirdly, I wanted to gain an insight of the cultures of China because it is a country rich in cultures such as the many traditional customs which I gained more knowledge through the tours of Wong Fei Hong’s martial art school and Sun Yat Sen’s memorial hall. In addition, the art of doing business is important in order to work there. What I learnt is to be able to maintain your business; you need good relationship with the local companies. Besides that, negotiation of a contract will start after signing it, hence a ÝES’ doesn’t constitute to a “YES”. Culture is an essential element of our lives because it reflects our way of life and how we act, thus understanding it is important.
Lastly, I would like to thank everyone for making this trip enjoyable and a success.
11:06 AM
This trip was indeed a fruitful one to me. It was an eye opener and there was lots of exposure. This trip was not just like any leisure trips as the places that we visited were quite different. There are little places of interests visited and mostly are companies, factories or manufacturing plants. Compared to the past, China is more develop now. An example is from the no door toilet to a well-furnished air-conditioned toilet. During this trip, I gain new insights of their culture. To the Chinese, it is just being polite to tap the fingers on the table when someone served them tea. It is a sign to thank the server. To us, we do not do such a gesture, as it is not seen that often in Singapore. The way that the Chinese welcome their guests is also so unique to us. When we were at Walmart, the staff actually stood outside the store and waited for us. As we approached the entrance, they actually clapped and cheered. This experience gave me the feeling that I seem to be a very important guest. From the sightseeing scheduled, I have slightly more knowledge about China’s history. Understanding their history allows me to know why the Chinese have certain mindset. Through this trip, I have also learnt about the style of doing business in china. At many times, when a businessman says “yes”, it may not really mean that it is “yes”. Even when a contract is signed, it does not mean that the deal is clinched. It may simply only mean that it is the start of the negotiation. A lot of those successful deals are gotten through “guan xi” which is relationship. Therefore, maintaining a good relationship is essential. From all the companies visited over the past few days, I have gotten more relevant information for my project and it will definitely plays a part when I need to write my report. All the Q & A sessions had also added on to my learning. From being alert so as to not asked repeated question to phrasing and translating question properly to introducing ourselves before posting a question and many more. I feel that asking questions play a vital role, as it will enhance my learning. The key to clearing my doubts and to have a clearer picture of what was going on is to ask when there is a need. Planning and coordinating the day’s program is not easy as well. It is the opportunity to learn and work with each other regardless of whether I know or do not know the person. In this trip, communication is very important. Any miscommunication that occurs will affect the progress of the program planned. Being able to be flexible and adapt to the situation was also essential. Even when we were uncomfortable with our accommodation, we just have to bear with it. The best part of the program comes in when networking lunches and dinners come in. It was real life experience which I benefited lots from it. It is not just as simple as exchanging name card and eat a meal together. A lot of small talks were being carried out so that the atmosphere do not feel funny as if it was like a formal Q & A session. Everyone has to play a part to the conversations or else it will come to a point when it is very quiet and no one talks. In fact, it was the time when I can learn a lot from all those businessmen working overseas. In fact, through all these networking session, it gives us more chances to be open to the overseas market. Some of the businessmen have offered internship opportunities while some have offered full time job opportunities. In this trip, I have known more people and thus widening my social circle. A lot more connections are also gotten from this trip that may be useful to us in the future. This trip has allowed everyone to be more closely bonded with one another. It is like from strangers to classmates to friends and even to close pals. Without you guys, this trip will not have been possible. Lastly, I want to thank everyone that made this trip successful, fun and enriching.
-- Zhao Yuan
11:04 AM