Since the ratification of the World Trade Organization, seldom does a business - Essay Example

Globalization is now a phenomenon that has tremendous impact in businesses worldwide. Since the ratification of the World Trade Organization, seldom does a business entity escape from the effects of international relations. This means that to succeed in this global environment firms should develop effective skills in fostering relationships with foreigners. And no other person is qualified for this endeavor other than persons who had various interpersonal interactions with people of diverse and multifaceted cultures.

As a Chinese who is presently taking my chances in the United States to obtain education from one of the world's top business schools, Wharton, I believe my most potent strength lies in this: my capacity to infuse a fresh cross-cultural perspective in the study group. Studying abroad is a very daunting task. I have to adapt to a culture very different from those where I belong. Receiving my basic education in Hong Kong, I realized beforehand that Asians, especially the Chinese, have different learning and interpersonal orientation from Westerns.

I have noticed and learned through experience that our ancestors instilled discipline and obedience in our educational system, Westerners, on the other hand, engenders independence and creativity. Aside from this, in business, Chinese and other East Asian countries are more adept in quantitative skills, Americans, however are more skillful in giving presentations and in expressing themselves creatively. Though initially intimidated by these differences in attributes and orientation of the two sides of the globe, I realized that I have a definite advantage from my peers.

The opportunity of immersing myself in the diverse cultures of the East and the West is very essential in the age of globalization. The luxury of learning and actually experiencing the strengths of both cultures is now within my grasp. By persevering in exposing myself in them, I now have first hand access to the advantages and benefits that the two cultures provide. Instead of master only one aspect of business, which happens to be the strength of one of the two cultures, I have the opportunity to learn both.

Through this I can gain better insight on the problems that the group would encounter in the future. I will be able to bridge cultural gaps between my fellow group members and mine. I can share to them what I have learned after experiencing my past interactions with persons of both nationalities. I can also impart to my classmates and even to the faculty the discipline, loyalty, and obedience that is evident in Chinese culture. This will compliment the independence and creativity that Americans and other Westerners are known for.

Aside from merely learning academic and theoretical knowledge found in the syllabus and to be taught by professors, I can supply actual accounts of activities and business cases that I personally had when I was still in Hong Kong and China. This will make classroom and group discussion more interactive and realistic. Lastly, being a person coming from one of the most active country in the world in terms of economic growth, I can somehow provide my classmates an overview of the business activities and economic expansion of China and Hong Kong.

I can convey the intricacies of the uniqueness of the Chinese culture. China is currently a major player in international business, and its mysterious aura is still strange in the West. By being a member of the class and the group, I can gradually open the eyes of the West to the rich and wonderful opportunities yet to be tapped in the East.