owen china trip
TRANSCRIPT
Owen China Project Course
What is this course? Students work on China related projects for a U.S.
company Form teams (4 students) Organize the trip to gather relevant information about the project Key destination: Shanghai, March 1 - March 7, 2009 (Some have a day or two for visits in Beijing before this week)
While in Shanghai Students create own schedule based on project Typically make about 10 site visits during the week to…
Government offices (e.g., how to bid for municipal contracts) Related companies (e.g., U.S. or Chinese, similar industry, potential
clients, suppliers) Consulting and research firms
Provide report to company in the U.S. by April Usually a PowerPoint presentation, with a written report May take 1-2 hours to present, face-to-face, or by phone
Examples from past projects Hennessey (Tire Changer Manufacturer)
Assess structure of tire repair market in Shanghai, and reputation of Hennessey Juno Lighting
Assess benefits of sourcing steel from China, or fabricating there The Home Depot
Project #1: Assess Corporate Social Responsibility of Suppliers Project #2: Study how to improve innovation of suppliers in China
Avankia Assess whether China is a good place to source IT design
eBay Assess eBay market share in China, and branding through podcasts and blogs
Organon Pharmaceutical Assess who makes drug selection for Chinese IVF clinics, to improve marketing
Insituform Assess feasibility of entering China market for sewage pipe construction
Coors Assess beer distribution system in China
Major clothes retailer Assess potential for internet sales in China
Timing Summer - begin search for projects Early fall – nail down projects, develop groups Late fall – students take Doing Business in China (an
academic course to provide more background on business in China) and begin collecting data related to project (from libraries, internet)
Early spring – set up interviews in China Spring break – travel, interview contacts in China
Typically can cover 8-10 site visits Late spring – give report to company
Time Commitment by Company Have a manager assigned to project
Define scope, monitor progress, respond to student requests for information
Apr. 1-2 hours a week on average; more at start May want to host students for front-end meeting at company to establish
goals How much time is needed depends on the project
The more “operational” the project the more time it will take E.g., helping improve innovation at a company’s Chinese suppliers
Company had to define exactly what the current process was Company had to set up for students to visit its suppliers; student access depends
on company Many companies have more general questions like, “is there a market
for our projects in China” or “how would we enter”? This takes less time for the company, since students have to search broadly Company is not in a position to set up interviews in China; students do that
Expenses for Company Company expected to cover some out of pocket costs
Phone calls, taxis in China, copying, etc. This is typically under $500
If appropriate, companies may cover some or all of student travel costs
