Ethical Issues in my Profession
I saw some things in Chinese work places that would not be allowed in the United States. We went to a factory that seemed decrepit and conditions for the people working there did not seem like they were the best. We ate in a cafeteria that the workers ate at everyday and it was extremely hot and gross inside. We weren’t told how much these workers made but it had to be much lower than minimum wage in the United States. I also noticed a lot of the people had jacked up teeth. This is probably due to lack of efficient, affordable dentist care. I also saw an abundance of old people in manual labor jobs. Men who looked well over 60 sweeping streets with a broom made out of bamboo. Not all these things wouldn’t be allowed in the U.S. but I can’t see American people standing idly by while these things occurred. In regards to the diversity issues, Chinese people are the overwhelming 93% majority and diversity seems to be a foreign concept to most of the people. As I sat in a store with Trey Hoffman, a local came up and asked us where we were from and was astounded that we were from the same country because I was black and he was white. However, I didn’t detect any intolerance for any specific race of lifestyle, although I don’t think I was there long enough to really experience it. I think that business could make more money in China than the U.S. just because of the amount of people in China. They have 400% more people than we do and many of the people are still under developed. There is a massive growing market that is just waiting to be sold to as Chinese wealth spreads toward the more rural areas of the country. I don’t see this affecting life in the United States, however I can foresee a trend of companies moving out to China and doing a majority of its business there because there is such a large, untapped market.
Educational Breadth as Professional Development
Without traveling to other countries so see how other people live, work, and interact with each other, students will never understand how to do business in those countries. Experiencing different cultures, I believe, is something that business students must do in order to prepare themselves to interact in a global economy. The world is becoming more and more connected and countries are steadily growing and becoming wealthier which is opening up huge markets for producers to sell to. By traveling around the world and seeing how countries do business and it can benefit how a person does business in the U.S. For example, before going to China, I had no idea how the smart phone supply chain worked. Now I understand that manufacturing and engineering in China is much cheaper than other countries and also extremely efficient. In addition, it’s hard to sell to people when you don’t understand their culture. Visiting another country helps you understand their tendencies, habits, and societal norms. I don’t think that classroom courses can really adequately teach you about another culture. I think that you have to live amongst the people to truly experience and understand it. However, once you have been outside the country, taking international business classes would be extremely befenecial to learn more about how our country does business with others.
Lifelong Learning, Continuing Education as Professional Development
The speaker we had on the last day told us that he learned his most valuable information by making mistakes on the job. He explained that his failures were more valuable than his successes because they made him him a better business man. Because of the ever evolving technology of our generation, business people have to be always ready to learn and adapt to the new environment. Staying up to date helps business people stay competitive with their rivals and harnessing technology before competitors can give invaluable advantages. Technology innovation also becomes a big goal for R&D because having the latest technology can help save money and increase sales. For example, the General Manager at a factory for TE Connectivity told us that they were trying to fully automate their assembly line so that they would not have to rely on a manual work force that continues to shrink. In all aspects of life we should never be complacent with our education. We can never learn enough and being an person who is teachable and eager to learn is a trait that successful people have.
The Social Environment of Professional life
To some extent, there was a connection between people’s social and professional life. I saw many people out with their co-workers and class mates. But I don’t think that there is a very large correlation between work and their social life. The Chinese people were actually very aware of U.S. current events. As I rode on the subway I watched a news report about the riots in Baltimore. I was astonished at how much other countries cared about what goes on in the U.S. They were surprisingly aware of our politics and news. I on the other hand was horribly uninformed. I knew little about Chinese religion other than the Chinese Zodiac. I didn’t know who their leader was and after spending two weeks there, I still don’t know. I didn’t even know that Google and the social media sites were blocked in China. One thing I did know was who Mao Zedong was. But after learning about him in my American school I heard he was responsible for the deaths of millions of people and regarded him as a character that would not be revered by the citizens of his country. However, they absolutely love him in China, his portrait is on the everything from T-shirts to coffee mugs and there are large statues of him in the center of prestigious Chinese universities. The only time I really hear about Chinese current events is when there is a tragedy, like the earthquake in Nepal. I’d never even heard of the country before the earthquake. Even though I don’t, I think it is important to keep up with the world’s current events because those things can indirectly affect the U.S. and it is important to say informed.
Functioning on Multi-Disciplinary Teams
Being a minority, I frequently have to communicate with individuals with different backgrounds than me. Even on this trip I was the only minority. Having a different background doesn’t affect how I communicate with other people. When I am in a position like that I feel that I have more to offer than members of the majority because I can offer different perspectives. I very much enjoy working with people who are different from me because they have so much to offer that I wouldn’t have thought of. Working with new people benefits everyone involved. There is much to be learned when a group of people is diverse and it is a blessing more often than a curse. However, there are a few problems that may occur. Sometimes it is hard for people who have never been in your background to understand how you feel about certain things. Other times, people’s prejudices can affect how you communicate and this can prevent conducive thoughts to flow. Some people are too stubborn to realize the strength of diversity and this can cause problems for the group. These problems are minor, however, and usually effective communications are easily maintained by people who are open minded.
China 2015 Blog 