GLOBALLY AWARE A group of business students embrace Chinese culture and business D uring the summers, many students took intersession courses or went on vacation, but in the summer of 2013, several students had the opportunity to do both. For the first time, Harding's College of Business Administration offered the chance to become acquainted with Chinese culture and business practices, acquiring credit for IB 325, global business environment. Dr. Bryan Burks, dean of COBA, and Dr. Allen Frazier, associate dean of COBA, led 11 students from the Business Department on a whirlwind tour of Chinese businesses and universities, introducing students "to the interworking of business and how business is conducted in China," according to Frazier. COBA faculty decided that China was a good place to take business students due to its prominent position in current global economics. "From my standpoint, if you look at the news, there is so much talk of China being a world power, and it is becoming an economic power," Frazier said. "So I think it was invaluable for them to see firsthand why the news would be saying that." In preparation for the two-week trip, students read two books: one about Chinese culture and another about the last century of developments in Chinese business. Students toured two businesses, two universities, a technology firm, an equipment manufacturer and a government relations firm to get a holistic picture of each player in Chinese business. During the course of the trip, students became familiar with significant differences between American and Chinese business cultures. In China, the government played a large role in business transactions, which surprised the students, who were used to limited government interference. "[The Chinese] have a large governmental presence in their businesses, and it is important for everyone to be in good relations with them," senior management information systems major Matthew White said. "You cannot just start up a business and expect to be successful without the government being involved." The students encountered governmental regulation in areas besides just business. "They are not really as free over there," senior general studies major Candice Meadows said. "For the first time, we were being told what we could and could not do. I got in trouble for being on Facebook and Twitter while I was there because in China, it is illegal." Experiencing the governmental regulation of Chinese culture helped the group to gain a better understanding of the perspective of the Chinese students at Harding. "Having students learn the background of culture in China was a great and important step for Harding," Frazier said. "It is important for us as a university to understand where [the Chinese students] are coming from, so in turn, we have a better understanding of how to talk to and approach them." I B 325 was a recent introduction to the Business Department, and the faculty intended to continue the trip. According to Frazier, several business faculty traveled to China independently. However, COBA extended the privilege to students, recognizing the importance of becoming acquainted with global economics for their professional lives. Bethany Nicholson 11 STUDENTS 7 cultural sites visited 18 hours ~~~~t~~ 7 business sites visited 91
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