Course Name
Course No.: 02830230 Program: Undergraduate
Credit: 3 Instructor: Ma Li Prerequisite: None Semester: Spring 2017
Time: Monday 1-4 pm Location: Room 216, Guanghua
Course Overview
This course targets to help you understand important topics of doing business with the Chinese people and improve your skills. You will learn concepts, theories, research results, and successful management stories related to this domain. Because this is a special field without any textbook with good coverage of core content, we will use materials that are interesting, relevant, and academically rigorous from all kinds of publications. You will learn from the lectures, your classmates, as well as your own explorative learning activities.
Course Objectives
The knowledge and skills you develop in this course will be critical to you as you plan your business and career, manage your relationships with co-workers, bosses, and subordinates who have a China or East Asian background, and interact with Chinese organizations. Ultimately, the knowledge, skills, and understandings you develop in this course can help you to become a more effective contributor in any group or organization that you join, especially when you want to do your business in China.
How does this course serve the Assurance of Learning Assessment?
First, this course opens a door for “internationalization” of Guanghua. Guanghua has many students going abroad, and at the same time also attracts many overseas students coming. This course mainly targets the incoming exchange undergraduate students to learn business in China. In- and out-classroom interactions enable high level of engagement of these students.
Second, an open-minded attitude tends to be developed throughout this course. Each country has its own merits and limitations, China included. In addition, each student has his or her own stereotypes, justified by the fact or not. This course intends to help students from different places in the world to get to know the differences between people and behave appropriately.
Third, the continuous learning attitude is to be developed in this course. Some content about doing business in China changes fast, and students are trained to continuously searching for information and explorative learn by themselves.
Instructor: Ma Li
Contact Information:
Office: Room 353 of Guanghua No. 2 Building
Email: dbic@gsm.pku.edu.cn; 6275-3185
Office Hour: Monday 9-11am, and by appointment
Program Learning Goals and Objectives
Learning Goal 1: Graduates will possess a solid understanding of business and management and will be able to translate this knowledge into practice.
1.1 Objective 1 Our students will have a good command of fundamental theories and knowledge.
1.2 Objective 2 Our students will have a good command of analytical methods and decision-making tools.
1.3 Objective 3 Our students will be able to apply theories and methodologies in key business functions.
Learning Goal 2: Our students will be able to think critically.
2.1 Objective 1 Our students will be able to identify and summarize problems
2.2 Objective 2 Our students will be able to collect data and analyze problems in a critical manner
2.3 Objective 3 Our students will be able to put forward effective solutions to business problems
Learning Goal 3: Our students will have a sense of social responsibility.
3.1 Objective 1 Our students will be aware of the importance of ethics.
3.2 Objective 2 Our students will be able to provide solutions that take account of contrasting ethical standpoints.
Learning Goal 4: Our students will be effective communicators.
4.1 Objective 1 Our students will be proficient in oral and written communication.
4.2 Objective 2 Our students will possess good interpersonal skills.
4.3 Objective 3 Our students will be able to adapt to diverse learning environments.
Learning Goal 5: Our students will have global perspectives.
5.1 Objective 1 Our students will be aware of social and cultural differences.
5.2 Objective 2 Our students will be aware of the impact of globalization on business operations, opportunities, and challenges.
5.3 Objective 3 Our students will be proficient in English.
Detailed Course Plan
Session 1. (Feb. 22) Be Prepared: First Knowing the People
Exercises:
Looking through the window (will be handed out in class) Crocodile construction (will be handed out in class)
Session 2. (Feb. 29) The Janus Faces of the Government
Case Analysis:
Zhang, Y.-L. 2015. Qujiang New Development Zone
Session 3. (Mar. 7) Knowing the Individuals in China
Readings:
3_2. Fernandez, J. A. & Underwood, L. 2005. Succeeding in China: The voices of experience. Organizational Dynamics, 34(4): 402-416.
Session 4. (Mar. 14) Interconnected People in China
Readings:
4_2. Chan, A. K. K., Denton, L. T., & Tsang, A. S. L. 2003. The art of gift giving in China. Business Horizons, 46: 47-52.
Session 5. (Mar. 21) Does Guanxi Matter? How Much?
Case analysis:
5_2. Cotte, J., & Yang, A. W. 2002. Worldwide Equipment (China) Ltd.: A sales performance dilemma. Ivey School of Business case (902A28).
Session 6. (Mar. 28) Leadership in China
Case Analysis:
6_2. Zhang, W., & Chen, X.-P. (2013). Building Lenovo into a Family Business without Kinship: An interview with Mr. Liu Chuanzhi, the founder of Lenovo. Chinese Management Insights, 2 (1), 88-104.
Readings:
6_3. Ma, L., & Tsui, A. S. (2015). Traditional Chinese philosophies and contemporary leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 26 (1), 13-24.
NO class on April 4 due to observation of China’s Qingming Holiday. Enjoy!
Session 7. (April 11) Project Progress: Informal Class Discussion on Group Projects
Session 8. (April 18) Encountering the Chinese at the Table
Case Preparation:
Search the major media regarding the Chinese companies’ overseas acquisition cases in the past few years. Read the reports. Try your best to summarize the major themes in these cases. Prepare to interact with me during the session, when I will focus on the negotiation perspective and discuss what the foreign companies can learn regarding the Chinese outbound foreign direct investors.
Readings:
8_2. Graham, J. L., & Lam, N. M. (2003). The Chinese negotiation. Harvard Business Review, 81(October), 82-91.
8_3. Williamson, P. J., & Raman, A. P. 2011. How China reset its global acquisition agenda. Harvard Business Review, 88 (April), 109-114.
Session 9. (April 25) A Complex Deal with the Chinese
Case analysis:
9_2. Sebenius, J. K., & Qian, C. J. 2008. Wyoff and China-LuQuan: Negotiating a joint venture (A). Harvard Business School Case (9-908-046).
NO class on May 2 due to observation of International Labor’s Day. Enjoy!
Session 10. (May 9) Looking China from a Broader Perspective
Readings:
Samsung: The three generations of leaders and how China impacts their strategies
Session 11. (May 16) Managing your Firm in China: Whose Way?
Case analysis:
B_2. Chen, A.-H., Ma, L., & Zhang, Z.-X. Kawamura in China
Readings:
B_3. Li, X., & Ma, L. 2015. Business management practices: Converging in some aspects but diverging in others. Management and Organization Review.
B_4. Wakayama, T., Shintaku, J., & Amano, T. 2012. What Panasonic learned in China.Harvard Business Review, 90 (12), 109-113.
Session 12. (May 23) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Business Ethics in China
Case analysis:
C_2. Lu, J. & Tao, Z. 2009. Sanlu’s melamine-tainted milk crisis in China. Asia Case Research Centre (HKU837).
Readings:
C_3. Beamish, P. W. & Bapuji, H. 2012. Toy recalls and China: Emotion vs. evidence.Chinese Management Insights, 1(2): 56-59.
Session 13. (May 30) Group presentations 1
Session 14. (June 6) Group presentations 2
Each group will present the final group project.The group project paper due one week after the last presentation (i.e., on June 12).
Final Exam:
Students will present their group projects based on their own explorative learning in lieu of the in-class final exam.
Teaching Methods
You are expected to learn this course through a combination of lecturing, class discussion, case analyses, a group project, and class presentations. Our class will be highly interactive, with students involved in presentations, discussions, games, and exercises, all orchestrated by the instructor.
Lectures: Lectures will be given in English. Shortened versions (for pedagogical purposes) of lecture notes will be given to you. Note: There is NO “7 minutes lag” in Peking University. Class is expected to start at 1pm exactly (but NOT1:07 pm).
Discussions: Before each class, students are expected to read the assigned reading materials. Students’ participation in class discussion is encouraged and required.
Individual Essay: Each student is expected to write one essay. The topic of the essay shall be analyzing some “seemingly unreasonable” people actions from personal experiences or observations. Many actions of the Chinese people may seem unreasonable at first glance, but if you know China better, you will be able to understand them and deepen your knowledge of China. Describe the incidents and highlight the paradoxes, and then analyze them using what you learned in and beyond the course (i.e., by your own explorative learning activities). An essay shall be about 4 pages if double spaced (2 pages if single spaced). Cite your serious readings carefully and be rigorous in writing. Submit your essay by May 20. Plagiarizing will not be tolerated. A discussion session will be held based on the exemplary papers.
Group Project: Students are expected to complete a group project to synthesize and expand what you have learned in this course. The group project can choose one between two subjects: One is analyzing a real life management case of a foreign firm in China; and the second is analyzing a real life China-foreign business negotiation. Each group shall have 5-7 individuals. Each group shall submit a written paper (no more than 15 pages, double-spaced) and present it at the end of the class (around 15 minutes). Free-riding will not be accepted. The group project paper will be due before the end of the class (June 12). To be well prepared, please start early.
Foreign Firm’s Management in China (Choice 1): Groups can also identify a real case capturing foreign firms’ management in China. The case can be published or developed by your own exploration (such as internet materials and interviews). Analyze the people aspect of this firm’s business, such as what are the major challenges of this firm, how Chinese workers (and/or customers) may bring difficulties to this firm, how effectively the firm has handled the challenges, etc.
China-foreign business negotiation analyses (Choice 2): Choose a real life China-foreign business negotiation case. Examples of “old” cases include the Shanghai Auto’s acquisition of Korean Ssangyong, TCL’s acquisition of French Thomson, Wahaha’s breaking apart from French Danone, Huawei’s joint venture with 3Com, and so on. Find new ones! Summarize the major events in the negotiation and analyze how the Chinese political, economic, cultural, and managerial aspects impacted the business negotiation, and what lessons both parties can learn.
IT tools to be used in the classroom
Registered students may log on to the “Blackboard” system for more convenient class communication. Ask the Undergraduate Office for your log on name and password.
Videos, CD-ROMs and other adjunct learning resources used
A number of video clips aiding the lectures and helping understanding will be shown in class.
Course Assessment
Course participation |
20% (including attendance, classroom etiquette, and contribution to class discussion) |
Individual essay | 30% |
Group project |
50%, including |
Rules students must follow
All registered students are expected to (1) actively attend the lecturing sessions, (2) complete all assignments on time, and (3) contribute fairly to group assignments. Details follow.
(1) Those who missed three times of lecturing will fail. Tardiness (e.g., being late or being inattentive at class) will be noticed and penalized. Active participation (you speak up in class and what you say actually contributes) will be rewarded.
(2) Assignments shall be submitted on time. No late assignments will be accepted or graded.
(3) Every group member shall contribute to group assignments. Free-riders, upon peer group members’ report, will be penalized and obtain a lower grade from the final project (compensating the other group members).
Textbooks
No textbook. Most reading materials and cases will be downloaded or purchased and then made copies to you by Guanghua’s Undergraduate Office. These materials will be available to you by the third week of this semester or handed out at individual sessions.
- Ambler, T., Witzel, M., & Xi, C. (2009). Doing business in China (3rd ed.). London: Routledge Curzon.
- Hamilton, S., & Zhang, J. A. (2012). Doing Business with China: Avoiding the Pitfalls. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Loyalka, M. D. (2012). Eating bitterness: Stories from the front lines of China's great urban migration. Berkeley: University of California Press.
- McEwen, W., Fang, X., Zhang, C., & Burkholder, R. (2006). Inside the mind of the Chinese consumer. Harvard Business Review, 84(3): 68-76.
- Midler, P. (2011). Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the China Production Game. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
- Paine, L. S. (2010). The China rules. Harvard Business Review, 88(6): 103-108. Perkowski, J. (2008). Managing the dragon: How I'm building a billion-dollar business in China. New York: Crown Business.
- Plafker, T. (2007). Doing Business In China: How to Profit in the World's Fastest Growing Market. New York: Hachette Book Group.
- Torrens, C. (2010). Doing Business in China: A Guide to the Risks and the Rewards.London: The Economist.
References & More Readings
Ambler, T., Witzel, M., & Xi, C. (2009). Doing business in China (3rd ed.). London: Routledge Curzon.
Hamilton, S., & Zhang, J. A. (2012). Doing Business with China: Avoiding the Pitfalls. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Loyalka, M. D. (2012). Eating bitterness: Stories from the front lines of China’s great urban migration. Berkeley: University of California Press.
McEwen, W., Fang, X., Zhang, C., & Burkholder, R. (2006). Inside the mind of the Chinese consumer. Harvard Business Review, 84(3): 68-76.
Midler, P. (2011). Poorly Made in China: An Insider’s Account of the China Production Game. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Paine, L. S. (2010). The China rules. Harvard Business Review, 88(6): 103-108. Perkowski, J. (2008). Managing the dragon: How I’m building a billion-dollar business in China. New York: Crown Business.
Plafker, T. (2007). Doing Business In China: How to Profit in the World’s Fastest Growing Market. New York: Hachette Book Group.
Torrens, C. (2010). Doing Business in China: A Guide to the Risks and the Rewards.London: The Economist.