OwenBloggers: Merry

Microsoft and Yahoo: Does it make sense (and will it work)?

As a MBA student studying Internet Marketing and Corporate Strategy at the same time, I found the Microsoft and Yahoo acquisition case extremely interesting. A few questions need to be answered in evaluation of the acquisition: how many synergies are there between these two companies? How much can be realized in the case of acquisition? Are their core competencies transferable to a conglomerate of the two tech giants?

If you are as interested as I am, you may want to hear what Wharton management professors Larry Hrebiniak and David Hsu say about this deal: Microsoft and Yahoo: Does it make sense (and will it work)? Click Here.

What's going on?

自从写完上一篇blog后，两个星期一眨眼就过去了。看看我的Outlook Calendar，除了上课以外，日程表里排得满满的都是活动。经常有人问我“你都已经找好工作，该轻松了，为什么还那么忙？” 呵呵，在商学院里，学习和找工作是两件首要大事，但除此之外，还有很多让人大开眼界，结识新朋友和学习新东西的活动不容错过。让我略举几个例子吧。

CEO Leadership Forum

这是学校和Nashville Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) 一起组织的与CEO们交流讨论的商务论坛。这次论坛的主题是Leading Through Shades of Gray， 讨论商务中的道德伦理问题. 参加的CEO包括George Barrett (Vice Chairman of Cardinal Health and CEO of its Healthcare Supply Chain Services Sector),  Turney Stevens (Chairman and CEO, Harpeth Consulting LLC), Sarah L. Meyerrose (President of Emerging Businesses for First Horizon National Corporation), William B. (Bill) Muir (President and Chief Operating Officer of Beacon Technologies), Cordia Harrington (CEO of The Bun Companies, 最近她当选为年度最佳妇女企业家) 以及Jack Faris ( Former President/CEO of NFI)。 论坛是在刚刚过去这个星期五举行的。在此前一天，这些高层商业领袖们都来到我们学校参加每周四傍晚的社交活动，让MBA同学们有机会在轻松的环境中向他们请教和交流。

Distinguished Speakers Series

最近来学校的演讲人包括Rob Matteucci, 他是总部设在辛辛那提的婴儿用品公司Evenflo的CEO， 也是70年代从我们学校毕业的校友。凭借着在消费品巨头公司宝洁27年的市场营销经验，他成功扭转了Evenflo近年来一直走下坡路的生意，赢得了显著的市场份额。他分享了如何以消费者为核心，运用策略扭转生意的宝贵经验和心得。

...

此外还将会有国际纸业(International Paper) 的管理层来学校分享企业在保护环境，可持续性地发展问题上的成功经验，有为国际学生举办的国际学生职业研讨会，以及专门为女同学组织的社交研讨会The Balancing Act.

一句话，学校提供了各种各样丰富多彩的机会让我们MBA学生与商业世界接触和对话。如何把握这些机会，增长见识，结识新朋友，为将来的职业发展打基础铺路则全看各人自己的想法和行动。正如学校的口号所提倡的 "discover this place, shape your world".

A MBA Professor's Challenge

Recently I talked to a professor from our school. When I asked why he looked so tired, he told me that he was working on some major restructuring of his courses, which took him a lot of time and energy. He replaced some old cases and decided to  introduce a mid-term exam in addition to group case write-up assignments. "It would allow me to better evaluate what each student has learnt in the class."  "The changes are mostly based on the feedback from previous class. Some said the course is too easy. I don't want to make the course tough for everyone, but not easy for everyone either. Students should not come to my class just to get credits. They have to really learn things and make some efforts to get good grade."

Then I learnt that teaching is much important to MBA professors than to non-MBA professors.  MBA professors have to strive to satisfy their customers - the most demanding group of students. (This reminds me of a homework question from Managerial Economics class "Why do MBA economics professors earn more than regular economics professors?") That's why our course evaluation provides a great opportunity for a professor to learn what we think about his/her class and what went well while what should be improved.

One thing bothered this professor is that one student gave him straight low score across every single question in the course evaluation but didn't write down any specific feedback or suggestion. "That's not helpful at all. All I learnt is that one student was pissed but why? and how should I improve? It didn't tell."

If you are a current Owen student and have read this blog, I wish that you will take the course evaluation seriously and give more specific and constructive feedback. You know every professor would really appreciate that! It will definitely benefit the future classes as well.

 

Winter break diary (2): my vacation was extended with the "help" of U.S. consulate

1月7日，新的一个学期正式开始了。我却延迟到14号才返回学校。说起来不知道应该是感谢还是埋怨美国驻广州的领事馆。由于领事馆的系统出了故障，原本可以在1月4号办好的我的返校签证延迟了好几天，直到8号才签发出来。别看迟了才几天，其后果是深远而重大的：

1。我原来买好的1月6号的机票无法改签到合适的时间合适的航班，只好作废。别无选择，我惟有在最后一分钟另买一张从广州返回Nashville的单程机票，支付的价格比我之前往返的机票还略贵，实在让我很“受伤”；

2。害我耽误了一整个星期的课程。偏偏我这个模块比平时多选了一门课，一共5门课。考虑到一个模块只有7周上课，缺一星期的课，实际上是缺了1/7的课程。我在向每位教授发邮件请假之后，一边阅读每门课的教学大纲，一边开始惴惴不安。Business Forecasting 第一周就有功课要交，于是我只好自学学校网站上教授贴出来的课堂笔记，独自琢磨着把功课做了。

3。缺一周课的代价到现在还在清还中 - 这几天没日没夜地阅读拉下的课程资料和赶功课。一句话，在商学院缺几天的课不是件好玩的事。

回过头来说，我在这被迫延长的假期里收获还是颇多的。除了有更多的时间和我的家人和朋友相聚之外，我还读了几本好书，包括《解读花旗银行》， The Tipping Point, 和The Long Tail等等,都是买了很久但一直没时间看的好书。此外我更趁有空去做了次全面的体检，幸运的是我这部机器还算争气，各方面都很健康。

一个假期，有健康，有知识还有最亲的亲人相伴相随，夫复何求？！

Winter break diary (1): A Long Way Home

12月21号的清晨4：30出门赶飞机，想不到一大早Nashville机场已是人声鼎沸，热闹非凡。在焦灼的心情中等待了45分钟，终于把我原计划8：20 am起飞，但预计将延误到9：15 am 飞往芝加哥的航班改签到6点起飞飞往达拉斯的航班。帮我办票的老奶奶实在是个好心人，帮我改好票后，还一路追过来到安检区提醒老老实实排在长队最后面的我到前面去插个 队，"otherwise there is no way for you to catch your flight." 她说。安检入口的工作人员也很通融，跟我开了个玩笑之后就放我插队优先安检了。

接下来一路都很顺利。Nashville到达拉斯，达拉斯到东京，东京到广州，旅途漫漫， "The miles are getting longer, it seems, the closer I get to you." 在吃了四顿飞机餐，看完三部电影/电视节目和半本"The Tipping Point"后终于抵达了我的终点站。

在 东京的候机室遇到第一次到中国旅游的美国印第安土著人Danny。 他长长的头发，笑声爽朗，特别友善。他跟我一样也是一大清早上路，折腾了十几二十个小时到达东京等候最后一程的飞机去广州。看他仍然是一幅神采奕奕的样 子，我却是手端着咖啡，一边和他闲聊着，一边摇摇晃晃随时都可能轰然倒下。

75% done with my MBA

I can't believe that I am almost 75% done with my MBA study! This past module was pretty bad for me: taking five courses + wrapping up my full time job search + volunteering for Net Impact Conference + working for Owen Student Government Association + a TA job + a RA job + ...= Never got enough time to sleep & no time to blog (I am really sorry about that!). :-(

However, I felt that I learned and accomplished the most in the last two months during my one and half year business school life. I will definitely take some time in the winter break to reflect on my learning and growth.

I felt that these are my top three accomplishments in the past mod that made my feel good ;-)

1. Accepted a full-time job offer and concluded my job search
2. Earned 11 credit hours (in contrast to average 8 credit hours  per module in my first year)
3. Contributed to the success of Net Impact Conference. The two panels I managed both had a really great turnout! I was so glad and excited...

Short Courses During the Break

I am always fascinated by how fast time flies.  Can you believe that our first module is already over? 

The exams are over and all the deliverables are delivered. It's so nice that we got one and a half week break in between mod one and mod two. It's even nicer that we are given so many choices: we can simply do nothing but make up all the much-needed sleep, or we can go outdoor and have a blue sky holiday, or we can catch up with friends, go to a movie, go to a football game, or hold on...take classes!

Yes, I am serious - taking classes during the break is now an option for all the second year MBA students at Owen school. It is an innovative method of engaging students with the school during the break. Three short courses are offered during the break in the fall semester, including Venture Capital and Private Equity (Finance), Executive Coaching (Human Capital) and US Health Care Policy (Health Care). These courses are intense, typically for a period of three days and earns one academic credit (which is really nice!).

I am going to leverage this opportunity and take the Executive Coaching course which takes place from Oct. 15th to Oct. 17th. The instructor is Professor Mark Cannon, a professor of Leadership and Organization Studies from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Peabody has long been recognized as one of the best graduate schools of education in the U.S.. So I am really excited at the opportunity to learn from a Peabody professor who brings in different perspective and insights.

This course focuses on the concepts, skills, and activities that constitute effective coaching and how to use coaching both to work on areas that need improvement and to build on employee strengths. In particular the following topics will be explored: theories of coaching, types of coaching, characteristics of helping relationships, listening, questioning, assessment, feedback giving, goal setting, action planning, and ongoing support.

I will tell you more about the class when it starts on next Monday. Please stay tuned!

Mid-Autumn Festival is Today

Today is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (the 15th day of the eighth lunar month). Traditionally, it's a day for family to get together and celebrate  a bountiful harvest outdoors under the brightest moonlight of the entire year.

Being thousands miles away from my home and family, I was unable to join the family celebration. All I could do is to talk to them over phone, tell them how I miss them and miss the traditional celebration. Fortunately I got a moon cake from the party sponsored by Vandy Chinese Students & Scholar Association . So tonight I am going to make a nice pot of tea and enjoy the moon cake under the moonlight. :-)

For those of you who are interested in learning a little bit Chinese, I would like to share with you the best known Chinese moon poem. Actually it is on top of my mind when it comes to ancient Chinese poem. It's probably the first poem that every Chinese learns at his/her childhood.

The poet

Li Bai (701-762 AD), one of the two greatest poets of the Tang Dynasty, known as "The lmmortal of Poetry," wrote a short poem that is still so well known that almost every student in China can recite it. It epitomizes the Chinese love for home, heart-sickness at being away from home, and the feelings for this deep homesickness that the beauty of the moonlight and the moon itself can engender.

The Poem

静夜思

jing ye si
(thinking in quiet night)

        床 前 明 月 光
       
        Chuang qian ming yue guang
     (The bright moon rays in front of my bed)
       
        疑 是 地 上 霜
        Yi si di shang shuang
        (Seemed like frost on the ground)
       
        举 头 望 明 月
      Ju tou wang ming yue
        (I lifted my head and regarded the moon)
       
        低 头 思 故 乡
        Di tou si gu xiang
        (I lowered my head and thought of my old home.)    

The Digital Smiley Turns 25

During my casual online research on IM, I found this news from BigBlueBall.com and hope that you also find it interesting...

The Digital Smiley Turns 25

Twenty-five years ago, Carnegie-Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman sent the first digital smiley. :-)

The simple combination of colon-hyphen-parenthesis to create a horizontal "smiley face" launched a whole new way of expressing emotions. Smileys or emoticons are now a commonly accepted form of communication in instant messages, text messages and other forms of text-based, digital communication.

The original text of his proposal read:

19-Sep-82 11:44     Scott E Fahlman   :-)
From: Scott E Fahlman

 

I propose that the following character sequence for joke markers:

:-)

Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark things that are NOT jokes, given current trends. For this, use

:-(

Twenty-five years later we have many kinds of smileys, some text-based and others graphical, but generally understood by all.

To celebrate the anniversary, Fahlman and his colleagues are starting an annual student contest for innovation in technology-assisted, person-to-person communication. The Smiley Award is sponsored by Yahoo Inc. and provides a $500 prize to the winner.

What's Your GTalk ID?

"What's your GTalk ID?" a teammate e-mailed the question to me when he wanted to discuss a group case.

What the hell is GTalk?  I googled it online and was ashamed to find out that GTalk is the instant messaging (IM) application offered by Google.

Oh, sorry, I don't use GTalk. In stead, I use MSN regularly and Skype occasionally (mostly for international long distance call). I sent my ID for MSN and Skype to the teammate, but only to find that there were no compatibility between us at all - "I am a Google and Yahoo person." he replied.

This conversation aroused my interest to explore the landscape of IM market. My own observation is that the most popular IM programs in China are MSN and Tencent QQ while by contrast, every Indian I know uses either Yahoo Messenger or GTalk or both. My Latino friends use MSN as well, which is a good news to me :-). Well, I have to admit that my knowledge about American's IM usage habit is very limited, but my impression is that American of my age or younger are actually using social network websites such as facebook.com for instant online communication.

I searched internet and was unable to find recent information about the competitive landscape of IM market. Here are what I could find:

In the U.S., according to the latest figures from Neilsen/Netratings (*early 2006), AOL still has a commanding lead in the IM market.

• AOL: 53 million
• MSN: 27 million
• Yahoo: 22 million
• Google: 866,000 (Data source: BigBlueBall )
  

Globally,  as far as the user data for August 2006 is concerned, MSN had 185 million users worldwide, ranking the top in the instant messaging market, followed by Yahoo users of 82.1 million in the second place and AOL only had 61.2 million users. (Data source: iResearch)

It seems that the "A" in "AOL" really does mean America. The Microsoft Monopoly is indeed strong overseas. Interesting.