Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Regarding Export Institue USA

Export Institute USA: Export Resources and Consulting
The first thing that I realized concerning John R. Jagoe is that he is an international trade expert without perhaps parallel in the developed world. The quality of experience and training that he provides to the global trade industry is highly recommended by NASBITE (National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators) and is listed at their CGBP website among the likes of: MSU globalEDGE, Chicago IL & Peoria IL, Texas Tech University Online, Massachusetts Export Center, Bryant University / Rhode Island, Philadelphia University, Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland OH), Chicago and Peoria IL Training, Bradley University, South-West Texas Border Region International Trade Center and Belmont Abbey College North Carolina.
Furthermore his training program is highly rated by FITA. This led me to confirm the value of what he has to teach regarding international trade through an internet search which turned up his institute about a year ago. However unaccredited I believe Mr. Jagoe is considered enough of an authority to let the reputation of his institute stand on its own two legs. Following inquiry I was quickly replied to by the owner, manager, and teacher himself which is a rare event in terms of educational programs. I look forward to making progress in this Certificate of Export Management described as:
"you will learn the 'practical' side of exporting and how it is done in the 'real world'. The information is presented in a logical, step-by-step format. When you have completed the six online courses and passed the Certification Examination, you will have acquired an excellent blend of both the theoretical and practical side of exporting that will help your career and also provide you with valuable new information to present to your students. One of the major (and unique) features of our online courses is that the information is updated daily to ensure that it is current and ready for immediate use." (Jagoe, 2007)

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Korean Karaoke Bar

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Comments On Blue Buggy and Week Two


Comments On Blue Buggy and Week Two
It was interesting listening to the live event and realizing that Blue Buggy is a negative buying zone event. Often I have visited traditional markets and bazzars where the product quality and price varies little from one seller to another and suspect that many individuals might provoke a failure on the part of Buyers through tactics illustrated by the price comparisons among airlines as illustrated in Week One.

In such cases a Buyer's "walk away" "hopes" and "alternatives" might be less effected by an understanding of value for a product such as a Persian carpet and more on simply having the cash to meet a particular asking price. As cheap as possible under such cases is limited by knowledge and planning for example having some ability to distinguish quality of carpet versus Seller's estimation of what might be in your pocket which is often uncannily accurate.

Irrational Choices often appear in the cases of impulse buying decisions. I often suspect that the drive to consumerism in many developing and developed economies might be simply explained by more carefully planned and crafted marketing and sales techniques on the part of Sellers which easily override what are described as rational selection processes. For example did I really need a digital camera, MP3, latest gadget or gizmo or did such purchases represent irrational choices? Do fixed prices in a majority of selling venues in the developed world also possibly implicate that mass production requires a fixed rate of sale because for some reason people perhaps become less adept at negotiating as their patterns of choices are encouraged to become less rational and scale of production made more profitable?

The review of economic success, relational success, durability, efficency and tendancy to fixate on one or few factors appears to have correlation with strategic positioning on a business leadership framework concerning competitiveness, risk, and uncertainty which is complimentary.

The aspects of creating and claiming value is incredibly interesting as it appears a balancing of scales of sorts and would suggest the push and pull of agreement and serves a good opener to the concept of developing greater efforts in planning, and focus. Living in Asia I do see differences in opening strategies as contrasted with North Americans.

However I am concerned regarding globalizing effects of business whether or not local context terms of engagement globally are becoming more American or western in pattern. For example, Koreans often like to have a nice big meal and lots of drinks prior to negotiation however such terms are often dispensed when dealing with western educated negotiators. On one hand it would appear the bias was originally to put an opponent at ease ( or make lethargic) prior to agreement but on the other hand I would often like more lunch prior to the reading of the final bill.

Justification would appear to be a reasonable expectation of argument construction. The more often one were to source outside information the more likely information bias might be avoided to enhance the opportunity for finding new best effective winning situations such as the orange juice versus rind scenario. The more commonly one were to source reputbale justifications for opponents positioning also the more likely one could develop the perspective taking you recommend.

Enthusiasm might also be substituted for being considered a hard worker? Many buying and selling situations are considered incomplete without argument, debate, justification and might actually constitute some of the actual enjoyment possibly derived from such interaction? While you describe the negative implications of assuming recapture of value elsewhere would not repeated and regular negotiations offer the opportunity for repeated and mutual concessions taking through which everyone acquires greater juice and rinds?

Monday, May 14, 2007

KORUS FTA: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly


KORUS FTA: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly


A cross-section of some of the better presentations I received on the topic for midterms. I submitted these for publication to the school newspaper so I thought it would also be good to exemplify student output here.


Won Chang Min

April 2, 2007 South Korea and the USA concluded the FTA( Free Trade Agreement) dramatically. The FTA conclusion which is called 'KORUS' made us trade with a huge market called the 'USA' without any limits. With this, Korea undergoes big changes. Instead of gains in a huge market called the 'USA', our unstable domestic market becomes uncertain.

One of the benefits is as the student who learns 'international trade' expanded trade market means there will be more jobs for me. Also, activation of trade will bring activation of our country's overall economy. On the other hand, our domestic service industry, which has a weaker foundation then the USA can get damaged because of the USA. The FTA is no longer an option. It is an essential matter. We will in turn enhance national competitiveness, ultimately contributing to enhancing trade and income. And I have to understand effects of these two side so it can be helpful to my vision.

Lee Seung Hak

Thank you for coming, everyone. My name is Lee Seung Hak. I would like to talk about the costs and benefits of the FTA in this class. Does anyone know what's the FTA mean? FTA is the initials of Free Trade Agreement. It is an arrangement to shift free products from country to country. If we have trade with countries ,making agreements like the FTA makes both countries have no fences to trade. Now, our county has signed the contract of the FTA with the USA on Apr, 2, 2007. Also, we are planning contracts of FTA with China, Japan, and Canada.

First, I would like to talk about the benefits of the FTA. The first benefit of the FTA is to spread foreign investment and to create jobs. The foreigners will invest in our country, so that, our industry is developed. Maybe, they will hire many employees because the companies will need them. The second benefit of the FTA is to set up global standard systems and service department systems to be more competitive . By reason of the FTA, we will gain advanced systems from abroad, so our service systems can become more developed. The third benefit of the FTA is to increase exports. If we join the FTA, we can get a stable market position and decrease trade costs.

Next, I will talk about the costs of the FTA. The first cost of the FTA is that our weakest industries will die. Under the FTA, some of the industries need to be more competitive. However, in the case of agricultural products it will be difficult. Under the FTA, our farmhouses have no option but to die.

Now, we have taken the first step to the FTA. So, we will try hard to get benefits.
Thank you for attention.

Cho Eun Jung

Discuss the costs and benefit of the FTA

FTAs have now become a global trend. FTAs were set up to eliminate tariffs on goods and services as well as bring down non-tariff trade barriers. Their main objective was the elimination of tariffs and expansion of trade.

Benefits of the FTA

1.The tariff wall falls, itwill allow imported goods and they will be available for purchase.

2.The products will not only be able to be produced inexpensively from domestic costs, Korea will be able to produce exchanges with the maximum efficiency and profits.

3.If education or medical treatment becomes opened, there will be quality improvement.

4.Advancement of quality industry is a possibility in many industrial sectors which are weak and currently face limitations in technology and knowledge resources.

Costs of the FTA

The FTA may cause income product price depreciation which follows short-term tariff depreciation in some forecasts. The domestic products will face greater price competition which will augment consumer public welfare. Production profits may be converted to consumer profits. Also, service market opening due to Korean FTA will lower direct prices. And service quality improvement may mean the profits will decrease as a direct effect on the consumers. Rapid increases in FTA among countries that were not in geographic proximity as well as between developed and developing countries has become common.

Kim Hyung Jik

Korea concluded a free trade agreement with the USA. Everyone calls it the KORUS. It is Korea plus USA. Many people like free trade deal with the USA. Why do they like it? Because it give benefits. FTA removes the barriers on trade. So many people trade better than before FTA. And they may take more benefits. For the more, trade liquidity is larger. If you sell the car to USA. You must give 10% of price tax to USA. Now, you don't do that. In FTA we don't have a tax obligation in trade. But, FTA is not perfection. If you are farmer you would better change the job. Because many agricultural products maybe come low in price. Who will buy high priced agricultural products. Maybe no one will buy your high price one. FTA w! ill give many costs and benefits. It will change our position. But national benefit is expected to be very high. It will change the destiny of our future generations.

Na Eun-Sub


About the FTA


Two weeks ago KOREA and the USA had finished the FTA. The FTA is abbreviated Free Trade Agreement. Some Korean's worry about the FTA. However I think, The FTA is not a worry. It is a chance. Two years ago, Korea had an FTA with Chile. Many Koreans were worried about FTA. But it turned out to be beneficial to both exports and imports of Korea. Two years after the FTA took effect, Korea`s exports to Chile increased 2.3 times to $1.2 billion compared to the year before the trade agreement.


The FTA is a general trend in world trade. A trade agreement between Korea and United States makes a new market. The countries will become one market. So Korea and The USA made a benefit to both exports and imports. Today FTAs are no longer an option. It is essential for the world economy. A free trade agreement with the United States cannot be an exception to this.

Dong-geul Park

Benefit of Korea-America FTA through the Korea-Chile FTA

Korea and Chile concluded FTA on April 1st, 2004 in spite of the farm workers opposition. This figure shows us changing rate about imports and exports toward Chile from Ministry of Financial and Economy Republic of Korea. We know that the balance of payments is falling.
I insist Korea-Chile FTA was successful even though the balance of payments is falling, however. The most damage part toward Chile is a mount of copper (Cu). Except copper, the FTA is win-win so far. Korea imports a large of copper from Chile after the conclusion of the FTA. But through the FTA, Korea could buy the copper from Chile very cheaply, so we could make many of electric products and electricity. It made as a stepping-stone for future exporting success.

Especially, in electronic products, Korea keeps going strength, but Japan who does not conclude FTA with Chile is degrading. Actually, most Korean cars had had a tough time in the world market because, the revaluation of won currency and devaluation of yen currency, except in Chile. The grape farmers worry is not serious because of seasonal customs duties during September to April. Korean grape farmer has sold on May to October, Chile has sold on September to April. As you heard, Korea-Chile FTA is successful conference.

Let us see the Korea-America FTA. Korea and U.S.A. concluded FTA on April 2nd, 2007.
Let us look at some advance of Korea-America FTA. Advance 1st Safe security of the world market. Korea can have prior occupation than competitor nation such as Japan, China, Taiwan.
Advance 2nd Improve foreign-confidence. When the foreign confidence is high, foreign investment can also increase. Advance 3rd Promotion of a domestic higher value-added business. U.S. is the most industrial country, so Korea can make it. Korea can attract lots of investment, strengthen technological development. Advance 4th Become a base of the East Asia hub. Korea can be the head office of Asia. If it will be true, Korea can deal with other countries financial, physical distribution and service business.

Conclusion

Korea is ready to have strength of trade and commercial agreement. And, Korea government can give an understanding the people why FTA is good.

Jung Wook

Hi, everyone. I'm happy to be here to speak.

As you all know, there was a FTA negotiation between South Korea and the United States of America in April 2nd, 2007. As negotiation was proceeded for a long time, the FTA conclusion is our nation's historic event. Today, I want to tell you about FTA negotiation and Korea economy.

While world order changes suddenly, this FTA will serve as an important momentum for Korea to form a strategic partner relation economically and politically with the United States of America.

Actually, current account deficit is the biggest problem in the U.S. and especially, China has the most power of influence. This FTA will contribute to American trade deficit reduction and contribute in international economy stability as well as offers connection ring with Northeast Asia which is growing.

However, there are many people who is opposed to this FTA negotiation. They say that trade opening can cause bipolarization of economy. Some people say that importation opening cause farm village collapse.

Actually, in case of Korean farm produce, price competitive power is lower than other countries. They worried about that if they open beef, pork market, livestock farmhouse goes bankrupt and that is linked by rapid increase of agriculture trade deficit.

Anyway, I'm sure that this FTA negotiation is an opportunity that can pull one step Korean economy. In case of domestic enterprise, they needs to activate restructuring to promote competition. Also, through domestic investment and foreign investment activation, we need to restore Korea economy which has falled in low growth and low investment.

Low investment causes economic growth rate fall and this is connected by stagnation of domestic income and comsumption again. According as export duty for the United States of America is lifted, it is expected that FDI increase of Japan, the EU countries to make the most use of production installation of export goods for America.

Kim So Young

I will start my presentation. I will be presentating about FTA. FTA is simplified characters of Free Trade Agreement and as it says, doing trade without or less duty. We have to contract a FTA. Because our trade dependence is 70%. In our country, trad is very important. If we averted it, bring about a loss and isolation. New problems are come up with like rice, vehicle, beef, medicine and so on. There are advantages as well as disadvantages to the US, Korean. On the downside, famers and industry will be damage and medicine price will result in high. It will abolish labor and environment regulation so it will bring about a environment disruption. On the positive side, those with no jobs will have works because service industrie! s will be more competitive. And the market can sell more goods or food. The FTA of Korea and the US faces each other in world-wide anger inside infinite competition and it secures a national competitive power. The country which it opens is successful and the failure but the economy which is isolated it could not be successful. If we loosen the propulsion of the FTA from the tendency where the many countries contract the FTA of various nations, we well be turned over.

Lee Jung Yong and Kim Hee Jung

FTA : The Good vs. the Bad

Jung Yong : This presentation is about the FTA. There are many countries worldwide that have signed free trade agreements. I present to you an example of the good impact of the FTA. Nowdays is globalization, I expect the FTA is a step to take a big leap in becoming a developed nation. Custormers can buy at lower prices and many many products . And the agreement will improve the relationship between the U.S.-Korea partnership. This agreement will allow Korea to enter the U.S. market earlier than other nations such as Japan, Taiwan and China. The FTA with the U.S. means Korea has opened the doors wide to improve industrial and financial firms to meet global standards.

Hee Jung : I think the FTA will bring too many risks to the domestic economy. But let me present you an example of the negative impact of the FTA. If Korea sells oranges at $5. And the U.S sells the oranges at $10. But if the tariff is removed the oranges price become cheaper than in Korea. The customers will buy the U.S oranges. Therefore, many domestic farmers in Korea will lose their jobs because of the cheap and well-cultivated US products. I think they should think about this negative point, such as the agricultural and service sectors.The FTA will give Korea a more influential trading position compared to China and Japan, but I worry heavily about the side effects in many fields.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Regarding German Study Opportunities for Korean Students



Regarding German Study Opportunities for Korean Students

A couple of students followed up a German studies program application and interview last week with a visit to discuss the learning opportunities for Koreans in Germany. My expertise is in gathering information and over the last few years I have spent a portion of my time investigating options such as warm my heart like no other: tuition waivered studies.




Notably such programs are popping up in the regional northwest of the United States especially concerning public school teacher in-service certification programs either through state funded or religious affiliated school boards particularly in inner city locations. I noted a shocking statistic on the cbc website from 2003 which stated that in cities like Calgary immigrant students have had a drop-out rate as high as 74% at that time according to The Coalition for Equal Access to Education. I sometimes wonder how long the market can continue to claim it provides many opportunities for immigrants and newcomers with student ratios to ESL teachers as high as 80 to one. Perhaps the situation has been remedied. However I continue to see ESL jobs advertised in Canada from 10 to 15 dollars and hour which is the kind of salary a part-time coffee server earns in Australia.




Back to Germany. The Germans have a wide roster of educational options for foreign students. While the challenge of learning German might be intimidating to many it would actually not implicate in classroom learning which by German standards is free for locals and foreigners. My concern would be the sizes of classes which are described as often extremely large by writers like Edward T. Hall and Mildred Reid Hall.


However the best possible option I found appears to be the Master's Degrees in International Industrial Management, Automotive Engineering, Information Technology and Automation Systems at The University of Esslingen Graduate School. http://www.hs-esslingen.de/en/19213


Esslingen University of Applied Science

Westminster Business School

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Graduate School 101 FlanderstrasseEsslingen

73732 Germany




What impressed me about this program was the sheer breadth and depth of professional studies, all in the English language medium, strong affiliations with several local corporations including Robert Bosch and Festo while located in the region of Stuttgart and Germany's industrial heartland. The other obvious benefit is the described class sizes of 25.




Another reason I would see Germany and Europe as being a possible alternative for studies possibly leading to immigration and regular local employment options are related to research I did into the Korean education industry in February to satisfy my Cornell Certificate. In short, The US, the UK, Australia, and Canada already provide education to nearly half of all OECD international students and prove price prohibitive access to Korean students unable to currently afford foreign studies (Wyckoff & Schaaper, 2005: 3). However European scholarship awards could provide a path to alternate education for many as the EU is predicted to require nearly half a million new researchers by the year 2010 to increase R & D capacities to a rate of an average 3% of GDP from a current 2% which would be more than 700,000 at EC estimates (Guellec, 2002; Sheehan and Wyckoff, 2003; European Commission, 2003 in Wyckoff & Schaaper, 2005: 5). Predictions suggest Chinese and Indians will fill the gaps yet the same study predicts similar required increases in Japan, which would be easier for Koreans to fill than perhaps Indians or Chinese competitors due to cultural similarities.


Korean German Chamber of Commerce
http://korea.ahk.de/index.php?id=400


Furthermore Australian universities are providing more short-term research contracts to encourage immigration and at the same time shifting highly skilled professionals from Oz to the US market offering additional incentive to fully funded educational scholarships for Australians. The Korean industry has best minimized financing options through government deregulation and many national economies, including Canada limit student loan disbursements for the purposes of study outside of the county. In Korea's case student loans for studies within the nation do not even exist. There are significant costs to be absorbed through such switching. In this case it may be the Japanese, Australians or the Europeans who pay the bills. Koreans are quite willing to immigrate under the right conditions. The only substitute that most Korean students have to attending a Korean university at present is to attend a Korean college because they could not enter a Korean university. http://crossculturalreviews.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html


If considering Germany then why not Denmark?


Considering EU convergences I was not surprised to see that Aarhus School of Business, University of Aarhus which conducts several exchange and international degree programs claims English language medium studies are as high as 70% of courses offered.








Weaving Tour Through Pocheon Spring Farmer's Festival

Elusive Butteryfly

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Review of English Business Letters



English Business Letters
F.W. King D. Anncree D.A. Cree
Longman (1979)
I have been looking for a long time for a book that adequately addresses the English language in terms of commercial correspondance that was small enough and complete enough to be recommended as a complete companion to any international trade second language student. I never thought I would actually find it. However this book takes the cake.
Its original publication date is 1962 and as such does not address email very well. However it is complete in terms of writing business proposals, making credit or trade enquiries, drafting offers or acceptances, scripting orders and confirmations, confirming agreements on general terms of business and contract, ordering remittances and letters of credit, detailing shipment and shipping, as well as crafting claims and adjustments.
However when compared to current ESL texts on topic it also demonstrates the quality of content has been radically reductionist over time and the current stream of English usage in international business obviously demands fewer expressions and terms, as well as increasingly sacrifice of clarity for frequency of contact. An article regarding Korean students difficulties in assimilating concepts of multiculturalism raises the issue of adding competencies in English as equally important to abilities to log high scores on tests (Courtesy of Paka). I would like them to work harder in the here and now to assimilate essential business communication tasks. Sadly often their goals are limited to passing exams.
Korean Education System Needs Global Standard
The Vocabula Review
"In sum, The Vocabula Review battles nonstandard, careless English and embraces clear, expressive English. We hope we can encourage our readers to do as much."
Innocent English
"This site started as a place to share an original collection of humorous English mistakes & bloopers from my students & to promote my book of the same. It then expanded to include other funny bloopers, jokes and other humor, wordplay, cute animal pics, videos, a bloopers for kids & classrooms section, an animated, free talking chat bot, some funny English quizzes, a downloadable funny gag diploma & joke degree template & more. I also had started to develop a resource section, with an online ESL guide to learning English, an English grammar guide, a personal finance section, a free online dating sites resource, a popular baby names section, movie theater showtimes and tickets, and an online degree guide. More about Innocent English here." http://www.innocentenglish.com/
The Survey of English
"The Survey of English Usage carries out research in English Linguistics and was the first centre in Europe to do research with corpora. The Survey is based in the Department of English Language and Literature at UCL."http://www.ucl.ac.uk/english-usage/

Awaiting the Blue Buggy Scenario


Awaiting the Blue Buggy Scenario


It seems I have a little time here to await resolution of a file transfer problem so I would like to revisit the negotiation definition to ease a fear of being left behind to orphan in the dust as the pack moves on.




In Dust We Conquer!




Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Wonderful introduction to the corpse (I mean course of course). In a competitive event these might seem useful aggregates of the ultimate failures in negotiation observed thus far in the train of human existence. In Roger Fisher's book, "Beyond Machiavelli: Tools for Coping With Conflict" (Penguin: 1996) one is able to observe a series of suggested tools and methods probably similar to what is available in "Getting Together."




I realize the concept of "win-win" in many routine daily events including digesting this definition of negotiation. However it appears obvious to an outside observer that the resolution of serious issues related to international negotiations resulting in the seeming reign of pestilence, war, famine, and death in so many parts of our world as a result of failure suggests that not enough negotiators ascribe to the definition of negotiation as, "a process by which two or more parties interact in order to reach an agreement."




In the examples given on what is or is not negotiation I infer that many people perhaps believe making decisions based on comparisons is in fact effective negotiation, or that consistently hardball competitive tactics constitutes effective negotiation, or that stalling is effective negotiation, or that even "good faith" could be a concept generally ascribed across cultures other than those of the traditionally western Judeo-Christian understanding of the terms of "good faith."




I do not believe that there is a global standard of "good faith." I think "anything goes" appears to be closer to observable reality.




Concerning myths and misconceptions I agree good negotiators are not born and few perhaps originate from the USA. I actually wish more did and often have a hard time rationalizing that out of 300 million souls the ones who seem to heave to the top appear often so unscrupulous or even at times the riders of those horses. If these were patient abiders of "good faith" every major global conflict, particularly those that the media glorifies in terms of pestilence, war, famine, and death might already be resolved and American negotiators would no longer need to claim to be intending to resolve anything with weapons of war. It seems a few other myths might exist?




As in "1984" Orwell contends a seemingly perpetual war with one's perceived or conceived enemies is an aim to distract from serious issues concerning who does and does not contend with the issues of negotiation in assessing the democratic state within a society itself. Having read little of the topic of negotiation itself I would hazard the guess that self-censorship is so often the culprit behind intransigence and a collective unwillingness to explore "win win" rarely beyond immediate aims.




I also believe book knowledge is under-rated and would caution anyone to suggest that one should not read too much in a nation which reads on average a book a year. How many people are in fact reading the same copy of TV Guide over and over again?




I do look forward to reading the Blue Buggy Scenario.