Thursday, December 18, 2008

While GM Was Doing Whatever They Do, BYD of Shenzhen Innovates

Today, the very first Chinese plug-in hybrid was sold. The car is the F3DM from BYD, a company that formerly made batteries. The word from my design research colleague is that BYD had made a bundle in mobile-phone batteries, so to build a hybrid car, they went out and bought a car company.

The F3DM is, as of today the 17h of December, 2008, the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid. The General Motors offering, the Chevrolet Volt, was slated to go on sale at the end of 2010.But today, (more) sad news from the auto behmoth. GM announced that they were putting the engineering of the Volt's engine on hold. They say they don't have the cash.

This should put the lie to the word on the street about the lack of engineering innovation in China. (Check out the Hard-hat show from SexyBeijing.tv for more on Chinese design. . . ).

There are problems with the quality of a lot of products in China--big problems. But there is also some real innovation. When you visit, see if you sense any special optimism, any special pride among younger white-collar workers in China. Will the feeling be the same among working class people who have issues with health care and high prices? And when will this car be available in the USA? These are things to look for when you visit Shanghai and Beijing. We should look for a BYD dealer, too.

What does BYD stand for? Build Your Dream. There's that optimism, at least in the choice of a company name. (Yes this YouTube is in Mandarin, but watch it, anyway).

Monday, December 15, 2008

Required and Suggested Reading




The First Required Reading
(click the link below)
The Ben Ross Blog's 30 Days in a Chinese Barbershop
(Ben is a former UMKC and KU student whose blog has won international attention--if only he'd get off his duff and publish it so that more people could enjoy and learn from it!)

The Second Required Reading
Winchester, Simon
2008 The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Ulocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom. New York: Haper Collins. [Sorry but it isin't out in paper yet, but you can find discounted copies here and there)

There are a number of not-required things that are recommended. There will be a syllabus after a while. You'll see.

Kansas City and China--A Connection?


A number of years ago, I fell in love with China. It wasn't my idea. That's how love happens. And like any love affair, my own relationship with China (and with that lover who introduced me to the place) has had its ups and downs.

It is not enough, however, to say that a personal or business relationship with China is complicated. It is not enough to say that China is difficult, that the Chinese spoken language is easier than it might seem, or that doing business in China takes time. If you really want to work in China, if you really want to understand China and apply what you learn to more general practice in International business (and, one can hope, in one's personal life) you have to get specific.

This blog is a step toward this specificity, a step toward specifying what makes China difficult, why it is different than your US experience, and in what ways it might be the same. It is an effort to specify what makes the Chinese language feel and sound and mean in the many ways it feels and sounds and means. And, with your help, this blog can be a way to share what a group of University Business Students from Kansas City are learning.