Business Environment in China (5 ECTS)

Location and time

01.08.2024 - 31.07.2025, 24X7 non-stop implementation. 1. There will be no online lectures. The lecture recordings are available on HAMK Learn Moodle course page. 2. This is a 24X7 self-paced module. This means that you are welcome to start and finish the courses as per as your own convenience within the time frame.

Materials

Readings will be handed out on HAMK Learn Moodle. Selected Texts/Journals: Required Purchase: None Recommended Readings 1. Stephen Green, China's Stockmarket: A Guide to its Progress, Players and Prospects 2. Carl E. Walter, Fraser J. T. Howie, Privatizing China: The Stock Markets and their Role in Corporate Reform 3. Randall Peerenboom, China's Long March Toward Rule of Law 4. Yasheng Huang, FDI in China: An Asian Perspective 5. Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China 6. Jung Chang, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China 7. Barry Naughton, Growing Out of the Plan: Chinese Economic Reform, 1978-1993 8. Nicholas R. Lardy, China's Unfinished Economic Revolution 9. Joe Studwell, The China Dream: The Quest for the Last Great Untapped Market on Earth 10. Andrew J. Nathan, Bruce Gilley, China's New Rulers: The Secret Files 11. Hill Gates, China's Motor: A Thousand Years of Petty Capitalism 12. Tim Crissold, Mr. China. 13. John Bryan Starr, Understanding China: A Guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Culture 14. James McGregor, One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China. 15. James Kynge, China Shakes the World: A Titan's Breakneck Rise and Troubled Future - and the Challenge for America Background Reading Students will be directed to specific academic journal articles during each lecture. Recommended Periodicals and Newspapers U.S. Department of State Countries – www.state.gov/countries CIA World FactBook – https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html The Economist – www.economist.com The Financial Times – www.ft.com The New York Times – www.nytimes.com Wall Street Journal – www.wsj.com Recommended Academic Journals Harvard Business Review Strategic Management Journal

Employer connections

STUDENTS WILL MAKE THEIR OWN CONNECTIONS TO THE COMPANIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS COURSE'S TOPIC AREAS

Exam schedules

Dates would be announced shortly

International connections

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION IS EMPHAZISED

Completion alternatives

RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)

Evaluation methods and criteria

Assessment: Part 1. Business Environment in China (5 credits) ES1. Business Cultures assignment, Group Assessment (100% weightage)

Student workload

THIS 5 ECTS MODULE, WILL INCLUDE INDEPENDENT LEARNING, ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECT, CLASS DISCUSSIONS, AND IF POSSIBLE,COMPANY VISIT(S) The course of Business Environment in China further provides basic information of China, showing the students the outline of China. The teacher will illustrate and exemplify the inner world of Chinese people and their perspectives, so that the students will gain a deep understanding of China and Chinese people. These sessions will enable students to understand Chinese culture and how it affects social and business interactions. Besides, some functional information will be given. For example, the students will learn how to prepare themselves for negotiations with the Chinese and understand the role of Guanxi and trust and how to appreciate traditional Chinese culture and hierarchy, and so on. This is a course combining theoretical and practical knowledge. An important module for students in Finland that covers Chinese history of nearly 5,000 years, which focuses on dynasties. and is formed of three parts: Chinese culture, education, science and technology; folk customs; and tourism - the session aims to help students better live, work and study in China and promote mutual communication. There will be a final exam (group assessment) consisting of a power point presentation and submission of report.

Content scheduling

This Business Environment in China section is divided into the following 6 parts: 1. Chinese Political Economy and Economic Development The aim is to understand Chinese Political Economy and Economic Development of China. Two and half decades ago, Deng Xiaoping proclaimed that China would achieve its goal of modernization in three steps: The first step is to double China’s GNP (gross national product) per capita in 1981-1990, the second step is to double China’s GNP per capita again in 1991-2000, and the third step is to “approach the level of developed countries” in the first half of the twenty-first century. At that time, most people, including many in China, believed that China would not succeed in even the first step as Deng planned. Around the turn of the century, after China had succeeded in Deng’s first and second steps ahead of schedule, Deng’s successors developed his third step into a new three-step plan. The new first step is to double China’s GDP per capita in 2001-2010, the new second step is to double China’s GDP per capita again in 2011-2020, and the new third step is to quadruple China’s GDP per capita in 2021-2050. 2. Xi Thought The goal of Chinese President Xi Jinping Thought is not to launch a cold war with the West, or to export China’s political model. Rather, Xi wants to shore up the authority of the party-state – and his own brand of authoritarianism – within China, including by ensuring that Chinese are not exposed to liberal-democratic ideas. Understanding this is vital to enable the world to engage effectively with an increasingly formidable China. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, commonly abbreviated as Xi Jinping Thought, is a set of policies and ideals derived from the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping. It was first officially mentioned at the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, in which it was incorporated into Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party. At the First Session of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress on 11 March 2018, the preamble of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China was amended to mention Xi Jinping Thought. 3. Chinese Business Culture and Negotiations The Chinese place values and principles above money and expediency. The Chinese word for negotiation—tan pan—combines the characters meaning “to discuss” and “to judge.” From a Chinese perspective, negotiation exists primarily as a mechanism for building trust so that two parties can work together for the benefit of both. The concept of negotiation hinges on creating a framework for long-term cooperation and problem-solving much more than on drafting a one-time agreement. Negotiation in China is viewed as an ongoing, dynamic process that considers practical matters and context. We will try to learn how strategic preparation and cultural awareness can sharpen the competitive edge for companies negotiating in China. 4. Guanxi Guanxi means relationships. Relationships are extremely important in China. The importance of guanxi is relative and depends heavily on industry, geography or the nature of the business. Guanxi loosely translates as personal connections, relationships or social networks. It implies trust and mutual obligations between parties, and it operates on personal, familial, social, business and political levels. Having good, bad or no guanxi impacts one’s influence and ability to get things done. Guanxi was more important in the past as businessmen/women could not rely as much on institutions. We will learn how Guanxi is an ingredient to business success, but varies by sector and even geography, consider guanxi on three levels: personal, corporate and governmental and try to understand and manage the downsides of guanxi. 5. Covid-19 and China This section covers the general information and impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the ways and adaptability of conducting business in China across various sectors. It also discusses the impact of COVID-19 on foreign businesses in China and exports of Chinese companies. 6. Learning Chinese language, Basics (Optional section, not used for grading and assessments) (This section is optional and is offered through a self-learning mode with the help of podcasts.) This section is for students who never learned Chinese before. The module incorporates all four skills of language learning through a wide variety of activities, with an emphasis on spoken Chinese and vocabulary. Students will also be able to read and write some Chinese characters and able to set out their ideas in simple Chinese. The section focuses on improving listening, speaking, reading and foundational grammar for complex sentence and short paragraph buildup. This section aims to: a. Provide students with a solid foundation of the basic grammatical structures of the target language thus enabling them to communicate effectively across the four key language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) at an elementary level on a variety of general topics b. Enable participants to give and understand information and to achieve a confident elementary level of communicative competence in everyday situations c. Increase student’s vocabulary.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

* student uses concepts and approaches systematically * student can apply techniques and models that he/she has learnt * student has gained some knowledge of the market and business climate in China and is able to identify and describe the latest developments in China.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

* student uses concepts and approaches in an expert way * student can select techniques and models that are suitable for the activity in question and justify his/her choices * student can understand some of the cultural forces in China and is able to analyze the environment of international business in China from political, legal, cultural, and economic perspectives.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

* student uses concepts and approaches expertly and extensively * student can select, combine and develop techniques and models that are suitable for the activity in question * student can act innovatively and understand how Guanxi is an ingredient to business success, but varies by sector and even geography, and consider guanxi on three levels: personal, corporate and governmental and try to understand and manage the downsides of guanxi.

Teaching methods

Variety of instructional tools would be utilized. Lectures will be delivered using PowerPoint presentations and would be supplemented by case studies, videos and articles when necessary. You must keep a track of all the activities on the course. Teaching and learning methods • Class lectures, lecture notes, and case study are designed to achieve the course objectives. • You should read the assigned chapters before class, complete assignments on time, participate in class and do whatever it takes for you to grasp this material. Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. • You are responsible for all material covered in the class. • Please communicate any concerns or issues as soon as either in class or by Email. The web page is a primary communication vehicle. Lecture notes will be available before each class. It will contain homework assignments, study guides, and important instructions. The teaching and learning methods to support the aforementioned strategy are woven into: • Lectures • Group work • Presentations • Examination

Further information

CampusOnline Students that can be accepted: 60 students 01.08.2024 - 31.07.2025, 24X7 non-stop implementation. HAMK students register for the course in Pakki during the period shown in the implementation plan. Students from other universities of applied sciences primarily register in Peppi/Pakki. In the course information (on the campusonline.fi portal), there is an enrollment form available from 11.11.-13.12.2024 only for those students who are not yet able to register in Peppi/Pakki. After this period, registration is only possible in the student’s own system. Students from other universities of applied sciences who are accepted into the course will receive an email after the registration period with instructions on how to activate their HAMK credentials. Please note that the message may be directed to the spam folder. HAMK’s Spark feedback system opens 7 days before the course/module ends and it stays open for 14 days after the end date. You may give course/module feedback via Pakki. A notification of the courses/modules (to whom you have registered) for which feedback can be given appears on the desktop. You will always receive a notification on the student desktop when a course/module is ready for feedback. You will receive a reminder in HAMK's e-mail on the end date of the implementation, if you have not already given feedback before. For more information on course/module feedback, see the student feedbackpage. CampusOnline students can provide course/module feedback via a browser at https://pakki.hamk.fi/spark.

Evaluation scale

1-5