InternshipReport_WilhelmKistner

8/2/2019 InternshipReport_WilhelmKistner

1/33

UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

WUERZBURG - SCHWEINFURT

Internship Report

SynFront Consulting Ltd.

October, 2003 March, 2004

by

Wilhelm Kistner

Major: Business Engeneering

SID: 4300060

Date: March 31th

2004


2/33

Internship Report, Wilhelm Kistner, SynFront Consulting Ltd.

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................................................4

I. CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF ACTIVITIES....................................................................................................5

II. THE COMPANY .......................................................... ........................................................... .............................. 7

WHY SYNFRONT CONSULTING? ...................................................... ........................................................... .................... 7COMPANYS OBJECTIVE ..................................................................................................................................................7 CORE COMPETENCES.......................................................................................................................................................7 SERIVCES ........................................................................................................................................................................8 COMPANY LOCATION......................................................................................................................................................9

III. FIELDS OF ACTIVITIES ..................................................... ........................................................... .................. 10

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GERMANS AND CHINESE ......................................................................................10 ORGANIZING A PROFESSIONAL EVENT CHINA LUNCH.............................................................................................10

COMPUTING ..................................................................................................................................................................11 SEMINAR RATING SOFTWARE .......................................................................................................................................11 PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS AND BUSINESS MEETINGS....................................................................................................11 SELLING USED EQUIPMENT TO EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND CHINA................................................................11 PFANDBRIEF INVESTOR CONFERENCE,BEIJING,12TH OF FEBRUARY 2004 .................................................. .................. 12SUPPORTING WITH OPERATIONAL DAILY BUSINESS .......................................................................................................14

IV. THEORETICAL PROGRESS AND GAINED EXPERIENCE .................................................... .................. 14

COMPANY AND CORPORATE CULTURE ..........................................................................................................................14 BUSINESS AREA ............................................................................................................................................................14 TEAM WORK .................................................................................................................................................................17 NETWORKING ...............................................................................................................................................................17 COMPUTING ..................................................................................................................................................................17

CONSULTING SKILLS .....................................................................................................................................................18 V. PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT...................................................................................................................18

COMMUNICATION SKILLS .............................................................................................................................................18 SELF CONFIDENCE ........................................................................................................................................................19 LANGUAGE ...................................................................................................................................................................19 PRACTICE......................................................................................................................................................................19

VI. COUNTRY AND PEOPLE.................................................................................................................................19

BACKGROUND ..............................................................................................................................................................19 GENERAL INFORMATION...............................................................................................................................................19 VISITED CITIES TIANJIN .............................................................................................................................................20 VISITED CITIES BEIJING .............................................................................................................................................21 VISITED CITIES CHENGDU..........................................................................................................................................23 VISITED CITIES SHANGHAI.........................................................................................................................................24 CHINESE CULTURE........................................................................................................................................................25 TABOOS IN CHINA.........................................................................................................................................................26

VII. CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................................26

VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................... ........................................................... ............................ 27

IX. APPENDIX...........................................................................................................................................................28

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION CULTURAL DIFFERENCES II...............................................................................28 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION CULTURAL DIFFERENCES II...............................................................................29 CHINAS FAST DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ......................................................................................30 CHECKLIST:CHINA ABC....................................................... ........................................................... ............................ 31


3/33


3

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1: View of Wehrheim............................................................................................................................................9Figure 2: Foreign Direct Investments to China, 2002 (FDI) ........................................................... ............................ 15Figure 3: Share Market in China ..................................................... ........................................................... .................. 16Figure 4: China and its neighbors .................................................... ........................................................... .................. 20


4/33


4

Acknowledgements

Herewith I would like to thank Ms Wei Hong the manager of SynFront Consulting the company I

have worked during my second internship for for giving me the great chance of getting hands onexperience in working in a consulting company in Germany as well as in China. Especially I would liketo thank her for the deep insight into Chinese culture I got during the time I spent as an intern in hercompany. I gratefully appreciate her strong confidence and hard work. I believe very strong herbusiness to prosper as the economy does nowadays in China and wish Wei Hong all the best for herpersonal future!

My deep thankfulness goes to my team colleagues Ms Yue Wang and Ms Man Si Ho. During the wholeinternship, I not only could rely on their helping hand but also found very true friends, who are warmlywelcomed to my home any time! I wish Yue Wang and Man Si Ho good success in finding anoccupation appropriate to their interests and all the best for their future!

Finally yet importantly, my grate thankfulness goes to Mr Aoshi Chen, the manager of SynFrontConsulting in Tianjin Office (China). His wise advises based on years long working experience alwaysproposed the right direction to me. I also thank Aoshi Chen for his open-mindedness and wish his allenterprises to have a good success!


5/33


5

I. Chronological list of activities

Activities / Events ProjectDuration

Business Partner Applied skills / experience

Market analysisCultural Differencesbetween Germans andChinese

1 week - Chinese residents inGermany

- Establishing contact- Gaining intercultural knowledge- Improving communication skills

China LunchOctober 17th 200410 participants

3 weeks May Flower Restaurant,Frankfurt

- Address research- proceeding telephone calls with financial institutions and media- Improving communication skills- writing Invitations, confirmations and bills (English and German)- preparing name cards- coordinating the schedule- networking

China Lunch November28th, 200450 participants

4 weeks KPMG, Frankfurt - Same as above, plus...- preparing a website especially for China Lunch, incl. online Registration,

www.linkchina.de/ ChinaLunch

- using Genesis Data Base for writing merge mails- coordinating food delivery, visual equipment, space availability and schedule

Computing Continuous Instructors:Wei HongAoshi Chen

- maintaining companys website, using Dreamweaver MX, Photoshop 6.0- maintaining diverse data like customers contacts and project documentation

using Database Genesis World 3.0

- Picture processing, using Adobe Photoshop 6.0

Seminar Rating SoftwareNovember 25th, 200480 participants

1 week Dr. Oliver EverlingEverling Advisory Services

- preparing name cards and speakers signs- maintaining participants list- preparing and evaluating questionnaire- video recording, making a seminar DVD using Video Studio 7.0- getting insight into rating software- networking

Participating in Events: Continuous Association of Chinese IT - getting in touch with Chinese Culture


6/33


6

- IT Conference, Frankfurt- Shanghai-Pudong Recruit-

ment Event, Frankfurt

- Business Angels Venture,Mannheim

- Guangzou tourismpromotion, Frankfurt

- The securities marked ofPRC, Duesseldorf

Experts,Chinese State ownedcompanies,Deutsche Bank BusinessAngels Venture Ltd.;Guangzou local governmentand tourist agencies;German-Chinese economicassociation

- deepening the knowledge about Chinese Economy and Regulations- observing how professional events are organized to apply that knowledge for

conferences and events organized by SynFront Consulting

- networking- improving communication skills while meeting with people working in

different business area from different countries

Participating in Business

Meetings

Continuous Sireo Real Estate Asset

Management Ltd., Frankfurt;C.D.F. Litterst, Offenburg;HeidelbergerDruckmaschinen, HeidelbergCCPIT, Chengdu

- observing the negotiation process and behavior of business partners

- improving communication skills- networking- learning about customers business

The Pfandbrief InvestorConferenceFebruary 12th 2004,Grand Hyatt Beijing Hotel,Beijing

6 weeks VDH Association of GermanMortgage Banks

- coordinating the conference location, audio and visual equipment

- preparing a website especially for the conference, incl. online Registration,www.linkchina.de/ vdh (English and Chinese)

- preparing an Access Database for sending mail merge letters- reporting of the project status to business partners- researching for companies and their business areas

Looking for potentialbuyers in China and Russiafor an used warehouse

Continuous Sireo Real Estate AssetManagement Ltd., Frankfurt;SSI Schaefer, NeukirchenSiemens Dematic Inc.

- coordinating meetings- collecting documentations- setting up a website www.linkchina.de/ warehouse- contacting potential buyers- providing necessary information to potential buyers

Support with operationaldaily business

Continuous Clients of SynFrontConsulting

- Email correspondence with clients- Writing proposals, invoices, etc.- Coordinating schedules- Arranging meetings- Preparing presentations, documentation, etc. for various projects- Writing rating reports for the magazine China Contact


7/33


7

II. The Company

Why SynFront Consulting?The world economy is struggling. The growth rates in Western European countries commute aroundzero. The unemployment rates for people with university degrees in Germany are today as high asnever before. In contrast, the markets in Asian countries are booming. Almost every big company triesto get a foot into the Asian market. The main scope of their activities is China with its more than onebillion population, ongoing economic reforms and spectacular growth rates.Many experts predict China to have the fastest developing economy during the next decades. Joiningthe WTO and continuous opening of Chinese market to foreign investors built up the stable groundfor taking off. Since 1984 China has experienced a stable rising of exports. In 2002 the FDI Foreigndirect investments to China have reached their highest level as well.

However, not only this reasons induced me to apply for an internship focused on China. More than4000 years of History, which profoundly formed the Chinese culture with its unique customs,architecture and lifestyle crucially contributed to attracting my interests in China.From one of my Chinese fellow students I learned to know about SynFront Consulting a GermanChinese consulting Company located near Frankfurt. SynFront promotes the cooperation betweenChina and Germany and focuses its activities on the capital market. Based on its interculturalcompetence and rich experience in doing business in both countries SynFront Consulting offered me aunique opportunity to get in close contact with different cultures and be actively involved in mainactivities of a consulting company.

The first part of the internship I had done in the head office of SynFront in Wehrheim near Frankfurt.The second part included a two-month staying in China Office in Tianjin.Our team consisted of two executives and four employees: Ms Wei Hong the manager of thecompany, Mr. Aoshi Chen manager of the Tianjin branch in China, Ms. Patrizia Herberg intercultural trainer, Ms. Man (Si) Ho a postgraduate student from Macau, Ms. Yue Wang international student currently studying in Bremen and myself. Since the Chinese employees hardlyspoke German, the internal communication had to proceed in English. Anyway, it was a very goodopportunity to improve my English speaking skills during that time because furthermore my Chinesecolleagues and I lived together in a flat-sharing community during the time of the internship.

Companys objectiveAll the big companies currently notice the economical growing potential in China. On the other hand,Germany plays the most important economical role in Europe. The main purpose of SynFront is

therefore to build up the bridge between China and Germany by strengthening the economic andcultural relationship between the two countries and improving these two countries businesscooperation.

Core competencesAfter several years of operations, SynFront Consulting developed strengths in many business areas:

o Managers and employees of the company have working experience in China as well as inGermany. Furthermore they have completed their postgraduate studies in Germany.Consequently, they have rich working and cultural experience in both countries.

o Executives and staff of the company are fluent in German, Mardarine and English and haveprofessional knowledge of Financial Markets and project management.


8/33


8

o SynFront Consulting has built up a wide business network in China and Germany; accordinglyit can provide first hand professional information and service for its clients.

Serivces

v Marketing analysisThe core customers of SynFront Consulting are operating in the area of investment banking, creditrating and funds management. SynFront supports its clients by observing the high potential financialareas and developing branches/ businesses in China with its professional competence. Beside thefinancial analysis SynFront furthermore provides market analysis in various areas depending oncustomers demands.

v Conferences/ SeminarsAs mentioned before, the main target of SynFront is to encourage the cooperation between Germanand Chinese companies. In order to improve German companies image and popularity the efficientmethod of presenting its business in conferences, seminars and road shows is very often used to meetthat target. SynFront Consulting gained a profound knowledge in organizing those professional eventsduring the four years of operations.

v (Individual) business trips to China and GermanyMany people have heard a lot about China from different channels (newspaper, TV) and would liketo explore Chinese market and culture at their own. In most cases the lack of language knowledgerepresents a difficulty hardly to overcome. In such cases SynFront Consulting supports the businesspartners by arranging individual business trips to China as well as to Germany. The service includesvisiting and communicating with potential business partners, associations, government departments andfinancial partners. Furthermore, clients is also given the chance to attend various events and exhibitionsand improve their intercultural knowledge while being advised by companys professional guides.Hence, clients not only can observe the chances and risks of Chinese market, but also can have a closeinsight into culture, an experience which is indispensable while doing business in China.

v Intercultural training with intensive experienceMany conflicts and misunderstandings between managers and employees in multicultural companiesarise because of cultural differences and ignorance. In some cases this even endangers companys long-term success. Hence, SynFront Consulting provides intercultural training for companies that would like

to extend their business to China. The training is not only about Chinese etiquette, but much moregives a deep understanding of the new culture and especially the behavior of Chinese business partners,colleagues, friends, etc. As a result, Companies can apply efficient ways to deal with Chinese executivesand employees.

v Chinese websiteCurrently, the Internet presence represents an efficient way of marketing for companies due toincreasing Internet utilization. While doing business in China it is indispensable for German companiesto have a website in Chinese. SynFront Consulting provides the service of translating and maintainingits customers websites respectively.


9/33


9

v Professional translation, negotiationLast but not least, translating seminar materials, customers names, proposals, etc. and negotiating alsobelongs to the service offered by SynFront Consulting. More information about the companysbusiness activities and projects can be found on the website: www.linkchina.de

Company LocationSince a consulting companys activities are moreless not attached to a certain place SynFrontConsulting decided to settle is a town Wehrheim near Frankfurt instead of having an office directly inthe city. Wehrheim was first noticed by Emperor Kaiser Heinrich the third in 1046. Originally namedWirena that town was a present to his wife. The area of Wehrheim covers as much as 38.38 squarekilometres. The districts Wehrheim, Obemhain, Pfafferwiesach and Friedrichsthal all belong to onecommunity. Located near the Roemerkastell Wehrheim is populated by about 10 thousand peoplemostly working in the area near Frankfurt.

Figure 1: View of Wehrheim

As well as many other towns in Germany, Wehrheim has a beautiful view. Although it is a small town,there are still one primary and one special school, four kindergartens, four banks, post office, a clinic,pharmaceutics and a supermarket.1

1www.wehrheim-taunus.de


10/33


10

III. Fields of activities

Cultural Differences between Germans and ChineseDuring the first weeks of my internship at SynFront Consulting we began to carry out an opinion pollon cultural differences between Chinese and Germans. Since intercultural training indispensablybelongs to our companys business the results of that analysis could be very important for the contentof the training. First of all we developed a questionnaire for the opinion poll including questions onfamily, work and social life of the Chinese in Germany. In the next stage we began to ask that questionsin every possible occasion anytime we met a Chinese. Finally, around 30 people participated in ouropinion poll. Enough for seeing a clear trend. Those people could speak well German and had a stableworking place were basically very satisfied with the life in Germany and could furthermore get alongwith locals. The other group of people, mostly consisting of older people, couldnt deal especially withGerman culture. They were not happy with the life here and would like to go back to China if they hadthe chance. Most of the families came to Germany in order to afford their children a good education ina western country and improve their future prospects in China.Working on this project I got in touch with Chinese living in Germany. That project gave mefurthermore the chance to improve my communication skills as well as to build up a network.

Organizing a professional event China LunchIn order to link together companies who intend to do business in China and to improve the popularityof SynFront consulting Ms Wei Hong decided to organize a social event named China Lunch, whichwould take place regularly. The name China Lunch is chosen since the participants are offered Chinesefood following by a presentation from an expert in Chinese Capital market. The aim of China-Lunch isto encourage the dialog among the actors in the German-Chinese marketplace. Especially decisionmakers had been invited to that activity to find their way to each other in order to exchange their

experiences. The success of this marketing activity has been guaranteed by following: SynFront paid avery high attention to tackle the potential participants individually. First, we called a company operatingin financial area and asked for a contact person who is responsible for business activities in Asia,particularly in China. After a short introduction of our company and China Lunch, the interestedperson would receive a personalized invitation. Carrying out these tasks I gratefully improved mycommunication skills. Especially calling unknown people and offering those participating in our event,which is not free of charge, required a thorough preparation. Before starting to call the companies, Iread some instructions how to deal with different communication partners and practiced a telephoneconversation with my colleagues. Beside the single description of our company and the event, we alsotried to learn to know about the companys activities in China, their interests and needs, their plansabout doing business in China. At this point, I have to commit that during the calling process I learned

a lot how to lead telephone conversations and how to introduce the company and myself. I noticed thatit was very difficult to convince people to attend our meeting. Finally only one company out of 100 wecalled came to our China Lunch. Most participants were people who had already gotten in touch withour company before. These days I learned to value the importance of a wide network, especially for aconsulting company!Further to the described activities the organization of China Lunch gave me an insight of all the tasksrelated to preparation of such events:

- preparing the layout for the name cards- arranging the location and food- writing confirmation letters- writing and sending the bills

- reporting: www.linkchina.de/ ChinaLunchUp to now, we have already organized two events. Both had been a big success! Therefore, SynFrontwill continue to hold this important event in Frankfurt regularly!


11/33


11

ComputingDuring the first weeks working for SynFront I had to get familiar with several Software the companyused in the everyday business:

- Macromedia Dreamweaver MX for maintaining companys website- Database Genesis World for maintaining diverse data from customers contacts to project

documentation- Adobe Photoshop, a picture processing software

From the first day on, I have been responsible for maintaining the corporate website and the customerdatabase. I carried these tasks out with great interest in order to learn as much as possible. In myopinion nowadays such computing skills are very important, since the internet is widely considered asan indispensable communication tool. In order to deepen my knowledge in designing websites Ifurthermore set up my individual website, which can be visited at www.kistnerweb.com

Seminar Rating SoftwareThis project has taken place in Berlin in November, 2003. I was asked to assist a partner and

shareholder of our company, Dr. Oliver Everling manager and owner of Everling Advisory Services to organize a Seminar Rating Software. Even though my tasks were limited to some basic jobs likepreparing name cards, maintaining the registration list, prepare and evaluate a questionnaire, takingpictures and cutting a movie during the seminar I could get a close insight into the whole process oforganizing such kind of activity. Furthermore I deepened my understanding of Rating issues, acompletely new topic to me that time and got to know a lot of interesting people respectively.

Participating in events and business meetingsAs far as I was given a chance I participated in professional events and business meetings. In mostcases my tasks consisted of observing the organization process in order to apply that knowledge toevents and meetings organized by our company later. Furthermore I had the great opportunity toestablish contacts with business people that could be very suitable for my future career as well as forthe companys business. Last but not least those meetings provided a unique opportunity to acquireprofessional knowledge of financial matters and personally keep in touch with companys customers.

Selling used equipment to eastern European countries and ChinaAt the very beginning of my internship the company had signed a contract to sell a used warehouse.Since that warehouse was built about 20 years ago the equipment inside was not suitable for companiesin Germany or western European counties. We therefore decided to look for potential buyers in China

and Russia. We decided first to contact persons in both counties we already knew personally in ordernot to cause high expenses on advertisement. My tasks in that project included contacting responsiblepersons from companies, which were involved in building the warehouse, providing necessaryinformation to potential buyers, arranging meetings and visits of the warehouse, setting up a websitefor the warehouse in different languages and reporting the progress of the selling to our contractor. Inoticed that this process is really complicated. Since most of the people who managed the project 20years ago have already retired it is very difficult to find all the documentation about the warehouse andall the equipment inside. Furthermore the shipping of the warehouse to China or Russia is a processwhich requires close cooperation of several parties. Anyway being involved in that project I gainedvaluable experience in dealing with international companies and people.


12/33


12

Pfandbrief Investor Conference, Beijing, 12thof February 2004The Pfandbrief Investor Conference organized in cooperating with VDH (Association of GermanMortgage Banks) aimed to introduce the German Pfandbrief to Chinese Investors was by no means themost important project; SynFront Consulting had worked on for the period of time I stayed in thecompany. In very close cooperation with the Association of German Mortgage Banks SynFront

Consulting was in charge to organize the conference on a very high level:

- The conference location was a five star Grand Hyatt Beijing Hotel- Participants were mostly managers from banks and financial institutions- The speakers came from famous German Investment Banks and Rating Companies- The promoted product Pfandbrief stands for a very secure investment form which was

originally found in Germany

In order to guarantee the success of this important event our team went for two months to SynFrontOffice in Tianjin (China) to proceed with the organization of the conference. At that moment, the tasksI could carry out were limited due to my disability of Chinese language. My Chinese colleaguescontacted the potential participants and faxed information in Chinese from now on. I was responsiblefor maintaining the webpage for the conference: www.linkchina.de/ vdh Furthermore I kept in closecontact with the Grand Hyatt Beijing Hotel to ensure the smooth flow function of the conference.The whole project can be divided into several steps including pre-conference or preparation phase, theconference phase and after-conference phase. The according activities can generally be described asfollowing

Pre-conference Phase

Timescale: Activity:

12.10.2003

12.26.2003

Accumulation of potential participants Data, Web research, introducing the

conference programme via phone calls, faxes, collecting the data using Excel,meeting arrangements with the Grand Hyatt Hotel the conference location

12.26.2003 01.15.2004

Translating the documentation for the Pfandbrief Conference into Chinese,Preparing the website for the conference, uploading all the relevant information.Further arrangements with the Grand Hyatt Beijing HotelSending tentative invitations to participants via faxMeeting arrangements with printing companies, Designing the layouts for mailinvitations and conference documentation

01.15.2004 01.15.2004

Spring Festival Break, Printing the invitations

01.28.2004

02.08.2004

Sending the invitations to potential participants via mail, updating the website,

Maintaining participants data in Access database,Reporting to German business partners about the preparation status of theconferenceTranslating power point presentations into ChinesePreparing gifts for participants

02.08.2004 11.02.2004

Making name cards for participants, preparing conference documentation, arrangingconference helping staff, inviting the press, transport of all the materials toconference locationPreparing tourist information for the guest speakers and the visitors program


13/33


13

Conference Phase

02.11.2004 02.12.2004

Guest speakers transfer from the airport to hotel, presentation about Chinese cultureand the capital market in China, business dinner.

02.12.2004 Set up of simultaneous translation, backdrop, registration table, LCD Projector, etc.

Registering the participants, handing out conference documentation, headphonesand giftsChanging the power point presentations and speakers name cards, observing thewhole processVIPs DinnerAccompanying German Guests visit the Bar Street

02.13.2004 Accompanying to visit Beijing,

02.14.2004 Guest speakers airport transfer

Past-Conference Phase

02.16.2004 02.20.2004

Whole project reporting, updating conference website and database, analyzing thefeedback

The following summary furthermore shows the problems we faced while organizing that event and theways we solved that problems:

Problems Solutions

- Grand Hyatt forcing us to sign the contract andpay 80% of the price in advance

- Basically we held the conference in theafternoon and needed therefore the room only

for half of the day. The hotel forced ourcompany to pay the whole day rent, by sayingthat other company wants to hold a meeting inthe morning.

- paying only 50% of the price in advance

- We took the risk and did not pay the whole dayrental and played with the time, because we did

not trust the hotel. Finally there was no othercompany to hold a meeting in the morning

- printing company which printed the invitations,made a mistake by printing the red color toodark, which means in China death

- the invitations have been printed too late

- print the whole sample again

- sending tentative invitations via faxes in advance

- time urgency - finding the most efficient ways of working, e.g.using access data base and mail merge toquickly confirm the registrations,

- working overtime and on weekends(management took this as granted, better to tellthe employees in advance about longerworking hours)

- language barriers: communication in Chinese,designing website in Chinese, etc.

- focusing on what I can do better than theothers, and do everything I can in order to saveother colleagues time

- reporting about the difficulties and problems ofthe process

- better not after the conference, but during thewhole process continuously recording theproblems


14/33


14

Supporting with operational daily businessDuring the time of the internship I was continuously assigned with daily tasks. Those includedcoordinating schedules, proceeding phone calls, corresponding with customers and business partners,writing reports, proposals, invoices, arranging meetings, preparing presentations and documentation forvarious projects.

IV. Theoretical progress and gained experience

Company and corporate cultureWithin the first weeks of the internship Ms Wei Hong gave me a wide overview of companys activities,introduced the corporate culture, the working and lifestyle of the team.SynFront Consultingformed in April of 2000 as a partnership, has been transformed into SynFront Consulting Ltd. inAugust of 2000.The name SynFront is based on the old Chinese wisdom: The water cleaves its way depending on the

ground flowing through. A manager succeeds on the challenges faced ahead.2

If German Companieswould like to enter the Chinese market, they have to adapt to local circumstances. SynFront helps tofind the most appropriate strategy combining its professional and intercultural competence with itscustomers strengths. The outcome is a Synergy effect - a win-win situation, which both parties areprofiting out of.In the everyday life, I learned to know the importance of implementing this corporate philosophy.Hence, creating a customer oriented working style indispensably belongs to my everyday tasks since.Practically that means

- tackle the customers differently- passion towards some difficult customers- long working hours

- adaptability and flexibility in dealing with Chinese business partners

Business areaSynFront Consulting is focusing its consulting services in the area of capital market, a sector which hasexperienced dynamic growth since China joined the WTO. On the 10 th of November 2001 Chinaofficially has been accepted as the 143 member of the World Trade Organization which symbolized thefinal point of 15 year long negotiations. The agreements between the WTO and Peoples Republic ofChina cover a multiplicity of economic sectors. In the following I would like describe some reforms inthe financial area.After ratification of WTO foreign financial institutions have been able to do business in foreigncurrency which hasnt been allowed at all before. From the accession on business in Chinese currency(Yuan Renminbi RMB) has only been allowed in the cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Dalian.One year after accession foreign financial institutions have been able to do business in Chinesecurrency in Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Qingdao, Nanjing and Wuhan, two years after accession in Jinan,Fuzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing, three years after accession in Kunming, Beijing and Xiamen, fouryears after accession in Shantou, Ningbo, Shenyang and Xian. Five years after accession allgeographical restriction will have been removed.Foreign financial institutions will be able to do business in China from December 11, 2006 byaccomplishing following requirements:

- On foundation a subsidiary or a financing company total asset has to exceed USD 10 Billions atthe end of the year prior to application.

2 (SUN TZU, The art of war, 500 b.C.)


15/33


15

- On foundation a branch total asset has to exceed USD 20 Billions at the end of the year priorto application

- On foundation of a Chinese-Foreign capitalized bank or a Chinese-Foreign capitalizedfinancing company total asset has to exceed USD 10 Billions at the end of the year prior toapplication

- The precondition to doing business in Chinese currency: at least three year long presence in thePeoples Republic of China and positive net operating profits respectively. 3

Those reforms in the financial area allow foreign institution to enter Chinese market little by little suchcreating a huge potential of business opportunities. Although a lot of criteria are constricting foreigninstitutions to enter Chinese Market, several banks could successfully begin to operate in mainlandChina. Right now the first Sino German Bausparkasse, a Joint Venture of Schwaebisch Hall and ChinaConstruction Bank began to operate in Tianjin. They offer Chinese private persons for the first timethe building society savings (=Bausparen), a financial product which hasnt been known in China up tonow.

The ongoing reforms in the financial area have a deep impact on the stock market as well. In the year2002 the foreign direct investments to China reached a highest value of USD 53 Billions. The trend isbullish.

Figure 2: Foreign Direct Investments to China, 2002 (FDI)

Before passing over to foreign investment to China a short overview of Chinese stock market shouldbe given at this point.4The Chinese stock market consists of several kinds of Shares:

- A -Shareso Shares which can be traded only in on the stock exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Trading currency is RMBo International investors can only participate through QFII, which will be described later

3Nicolas Schlotthauer

4 The description of the Chinese Stock market is based on the presentation of Mr. Hannes A. Takack, Managing

Director, Capmex Unternehmensberatung GmbH held on October 17th 2003; www.linkchina.de/ChinaLunch


16/33


16

- B-Shareso Face Value in RMBo Those stocks are traded in Shanghai (USD) and in Shenzhen (Hong Kong Dollars)o Only few companies issued B-Shareso B-Shares are open for international investors

- H -Shareso H-Shares are traded in Hong Kong (HK-Dollars)o Companies are registered in the Peoples Republic of Chinao Higher Governance/ Disclosure requirements

- L P-Shareso Legal Person (LP) Shares are owned by Securities Companieso LP-Shares have not been traded on stock exchangeo This shares are traded only by one-to-one contacts

- Red Chipso Companies which have been listed beyond Peoples Republic of Chinao Controlled by government agencies or government like institutionso Boomed in 1996 1997

- N -Shareso Companies registered in PRCo CDRs and ADRs

Figure 3: Share Market in China

The Chinese stock market which consists of different types of shares is furthermore characterizedby different prices. A-Shares traded only in Chinese currency are mostly higher priced as B-Shares

from the same company. Since the introduction of the Taiwan Model of Qualified Foreign InstitutionalInvestors (QFII) it became possible for foreigners to invest in A-Shares and Government Bonds aswell as in B-Shares. QFII are aimed to boost up the liquidity of local stock exchanges. On the contrast

Share category

4A-Shares

4B-Shares

4H-Shares

4

Red-Chips

4N-Shares

Marketplace

4Shanghai & Shenzhen

4Hong Kong

4International StockExchanges (GDRs, ADRs)


17/33


17

the regulation of Qualified Domestic International Investors (QDII) encourages Chinese Investorspossessing foreign currency accounts to invest in foreign securities. This model has been implementedin the beginning of 2004.But there are some restrictions for Qualified Foreign investors:

- 10% Cap of QFII Investments into one single listed company- 20% Cap of all QFII Investments into one single listed company- Quota-Restrictions for Investments between USD 50 and 800 Billions- Domestic Bank has to be a Custodian- All Transactions have to proceed with national Securities companies

- 1 to 3 Years lock-up periodAlthough significant progress has been made by introducing QFII and QDFI to China many foreigninvestors are still struggling to get their foot into Chinese financial market. Anyway, SynFrontConsulting is optimistic about the development of the Chinese financial sector and will stronglyconcentrate its activities on this area in the future.

Team workMost of the time spent in SynFront Consulting I was involved in projects requiring intensivecooperation with my coworkers. This goes back to the fact that SynFronts main business activities areboth Chinese and German market oriented which require intercultural understanding as well aslanguage knowledge. Only the combination of the strengths of the team members could guarantee thehigh professionalism and quality of our work. I learned to know the importance of coordinatingindividual work of the team members in order to concentrate on the most important tasks first as wellas to increase the efficiency of the team work.

Networking

I met reams of important and exciting individuals Chinese, German and other foreign individualsalike. I was also able to make a number of very good business contacts for the future, and currently

hope to use some of those contacts to help me doing business for after I graduate. The job

experience in and of itself was worthwhile, but I also gained a great deal through the friendships I

was able to make, especially with my Chinese co-workers. They greatly helped my understanding

of Chinese culture and language of course, and who continue to keep in touch with me today

through E-mail.

Computing

One of my objectives towards the internship was to improve my computer skills and learn to efficientlydeal with programmes and applications used in everyday business. During the first internship at SKFLinear Motion and while being involved in various team projects in the university I have already gainedexperience in using Word, Excel, Power Point, CAD, Video Studio and Visual Basic. However, Istrongly believe the more computer programme one is familiar with, the better and faster one can carryout the daily office tasks. Hence, I strongly desired to learn to use new computer software, even thoughI am not going to apply for a job related to IT. As mentioned before, one of my tasks includedmaintaining companys website. Basically there is a variety of computer software on the market. Forsingle individual it is very difficult to learn all the programmes and functions. Therefore, both, theindividual and the company have to concentrate on the most suitable programmes for their activities aswell as on most important functions. While getting in touch with that programmes I developed a

strategy to accelerate the learning process. First of all I observed my boss working with theprogrammes and asked as much as possible about the functions required. Second I found sometutorials and help files quite assistant in learning particular functions because they are well structured


18/33


18

and divided by topics. Last but not least the theoretical knowledge I got from books and tutorials hadto be immediately implemented. For that reason I decided to set up my own website and used it forexercising.SynFront Consulting uses Adobe Photoshop 6.0 for graphics processing and MacromediaDreamweaver MX for web designing. Besides working with Photoshop and Dreamweaver, I have alsolearned to use data base programmes like Genesis World and Microsoft access which proved to be

indispensable in maintaining clients data as well as writing standard letter and merge documents.Furthermore this internship gave me a deep inside into problems which a company is facing in itseveryday business. For example the mass of junk mails, viruses, hardware and software failures, dataredundancies, data losses and a plenty more incidents can even endanger a small companys existence.Therefore I learned to manage that kind of obstacles by updating the antivirus software regularly,making backups of important data, and setting up the email check schedule and last but not least Iensured our team to exchange skills and latest information in order to improve the efficiency andquality of our work.

Consulting skillsThe working life of a consultant requires a sound amount of self motivation, discipline, creativity and

joy. One has to devote oneself to the work completely in order to provide best results to the customers.A consultant has the ability to find the problems and solve them accordingly. He is the one who candevelop new ways of doing business by questioning what has been made in the past. During theinternship I learned to take initiative to communicate and implement my ideas. I learned to work in acreative environment and to be open-minded towards everything new and uncertain. Only this way ofworking and living can guarantee a consultant prosperous and successful business. I learned to like thework of a consultant a lot, so I can imagine working in the consulting area later.

V. Personality Development

Communication Skills

Although I am an very open-minded person in the very beginning of the internship I got easily

nervous while talking to different customers on the phone and especially while establishing contact

with Chinese people. I thought that because of the lack of Chinese language knowledge I will not be

taken seriously. Therefore I avoided talking and expressing my feelings especially with my boss. It

can also be said that I lacked the confidence. I made the improvement of the confidence to my

personal goal. At the current stage I can say that I have learned to deal with superiors as well as to

deal with customers. Especially I applied valuable skills in talking on the phone. Basic rules which

should be carried out while talking now indispensably belong to my working stile:- friendly greeting when picking up the phone,- introducing the company and clearly pronounce my name- remembering the name of the counterpart and repeating it at least three times:

o first time at the beginning of the talko second in the middle to show respect to the counterparto at last at the end of the conversation

- The golden rule: Smiling! Even people cannot see your smile they hear it for sure!

Right now I am still in the progress of learning to improve my communication skills, because Iunderstand the importance of successful communication with different people, such as our superiors,

subordinators, colleagues and customers. That can only be learned through practicing. Well developedcommunication skills are indispensable for my future career. They will heavily determine whether I can


19/33


19

be a leader or a follower. Focusing on that will also be the goal in the next step of my study thedegree thesis.

Self ConfidenceBeing involved in various projects which required close communication and cooperation with clients,business partners and colleagues I noticed that a certain degree of self confidence is indispensable toreach ones objective. One have always to deal with people human beings like myself who noticeimmediately whether I am sure in what I am trying to say and what Im doing. From the beginning onmy boss helped me to develop my self confidence by stating what I do right of wrong. I have workedhard on my personality development and can nowadays proudly represent SynFront Consulting in thepublic.

LanguageAs a consequence of living and working in one house with the colleagues my language skills have beengreatly improved. According to the fact that my Chinese colleagues couldnt speak German and me

neither Chinese English was the only language we could communicate with. Thus, after a couple ofmonths, I noticed that I began even to think in English. Besides, I have also learnt a little bit Chinese,which often helped me to find ones way in China.

PracticeAfter three years of learning theoretical matters, doing six months internship was a good chance forme to implement what I have learnt and apply my knowledge in the practical everyday life. In school, Ilearned how to write business letters, invoices, application letters etc. I also learned a lot about projectmanagement and organization matters for business. During the internship, I really applied thisknowledge when carrying out tasks and assignments. I wrote business E-mail to companies, applied mymarketing knowledge to organize conferences and was finally motivated by knowing that the threeyears in the university found a solid theoretical background which I can always apply in my futurecareer.

VI. Country and people

BackgroundAs mentioned above I completed a part of my Internship at SynFront Consulting in China. For thetime of two months I had been involved in organizing the First Pfandbrief Conference in China. Sincethe China Branch of the company was located in Tianjin a city near Beijing I will describe later themanagement decided to meet all arrangements from that city in order to better use the synergies. Asdescribed in the previous part the first Sino German Bausparkasse has got the licence to sell buildingsociety savings contracts in Tianjin. SynFront Consulting has set up the Tianjin branch and issupporting that project now. The next part of my internship report is dedicated to describe the twounique months of staying and working in China. The content is made up of introducing the countryand Chinese people, the cultural shock and my impression of China.

General Information

China is the largest country entirely in Asia. China is bordered by Russia, India, Afghanistan, Bhutan,Myanmar, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, andVietnam. Since 1998 Hong Kong City and since 1999 Macau are not longer bordering China but also


20/33


20

belong to the Mainland. Both cities have currently the transitional status which will last until the year2013. Beijing has been the capital of China during the time of Qing and Ming dynasties the last twoChinese dynasties and became the capital of the peoples Republic of China on October 1, 1949 again.This day is since celebrated as Chinese National Holiday. China covers about 9,596,960 squarekilometres and is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and the USA).

Figure 4: China and its neighbors5

China has the largest population of any country in the world. The population of China is about 1,3billion. China is divided into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities. China's climate

ranges from desert to tropical to sub arctic. The major rivers in China are the Yangtse River, the YellowRiver, and the Pearl River. The highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, borders China.Other major mountain ranges in China are the Ch'ang-pai Mountains, theTsinling Mountains, and theNan range. The highest point in China is Mount Everest (8,850 m tall), in the Himalayas. The lowestpoint in China is Turpan Pendi (the Turpan Depression), 154 meters below sea level. It is located innorthwestern China.6

Visited Cities Tianjin7

As noticed above, SynFront Consutling has an office in Tianjin. Hence myself and the team spend themost time in this city. Tianjin, one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government inChina, is located in the northeast of the North China Plain and is the closest seaport to Beijing. The cityis one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China and it is also known as "the diamond of theBohai Gulf". Tianjin covers an area of 11,000 square kilometers (4,200 square miles) and has apopulation in excess of 10 million people.

Tianjin lies in a temperate zone and it enjoys four distinct seasons a year. The average yearlytemperature is only 13 C with hot summers (in July the temperature can be higher than 26 C) andfreezing temperatures in January. The best periods to visit Tianjin are spring and autumn when pleasanttemperatures can be expected.

5CIA, http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html

6 All about China, http://www.enchantedlearning.com/asia/china7 Travel China Guide; http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/tianjin/


21/33


21

Tianjin has a long and illustrious history, from an ordinary fishing village to the most important tradecentre in Northern China. Tianjin was considered to be one of China's most important militaryfortresses in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) due to its particular geographic location as access point toBeijing, the national capital. Its name "Tianjin" was graciously bestowed by the Emperor Zhudi in theearly years of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Tianjin means "the place where the emperor crossed the

river". In 1860, after the First Opium War, Tianjin was further expanded to become the second largestbusiness and communications center in the country. By the end of the 19th century, it had grown into abustling center for international commerce.

Tianjins location in the middle of North Chinas gold coast was a natural setting to be developed as atrading port. Today Tianjin has China's largest container wharf and ships from every country of theworld use its facilities. Major domestic and international airlines serve the coastal international airport.Tianjin also is a very important railway junction terminal for the two main lines: Tianjin to Shandongand Tianjin to Shanghai. A nice and relaxing way to travel along the gold coast is by train.

Food in Tianjin is quite different from other regions in China. The famous Tianjin-style braised

creamed cabbage (steamed stuffed buns called "goubuli") are definitely worth a try. Fish and seafoodare also very common. In the Chinese custom, fish is brought live to your table before being preparedaccording to your taste in either a local or a more cosmopolitan style. A discussion with the waiter onhow to cook the meal is one of the pleasures of eating in China.

From my point of view Tianjin is quite left behind the other major cities like Beijing, or Shanghai. FirstI found the traffic in Tianjin chaotically since there were a lot of pedestrians and bicycles rushing on theroads together with all the cars, which didnt stop honking in order to get through that mass. After awhile staying in Tianjin I stopped to pay attention to that and had just flown with the traffic like all theothers.

Visited Cities Beijing8Since the Pfandbrief Conference had been held in Beijing I also spend a plenty of time in that city.

As generally known Beijing is the hosting city of Olympic Games of 2008. One can notice that

Chinese government is doing its best to keep the city clean as well as safe. I even found scavengers

at 3 o clock in the night working what really astonished me. Anyway I could see the effect of the

hard preparation to the Olympic Games. The whole city is in dynamical growing stage. Here and

there you can find skyscrapers being build, a phenomenon hardly being noticed in Germany.

As the capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing is the nation's political, economic, cultural and

educational centre as well as being the most important centre in China for international trade andcommunications. It has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history. Bythe time of the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC), it was serving as the capital of the YanKingdom. Because of its role in the life and growth of China, there is an unequalled wealth available fortravellers to discover as you explore Beijing's ancient past and enjoy its exciting 21st Century world. In2008 when Beijing hosts the Olympic Games, Beijing will show the world something so special thateveryone will be awestruck by Beijing's latest accomplishments combined with its ancient history.

The magnificent Forbidden City is the worlds largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex.Surrounded by a moat that is six meters deep and a ten-meter high wall are 9,999 rooms - just oneroom short of the number that ancient Chinese believed represented divine perfection. Once having

entered the Forbidden City, visitors are transported to a spacious world of great luxury that had aculture of its own. For five centuries, this palace functioned as the administrative centre of the country

8 Travel China Guide; http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing.htm


22/33


22

as well as being the pleasure home of the emperors and empresses who were served by thousands ofpeople. Walking along the corridors and through various rooms it becomes easy to understand theimpact of the rulers who lived here and their isolation from the rest of Chinese life. Regardless of howmuch history you have read, or movies featuring the Forbidden City you have seen, the place itself isnot to be missed by any Beijing visitor. (Self-guided audio tour tapes are available in several languages atthe entrance.)

For a peaceful and interesting stroll, visit one of Beijings many beautiful parks, such as Beihai Park,which was probably built by the Great Khan centuries earlier than the Forbidden City. This park wasenjoyed by the various rulers of China for hundreds of years and features pavilions, architecturallyinteresting walkways, the 27-meter-long (about 88 feet) Nine Dragon Screen (built to scare off evilspirits), a jar that is the last remnant of the Khan's court that had been there, the Five Dragon Paviliondating from the mid 1600's, and a large lake with an island in the middle. Another park that is a definite"must see" is the Summer Palace, a famous classic imperial garden with breathtaking beauty. Bold andgenerously designed, the northern gardens skillfully blend into the exquisite delicacy of the southerngardens. The Summer Palace holds a special place in the history of Chinese gardens. These are only twoof the many majestic gardens in Beijing. Sometimes, you can find exceptional gardens within or

surrounding Beijing's many ancient temples.

Beijing has many beautiful temples that at one time served as the focus for religious life. Temple ofHeaven is the largest group of structures in the country dedicated to rituals that pay homage to heaven.This temple was built specifically for the worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests during thetime of the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are two amazing acoustical spots here. On the top of thetri-leveled round altar (originally built in the 1500's) there is a spot where your words reverberatearound you. You can easily imagine the power that temporal rulers felt as their prayers for abundanceechoed as if they issued down from the heavens. The other is at the Echo Wall that partially encloses acircular courtyard that is 65 meters (213 feet) in diameter. Words whispered at one end travel along thewall and can be heard clearly by someone listening at the other end. The entire temple complex is a

treasure of ancient Chinese architectural design and art. Symbolic shape combinations (the temples areround on square bases signifying heaven and earth) and various mystical numbers are the basis formuch of the design work. The temple structures themselves are stunning works of art. All of this andmore is set in the midst of a beautiful park.

There are many other fascinating temples in Beijing, among which are: the Yunju Temple, whichhouses the most stone inscriptions of Buddhist scriptures in the world, the White Cloud Taoist Temple,which is one of the oldest and still the most active of Taoist temples in Beijing, and the Temple ofConfucius. Visiting these temples can help elucidate three primary philosophies that formed the basisfor early Chinese life and culture. For example, much of traditional Chinese medicine's principles andtheories were derived from the work of Taoist doctors and masters.

The largest city central square in the world, the solemn and respectful Tiananmen Square is not onlythe symbol of Beijing but also the symbol of China. This immense courtyard is the site of many historicevents. The square is surrounded by a variety of significant edifices: Chinese Revolution HistoryMuseum, Mao Mausoleum, Great Hall of the People, the elegant and beautiful Tiananmen (HeavenlyPeace Gate), and Qianmen (Front Gate). The daily flag ceremony at the square, performed at sunriseand sunset each day, is most exceptional and well-worth making time to view.

The Great Wall is one of the eight wonders of the world and is the only man-made structure that isvisible from the moon. This immense wall was built to keep out invaders as well as to retain theinhabitants. It spans five provinces (6,700 kilometers, or 2,587 miles) from Shanhaiguan Pass in the

east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west. Like a gigantic dragon, it winds up and down across deserts,grasslands and mountains. Just outside Beijing, it is possible to climb a section of the Great Wall andenjoy a splendid panoramic view that you will remember for the rest of your life.


23/33


23

Other famous Beijing attractions include the Ming Tombs, the burial site of 13 ancient emperors; theDrum Tower built in the 1400's; Tiantan Park with its excellent Ming architectures; Fragrant Hills Park;the Ancient Observatory that dates back to the days of Kublai Khan; The Silk Market; BotanicalGardens; the Indian-designed Temple of Azure Clouds and many, many more wondrous places. Anyreader of the classic The Dream of Red Mansions will want to visit Prince Gong's Mansion of the

18th Century, which is purported to be the model for mansion in the novel.

How can one city boast so many phenomenal places? Beijing's long and illustrious history startsapproximately 500,000 years ago. It is here that the ancestors of modern Homo sapiens, Peking men,lived in caves. Records show that Beijing has been an inhabited city for more than three thousand yearsand has lived through invasions, devastating fires, dynasties, warlords, Anglo-French troops and hasemerged each time as a strong and vibrant city. For more than 800 years, Beijing was a capital city -from the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Thirty-four emperors have lived and ruled inBeijing and it has been an important trading city from earliest days. Although now Beijing is modern,fashionable and full of 21st Century vitality, you can experience authentic Beijing life and becomeacquainted with "old Beijing" by exploring many tea houses, temple fares, Beijing's Hutong and

Courtyard and enjoy the Peking Opera. Adding these to your Beijing tour, you will leave feeling inyour heart a special appreciation for this ancient city that has truly seen it all and tells its story withmatchless grace and beauty.

Beijing is close to Tianjin Municipality and is partially surrounded by Hebei Province. Beijingcovers a total area of more than 16,800 square kilometers (6,487 square miles) and has a population of13.82 million people. Beijing's climate is a semi-humid, continental climate with an average temperatureof 12 C. It's rainy season, which brings most of its nearly 600 millimeters of rain, starts in July and endsin August. Beijing summers are very hot and rainy while winters in Beijing are dry, cold, and snowy.The short spring season is temperate and autumn is clear and clean. Beijing is at its best in late springand autumn, particularly during the months of May, September, and October when people can enjoy

bright sunlight and blue skies.

All in all I can conclude that I liked Beijing best of all visited places.

Visited Cities Chengdu9During the time of Chinese Spring Festival which hadfound place on January 21st this year every year it takesplace on different day due to the Chinese Lunar Calendar I was given the chance to join the Spring Festival withthe Chinese family thanks to Wei Hong and Yue Wangwho are locals to Chengdu.

Chengdu, populated by some 10 million people, is locatedin the hinterland of China's Sichuan province. Qinghai,Gansu, Shaanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan Provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region areneighbouring Sichuan Province. Chengdu is covering an area of some 12,300 sq km

Chengdu history goes back to the year 316 BC during the late Warring State Period. As the Dujiangyandam and irrigation system was put in place, Chengdu boasts a 2300 year history. In Eastern Handynasty, the city was called Jincheng (Brocade City). By Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), it was considered acornerstone of Chinese society

9 Travel China Guide; http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/chengdu.htm


24/33


24

Chengdu lies in subtropical humid climate with free-frost period of about 337 days and average rainfallof 900-1,300mm per year, annual average humidity is 82%, and the sunshine ratio of 28%. AverageTemperatures range between 15.5 C -16.5 C. Average rainfall of 900-1,300mm annually is expectedrespectively.

Chengdu is famous for its spicy Sichuan foods one who visits Chengdu indispensably should learn toknow the famous hot pot. To local highlights furthermore belong thegiant panda and golden monkey,Chuanxiu (embroidery), bamboo ware and various kinds of tea.

Due to very mild climate and nourishing soils, which can be harvested up to three times a yearChengdunese people have been blessed with reach crops from the time immemorial. One can feel therelaxing atmosphere of Chengdu by walking through traditional streets of downtown.

Visited Cities Shanghai10One of the highlights of my China trip was undoubtedly the visit to Shanghai city. It is said that Cian isChina of yesterday, Beijing - China of today and Shanghai is China of tomorrow. When the plane waslanding I could have a view of that huge city consisting mostly of skyscrapers which stand close to eachother. In Shanghai my boss took me to meetings with

Shanghai, called "Hu" for short, is a bustling metropolis located at the mouth of the Yangtze River.Connected with Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in the west, the city is exposed to the East ChinaSea in the east. With a total area of 6,341 square kilometers (about 2,448 square miles) and a populationof more than 13 million, Shanghai takes its place among the worlds biggest, most booming urban areas.

Shanghai also enjoys a delightful climate with four distinct seasons. Annual temperatures average 16 Cand annual rainfall averages 1200 millimeters. However, spring and autumn, with their moderatetemperate, are the best times to visit Shanghai.

While the city epitomizes modern, urban China, its history is one of its most intriguing features. Inparticular, in the 1930s and 40s, Shanghai was a paradise for adventurers. Tycoons, millionaires,knights-errant and great beauties came to this attractive city to realize their dreams, and countlessmoving stories, both sad and joyful, were played out here.

Because of its open to foreigners and its coastal location, Shanghai is endowed with rich touristattractions related to its long and complicated history. Many buildings, constructed in various foreignstyles, are well preserved in the Bund area, and western tourists will feel a sense of familiarity whenstrolling around the long street, which resembles those in European cities. This blending of eastern andwestern styles has given the Bund a reputation as a "World's Fair of Architecture." Many buildingsfrom the 1920s and 1930s have also survived in the Old City section of Shanghai. A visit to the OldCity is easily combined with a stop at Yuyuan Garden, a well-restored Suzhou-style garden createdduring the Ming Dynasty. The garden is immensely popular with local residents and visiting Chinese. Inaddition, Jade Buddha Temple, located in northwest Shanghai, is the most popular Buddhist templein this city, drawing both worshippers and tourists. It is famous for two jade Buddha statues, one ofwhich is reclining and the other seated.

Shanghai is well known both at home and from abroad not only as prosperous metropolis with richcultural resources, but also for a number of new tourist attractions that have been developed in recentyears. Standing on a boat on the Huangpu River, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the river and cityskyline. The river sparkles with giant ships sailing busily by; the banks are filled with skyscrapers of

10 Travel China Guide; http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai.htm


25/33


25

different styles. On the modern Pudong side of the river, the futuristic Oriental Pearl TV Tower, witha giddy height of 468 meters, stands as the world's third tallest TV tower, after the 553-meter CNNTower in Toronto and the 535-meter Moscow TV Tower. It has already come to symbolize Shanghaiand is honored as one of the ten best views in the city. The Jin Mao Mansion is another famousbuilding in the Pudong New Area. Because of its brightly illuminated skyscrapers, Shanghai enjoysinternational fame as the "Pearl of the Orient".

Shanghai is also a great destination for shoppers, and the best-known shopping street in China -Nanjing Road - is located here. This exciting avenue is lined with well-known shops and departmentstores selling clothing, food and specialty goods. Shanghai is a paradise for gourmets, too. Here, visitorscan enjoy a taste of all the different kinds of food in the world. Shanghainese cuisine, however, is aspecial hybrid. There are several famous old restaurants in Shanghai that are not to be missed.

Chinese CultureBeing closely involved into Chinese culture by living in a flat share community with my colleagues I gota deep insight into Chinese lifestyle and hands on experience in dealing with Chinese business partners.Although I learned a lot about Chinese culture in the university of applied sciences I still had to accepta cultural shock in the very beginning and especially at the time I came to China.First of all I had adapted to eating Chinese food with chopsticks which I found myself later to like alot. In the beginning my major task was to organize my work because my Chinese boss overwhelmedme with different tasks all of which seemed to have highest priority. That time I learned to adapt themultitasking way of working, the only suitable way to complete all the assignments.11But even greater cultural shock I had to accept in China. I expected to meet an undevelopedovercrowded country based on the media reports and books I read about the country. In fact first timeI came to Beijing I was really surprised by the dynamic development of that city which goes back to thenext Olympic Games which will be held in the city. During the first weeks I was also a bit shocked bythe chaotical traffic because car drivers and pedestrians seemed not care about the traffic rules. Butafter one month staying in Tianjin I got used to it and didnt even notice the never ending honking.Going to China I expected my English language knowledge would be enough to communicate in China.But that proved to be a deep misapprehension. Although most Chinese studied English in the schoolthey never had the chance to practice the language. Even the well educated university teachers hardlyunderstand English. Consequently I found myself in a foreign country among people I couldntcommunicate with. Anyway I quickly learned some basic Chinese like numbers, greetings, etc. someexpressions which proved to be very helpful later.Chinese pay a lot of attention to social events and prefer to get together especially in restaurants. Evenbusiness partners pay a lot of attention to learn to know each other personally in a relaxing atmosphere.It is common in China that someone who invites the other to join the meal also pays the bill. To paythe bill separately is considered as impolite towards each other. Sometimes there is even a longdiscussion, because everyone wants to pay. In China people say: not those one is reach who have a lotbut those who gives a lot. So, sometimes I even found people ordering too much dishes in order toshow their respect to the guest.Once in Chengdu I joined a group of young people to go Karaoke TV (KTV) a place where the mostof Chinese show their skills in singing. Chinese basically prefer KTV to a disco. Inside the KTVbuilding one can find a lot of rooms designed for different group sizes. As the word KTV says there isa screen where the music clips are shown and the appropriate music is running in the background. Onecan choose a favorite song from the list offered not only Chinese but a lot of western songs as well.Once being invited to a Karaoke party I could not resist all the people asking me to sing. In order toshow respect and to be polite I had sung two songs which proved to be not that bad than I expectedand finally gave me respect as well. At that time I learned a lot about Chinese people, their behaviorand how to deal with certain matters.

11 A short introduction on intercultural issues is given in the appendix


26/33


26

Taboos in ChinaFrom my colleagues I learned that there are several things which one should avoid when dealing withChinese. Dont give people presents like

- Green cap especially for husband, which means that guys woman has a lover (from old stories)- A clock (song zhong = someone has died), especially on birthdays and for older people that

means you wish someone to die. Watch is OK

- A mirror, which means his or her appearance is not good enough- Comb, which means someone entering competition will loose (because of the same

pronunciation as loosing = shuzi)Old paper is being sold in China as well as old metals. People are collecting these materials by shoutingon the streets.

VII. Conclusion

This internship I have done in SynFront Consulting was an amazing experience, and I would trulyrecommend it for anyone who has an interest in improving their Chinese, learning about business inChina, or meeting a wide variety of amazing people. Most aspects of the job were very positive, and theonly complaint I had when I was there was the fact that the company was too under-staffed. While theworking day was plenty lively and I enjoyed my challenging assignments, sometimes I felt a littleoverwhelmed, especially since I wasnt getting paid. However, the overall experience made all my workworthwhile, and I couldnt have received better experience, especially as an intern.


27/33


27

VIII. Bibliography

Homepage of SynFront Consulting GmbH , www.linkchina.de

CIA,http:/ / www.cia.gov/ cia/ publications/ factbook/ geos/ ch.html

All about China,http:/ / www.enchantedlearning.com/ asia/ china

Tourist Guidebook of China, Hunan Map Publishing House, 2002

Travel China Guide,http:/ / www.travelchinaguide.com

Wehrheim Taunus H omepage,www.wehrheim-taunus.de

Kultur Schock China, Hanne Chen, Reise Know-How Verlag Peter Rump GmbH, 2. Auflage 1998


28/33


28

IX. Appendix

These texts had been written by me as an exam preparation in the course of InterculturalCommunication which I took at the University of Applied Sciences, Schweinfut. That course had been

held by Prof. Dr. DeMeuter

Intercultural Communication Cultural Differences II

During the course on Intercultural Communication I learned many fascinating facts about differentcultures. Prof. Dr. G. De Meuter got the massage across that while dealing with people from othercultures one must be aware of different elements generated by cultural diversity which could influencebusiness relationships between firms both on an individual and corporate level.

In my opinion the main characteristic differences in behavior of people can be based on the educationinfluenced either by an individualistic or a collectivistic culture. The members of an individualistic

culture tend to join and belong to many groups, establishing a wide range of social relationships. Theirattachments to these groups tend to be weak while the personal goals take precedence over group aims.Distinguishing marks of individualistic persons are also personal achievement, assertiveness, tending todistance, personal schedule and so on.The members of collectivistic cultures are less likely to join many groups but they generate a strongattachment to the family and work or school group. They make the group goals to their own. Thereforegroup success is foremost and individual success is discouraged. Collectivistic cultures are formed by astrong hierarchy. Further characteristics of thus cultures are interdependence, harmony in groupinteractions, body contact, group dances and so on.

Furthermore cultures can be divided into high and low context. In low context cultures information

must be provided explicitly, usually in words. People from such cultures are less aware of non-verbalcues, environment and situation. They lack well-developed networks and need detailed backgroundinformation. The flow of information takes place sometimes on a very low level. This phenomenon canbe often observed in Germany.In high context cultures most information is drawn from surroundings, so very little must be explicitlytransferred. People from this cultures successfully use and read the body language. They take theenvironment, situation, gestures and mood all into account. In high context cultures information flowsfreely because extensive information networks are maintained.

Finally I want to explain the main difference between high and low power cultures. This refers to thedegree of inequality between more powerful and less powerful individuals.

High-power-distance cultures are rigidly stratified. The bosses make up the elite, and the workers arethe powerless who are expected to follow orders without questions.Lower-power-distance cultures support equality for all people. They value independence and do notseek obedience. Decisions have the input of all involved, and communication between everyone isencouraged.


29/33


29

Intercultural Communication Cultural Differences II

Basing myself on the material from the course on Intercultural Communication I would like to describesome basic facts which must be considered by people doing business on the global marketplace.

Firstly we can distinguish between relationship-focused (RF) and deal-focused (DF) markets. In RFcultures business people get done things through intricate networks of personal contacts. They preferto deal with family, friends and persons or groups well known to them. They are uncomfortable doingbusiness with strangers, especially strangers who also happen to be foreigners.In contrast, the DF cultures are relatively open to doing business with strangers. DF people prefer tobuild trust and rapport while the business discussions are proceeding. They tend to regard extendedsmall talk and preliminaries as a waste of precious time.

Before doing business with foreigners one must bear in mind whether the negotiating party comesfrom a polychronic or a monochronic culture. People from polychronic cultures have a tolerant attitudetowards time. They rearrange their schedules frequently and keep their visitors often cooling their heels.They continually interrupt the meeting to take phone calls and receive unscheduled visitors.Monochronic people use to strictly follow the schedule. They dont like visitors to come late for anarranged meeting because this would disorder their plans. Often they dont receive the business partnerwho is too late even when the person has flown half-way around the world just for that meeting.

Closely to the point described above we can compare linear-, multi- and reactive cultures. Linear activepeople are task-oriented, highly organized planners. They do one thing at a time, concentrate hard onthat thing and do it within a scheduled timescale.Multiactive people are people-oriented loquacious interrelators. They do many things at once, often inan unplanned order and are therefore very flexible.Reactive people are introvert, respect-oriented listeners. After a concentrated listening and a decentperiod of silence they ask further questions on what has been said in order to clarify the speakers intentand aspirations. Reactive cultures like Japan are introvert, distrust a surfeit of words, and consequentlyare adept at non-verbal communication.


30/33


30

Chinas fast development environmental concerns

The flow of startling information from China helps us understand why our economy cannot take uswhere we want to go. Not only is China the worlds most populous country, with nearly 1.3 billionpeople, but since 1980 it has been the worlds fastest-growing economy expanding more thanfourfold. Basing myself on the ideas covered in the course on Intercultural Communication and in thetext Time to Rethink: Learning from China I would like to outline the obstacles confronting Chinatoday in its drive towards modernization.

As incomes have climbed in China, so has consumption. Today China is concentrating their energieson increasing beef production. Raising beef consumption in China to that of the average American itwould require the entire U.S. grain harvest to feed the cattle in feedlots. The same can be said aboutseafood consumption of China compared with that of Japan. If China were trying to raise the seafoodconsumption to that of the average Japanese it would need the entire world fish catch. Similarly,consider paper. As China modernizes, its paper consumption is rising. If annual paper use in China of35 kg. per person were to climb to the U.S level of 342 kg., China would need more paper than theworld currently produces.

It is obvious that the western industrial development model is not viable for China, simply becausethere are not enough resources for it to work. Global land and water resources are not sufficient tosatisfy the growing grain needs in China if it continues along the current economic development path.Nor will the existing fossil-fuel-based energy economy supply the needed energy, simply because worldoil production is not projected to rise much above current levels in the years ahead. China also faces aformidable challenge in fashioning a development strategy simply because of the density of itspopulation.

Finally it is obvious that if the fossil-fuel-based, automobile-cantered, throwaway economy will notwork for China, then it will not for India, for the developing countries and ultimately wont it work forthe industrial economies either. China is showing that the world need a new economy an economydesigned for the earth.


31/33


31

Checklist: China ABC12

Find here useful information and links about planning a trip to China, applying for a visa, etc.

Visa

Depending on the duration and purpose of the journey different kinds of visa are available to apply

for. Each visa type has a code, the most frequent of which are: L - tourist visas, F - business

visas, Z - work visas, and X - student visas. Tourist visas and business visas are the two options

for foreign business travelers. Tourist visas are an ideal for short visits which can be extended up to

three months, while business visas are flexible for business people who are looking to work over an

extended period of time

Documents

InternshipReport_WilhelmKistner