COURSE FEEDBACK

I liked the whole course. I enjoyed all the activities done during the semester. It was dynamic and different from other courses that are only theorical.
I only recommend for the following courses that the oral presentations should be shorter because some groups do not make them so interesting, and other classmates loss the interest to attend them.

Gina, I wish you success in future courses.

Thank you!

AMERICA MOVIL: LATIN AMERICAN COMPANY

This is a Mexican Company with operational presence in 18 American countries. Its services are focused in telecommunications, mainly in wireless communication.

Mexico and Brasil are the major markets. The first one operates under the name Telcel, and the second one by Claro. The last brand works also in Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.

In Colombia also has the biggest portion of the mobile communication market through the name Comcel.

Other countries with America Movil existence are: Salvador, Guatemala, Panamá, Nicaragua, Perú, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Republica Dominicana, Jamaica, Honduras and off course, United States.

The number of mobile users are around 182 millions, and it also has fixed lines in Central America and the Caribbean, there are 3,8 million of them.

It is important to mention this company because its major shareholder Carlos Slim, besides being currently the world's richest man, he has been brought forward this company and he has positioned itself as one of the largest in the telecommunications sector. For that reason is essential to highlight some of his thoughts and strategies that led his business to success.

• His decision to buy and improve the performance of other companies and of the state monopoly.
• His way of life, simple, prudent and without luxuries.
• The importance to start from scratch and from small businesses in order to diversifed its portfolio of services (Nowadays he owns not only America Movil but also the Inbursa Mexican Bank, the conglomerate Carso Group -includes a hotel network, industrial and construction firms, among others).
• His extensive knowledge not only in the field of business but also in the philanthropic, cultural and even in sports, has made him an integrity man who can manage its diverse and powerful companies in the best possible way as he has done until now.

According to the information mentioned above, all the companies that belongs to the Latin American region should adopt these practices to carry them to success and to a continuous growth. This would not only benefit themselves but also their own country, excluding more and more the inequalities that plague most countries in Central and South America.

References:

El Colombiano (2010). Carlos Slim, la disciplina es su clave, from Elcolombiano.com.co Website: http://www.elcolombiano.com/BancoConocimiento/C/carlos_slim_la_disciplina_es_su_clave/carlos_slim_la_disciplina_es_su_clave.asp

Portafolio (2010). Conozca a Carlos Slim, el hombre más rico del mundo, from Portafolio.com.co Website:http://www.portafolio.com.co/economia/economiahoy/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR_PORTA-7405067.html

America Movil, Business News Americas (2010). Telecommunications Company Profile, from Bnamericas.com Website: http://www.bnamericas.com/

You Tube (2010). Carlos Slim Helu takes No. 1 spot on Forbes World´s Billionaires 2010, from Youtube.com Website http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-sXbuMHLEE

COMMENTED BLOGS

I made comments in the following blogs:

1. Angela María Alvarez Osorio: http://angy8813.blogspot.com
2. Damián Cardona Montoya: http://damian-oyc.blogspot.com
3. Carlos Andrés Lozano Carbonell: http://internationalbusiness-carloslozano.blogspot.com
4. Diego Alejandro Silva Zapata: http://culturediegosilva.blogspot.com
5. Laura Soto Hernández: http://laura-sotoh.blogspot.com

IT IS USEFUL TO SAY SORRY AFTER YEARS OF WRONG POLICIES TOWARDS A MINORITY? WHY, WHAT ELSE IS NEEDED?

I think that is useful but not enough to say sorry to the minorities for many reasons. One of them is because actual generation of people has to be aware of what happened during the period of social exclusion and discrimination, whether of minorities, aborigins or different social groups; in order to avoid the same treatment for those people. Another reason could be the support that almost the majority of those communities need, they have to be understood, to be protected and respected by everybody without any exception. Their customs, beliefs and practices have to be valued and appreciated, not been violated nor excluded by the "modern society". And a finally argument is because since they don´t perturb our lives nor our traditions, we have to respect them and to promote legislations that defend their rights and the inclusion in the nation development.

They belong to our territory and to our history, so why do we have to eliminate them? They also contribute to our economy, to our national identity, so let´s not forget them, instead let´s educate, support and integrate them into our civilization politically, economically, socially and culturally!!

TRADE UNIONS IN EUROPE VS. IN COLOMBIA

Trade unions appeared as a response of workers to the worst effects of the Industrial Revolution. The first ones were established in Western Europe and the United States in the late 18th and early 19th century as. As the industrial system was developing, many people left the countryside to look for jobs scarce in the major urban centers. For that reason the trade unions were created. At first, they were persecuted by their leaders and the governments, because they were considered as conspiracy groups and also as an obstacle to the full economic development lived at that time. But then in the 19th century, after many legislation procedures and the emerge of new laws, the trade unions were benefitiated and began to be stronger.In Latin America, trade unions came out in the late 19th century.

Nowadays, in Europe trade unions are represented by a formal institution called the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) founded in 1973. Its main purpose is to accomplish agreements through collective bargaining with employers. The issues for this kind of negotiation is much more than the simple negotiation of working hours and wages, reflecting the growing complexity of industrial societies, the greatest strength of the unions and the increasing demands of the workers. This entity ensures the growth and the sustainability of the european economy, of its companies and employees.

On the other hand, the Colombian trade unions are managed in a different way. The State controls the majority of them in terms of the negotiations, the worker´s interests and the new creation of regulations for the employees. There are many trade unions in the country, particularly the stronger are the trade unions of the state enterprises, national, departmental and municipal ones. Similarly, the Colombian constitution and labor law, protect the right of association through the legality of the trade unions and industry.

THE BEST WEB BLOG FROM "THE BOB´S"

I chose one of the Web blog´s winner, called Design for the other 90 per cent. I liked it too much because it is promoting ideas and practices to help people around the world that doesn´t have any access to many products, services and information.

It is very gratifying to know that there are still some people who seek not only their own welfare but also that of others, especially those whose condition is extreme poverty and are completely isolated from the rest of the world. It is also very good that there are sites that promote non-discrimination and social inclusion of people, providing them help and support.

The Middle East Banking System

The Middle East region is becoming a well-known young society. Also the technology has increased the portfolio of financial services, every time deeper and more exigent in order to assignated all the investments in a correct way avoiding the loss of money and the stock´s productivity. Most of the Arabians are putting their capital in the local market, improving the domestic financial market and creating a confindence, security and no risk harmony in the environment among Middle East investors. This type of banking strategy has been studied for most of the world´s financial sector leaders to be implemented in their own countries.

Several strategies applied by that region have been the following ones:

-Improving the management of risk.

-Identifying productive projects and efficient firms.

-Promoting corporate governance.

-Mobilising savings.

-Mitigating the adverse effects of financial shocks.

Some aspects which are being developed in the economic market of the Middle East are the flooding of the insurance and the credit card market industry and the existence of ample opportunities in the microfinance sector.

In conclusion, this emerging economy is growing more and more through monopolistic competition that allows greater participation of foreign banks, ensuring a smooth and a free competition inside the Middle East banking structure.

DEN XIAOPING

It has to be recognized the importance of Den Xiaoping in the liberalization of China´s economy. He was in charge of the free trade improvement of his country. He wanted China to become a powerful nation, so he began to implement a mixed economy, extracting the best strategies exposed by the socialism and the capitalism. Also, he focused on the economy evolution of the nation in four main aspects: the agriculture, the industry, national security, technology and science. Besides that, he made a political reform and opened China´s market to the world. The last upgrade was materialized in projects such as seaports and special zones to trade.
As mentioned above, those developments economic mechanisms enabled this Asian country to sign international agreements with power countries, that increased its own economic force too until present day.

Although this influential figure is mortal like any other human being and is no longer with us, will be eternal for the indelible mark he left on the magnificent development of his country and citizens.

Image from http//:www.nodulo.org/ec/2004/img/n030p25d.jpg

MANAGAMENT STYLES: KOREA AND JAPAN VS. COLOMBIA

Choe, Lee, Roehl. What makes management style similar and distinct across borders? Growth, experience and culture in Korean and Japanese Firms. Journal of International Business Studies.

MIGRANTS AND EXPATRIATES WORKERS

These two concepts have something in common, both people have to go abroad looking for new opportunities. But it is here where begins the difference between them. Migrants seek for better conditions of life, in terms of socio-economic issues. Because they are not well-prepared, their aspirations are limited to basic and non academic jobs, only to earn the enough money to live. On the other hand, the expatriates have superior academic studies and skills. The majority of them are executive people who require to improve their knowledge and to bring back better strategies to their companies, in order to succeed as professionals and make their company grow.



The following is a video which shows a case about migrants and expatriates in Malasia and Singapore. The global crisis made people lose their jobs, some of them had to return to their homes but other ones are still struggling to stay there.

ABOUT IMMIGRATIONS

My personal opinion about immigrations is positive and I agree that they can occur, as long as they do not affect the national identity and do not bring legal nor economic problems for the host country. I think that each country should foment at first, the education and the economic and social welfare of its inhabitants. In that way, it can avoid that those professional people who have superior capabilities, leave their home country and help other nations to be more powerful. And therefore, it could also have the opportunity of being improved and developed by its own society.

CANADA IMMIGRATIONS

Canada passed from being a country totally closed for immigrations to being one of the countries with the greatest flow of immigrants. The main reasons that support this statement are:



1. Its rigid immigration protectionism, because this country in the 19th century, allowed white people only from specific regions such as Americans and Britons.



2. Its cold climate and its isolated location from the rest of the world, caused that almost all countries looked for other destinies to immigrate. They tried to find: better life quality, good jobs and cultural similarities (local people behaviors).



3. Since the 20th century, Canada became the most demanded country by the immigrant people, because of its new flexible immigration policies and the necessity of young, skilled and apt people to work and who could also help to develop the Canadian society, in economic, politic, social, cultural and scientific terms.



Nowadays, Canada is still promoting foreign people to immigrate to its country, for the same last justification mencionated previously.

MANAGING DIVERSITY

DIVERSITY

CORPORATE CULTURE

"Each organization have an specific culture, and depending of her force, she can have a significative influence on the attitudes and behaviors of the organization members" (Stephen Robbins, 2005).



The corporate culture must be constant and long-term. But also, all members need to have well-defined and coordinated functions, otherwise it would never exist an organized structure neither an efficient communication inside the company.


Some factors that help to change the culture could be: internal crises; leadership exchanges; young organizations (at the beginning); a weak, fragmented or diversified culture, and also when exists a high index of confidence in the leadership.

CULTURE VS. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

First, I want to define each concept.

Culture has been identified like an important issue since merchantilism and the economy expansion during the 20th century, because people needed to understand cultural differences in order to interact in the work place with the immigrants. Although, since colonization, people had to deal with it.
It can be defined as the total complex of knowledge, beliefs, values, arts, moral, laws and customs of an specific country or region.

The Organizational Culture term comes from the 80s, when two business experts Tom Peters and Robert Waterman adapted this social and antropological concept to the organizations.
The definition could be the way members of a company interact each other with a unified set of values, modes of thinking, managemental style, and also with the same paradigms, problem solutions and decision making process.

Now, it easy to find the difference between both concepts. Culture is a general concept of how people behaves according to some established norms and customs created by the own society, but organizational culture is a concept much more specific that determines the way of a company works homogeneously in terms of ideology, intensity, adaptability, behavior and labor climate among all its members.