At the begginning of the project, I didn't get a clue about the goal of the project.
After watching Outsourced which was a nice movie full of good intentions, i tried to put myself onto Todd shoes.
As far as I have chosen international business at studies, I'm fully open to globalization and regular delocation of the workforce.
Working on Pachisi, especially with a team which was physically far away from me was pretty challenging.
Because beside the fact that we couldn't manage to have a conference call, we manage to submit the project before the deadline.
And I'm quite satisfy about what we managed to do.
The project helped me to have more informations about the taiwanese culture, the people the business behaviour and perception of time, life and work.
Obviously from UCR side everything was pretty well organized.
Here in France, it was much more difficult to get people together on the project.
Defenetly this experience was really good because i was far to expect, i could have manage to work that way; now I now distance is not a barrier to business. Nowadays with communication facilities we can do really great.
To conclude the french team was quite inexistant an UCR pretty well managed especially by Kathy and Maggi who devoted theirself and did an amazing job.
It was a really good experience and I'm happy I did it; I will even welcome the opportunity to work on such a project again in the future.
By the end of the project, I discoverered a new way to work in team and one of the biggest challenge for me was actually to get together that way and develop a project with a simple idea of relocation.
3/10/2009
My thoughts of the outsourcing project
It was really unexpected that we finished our outsourcing project!! I could still think of the beginning of the project. I totally had no idea what we were gonna do. What’s the project outline? What would we have to shape the wiki blog? How would we present our project? There were too many questions in my mind. All we could do was put the information we found on the wiki, and then manage our project gradually. It was totally a different, special and interesting experience from other courses. Luckily, we did it finally with the French team.
The most difficult part of the project was that worked with the team on the other side of the earth. At the beginning, I felt that the French team was so lazy and had so many excuses (just as Hongling post the stereotype that Taiwanese see French…haha!) It’s true that we had different time and different schedule. However, things went better after the French team did the midterm. Although we never had interaction with the two member of the French team, at least we all talked to Nelly on line together. That was an improvement and the French team did a lot contribution on the wiki.
Another difficulty was that this was an online work. We did everything online! This could be awful or could be awesome. It might hard to know others thoughts by typing words. It may mislead us.
By experiencing this international work, I leaned that communication was a key factor. We have to try to know others including their backgrounds and cultures before we start. Then we can know how to schedule the work will be more effective.
By experiencing this international work, I leaned that communication was a key factor. We have to try to know others including their backgrounds and cultures before we start. Then we can know how to schedule the work will be more effective.
What I thought about the outsourcing project
This was a rather unique experience. Class is interesting in itself in that we are so multicultural. I think I am very spoiled having grown up in California, where nobody looks the same and where everybody has some type of different background. It is weird to think that in some places everyone looks the same and does the same thing. Stereotypes...I guess I fall into them myself--NorCal, veggie, eco-friendly, over-educated?
Anyway, after getting beyond the stereotypes and the generalizations is when we really get to learn about individuals. It is hard to learn about people when they are on a different continent nine hours ahead and even harder to work with them. I started out stereotyping the "French" until I realized we weren't working with French people. We were working with a diverse group of people from all over. Communication was the main difficulty and the lack of clarity with the project made it hard to focus. But we overcame and succeeded and now we just have to finish up.
Things I wish we would have done or that I should have thought about in the beginning:
1. Logistics, really engaging the French. I know hindsight is 20/20, but we could have gotten more organized and more cohesive sooner. Also, having contact earlier might have gotten everybody involved.
2. A plan. We were feeling around in the dark, trying to figure things out on the fly. We should have started out with a strategy, and a goal, but we didn't . We put a lot of work and energy into the website before we knew what we were doing. We came up with some good ideas, but they would have been executed so much better if we had planned.
Anyway, after getting beyond the stereotypes and the generalizations is when we really get to learn about individuals. It is hard to learn about people when they are on a different continent nine hours ahead and even harder to work with them. I started out stereotyping the "French" until I realized we weren't working with French people. We were working with a diverse group of people from all over. Communication was the main difficulty and the lack of clarity with the project made it hard to focus. But we overcame and succeeded and now we just have to finish up.
Things I wish we would have done or that I should have thought about in the beginning:
1. Logistics, really engaging the French. I know hindsight is 20/20, but we could have gotten more organized and more cohesive sooner. Also, having contact earlier might have gotten everybody involved.
2. A plan. We were feeling around in the dark, trying to figure things out on the fly. We should have started out with a strategy, and a goal, but we didn't . We put a lot of work and energy into the website before we knew what we were doing. We came up with some good ideas, but they would have been executed so much better if we had planned.
My thoughts on the outsourcing project
Finally, we finish our outsourcing project. My first feeling, international project is hard, a lot harder to conduct than I thought. Too many uncertainties are involving in the whole process. For our management training, we all know uncertainty is bad for most types of business because it generates additional risk for the performance. Our management job is to keep the company’s operation under the control that minimizes the risk at all cost. But in an international environment, this is almost impossible because not everything can be under your control when you are dealing with international business affair. There is physical distance, time difference, culture difference, and many other barriers, you name it. The final result is not only decided by your effort, your team effort, but also someone else that you never know in your life before. I am a very conservative type person, and I hate this kind of feeling. When the project nears the deadline without any process from other side, it feels like the worst time ever.
In order to complete a international project with teams in different region,
First, keep the ideas flowing between the teams. Teams need to set a good communication channel, and the frequent communication is mandatory in order to complete a good project in time. Our leader Cathy is really doing a great job to keep our French’s teammate up on the pace with us.
Second, a big picture with a complete general guideline for the project is necessary before team members take their role in the project. Without a good understanding of the common goals and missions, team won’t develop a good project in time. This outsourcing project develops really slow at the beginning because no one has the idea what it should looks like, or how it should be done. The international project must generate a common goal that gives common motive between teams.
Third, take the advantage of the internet technology. This is my first class that 90% of the works are done online. We are chatting on MSN, exchanging files through e-mail, developing our projects on Wiki. Honestly, I really like it, a very efficient approach to finish things. No wasting on any sort of resources, including time.
Last, there is no such thing as common standards across culture. Every culture is different, and culture makes people different. Never assume you knew something before you actually study it, and study hard. Online resources only provide you opinions, not the true answers. Different resources are publishing different opinions toward the same topic. Some are correct information, others will only lead you to the wrong direction. I will never forget the Mona’s reaction on how she is rejecting one of the team’s presentation on Arabic world. We have to change our point of view when we are dealing with foreign culture. We must allow us to stand in their position to seek the answer for the question. Our outsourcing project achieves it.
I think us, Pachisi team, done a great job.
In order to complete a international project with teams in different region,
First, keep the ideas flowing between the teams. Teams need to set a good communication channel, and the frequent communication is mandatory in order to complete a good project in time. Our leader Cathy is really doing a great job to keep our French’s teammate up on the pace with us.
Second, a big picture with a complete general guideline for the project is necessary before team members take their role in the project. Without a good understanding of the common goals and missions, team won’t develop a good project in time. This outsourcing project develops really slow at the beginning because no one has the idea what it should looks like, or how it should be done. The international project must generate a common goal that gives common motive between teams.
Third, take the advantage of the internet technology. This is my first class that 90% of the works are done online. We are chatting on MSN, exchanging files through e-mail, developing our projects on Wiki. Honestly, I really like it, a very efficient approach to finish things. No wasting on any sort of resources, including time.
Last, there is no such thing as common standards across culture. Every culture is different, and culture makes people different. Never assume you knew something before you actually study it, and study hard. Online resources only provide you opinions, not the true answers. Different resources are publishing different opinions toward the same topic. Some are correct information, others will only lead you to the wrong direction. I will never forget the Mona’s reaction on how she is rejecting one of the team’s presentation on Arabic world. We have to change our point of view when we are dealing with foreign culture. We must allow us to stand in their position to seek the answer for the question. Our outsourcing project achieves it.
I think us, Pachisi team, done a great job.
3/09/2009
What Maggie learned from Outsourcing Project?
This oursourcing project has been started for a month. Honestly, it's not easy to do this project with team mates at another side of the earth.
The first and the main reason I think is that no one exactly knew how to do it and how it should look like. But good thing was that all teams put their works online. So we sometimes went to visit other teams' website, combined all their ideas and then added ours to finish the homework.
Another reason is that the time difference. We had only one discussions with French members on GTalk. Neither did we, they didn't clearly understand the whold structure and the frame of the project.
I heard from other teams that they finished all work by themselves, without French members' any help. Luckily, we had three French members who contributed a lot to this project at the fianl two weeks. But another two members.....we, and even those three French members, just didn't know where they were. It's a problem for international project to successfully move on if we can't find the right access to commnicate with each other. Though we all have internet, it's still hard to get them and make they work together.
But just like Dr. Pence said, we need to find out the reason French memebrs were not interested in this project. Perhaps we didn't let them know what their roles were, and how they could help. After Cathy send out the survey to all of us, we were more clearly understand the roles of each other. Nelly, the leader of French team, made the time schedule on wetpaint so that everyone could know what should be done at what time. Thus, we knew what we could expect to see every week. What I learned is to make all messages visible and understandable to all. Get things transparent so others could come in to help.
One more thing just came thought my mind. All homework in this class are demaned to finish online. The process of discussion, the decision making, and the result should all be put online and shared with others. Though it's comfortable to stay in warm and cozy bedroom and discussed homework on MSN, I may still prefer to meet face-to-face :( Primarily because it easier to express some ideas with hand gestures or by drawing the frames on paper/whiteboard. On MSN, sometimes conversation splited into different topics and hard to focus on any of them and connect all pieces of message together.
Over all, we finished the Outsourcing project!!!!! This experience is a good lesson for me to work with others in the virtual/digital world. Now I know what problems I may confront and what could I do to make the process better. I also know that I still have lots to learn and to figure out the better alternatives of those problems.
The first and the main reason I think is that no one exactly knew how to do it and how it should look like. But good thing was that all teams put their works online. So we sometimes went to visit other teams' website, combined all their ideas and then added ours to finish the homework.
Another reason is that the time difference. We had only one discussions with French members on GTalk. Neither did we, they didn't clearly understand the whold structure and the frame of the project.
I heard from other teams that they finished all work by themselves, without French members' any help. Luckily, we had three French members who contributed a lot to this project at the fianl two weeks. But another two members.....we, and even those three French members, just didn't know where they were. It's a problem for international project to successfully move on if we can't find the right access to commnicate with each other. Though we all have internet, it's still hard to get them and make they work together.
But just like Dr. Pence said, we need to find out the reason French memebrs were not interested in this project. Perhaps we didn't let them know what their roles were, and how they could help. After Cathy send out the survey to all of us, we were more clearly understand the roles of each other. Nelly, the leader of French team, made the time schedule on wetpaint so that everyone could know what should be done at what time. Thus, we knew what we could expect to see every week. What I learned is to make all messages visible and understandable to all. Get things transparent so others could come in to help.
One more thing just came thought my mind. All homework in this class are demaned to finish online. The process of discussion, the decision making, and the result should all be put online and shared with others. Though it's comfortable to stay in warm and cozy bedroom and discussed homework on MSN, I may still prefer to meet face-to-face :( Primarily because it easier to express some ideas with hand gestures or by drawing the frames on paper/whiteboard. On MSN, sometimes conversation splited into different topics and hard to focus on any of them and connect all pieces of message together.
Over all, we finished the Outsourcing project!!!!! This experience is a good lesson for me to work with others in the virtual/digital world. Now I know what problems I may confront and what could I do to make the process better. I also know that I still have lots to learn and to figure out the better alternatives of those problems.
3/04/2009
To the finish line!
Hi All,
Things are coming together. Thanks for all of the hard work. If anybody needs help, just let me know. We were reminded in class yesterday to make this personal. Nelly, Mimoza, and Hongling:you all came to France as outsiders. What was your first impression of a French manager? You will have gone through a similar experience as to how our "manager" will be seen by the Taiwanese. Beyond that, what happens to a French manager when you take him away from France?
good luck
Things are coming together. Thanks for all of the hard work. If anybody needs help, just let me know. We were reminded in class yesterday to make this personal. Nelly, Mimoza, and Hongling:you all came to France as outsiders. What was your first impression of a French manager? You will have gone through a similar experience as to how our "manager" will be seen by the Taiwanese. Beyond that, what happens to a French manager when you take him away from France?
good luck
3/02/2009
Stereotype
I almost could take part in the meeting last night, then I got some message from Nelly about the conversation, seems you had a great time!
Here is an approach of stereotypes about French with taiwanese eyes, and I also added stereotypes about Taiwanese, wish it would be helpful.
The taiwanese see the French as…
- Lazy: Frenchs are lazy, even they have lot of vocations, they still always on strike.
- They are rude and anti-american, they don`t want to speak english, distent and difficult to meet.
- Dirty: they don`t take show often, French women use perfume instead of taking a bath. Most of the public toilets in France are unacceptable.
- All french people are smoke sigarettes.
- Visiting franch is too expensive.
- French men are always chaising women and they are very romantic.
The French see the taiwanese as…
- Reticent: They always keep thing inside, hard to communicate.
- Unthinking they think only when they are in group.
- They work too much, they don`t know how to enjoy life.
- They are complicated, a word for this stereotype in French is “Chinoiserie.”
3/01/2009
Outsourcing Outline Set up!
Today is our first talk with Nelly on Gtalk. We are 9 hours different so that the meeting was scheduled at 11am in U.S. time (8pm in Frence).
Nelly said they had midterm with many tests and papers last week. They are working on outsourcing project now and hope it could be done by this Thursday, but ASAP.
We set project guidelines already. The Project will be divided into 6 stages:
Stage 1: French manager preparation at French
Stage 2: First impression at Taiwan
Stage 3: Preparation for training
Stage 4: Training process
Stage 5: Training results
Stage 6: Back to French & conclusion
It's a great talk .Hope we could have more people join the meeting next time =)
Nelly said they had midterm with many tests and papers last week. They are working on outsourcing project now and hope it could be done by this Thursday, but ASAP.
We set project guidelines already. The Project will be divided into 6 stages:
Stage 1: French manager preparation at French
Stage 2: First impression at Taiwan
Stage 3: Preparation for training
Stage 4: Training process
Stage 5: Training results
Stage 6: Back to French & conclusion
It's a great talk .Hope we could have more people join the meeting next time =)
2/27/2009
Contact with the other side
Yes, it is true. We did it! Nelly and I had a lovely discussion, and we plan on having more. Here is the content:
Katherine
how are things in France?
8:06amNelly
hey
Too many stuffs to manage
midterm
but now it's better
gonna focus on pachisi
8:07amKatherine
yeah i know what you mean
8:07amNelly
what about you?
8:07amKatherine
if you need help, we can help you
just let us know
8:08amNelly
of course
8:08amKatherine
we need to start setting up the site
make it lok profesional
lok
8:08amNelly
where are going to prepare smth
for beggining of next week
8:08amKatherine
ok cool
8:09amNelly
should be ok
we will meet deadlines
:d
8:09amKatherine
otherwise it is near the end of the term and things are geting crazy
I have to be honest, but I am excited that I caught you online
8:10amNelly
i know that feeling
cool
:)
do u have skype ???
we can set a meeting
with others
8:10amKatherine
i am so curious
i have skype
8:11amNelly
me also
8:11amKatherine
we can set something up for this weekend
8:11amNelly
nellywan is my login
ok
probably sunday then
fresh and open mind after party
8:12amKatherine
ok, we all have to figure out when is a good time
8:12amNelly
:D
:D
sunday for me is good
i can inform mimoza
& linghong
8:13amKatherine
you are ahead by 9 hours so when would be convenient?
8:14amNelly
for us the evening
will be ur morning
so at which time do u want the meeting
8:15amKatherine
We can try for 10 am : 7pm your time
8:15amNelly
fresh and open mind after party
8:16amKatherine
but I have to contact all of the others and make sure it is ok
8:16amNelly
ok
i will be on line tonight
8:16amKatherine
on Facebook? or skype?
8:17amNelly
do u have others teammenbers facebook??
both
8:17amKatherine
yep
meet on msn messenger
8:18amNelly
ok
mine is nelwanchris@hotmail.com
but it doesn't work here
i'm at school
8:18amKatherine
Maggie Chou
do you have computer access at home?
8:18amNelly
yes
8:19amKatherine
George Guo
Vivian Kao
those are the other members
do they other french members have facebook?
8:20amNelly
not all of them
they are two who are not active at all
we should up on those
8:21amKatherine
yeah, do you know them?
8:21amNelly
and focus on those who want to be involved
not all of them
i know them from class but we never worked together
8:21amKatherine
oh ok
8:22amNelly
I FIND SEVERAL several Magui guo
I don't know which one is the right one
8:24amKatherine
um, her picture is tilted, has long black hair
is from taiwan
UC riverside Grad student '10
did that help? hopefully?
8:26amNelly
yes
8:26amKatherine
for george
UC Irvine Alum '07
UC Riverside Grad Student '09
and it is a picture of him with his wife
8:28amNelly
done
8:28amKatherine
vivian kao is from taiwan
and he picture is her snowboarding
8:29amNelly
can't find
8:30amKatherine
try: vivian kao taiwan
there should be 6 results
any better?
i can have her friend request you
8:32amNelly
ok
i can't find
8:33amKatherine
no problem
i have to get ready for school
but i will look for you online later
it has been awesome getting ahold of you
8:34amNelly
:d
COOL
for me too
c ya
8:35amKatherine
i am going to post this meeting on the blog to show we have "contact"
we will figure out the sunday meeting
8:35amNelly
ok
no proble
problem
8:35amKatherine
have a good evening
bye
8:35amNelly
you too
i mean have a good day
:D
2/19/2009
Project Schedul
First of all, I am sorry to our ESG friends. I've sent you invitation to your email accounts to edit this blogger. Please reply it so I can open the admin access for you. Thanks a lot.
I added the World Clock and Recent Comments widgets on the right side. please let me know if they can't work or not correct.
Nelly throwed a good idea to set up a schedule. Kathy attached the tentative timeline on wetpaint. Everyone please check it out and leave comments so we can modify it.
Here's the announcement from our professor Pence:
The subject of the film is Outsourcing. The new training module you are building is around the Outsourcing issues. Answer the questions so you get an idea of what you might do for a training module. Your new scenario still is about Outsourcing! Don't make your lives any more difficult than they have to be with this project. You just have to see what happens if you change the countries involved.
Hope this could give French team some tips how to do this project.
Kathy also attached the ppt about the project progress on wetpaint.
Vivian and I attached some basic info and hard facts about Taiwan. I put 3 videos on the page "Videos about Taiwan". I assume videos are more interesting than words....
It looks we've already started working. Thanks to all and let's keep moving on.
I added the World Clock and Recent Comments widgets on the right side. please let me know if they can't work or not correct.
Nelly throwed a good idea to set up a schedule. Kathy attached the tentative timeline on wetpaint. Everyone please check it out and leave comments so we can modify it.
Here's the announcement from our professor Pence:
The subject of the film is Outsourcing. The new training module you are building is around the Outsourcing issues. Answer the questions so you get an idea of what you might do for a training module. Your new scenario still is about Outsourcing! Don't make your lives any more difficult than they have to be with this project. You just have to see what happens if you change the countries involved.
Hope this could give French team some tips how to do this project.
Kathy also attached the ppt about the project progress on wetpaint.
Vivian and I attached some basic info and hard facts about Taiwan. I put 3 videos on the page "Videos about Taiwan". I assume videos are more interesting than words....
It looks we've already started working. Thanks to all and let's keep moving on.
2/17/2009
Taiwaness Background and Business Etiquette from Vivian
So far, we still have 1 french member have not joined the wetpaint. We will sent invitation email again. We need everyone post their picture and self introduction hopefully by this Friday(Feb 20).
Good news!!!
Vivian add on wetpaint one attachment about Taiwaness background and business etuquette, including info and facts (location, capital city, climate, etc), language, culture and customs, etiquette about gift giving, dinning, business, communication, and Hofstede Model.
well, since Vivian got pretty much info already, I'll add anything I think of behind Vivian's document.
I will also search some videos, interesting case, or photoes and put them on wetpain by the end of this week.
IMPORTANT!!!
NOWplease reply Kathy's message. Hope we'll all get our first online meeting soon.
Good news!!!
Vivian add on wetpaint one attachment about Taiwaness background and business etuquette, including info and facts (location, capital city, climate, etc), language, culture and customs, etiquette about gift giving, dinning, business, communication, and Hofstede Model.
well, since Vivian got pretty much info already, I'll add anything I think of behind Vivian's document.
I will also search some videos, interesting case, or photoes and put them on wetpain by the end of this week.
IMPORTANT!!!
NOWplease reply Kathy's message. Hope we'll all get our first online meeting soon.
2/16/2009
Outsource Project
the subject is : French managers in Taiwan.
The U.S. team will search some basic business etiquette and culture stuff of Taiwan. We'll add those info on Wetpaint.
The French Team will be managers, and please to add your info on wetpaint ,too.
Let's start working!!!
The U.S. team will search some basic business etiquette and culture stuff of Taiwan. We'll add those info on Wetpaint.
The French Team will be managers, and please to add your info on wetpaint ,too.
Let's start working!!!
2/08/2009
Self introduction
I’m George, and I’m here to tell you the experience of my life. I was born in the Beijing, the capital of Chinese mainland. As a lucky one out of millions, I had this chance to come to America. For years, I was struggling to adapt to this complete new environment. Everything was new to me - the language, the food, and the culture. I always had this dream of working toward something that bigger than myself. That was the reason for me to come back to school and study my way to reach this stage. As the lucky one to have this chance to reach my dream. There is still trouble ahead of my life, I am looking forward to have this great opportunity of learning the not only the value of business, but also the value of life.
2/05/2009
Team Journal
Hi everyone,
this is our blogger. I've sent each of you invitation to administrate this journal.
it's great to work with you. have a good weekend =)
Maggie
this is our blogger. I've sent each of you invitation to administrate this journal.
it's great to work with you. have a good weekend =)
Maggie
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