As entrepreneurship become more and more important in today’s society, there is an increasingly demand of entrepreneurial education in some universities. However, as Thomas Lawrence, Nelson Phillips, & Paul Tracey say in their blog “Entrepreneurship education”, which I read recently, there are two big challenges: “1) to develop a solid understanding of precisely what social entrepreneurs and innovators actually do, and therefore, what they need to know, and 2) to identify the best ways to organize courses and what to include in terms of course content.”

I strongly agree with these two problems and come up with some improvements.

First, universities should set up entrepreneurship courses to students not only from business schools but also from other faculties. It can give enough opportunities for students who are interested in entrepreneur and it can enhance students’ knowledge of entrepreneur as well as raise their awareness of entrepreneur.

Second, universities should promote the concept of innovation via e-mails, posters and activities. Universities should also encourage students’ innovation for the school and society. It is the high time for students to develop their innovation in universities.

Third, it is important to offer students opportunities to practise what they learn in entrepreneurial education. For example, students can establish their own entrepreneur in universities.

Sources: http://www.ssireview.org/blog/entry/entrepreneurial_education#bio-footer

http://reneskaflestad.com/2013/05/the-magic-happens-outside-your-comfort-zone/

Organizational culture has become increasingly important for companies， which want to be more influential around the world. Organizational culture can be vividly revealed from companies’ employees, their product and their working environment. Strong organization culture helps companies unite their employees, operate their plans and make them more profitable efficiently.

A typical example is Google. Google’s strong organization culture can be found in its working place. First, employees are offered free cafeteria during working. It is very considerable. Second, managers show their respect to their employees and work with them. Last but not least, there is a tool in Google called Google-O-Meter, which can gather suggestions from employees. Employees in Google are also encouraged to give feedback to each other.

Google’s strong organizational culture can be found from its promotion and employees they hire. Google is prepared to show its culture public and share its culture with others. The culture of Google is open-minded, determined and Google think highly of ability, rather than experience. As Natasha Perovich says in the blog (This is the link:https://blogs.ubc.ca/natashaperovich/2013/11/15/organizational-culture/) : “The business must hire people with shared values and conviction.” I agree with it. It shows that, companies attach importance to their core value and want employees to determine the value in order to make the company better.

Action that Google takes to enhance their organizational culture makes Google more influential among their competitors worldwide. Google is a united and efficient company and employees are willing to work in it. The trust between employees and managers is tight. That is what a strong organizational culture brings to Google. Therefore, it is important to have strong organizational culture.

Sources: http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/2013/05/08/the-importance-of-a-strong-corporate-culture/

http://www.google.ca/about/company/facts/culture/

http://barry-overstreet.com/how-do-i-change-the-organizational-culture/

Organizational Culture

Taobao is a online shopping website similar to Amazon in China. In the past November 11, 13, Taobao has earned 35 billion by promotion, compared with past few years data, the sales have increased a lot. Not only increased the sale, but the customer service improved, many customers received their product one day after placing the order. What makes Taobao a big success recently, because of the use of information technology.

First of all, Taobao gathers product information and creates diverse categories of product on their website. Also, customers feel it efficient to find what they want. With the development of technology, more and more people prefer to shop online. Taobao seizes the opportunity and make it convenient for customer.

Second, the merchants in Taobao will receive customer’s reply after finishing one purchase online. These information will be revealed from each merchant’s website, and other buyers will know whether the evaluation of the merchant is good or not. It is a good way for merchant to improve their customer service. For example, customer can receive their product more efficient.

Third, Taobao makes good use of website, weibo (a website like twitter) and other media to promote their discount information. Taobao has its own App as well. By using these methods, it attracts customer to shop online. In the information age, more and more news appears online, if a company can succeed in online promotion, it will make improve their sales.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taobao

http://www.techinasia.com/china-online-shopping-day-november-11-2013-500-million-dollars-in-20-minutes/

http://www.techinasia.com/taobao-smashes-mobile-shopping-record-100-million-sales-1-hour/

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-11/alibaba-breaks-sales-record-on-china-singles-day-amid-discounts.html

http://thenextweb.com/asia/2012/12/03/alibabas-tmall-and-taobao-ecommerce-sites-pass-157b-in-combined-2012-sales-volume/

As we can see that Nokia suffered a really difficult time in 2011, its sales are falling. Nokia has taken action t obtain sustainability. The CEO of Nokia, Stephen Elop says:” Sustainability has continued to be a core area of focus something right at the heart of Nokia.” For example, Nokia focus on helping next billion people get connected to a digital experience. It helps people and communities get through the difficult time when Nokia during a tough time period.

However, there are still some limitations on Nokia’s sustainability. First of all, Nokia failed to follow the trend of current smartphone market. So Nokia will get less capital to carry out its sustainability plan. It seems that Nokia has spent a long time on sustainability instead of marking or decision making.

Second, the smartphones Nokia designed have disadvantages. It is inconvenient for customers to use. For instance, there is no mass storage mode and no file manager. Nokia should satisfy its customer needs about function of phones and then put effort on sustainability.

Third, the CEO of Nokia, Stephen Elop, made wrong decision that Nokia cooperated with WP. For most customers, they prefer and are familiar with MeeGo or Symbian systems. Elop made the decision against customer’s will.

There is no doubt that Nokia put effort to attain sustainability and contribute to corporate social responsibility. But if Nokia wants to become relevant to today’s fierce smartphone market, it is the high time for Nokia to change their strategies to obtain sustainability.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/PJ-QE9nL53g” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sources:

http://www.nokia.com/global/about-nokia/people-and-planet/strategy/reports/sustainability-reports/

http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/06/nokias-2011-csr-report-shows-sustainability-difficult-times/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ-QE9nL53g#t=92

As an American TV series fan, especially a fan of the Big Bang Theory, I find something interesting in this TV series. It is easy to find that the Big Bang Theory inserts some Chinese elements in typical episodes. For example, Sheldon learns to speak Chinese and he eats Chinese food on Thursday. Even in season five, episode 17, there is a bottle of milk produced by a Chinese milk company on the side table in Sheldon’s room.

the one hand, there are some positive effects. First, we know that foreign TV series enjoy great popularities among Chinese audience, so producers of these TV series tends to insert more Chinese profit to earn more. Second, it shows the economic grow in China, because in today’s global market, Chinese companies use TV series to promote their products in an international way. Third, as a Chinese, I am proud that my countries’ culture earns respect from foreigners. They have the enthusiasm to learn Chinese culture.

However, there are some negative misunderstandings. Because the majority of audience is American and the TV series is a comedy, the producer tends to make fun of Chinese to keep the audience’s interest. For example, they say China has sweatshop. However, in China, this bad economic phenomenon has improved a lot. It vividly reveals the foreigners’ misunderstandings about Socialism and Chinese economy.

In a word, as the old saying goes: “Every coin has two sides.” Every Chinese is happy to Chinese elements in American TV series and believes that the misunderstanding will be understood if we take action to change these misunderstandings.

sources: http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20120308000053&cid=1102

http://www.latitudenews.com/story/china-big-bang-theory-shuhua-product-placemen/

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/11/entertainment/la-et-ct-chinese-pay-for-product-placement-in-hollywood-movies-20120910

When a video on YouTube has been seen for 4 million in only 4 days, you may think it is concerned with some superstars. However, this time, it is different that the video is a commercial, which made by a tampon delivery company. The company Hello Flo becomes successful for its commercial as well as some other factors.

First, the creative and interesting advertisement called “The Camp Gyno” seems to talk about a story that a girl who is the first to be in period teaches other girls about the period. The company inserted their product into it very nature —– when the girl finds that nobody come to listen her lesson, because they order the “Period Starter Kit” from Hello Flo.

Second, the company provides thoughtful service with customers. Customer pay $14 to $18 a month and then they will receive a box of tampons and things like sweets, which is useful for women both physical and mental.

Third, the company develops product for women in all age. Such as the “Period Starter Kit” is designed for young girls. It also offers different types of flo and customers can get different and suitable products for themselves.

sources:http://helloflo.com/chooseaplan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XnzfRqkRxU

Have you ever seen the move “ Transformers”? It is really an exciting film, but a lot of people complain about its product placement, which means the commercials inserted into the film. However, I think product placement can be a success if it is used in a proper way. Here are my examples and analyses.

On the one hand, for the Chinese comedy film “If You Are the One II”, it inserted the commercials in a natural way instead of showing products on purpose. It shows a unique hotel (the hotel connected to a national park with a draw bridge) in Hannan province when the lead roles are travelling together without giving the name that arises people attraction in Hanan and makes it a popular place to go.

One the other hand, it is the “007” series for it make the product placement a culture. This film tend to insert commercials, it reflects the actors and actresses’ positions, occupations. The commercials and the film are a whole. It the product placement is a tradition and a good model to follow.

Therefore, the product placement in films can be a success, if it is place in a natural way and connected with the films closely.

sources: http://sfs-cn.eastday.com/node3/node625/node3032/u1a1455134.html

http://www.hollywoodmegastore.com/frame-set3.htm?http://hollywoodmegastore.com/cgi-bin/VirtualCatalog3/CatalogMgr.pl?cartID=b-4435&SearchField=category&SearchFor=PostersMoviesTVShows007&template=Htx/posters.htx&hdr=Hollywood+Mega+Store+Product+Listing:+Sean+Connery+Posters&

As Yan Rong said in the blog ( Here is the link:https://blogs.ubc.ca/yanrong/2013/11/14/facebook-is-experiencing-the-stage-of-plumment/) :”With the increasing number of substitutes, the advantages of Facebook, fun and fresh, are no longer distinguishable. ” I agree with this. There a lot of social networks in today’s internet. Pinterest is an example which is fun and fresh. I haven’t heard Pinterest until yesterday my friend and I analysed this special social networks. I found that it is a really interesting tool on the interet.

It has its PoP that it is a user friendly website. It can raise people’s interest to things that they like as well as you can learn some useful suggestions from others. You can meet friends with same hobbies with you and form a group to make plans to hang out sometimes. Unlike facebook, instagram, it connects different social networking sites and other websites in their website, rather than only focusing on one. Right as the website says: “Pinterest is a tool for collecting and
organizing things you love.” And then you can share it with your friend.

I advocate this kind of social networks for it has a positive effect that it will attract people’s interest to do things. While facebook, instagram only focus on authors’ feeling instead of inspiring others.

sources: http://about.pinterest.com

http://www.businessinsider.com/pinterest-content-sharing-closes-in-on-e-mail-2013-10

https://blogs.ubc.ca/yanrong/

Why I choose to write this blog? Because today is my senior high school’s 125^th anniversary, the ceremony was really fabulous and everyone put effort into it. I want to say happy birthday my dear school and sent my best wishes to her! However, I find that there are some facts, which reflected from different schools’ anniversary ceremony concerned with economy.

My school’s ceremony 

On the one hand, I find that my school reconstructed a lot of old buildings, including school history museum. It indeed improved school’s fame and make the school more beautiful, but as a student who graduated from it, I have never visited the school history museum when I was in school. It is kind of wasting money for reconstructing the school history museum only open in typical days.

On the other hand, the distinguished guests who came to the ceremony are mostly from the government, other school’s presidents as well as former students. But there are fewer former school students who are successful in business have been invited.

In my opinion, I think school should make good use its money to students’ study environment, such as reconstructing labs. Besides, school should attach importance to persons who devoted themselves to business.

Sources: http://photo.renren.com/photo/248452356/photo-7463867825

It is vividly reveals from the book “Organizational Behavior” that: “Ethic is the study of moral values or principles that guide our behavior and inform us whether actions are right or wrong.” Therefore, the business ethics talk about the relation between business and moral principles as will as set regulations to solve ethical problems connected with economy, which are of great significant for people who commit themselves to commerce.

Companies in China should stress importance to business ethics for its serious quality problems. For example, as it reported in BBC news “China to step up monitoring of baby milk powder “(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23630286), the government began to monitor baby milk powder strictly. As we all know that in September 2008, a influential Chinese company called “San Lu” produced milk powder contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, which led to plenty of babies’ have severe calculus of kidney and the company also lost their trust from costumers and their good brand too. Only couple month ago, another milk powder company in China also trapped in the poisonous milk powder.

Children are checked in hospital                          Recall

It raised extensive discussion about solutions to business ethics in China. In my opinion, firstly, companies should value their responsibility in society instead of chasing profit blindly to realize business ethics. Secondly, for the government, it is the high time for them to establish authorities like FDA in the US to monitor the market. Last but not least, the costumers should have a positive and calm attitude towards this issue and evaluate it objectively other than being supreme scared about the food in China. Because it will disturb other countries’s milk powder market’s order.

In a word, it is business ethics rather than profit that make for a successful company and it should be encouraged and promoted in 21st century China’s commerce.

sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23630286