Month: November 2011

India has officially opened its doorsto welcome foreign retail chains. Before, giants such as Wal-Mart and Tesco could only operate as a wholesaler instead of selling to consumers directly. Now they can open their stores domestically in India. However not everyone agrees with the decision, with many fearing it will destroy Indian retailers.

If I had read this article in high school, I would have agreed with the opposing people. Obviously these large corporations have the ability to get better and cheaper products compared to Indian retailers, however with the knowledge I have gained this semester this might not be true. This decision will change India for the better since it’s moving them towards a free market, which means there will be more opportunities and cheaper prices in India. The increased competition will force businesses to work harder for the cash they seek, and for consumers that’s a good thing because they’ll get more benefits.

India and China are most likely going to be the next global leaders in business. Just like 200 years ago, people are once again seeking to trade with those 2 countries. But instead of silk and spice, it’s now labor and opportunities.

In 20 years, China transformed itself from a country that people looked down to a global powerhouse. With a total GDP of $5.93 trillion dollars last year, it is 2nd only to the US.

In this blog from Harvard Business Review, the blogger states that the major cities in China such as Beijing and Shanghai make Western and European cities look like the countryside. As we have discussed in class, many large corporations prefer to have their headquarters located in the countryside for cheaper cost and a stable work force. However the opposite is true for China, where all the large corporations are located in the big cities. Why you ask? Because China is only developed in those cities. I agree with the blogger that the gap between the cities and the countrysides is simply too great. People in the countryside are not educated enough to work in a serious business environment. In order for China to truly become a global leader, it needs to develop all around, not just those couple places they can show off.

But I guess we shouldn’t be too hard on them, after all they accomplished this much in 20 years. Who knows what will happen in another 20.

My friend Aaron Chan blogged about the purpose of going to university. Just like him, I grew up being taught that university is absolutely necessary to attend because it will grant me better job opportunities which ultimately helps me make more money. This article claims that 1 in 5 students with a bachelor’s degree still end up being on the lower end of the salary scale. Other than the obvious skepticism we have discussed in class (When did they graduate? Is money everything? What kind of bachelor’s degree?), I want to add on that education was not created so people could earn money in the future. Living creatures educate each other because they want to pass on their knowledge to the next generation, so that they have a better chance of survival.

My purpose for attending UBC is to learn about life and the extent of my potential, not how to take derivatives. I want my life to be as fulfilling as possible, so when I look back I won’t have any regrets. Money is simply an award that people received when they do a job to a satisfactory degree.

So to answer Aaron’s question, yes I want to be here.

After reading Eleanore Chang’s blog about the Occupy of Wall Street, I thought about the purpose of this protest. In her blog, she stated that it will be impossible to get the message across if people keep on getting arrested. In my opinion, Occupy Wall Street is childish and pointless. However, it is even more absurd that these protesters believe they can change their lives by changing government policy. Do people truly believe that their lives will be better when government gives them more leeway? The 1% in this world are the 1% because they have talent and work hard. I’m sorry to say this but not everyone is born equally, some have better luck while some are truly gifted. However everyone is born with the ability to work hard, and clearly these protesters are utilizing their gift of working hard to their potential.

To respond to Eleanore, yes they did send out a message, but probably not the one they wanted. The message I got was that the 99% are cry babies that want their “parents” to do what they demand. Be glad they are in America instead of the Middle East or Africa, now stop whining and do some work.

British Gas is having a huge makeover due to a “loss of trust” by their customers. They are giving customers the choice to choose from two types of tariff for their bill so people can reduce their payments. They decided for this reform due to a recent assessment of the British energy industry, which claimed that they are making excess profit they shouldn’t be. British Gas wants to fix this problem since their company values social responsibility.

When we talked about business ethics, I preferred Freeman’s ideal over Friedman’s. Friedman’s idea of a business simply wouldn’t work as well in today’s world because people seek equality and rights. A company based on Freeman’s ideals will do better in the long term. However in the case of British Gas, I personally believe this is more of a marketing scheme and an image makeover than truly wanting the better for their customers. The difference offered between the two tariffs is probably small, not to mention tariffs are a form of tax given to the government. So British Gas is simply making the customers pay a little less tax and they pay a bit more, overall they lose very little.

Microsoft is the most famous software manufacturer in the world. Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen back in 1975, it developed operating systems and programs for PC that was available for the masses. In recent years they started to develop hardware electronics such as cellphones and computer accessories, as well as entering the gaming industry with the Xbox.

Based on the reading, Microsoft is one of the most successful entrepreneurial ventures in the world. The speed and amount of wealth obtained by Microsoft is absolutely stunning, and it made Bill Gates the richest man in the world for quite a while. In terms of risks, Microsoft was established when computers simply aren’t accessible or necessary in the common household. They were heading into an unknown market. Microsoft was extremely innovative when it introduced Windows 95, and it revolutionized how computers are ran. However in recent years many people criticized Microsoft’s innovation by claiming that they are simply coping what others are making, except making it better. For example, the newest version of Windows, the 7 had many clear similarities to Apple’s operating system. However this will not stop Microsoft from the success it has been having, and it will continue to dominate the technology industry.