Global Communications Class in the Real World

There’s nothing more exciting than seeing the lessons we learn here at b-school having real-world applications. So far the class I’ve gotten the most mileage out of has been Managerial Accounting, but the recent news event regarding shoe-throwing made me see how important my Global Communications class has been, particularly given the personal experiences of our professor, Tim Flood. Professor Flood has done business in the Middle East and North Africa, and had an interesting story which I think is useful for all Tarheels who might do business in the Middle East…

Tarheel cookies are seen as a nice gift with a cute local touch in a world where so much is ubiquitous. They’re foot-shaped sugar cookies with a dark patch on the heel, the tasty version of our school symbol.  Tim Flood told us a story about a time when he’d given these cookies to an Arab associate in Egypt, who was kind enough to explain to him how deeply offensive the cookies were in his culture, that it was terribly insulting to insinuate that someone represents the dirt under one’s foot or shoe.

Without the Global Communications class discussion on the variety of cultural gaffes we need to avoid on this rapidly shrinking and magnificently diverse planet, I, like most Americans, would not have realized the gravity of that Iraqi reporter’s action. While the class couldn’t possibly cover the full range of cultural do’s and don’ts the world over, Tim Flood did his best. I chose to take the class because I had more difficulty meshing with Spanish culture than any other country I’ve visited, so I wanted to see what I could learn about improving my ability to integrate before I spend the next 4 months at ESADE. As a representative of my school and my country, I have a certain level of responsibility. As a graduate of Tim Flood’s class, that responsibility is to “Judge Nothing Negatively.”

Susanna

An Epic Week

Well, it all began with our little KFBS Halloween shindig, which started out kinda slow but eventually got even crazier than last year’s party. Liz had the genius idea for us to go as Three’s Company, since we’re kinda like Jack, Janet and Chrissy anyway. Most of our classmates were too young to get it, but we had a blast anyway. However, I’m never wearing a blond wig again, it really got me into trouble! I was accosted by a whoopee cushion, among other things.

Then on Tuesday night, there was partying on Franklin St. but for a different reason! There were parties all over town to watch the election results, which I’d started checking for at 11 AM. The anticipation was killing me! The celebration at Mansion 462 was awesome, though!

So now it’s time for me to write some more cover letters, when I’d much rather be out building my social network. I’d love it if I could get a job on my charm and good looks, but those jobs aren’t always very sustainable. The thing I’ve loved most about b-school is all the rad friends I’ve made, both in school and not. I’ve even met some really cool MBA’s from other schools while out in the world, making me feel like I’m in a network within a network, where we all understand each other on a certain level.

Susanna Schick

Global Immersion Electives, or; my field trip to South Africa

How to compress two incredibly action-packed weeks in South Africa into one blog post??? So it starts with a big presentation about the various trips we can choose from, then we apply to the ones we want. At first it seems like an easy way to buy 3 credits (they’re not cheap) and enjoy a less touristy perspective of some exotic locale. But we really do work for those 3 credits after all. And it was sooo worth it! I was antsy through the pre-departure classes, eager to get there already and experience it. Mod 4 was pretty hardcore for me, so I wasn’t even thinking much about South Africa, being obsessed with passing Managerial Accounting.

But once we got there, it was so exciting to be somewhere so far from home. The minute we arrived at our hotel, a bunch of us hit the nearest nightspot, which was fabulous. Cape Town was gorgeous, albeit a little too European if you’re seeking a more authentically African experience. Our classes at UCT’s GSB were excellent, we had lectures from some of their professors on pertinent issues, such as the legacy of apartheid and current politics. We visited mostly large companies, some MNC’s, but most were based in South Africa.

It was really inspirational to hear all the things Pik n’ Pay (as big a deal as Wal Mart is here, but more like Target) is doing to help black entrepreneurs/suppliers, as well as how their founders flouted some of the inane apartheid laws. We also met with current UCT GSB and Wits GSB students, and got to talk to them about their experiences. Everywhere I went I struck up conversations with locals, seeking their perspective on things, which was fascinating.

The first week, we were out every night, some students probably contributed to the local economy in bars as much as I did in high-end South African designer fashion, of which there’s quite a lot to be had. Over the weekend we went to Pilansburg game reserve and it was so nice to unwind after a week of getting up 6 hours ahead of normal. We had 3 game drives (safaris) to choose from, and all were quite fruitful. I still haven’t seen any leopards, but we saw some black rhinos, which are pretty rare.

Johannesburg is a massive, smoggy sprawl that represents something like 30% of South Africa’s GDP. It’s very industrial, and felt rather impenetrable between the confusing layout and the nasty reputation it has. Yes, it is probably more dangerous than more developed major cities, and I let that reputation get to me more than in Cape Town. Cape Town was just too darn cute to be dangerous, and I walked all over the place, whereas Joburg is a city with a decimated core, sprawling warehouse districts, and massive slums, one of which, Alex, is in the midst of serious unrest.

However, we were put up in the toniest ‘burb, Sandton City, where all the businesses which used to be downtown have fled to. It was pleasant, but I craved the real city. I adore city life, and knew that somewhere in Joburg I’d find my people. I stayed on a couple extra days, in a chic boutique hotel in Melville, which was exactly the right place for me. It was hip, artsy, diverse, and so much fun. I rented a motorcycle and rode around the city, which was a great way to get a better feel for it, much more intimate than the bus tour of Soweto.

I wanted to go back and experience the real Soweto, but everyone said you can’t find it unless a local shows you, and that opportunity didn’t arise. But I had the most interesting deja-vu, as parts of Soweto resembled a dream I’d had before we arrived. In my dream, I was staying with some friends, in a rather humble house, and people of many races lived together in this house. I asked some Sowetans if white people had been moving in, and what they thought of it. They welcomed it, and seriously, I saw more interracial friendships and media representations in Joburg than I’ve seen in Los Angeles.

My favorite Joburg company visit was probably SABMiller, where we toured one of their largest breweries. The funny thing is, I don’t even drink. I enjoyed it so much because the brewery manager actually became nervous with all my sustainability questions. I was freaking out about how on their website they say it takes about 5 liters of water to make 1 liter of beer. And that’s not including all the water it takes to grow the hops, barley, sorghum, etc. Sure, SABMiller has many breweries that operate below that global average, but I still wanted to know how he could get it down to 1:1.

At one point he mentioned effluent, and I asked him what happens with the effluent, as that’s not mentioned on their website. So he told me. Turns out, brewery effluent is good for municipal water supplies, as it has these microorganisms that help purify the water. So they actually send most of theirs to the city, leaving only about .8:1 being wasted. Phew. I told him that needed to be on their website, and he explained that he’d though everyone knew where brewery effluent went, and was glad to hear an outsider’s perspective. Well, maybe I will be a good sustainability consultant after all.

Susanna

Water

The more I learn about this most precious resource, the more worried I become. I grew up in California, so droughts are nothing new to me, nor is drinking recycled water, creepy though it is. I recently discovered, through one of my favorite blogs (below), that the State of Florida gave Nestle all the water they need from a spring. To bottle and sell as Deer Park. At the same time, Florida imports some of its drinking water from Georgia, the state hardest hit by the most recent drought. So why are they giving away such a scarce resource?

We’d like to think the drought is over now that we’ve had a spot of rain, but unfortunately rainfall doesn’t increase to match increased demand/population growth. Until we find ways to better manage water use, we’ve got a grave problem. Agricultural and industrial sectors use the majority, which makes me glad I’m at b-school, so I can help these companies find ways to conserve water and reduce costs. Especially since governments don’t seem to be doing much about it.

I was taking a shower the other day and the water stopped. I was under a lot of stress and this kinda set me over the edge. I was overcome with the level of terror appropriate to the day when the water truly does run out, which was of course an overreaction, as it was only a broken water main. Still, it was really unnerving, and I went to school worrying about water. But when I got there, my day turned around. Finally, they’ve installed dual-flush handles in the toilets at Kenan-Flagler! I don’t know how much water they actually save, or if people even care enough to use them as directed, but it made the future seem a little less bleak.

Here’s nifty resource for keeping an eye on drought conditions in your area!

And the article about Nestle in Florida

Managerial Accounting

The name alone inspires yawns, right? But couple it with a professor who really knows how to keep us on our toes, and it’s actually pretty exciting. I was a little scared when an uber-smart 2nd year told me it was soooo hard. But he went on to explain it’s so hard because Professor Bylinski expects everyone to come to class prepared. Well, that’s easy enough, I like reading and trying to struggle through a set of problems. Especially when I don’t have to turn them in for a grade, and can work them out with my group. But for real, it’s amazing how relentless he is. I kinda enjoy it, for some sick reason. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to working under tremendous pressure for insanely demanding people. But then, I’m sure most of my classmates are as well.

I also like it because it’s all about the bottom line- costing. Which is something I really care about, and have no real experience in. Costing was something the production manager did after we’d finished the show samples. I did my best to make sure my patterns and therefore garments were easy to make, as I knew that would keep labor costs down, and that labor was the biggest cost, but never sat in costing meetings discussing it.

But today came the real golden lesson, the one I will hold fast to for quite some time:

“As assets increase, cash decreases.”

Yes, I have a walk-in closet full of lovely assets, which I just increased at Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall over Spring Break. But it is nice having cash in the bank, particularly given the current state of the stock market and the fact that I jumped in last July, just as the nose dive began. yikes. So I’ll keep the wisdom of Bylinski at the forefront, as I start to value cash much more than the assets I can wear.

Susanna

Working On Teams

Posted by Susanna.

Although my experience as a patternmaker was that of an integral member of a tight-knit team, with a big project due every season (seemed more like every minute!), there was a clear hierarchy that made it quite different than working on a team of equals. I was a bit apprehensive about teamwork before coming to business school, because my only experience had been a couple of projects in undergrad where there was the archetypal free rider.

I asked all the schools I applied to how their study groups are built, and was wary of the ones which were self-selected. I was happy when Kenan-Flagler told me that the teams are engineered to have the optimal mix of backgrounds/abilities. I could just imagine me and bunch of other liberal-arts types slugging through some Statistics group project! Actually, in ASW, a few of us did try to study Finance together and it wasn’t nearly as effective as working with someone a little more capable. We only have designated study groups for the Fall term, and after that we can pick our own groups, which has also worked out well. I’ve been able to bring a lot more to my groups on research papers & case studies, as writing is one of my strengths.

This week we got our grades back on teamwork,which I passed and generally received positive feedback from my study group. However, I was rated a bit low on my ability to deliver value/work to the group. This makes sense, given that I am the weakest member in the math realm, and the majority of our Fall classes were quantitative. But I learned a lot from my teammates, even when it wasn’t what I wanted to learn. Most of all, I learned that I am capable of working with a team of equals, and that we could get along and get the job done without having to form a hierarchy or anything like that.

My big group project for Spring is the STAR Practicum, a real consulting job for a real company, led by a faculty advisor with consulting experience. It has been an amazing experience so far, even though we’ve had some rough patches. But more importantly, the client has been really happy with our work. For Introduction to Entrepreneurship, I grabbed a couple of friends and we interviewed one of my new heroes, Phil Harvey, a Tarheel who’s done incredible things. More about that later, or just Wiki him. In Global Context of Business, I worked with a group on a hypothetical position statement on global warming for the CEO of Duke Energy. I now know more about the utility industry than I ever wanted to!

Between group projects and case competitions, we have opportunities to work with many different classmates, which is a great way to get to know each other and to keep in mind who you might want to work with when you’re picking teams for a new business or department…