2009年10月26日星期一

The drawbacks of family business

The plight of the Lewis brothers is one more negative example about the dangers of mixing business and blood. Last weekend, I went to the Legal Sea Foods restaurant located in Prudential. To be honest, I could hardly connect it with the most popular restaurant at one time. Undoubtedly, legal Sea Foods restaurant is another victim of family business.

I don’t denying the strengths of family business. For instance, some successful family businesses have competitive advantages, create great enthusiasm and passion, own high staff loyalty and lower staff turnover. Nevertheless, so many cases about disagreements over the family business leading to families’ separation and corporations’ bankruptcy warn us it’s a tough job to run a family business well.

Just imagine that live with a good friend or roommate in college, it doesn’t mean that we should get along in close quarters even we are in a good relationship. Same argument, we won’t really know whether we get along with our relatives who we can tell anything with each other during the regular time as business partners until we are actually running the business.

As far as I concerned, there are several disadvantages to the family business. One great thing is the role changing between the family and employee. It is unquestionable that each family member behaves in a particular role in the family and has been so used to it. However, in the family business, they have to change to behave in their roles exactly as they would in a traditional office setting. An employee-daughter can not be asking a CEO-dad to "take care of" this or that because she has a softball game that afternoon. Besides, it is easy to increase conflict between active and non-active siblings and other relatives if some family members can’t change their roles as soon as possible. These contradictions are likely to cause a struggle to continue the spirit of entrepreneurial flair, even force company into bankruptcy because of the poor and undisciplined management.

Another point worth mentioning is that it can be difficult to raise liquidity. For instance, some non-active senior family members may see themselves as having a job for life, directly influencing the overall work efficiency and operating mechanism. Besides, buy/sell agreements protect the company and its stock. For example, against a shareholder getting divorced and giving an ex-spouse an ownership stake, where the stock must go in case of death, what must happen to the stock in the event of a shareholder declaring personal bankruptcy. Sometimes, a shareholder just wishes to have control of his or her own investments and opts out of the family business while some outstanding non-family members may not join because they cannot reach the top.

In addition -- the risks of ownership. As a saying goes, there are not permanent friends, but permanent profits. As time goes by, business management and family members’ relations may have a subtle change. Brotherly love disintegrated into sibling rivalry due to the profits. So many recent local history of family business fallouts lend the strongest support to my convincing conclusion.

So my advice is taking the time to work out all the details before starting family business and making sure all family parties participated in business are aware of the unique risks and rewards associated with family business.

2009年10月21日星期三

Choose major based on interests or the practical work

The advent of 21st century has witnessed profound changes in social, educational and technological arenas. The comparison of the importance between choosing the major based on interests and selecting the subject according to the practical work has been brought to popular concerns. It has to be submitted that there exists a fiercely controversy over the issue. People from all walks of life can hardly reach an absolute conformity. As far as I concerned, my point will fall between the two extremes for the sake of perfection.

People who in favor of the former view hold their opinion based on the following sound reasons. First and foremost, no one can fail to take account the fact that interests is a major motivate power whether in studying or in working. Interesting should be an indispensable part in the process of perusing further knowledge. Many Chinese parents would like to make decisions for their children for they always take it for granted that what they chose for their children is the best choice, including the university their children will attend and the major they will take. However, what is the truth? A recent survey conducted by China Daily indicates that 72.3% Chinese students, which means, the vast majority of students would insist on choosing their favorite university and major based on interests. Some of the rational students said that they would have a high efficiency and persistence in doing research and experiments in the field which they had interest in.

However, others preferring the latter maintain a totally different argument. To begin with, there is no denying the fact that the priority for getting a decent job is to having a practical major, which is more convenient than that of major based on interests. Undoubtedly, the substantive issue and ultimate goal of attending universities to accept further education is to find a decent occupation which has higher salaries and owns a stately status. They argued it was childish to think that people could eventually get a satisfied payment or a decent work only by doing what they enjoy doing.

To put all into one nutshell, all the evidences can lead the strong support to my convincing conclusion that both sides of the issue are indispensable parts of selecting an ideal subject. Nevertheless, just as an old saying goes, there is no rose without any thorns. Therefore what we should do is figure out a rational balance between them, bring its strengths into full play and diminish the weaknesses to the least extent.

2009年10月19日星期一

Respecting difference, promoting understanding -- the crucial way in resolving conflicts

Peace, it is an ever-lasting theme for the entire world, and it is especially a tough target for the Mid East. Undoubtedly, Mid East has been the most turbulent district over the world since World WarⅡ. From the Iran-Iraq War, Gulf War to Iraq War (Second Gulf War), Israeli--Palestinian conflict, for decades, millions of innocent Jews, Muslims have become the victims of ethnical conflict. Millions of people lose their families, properties and homeland.

Recently, new contradictions broke out in the Middle East. Turkey, as a country has long been seen as an ally to Israel, has a subtle change in the relationship with the Jewish state since the beginning of this year. Prime Ministers of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President of Israel had a drastic dispute over the event that Israel's war against Islamic militants in Gaza in the World Economic Forum held in Switzerland in January, 2009. Last week, Turkey canceled a military exercise named Anatolian Eagle because Israeli pilots were to have participated in. Then a TV show that described Israeli soldiers as cruel and repressive adds to tension between Turkey and Israeli.

The source of the conflicts, without question, still is the Ethnic problem. As the complexity of the whole event, I try not to make comments without adequate knowing about the situation. In my point of view, we are in the midst of an evolving global community where it is increasing important for people to recognize our common humanity. People universally prefer health to disease, safe places to crime-riddled ones, and peace to war. In our pluralistic democracy it is crucial to find ways to unify people from diverse backgrounds. Otherwise, ethnic, religious and political factions’ conflicts will not be put an end.

Respecting difference, promoting understanding – it is the core ideology in the pursuit of peace and security of the people, although there are still tensions, misunderstandings and fractures in almost all societies. There are many districts divided by conflict, people of different faith, ethnicity and political persuasion who do not easily side by side. Most of them are a lack of knowledge and understanding.

What countries and international institutes should do is to educate people about different religious, cultures and so on. Only educating people about diversity can produce a unifying effect – by promoting understand and appreciation among people from all backgrounds.

Toward the same end of achieve a better, more peaceful world, people from different backgrounds should understand each other, and figure out a national balance between them.

2009年10月18日星期日

The factors of Chinatown's renaissance

As a student major in finance, I surely am interested in and always focus on the global financial markets. Witnessing the successive falls of once leading and prestige financial giants in the 2008 and 2009 was a shock to me. It happened too fast. My mind reeled as soon as I read the news: a fierce global financial tsunami is barreling in.

I read a piece of news several weeks ago concerning the US’ economic recovery since fourth quarter 2008 which said by Bernanke -- Chairman of the US Federal Reserve. I also heard similar words over and over again from people all walks of life. Obviously, the majority of US people believe that this is a time for optimism about the US economy. However, my predictions are less rosy than those people. In my point of view, it is a bit premature to say the spring is coming as we can’t deny the bitter truths, namely the immense trade deficit, the crisis level of unemployment rate and the nearly zero interest rates. Actually, the future is still a long way to go; we just arrived at a crossroads, a new turning point.

However, there is no doubt that some fields and district’s rebirth is giving hope to those people bogged down in the vortex of the financial crisis. I am glad to see that Chinatown has been such a good sample. As far as I concerned, the renaissance of Chinatown could be attributed to the following four essential factors.

First is the diversified business. Different from previous scene, which was the single trade – catering industry, it is a comprehensive district consisting of many enterprises such as arts, education and culture industry. The diversity of the region attracts multicultural people. Undoubtedly, it is close to success if there is something can meet all age groups, various backgrounds and cultures.

Second – the unified management. Just as the report said, the independent businesses are more vulnerable to pressure from the recession. Thanks to the Chinatown Main Street, a nonprofit group that is responsible for the organization and management of this neighborhood, Chinatown as a whole has been running better during the recession than more exclusive districts.

Third – the reasonable rent prices, the luxury condominiums and the more convenient traffic are indisputably light spots to the investors. The Asian accounted for a large proportion in the population of Boston and many of them posses with rich assets. Under the whole world financial crisis's situation, there is no question the real estates – especially those valuable areas in Chinatown, are offering a precious opportunity for Asian investors.

Fourth – the profound metamorphosis of Chinatown’s image. Although I have been here for two months, I can imagine the bypast scene of Chinatown – gloomy and drab restaurants, beloved-if-grimy Chinese food, trash-filled streets and low quality operators. I have been to Chinatown twice lately and what I find now is the swept streets, renovated shops, various Asian cuisines and quality services. All these make me enjoyable.

From what has been discussed above, I am not surprised to see the renaissance of Chinatown and I sincerely hope that many other places in Boston be rebirth just as what Chinatown experiencing before long.

2009年10月6日星期二

illegal download mp3

The advent of 21st century has witnessed the profound changes in cultural, social, technological, educational arenas. Admittedly, as a new kind of technology, Mp3 contribute a great convenience to modern people. However, we can’t ignore the fact that downloads songs to mp3 freely and illegal has become a serious and common issue. Although people from all walks of life completely understand that it is an immoral action, they still download tens of thousands of songs from internet every day.

Online music copyright infringement has become a worldwide problem. The data from the International Association of Record shows that, from 2001 to 2005, the world’s record revenue reduced 30%. The lower of the income is largely due to illegal Internet downloads music. This is a more outstanding question in China. At present, in China, the vast majority of music online that can be downloadable is copyright infringement. Because music online piracy is wild, it has not only brought huge losses to the copyright owners, but also destroy the legal online music downloads in the Chinese market.

How could it happen? We must split it into two aspects, the website company and the downloader.

Website companies, as merchants, always wish to earn more money and don’t care about the ethnical and moral standard. They thought the ethnical and moral standard conflicts with the interests of most people as well as companies’ interests. In order to attracting more people who like music for free and winning the so-called great reputation, website companies of course are willing to provide free download. However, they ignore an important point in commerce. In any business, unethical conducts might serve one’s interests in the short term. However, in the long run it will work against one’s effectiveness and finally lead to great harm.

On the other hand, as human being, people have two great characteristics: greedy and enjoyable. People tried all kinds of methods to close and finally meet these desires. Free songs download is a most typical example. They could download whatever they like to enjoy themselves without paying for any price. Just as merchants, Their dreams of benefit maximization come true at here.

The only way to restrain such situation is to greatly improve the regulation of online music market. Nations should take measure to speed up the enacted of law. Only under certain legal circumstance, the problem could be completely solved.

my thinking about China's 60 anniversity

Oct.1 2009, it is a brilliant and glorious day for my great motherland - the People's Republic of China. China formally kicked off its mass celebrations of New China's 60th anniversary. In the large display of military power, 14 Chinese people’s army systems and 30 weapons systems with powerful pace passed through Tiananmen Square neatly. Then, tens of various kinds of design exquisite floats followed the military display in the parade, with each of them highlighting a Chinese province’s charms or one of China’s accomplishments.

As a Chinese, I could not help exciting and tearful when I watched the great ceremony. In the meantime, there was a lively discussion among thousands of Chinese students who studying abroad on various BBS. No matter where they were, all students expressed sincere love for the motherland. As a Chinese, I feel very proud.

This great display raptly showed China’s power, civilization and modernization, which greatly changed in the past 60years. Although I lived in US now, I do love China deeply. I had my best time in China and witnessed how the country became rich and prosperous from poverty.

Some of my western friends thought I was brainwashed by Chinese government. Yes, I did, as any child in American school is educated to love his/her country and people. If you said it’s a brainwashed, yes. And I am happy being told to love my country and people, as I do love her who tried hard to give me enough food and education. Besides, I can’t ignore the fact that I grew up happily and healthily. I really appreciate my homeland.

As time goes by, more and more western people, who had ever been brainwashed by their media, have begun to recognize what a real China is far beyond their imagination by their own research. For instance, they begin to believe communist or socialism can boost the society developing and gather the money to improve the social basic utilities such as transport, education of Rural Children and medical insurance. They begin to know ethnic disturbances and riots’ atrocities in Xinjiang and Tibet, and how splittists such as Dalailam attract western media. They begin to know why Chinese people do feel happy from their heart but not from the government pressure. They begin to understand how their countries blame Chinese human right while their soldiers are killing innocent people in other countries. When they committed these crimes, were these rulers considering the human rights? Now, more and more western people are brainwashed by the truth! Their eyes of thirsting for truth help them find the truth!

Undoubtedly, many western developed countries’ governments are nice because they are mostly fair to their people. China government is kind, too! You could clearly find out how they treated their people and foreign tourists in 5.12 earthquake and how Chinese people helped each other in those tragedies.

We all live on the same earth, no matter what ethnicity we are, we should respect each other, respect other’s ethnics, culture, custom and states' internal affairs. Only under this circumstance can we establish a scientific, rational and sustainable world.