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Marketing Professor Takes Part in Heidelberg Project 2012

As part of the International Business Heidelberg Project, a professor of COBE’s marketing department, Jason MacDonald, recently visited Heidelberg, Germany. The Heidelberg project is a collaborative effort between Boise State University’s College of Business and Economics, the Business School of Applied Science University of Heidelberg, Germany (SRH Heidelberg), the Idaho Small Business Development Center, and Boise States’s TECenter. The project offers students an opportunity to gain real world experience in international business by researching business opportunities in the German market.

Professor MacDonald’s trip to Heidelberg was conducted during Phase 2 of the Heidelberg Project. Phase 1 was implemented by Dr. Meredith Taylor Black’s IB320 students. The IB320 students provided four participating Idaho firms with initial reports on market opportunities in Germany. These initial reports were then sent electronically to the SRH Heidelberg MBA students for further analysis. While in Germany, Professor MacDonald met with those students to provide feedback on their research efforts.

MacDonald says of his experience:

“Interacting with the German MBA students was a great experience. They provided a lot of valuable insight on the threats and opportunities the Idaho companies would face if they entered the German market. In addition, I was very impressed with how well these students could communicate in English and other languages. While watching the presentations, for example, I overheard many of the students seamlessly transitioning between German, English, Spanish, and other languages. I came away wishing that our education system placed more emphasis on developing language skills that are essential for doing business in a global economy.

My impression of SRH Heidelberg is that it is a very progressive and modern German University. Unlike most German higher education programs, the classes at SRH are relatively small and look more like the business classes you would see our College of Business and Economics. Although the student-professor relationship is slightly more formal than it is here, the professors are very friendly and have an open door policy.

The town of Heidelberg is a classic German town with a large castle and picturesque streets and shops. Public transportation is excellent and, maybe because of the long-time US military presence in the region, you will find that most shop owners, restaurant servers, and even cab drivers speak English.

Overall, Heidelberg is an excellent destination for Boise State students that would like to study abroad. I highly encourage our COBE students to investigate the opportunities our IB program has developed by getting involved with the Heidelberg project or by studying at SRH Heidelberg.”

International Business Programs Welcomes Grace Lin for 8-Week Internship

International Business Programs is pleased to host Ms. Grace Lin for eight weeks this Spring Semester. The eight week internship program is coordinated by the Intensive English Program, a division of BSU’s English Department, and the prestigious International Trade Institute of Taiwan (ITI).

After completing her undergraduate degree in Hotel Management, Grace is now in her final semester of the graduate certificate program at ITI. Her internship at BSU will serve as the capstone project of her training.

During the course of the internship, Grace will be responsible for completing several assignments for ITI, including a SWOT Analysis and a Final Presentation over her experience. However, Grace will also have several projects assigned to her by International Business Director, Dr. Meredith Taylor Black. Grace will be asked to translate several pages of information on the developing International Trade Certificate Program into Chinese; she will reach out to Taiwanese firms and universities with whom the Program and University could potentially develop partnerships; and she will also assist in creating a podcast highlighting Taiwan-Idaho trade relations. Co-worker, Alycia Finkbeiner, comments on Grace’s work ethic: “In the few short days I have known her, Grace has proven herself to be a motivated team-player. Grace is reliable, honest, adaptable and open-minded. She is truly a joy to be around.”

In 2007, Grace visited the West Coast with professors and classmates in what she calls a “wonderful and unforgettable experience.” Now in her second trip to the United States, Grace says she is “looking forward to understanding the real American lifestyle, including the food, culture, people, and landscape…even the way of thinking because it will help me consider things in a different way.”

Grace comes to BSU with a variety of skills, interests, and experiences. She is fluent in both Mandarin and English. She also possesses a working knowledge of Japanese. Grace greatly enjoys traveling and hopes to gain employment in an arena which will allow her to do so often. She is interested in cooking and baking. Grace says, “I enjoy meeting new friends and experiencing different cultures and food. I hope I can share our [Taiwanese] culture with new friends by cooking them traditional food.”

Grace on her first day of work with sponser Mr. Richard Murray and IB Director, Meredith Taylor Black.

World Trade Day 2012

Idaho World Trade Day took place on the Boise State campus Wednesday, May 2.

This annual event draws U.S. companies from across the Northwest who export their goods or services to foreign markets, and offers insight on the most pressing export issues facing companies today.

The keynote address, “Free Trade Agreements and American Jobs,” will feature Ambassador Islam Siddiqui, chief agriculture negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Featured speakers include Robert Lang, Brookings Institution; Katja Kravetsky, U.S. Commercial Service, St. Petersburg, Russia; Brad Frazer, Hawley Troxell; Stephen E. Alley, U.S. Embassy, Mexico; Vince Brascia, Transform Solar; Charles Herrington, Micron Technology; and successful Idaho entrepreneurs who are developing new foreign markets.

International Business students and faculty with Ambassador Siddiqui

World Trade Day is presented by the Idaho District Export Council, in cooperation with Boise State’s International Business Program. IB is involved with a number of initiatives aimed at helping students further their knowledge of foreign trade while assisting Idaho companies develop their export potential.

For example, the Heidelberg Project pairs four Idaho firms that desire to enter European markets with teams of students for a three-phase project. Students in the IB 320 “Managing in a Global Economy” course completed preliminary company and product research. Their data was handed off to MBA students at Applied Sciences University in Heidelberg, Germany who engaged in “on-the-ground” research in the targeted market and industry. Finally, a third set of students in the IB 443 “Exporting and Importing Procedures” class will complete a capstone project on the findings. Student assignments include administering surveys, interviewing potential buyers for the products, collecting information on local trade fairs and exploring additional marketing avenues.

“The companies will walk away with a full assessment and a strategic plan for exporting their products,” said department chair Meredith Taylor Black. “And our students will gain valuable experience and understanding of international business markets.”

Opportunities for involvement are not limited to in-class projects. IB students were integral to the success of last year’s Export Excellence program, a partnership between TechHelp, the Idaho District Export Council and the U.S. Commercial Service.  Seven international business majors, serving as interns, were matched with seven Idaho-based companies and worked alongside international business experts to help develop export plans for the companies’ products.

Joe DeGano, the marketing manager for 2011 Export Excellence company Rekluse, praised the quality of the participating interns.

“One of the key benefits of the program was our Boise State University international business intern, Leo Raya,” he said. “We have since kept him on because he produces results and adds great enthusiasm and resources.”

The success of the Export Excellence program highlighted the relevancy of international business education, added Black. And the department is seeking additional programs and opportunities for students. “One of the long-term goals in our internationalization strategy is the establishment of international (research) cooperation with our partner institutions,” Black said. “Idaho has a unique trade agreement with Taiwan and this particular relationship holds many possibilities.”

Black visited Taiwan last October as a distinguished member of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office’s (TECO) Young Scholar and Expert Delegation. During her visit, she met with government officials, political leaders, and business executives. Since her return, the International Business department has increased its focus on exploring collaborative opportunities with Taiwanese institutions and is currently hosting an intern from Taiwan’s renowned International Trade Institute. A recent Boise State graduate is working in Taipei as an ambassador for the Department and is actively assisting with the development of additional partnerships.

Finally, in an effort to expand its educational offering to graduate students and local professionals, the International Business department is developing an International Trade Certificate (ITC) Program, incorporating training for the nationally-recognized Certificate of Global Business Professionals (CGBP).  As the only program of its type in Idaho, the ITC will seek to stimulate the export sector by providing its holders with a strong background in international business principles and trade practices.

The program is expected to begin in fall 2013.

 

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Nonprofit Fair Trade Speaker Visits IB 320 Class

Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to hear from Nonprofit Fair Trade Speaker, Doug Dirks this Thursday, March 8th from 9:15-10:30AM in COBE 102A.  Mr. Dirks will be speaking to the IB320  “Managing in a Global Economy” class, however all IB Majors are invited to attend this lecture.

Doug  Dirks, Ten Thousand Villages Public Relations

Doug Dirks has developed relationships with many artisans in developing countries during his more than 20 years of working for Ten Thousand Villages.  Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit fair trade organization that markets handcrafted products made by artisans from more than 130 artisan groups in   38 countries. As one of the world’s oldest and largest fair trade organizations, Ten Thousand Villages has  spent more than 60 years cultivating long-term buying relationships in which artisans receive a fair price for their work and consumers have access to unique gifts, accessories and home decor from around the world.

A graduate of the University of British Columbia, Canada, Dirks began what he downplays as a “humble” career, in the late 1970s as an auditor for Arthur Andersen and for the Auditor General of the Government of British Columbia.

In the early 1980s, Dirks served for three years as Job Creation Administrator for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Bangladesh.  During this time, Dirks worked alongside a number of Bangladeshi colleagues to start several small businesses designed to employ women who were otherwise considered unemployable. Some of the products these women made were exported to fair trade organizations such as Ten Thousand Villages U.S. and Ten Thousand Villages Canada.

It was obvious to Dirks that these sales made a tremendous difference in the lives of the women artisans.  He returned to the United States in 1985 ready to promote the sale of products made by these artisans, beginning his more than 20 year tenure with Ten Thousand Villages U.S. as Marketing Director and later in the role of Producer Relations Director.

A native of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, Dirks moved to New Hamburg, Ontario in 1996 to work with Ten Thousand Villages Canada as Executive Director.

In 2002, Dirks returned to the United States to take on the role of Marketing Director for Ten Thousand Villages U.S. Since 2006, Dirks has been a Ten Thousand Villages artisan storyteller in his role as a Public Relations representative. His wife, Joanne is the manager of the Ten Thousand Villages retail store in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. He served as board chair for the Fair Trade Federation from 2008 – 2010.

Dirks has traveled to many of the 38 countries where Ten Thousand Villages buys products and has met many of the artisans who handcraft the products featured at Ten Thousand Villages. His travels have enabled him to collect many personal artisan stories showing how sales through Ten Thousand Villages have positively affected the lives of artisans, their families and their communities.

Dunia Marketplace will be hosting Doug Dirks visit to Boise March 8 -11, 2012.  Dunia Marketplace, located in Boise’s historic Hyde Park, purchases a majority of the items in their non-profit fair trade store from Ten Thousand Villages and covers southern Idaho with off-site sales and the message of fair trade.

For more information on Doug, click on the following links to see YouTube videos of his stories.

For more information on Ten Thousand Villages, go to http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

For more information on Dunia Marketplace, go to http://www.duniamarketplace.com/

Heidelberg Project Enters Phase 2

Boise State University’s College of Business and Economics and The Business School of Applied Science University of Heidelberg, Germany (SRH Heidelberg), in collaboration with the International Business Programs, Idaho Small Business Development Center and TECenter, have developed a program that offers Idaho companies a unique opportunity to investigate market opportunities in Germany and Europe.  Student teams, with oversight from professors at both universities, do field research for Idaho companies on potential markets and other specific queries from the firms.

Four Idaho companies have been selected to participate in the 7th annual Heidelberg Project.  These firms will receive a marketing study, analysis and plan related to the potential for their products or services in Europe or Germany.

Phase 2 of the 3 Phase approach was implemented on February 28th when student reports from BSU’s IB320 “Managing in a Global Ecomony” class were sent via email to graduate students at SRH Heidelberg.  This Phase consists of “on the ground” research conducted by SRH Heidelberg MBA consultants and will be supervised by SRH Heidelberg coordinator, Susanna Propp.

In addition, two video conferences will be required during the course of Phase 2.  The initial video conference is being held today and will provide the opportunity for each of the participating companies to meet their SRH Heidelberg consultants.  Prior to the final 30 minute video conference, the consultants will draft a written report over their findings and recommendations for discussion.

 

 

 

IB Graduate Featured in Explore Magazine 2012

Congratulations to a recent International Business graduate, Vera Zdravkova, on being featured in Boise State’s Explore Magazine 2012.  Go to page 33 to read about her involvment in the IB commuitiy in Idaho as well as abroad.

Explore Magazine features both students and professors who are conducting reasearch and finding ways to connect old ideas to new applications.  The magazine features research and publications from a variety of disciplines at the university and it is a great window into the culture of Boise State.

IB Contribute​s to Idaho Statesman

Taiwan, Idaho Forge Strong Link in International Markets

by Meredith Taylor Black and Vera Zdravkova

As seen in the Idaho Statesman Business Insider on January 25, 2012

What does the recently signed $500 million trade agreement between Idaho’s wheat growers and Taiwan mean to Idaho’s greater business community? It not only highlights the importance of international trade and export-led growth, it also illuminates the value of the long-standing cooperative efforts between Idaho and Taiwan — our third-largest export market.

Taiwan’s political identity remains a study in progress, but its status as a vibrant, developed economy is indisputable. Why has the unique Idaho-Taiwan economic partnership endured, especially through the ongoing controversy over Taiwan’s political status, and its difficult metamorphosis into a capitalistic democracy?

Taiwan’s market is arguably more accessible than most other Asian markets. Foreign firms are free to set up businesses and form partnerships in Taiwan, where government intervention in foreign trade and investment has continually decreased over the past several decades. And a growing number of businesses have designated Taiwan as a strategic entry point into the Chinese market.

Taiwan has a highly educated workforce that can provide the language skills and cultural acumen to facilitate business dealings with mainland China. Further, with a recognized rule of law, the risk of setting up a business abroad is moderated compared to other Asian markets.

Setting up a business is one feat. Establishing an effective and credible presence is quite another, and can only be achieved through the development of an engaged firm that takes into account local business practices. Taiwanese business culture, much like China’s, thrives on flexibility. In this way, it differs from U.S. business practice, which is relatively straightforward. Chinese communication is subtle and information is provided in bits and fragments, allowing the listener to draw his or her own conclusions.

An Idaho firm interested in doing business in Taiwan needs to establish and maintain the right local connections. This important element in Chinese business, termed guanxi, promotes the development of a network of relationships among a variety of business parties that cooperate together for mutual support. The right partner, agent, consultant or trade specialist would know the appropriate niche to explore and have industry and government contacts.

Such a partner would regularly monitor these contacts for information on developing projects and opportunities. This is one of the vital functions of the Idaho-Asia Trade Office, located in Taipei.

This is but one example of forging a relationship with new or expanding trade partners. While we focused on Taiwan, the messages are similar in other countries: know the culture, understand the laws and identify key in-country partners. The Taiwan example highlights the need to identify the best entry point to new markets, based upon these same leverage points.

In line with the growing Idaho-Taiwan trade relations, and in response to findings from a recent U.S. Scholars & Experts Delegation to Taiwan, the International Business Program of the College of Business and Economics at Boise State, has chosen to start research on and explore cooperative opportunities with Taiwan.

MEREDITH TAYLOR BLACK Director of Boise State University’s International Business Programs meredithtaylor@boisestate.edu.

Vera Zdravkova, adviser, International Business Programs, BSU College of Business & Economics, co-author.

Armando Silva- Service, Learning, and Study Abroad

Armando Silva is a volunteer coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club in Garden City who works with about 40 Boise State service-learning students as they interact with the children at the center. Silva is an international business major with minors in economics and marketing who plans to graduate in fall 2012.

Read More on Boise State Update >

Heidelberg Project Enters Phase 1

Boise State University’s College of Business and Economics and The Business School of Applied Science University of Heidelberg, Germany, in collaboration with the International Business Programs, Idaho Small Business Development Center and TECenter, have developed a program that offers Idaho companies a unique opportunity to investigate market opportunities in Germany and Europe.  Student teams, with oversight from professors at both universities, do field research for Idaho companies on potential markets and other specific queries from the firms.

Four Idaho companies have been selected to participate in the 7th annual Heidelberg Project.  These firms will receive a marketing study, analysis and plan related to the potential for their products or services in Europe or Germany.

This year, Boise State’s International Business Programs is implementing a 3 Phase approach to the Heidelberg Project.  The following are descriptions of each Phase:

  • Phase 1- This Phase consists of a general firm and market assessment with the IB320 “Managing in a Global Economy” course, and will be supervised by Dr. Meredith Taylor Black, Director of the International Business Programs.  BSU consultants will provide each firm with a report on initial research findings and will provide directives for the Heidelberg consultants.
  • Phase 2- This Phase consists of “on the ground” research conducted by Heidelberg MBA consultants and will be supervised by Heidelberg coordinator, Susanna Propp.  In addition, two video conferences will be required.  Heidelberg consultants will draft a written report prior to the final 30 minute video conference so the consultants and firms may discuss findings and recommendations.  Consultants will then provide a final written report.
  • Phase 3- During this final Phase, the research findings from the Heidelberg MBA consultants will be given to consultants in the BSU IB443 “Import/Export” course for review as a capstone project, and will be supervised by Damien Bard, Administrator to the International Business Division of the Idaho Department of Commerce.  IB443 consultants will conduct an export ready assessment and make final recommendations to the firms on their European/German market entry strategies.

Phase 1 begins January 26, 2012 with the introduction of the participating firms to Dr. Black’s IB320 “Managing in a Global Economy” course and the selection of the student teams.

Meet our Mentor – Mr. Kent Ernest

Mr. Kent Ernest has had a vibrant career in the international business field.  He has 27 years of experience as the Vice President of International Sales and Marketing  at JR Simplot Company.   He is now sharing his knowledge and experiences with a select group of Boise State students.  His generous contributions, to the International Business Program in particular, help to enrich students’ educations and provide them with practical knowledge which they can use to make themselves more competitive businesspeople.

During his career at Simplot, he formed the Export Department within Simplot’s Food Group; developed commercial offices for the company in  major world markets; planned and executed the development of business in Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Malaysia and Europe. He also completed a variety of projects as a management consultant with the Stanford Research Institute.  One such project had him working in Indonesia for the Minister of Science and Technology to improve agricultural production in the country. 

Mr. Ernest has valuable knowledge about the establishment of commercial offices in global markets, as well as the management of foreign offices with local employees.  He has experience in creating bonus and incentive plans which relate to global employees.  He also has a working knowledge of trade and trade regulations in the food industry, as well as knowledge of import/export activities in the food industry.  Throughout his career he has developed strategies and plans for success in various international markets.

All this experience has incredible value for our students and we are extremely fortunate to have Mr. Ernest here as an additional resource for the students.  Currently, he is mentoring three IB seniors.  In weekly meetings, students receive individual career tutelage and discuss international business topics from a practical perspective.

International Business Programs    |    intbus@boisestate.edu    |    208.426.4205    |    MBEB 2132