Reflective Journal Entry 2

Question: Reflect on the working culture and management style in Google and Lenovo. You may choose to explore how far their working cultures and management styles reflect their respective societies, share your personal experiences and opinions on your preference of working culture and management style, etc.

Google and Lenovo. Famous companies. That is the kind of reaction that those names tend to elicit. Indeed, our impressions of companies are generally limited by their sales rather than their internal structures which we often stop short of exploring. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that both companies, though of similar prestige, adopt distinctly different approaches in their management styles and working cultures. In fact, the way a company is being run is closely related to the society that it is based in.

To start off, it is interesting to note that Google employees are granted autonomy in almost every single aspect, as seen from the fact that Googlers can patronize cafeterias, indulge in massages or even take part in sports activities with their colleagues during their working hours. Moreover, Google adopts the unique '20 percent rule' whereby Googlers are given time off to brainstorm and embark on creative projects initiated by themselves. After that, peer reviews are conducted and Googlers are encouraged to propose changes if necessary. According to Google, their 'unconventional' working environment will provide Googlers with both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and maximise their creativity, enabling them to come up with creative projects and improve the company's sales. Google also promotes dissent and encourages its employees to voice their opinions. Apparently, there is an absence of hierarchy and every Googler has an equal say in the company's decisions.

Unequivocally, the Googley way of management is a reflection of the American society (or the West) which has long been promulgating liberalism. Americans firmly believe that they ought to have the freedom of speech and decision-making, and that no one has the rights to govern them for the aforementioned. Most Americans are expressive and also receptive of the different points of view that are propounded by others. They exude a lot of confidence as well, and this may be the reason why they are not at all afraid of voicing their opinions or even going against their superiors, which to them is a social norm. This is not the end: they will stand firm on their beliefs and make sure that their opinions are heard and taken seriously.

On the contrary, Lenovo does not promote autonomy in the workplace. The boss exerts his dominance over his subordinates, and employees are not allowed to interfere with the major decisions made by the company. Furthermore, whenever the higher authorities delegate tasks to employees, the latter is expected to abide by their instructions and complete the tasks before the deadlines stipulated. This is because the Chinese believe that intransigence is equivalent to revolt which is unacceptable.

Indeed, the working culture in Lenovo is heavily influenced by the Chinese society. The Chinese place a lot of emphasis on respect and the preservation of dignity. They are accustomed to the hierarchy which was established by the Chinese Communist Party in the 20th Century. The authorities rule over the people; the people submit to the authorities. As simple as that. That is why the Chinese do not dare to go against those who are deemed as more superior than them. Figureheads will not take into account any remarks made by their subordinates too as they believe the act of going against superiors signifies the challenging of their authority. This has also influenced them to be more conservative.

Frankly speaking, I prefer working in Lenovo to working in Google. Although being a Googler will be less stressful and more lucrative, I do not like its working environment as I have to constantly remind myself to stay task-oriented amidst the distractions around me, and I think Google is taking a huge gamble by associating autonomy and luxury with creativity. Also, my main weakness is my inability to think out-of-the-box. Once, my project mentor pointed out that the hardest part of a project is not the process, but the brainstorming of ideas at the start and I absolutely agree with that. As a result, I have always failed to come up with innovative ideas. All I can do is to join a project group and yearn to contribute during the course of the project. Therefore, if I were to join Google, I will have absolutely no idea of what to do most of the time, since Google advocates innovation and not the following of trends.

I do not like peer review too. Although it appears to foster interactions among the employees and improve the feasibility of projects, has anyone ever considered the possibility that an employee may reject a colleague's idea because it looks promising and marketable? One certainly does not want to come out with a creative project, only to be deemed unfeasible by his/her counterparts because they want to stymie his/her path to success.

On the other hand, even though I will not be able to express myself freely in Lenovo, I will at least have an agenda to follow and I will not be at a loss of what to do. This will hone my organisational skills and improve my efficiency. I do not like to participate in discussions as I do not want them to evolve into heated ones which will do no one good. I also hope that my superiors can guide me along instead of granting me plenty of room to roam, because that will instill a sense of security in me. The meritocratic nature of the company will further fuel my motivation and enthusiasm for my job. In this case, a hierarchy within the company will not do me any harm.

To conclude, I believe that little or no autonomy is more desirable than too much autonomy which will ultimately distract and prevent people from fulfilling the responsibilities that they are entrusted with. Therefore, I see Lenovo as a more probable destination than Google.

Reflective Journal Entry 1

Question: You have attended the first tutorial of Socio-Economic Studies. Reflect on the elective and your expectations. You might want to consider the syllabus, mode of assessment, lessons, possible apprehensions etc.

Introduction

To be honest, prior to the commencement of the first lesson, I was not sure about the main focus of the Socio-Economic Studies (or SES for short) module as I had no prior knowledge of the course. Only after listening to the teacher's enlightening introduction of the module did I come to realise that SES actually explores the pertinent and contemporary issues which exist in Chinese and Western societies (e.g. the different ideologies adopted which may have resulted in a dichotomy) and seeks to equip us with the knowledge and ability to interact with people hailing from various cultural backgrounds, most notably from the East and the West. I have always been fascinated by the differences between the East and the West, hence my curiosity was piqued and I look forward to acquiring more knowledge about the topics within the SES syllabus which are, fortunately, very applicable in today's context. I'm sure it will serve me well for many years to come.

Syllabus

At first glance, I was very impressed with the SES syllabus because the content that will be covered is quite advanced and it requires a certain degree of maturity to understand and grasp the concepts. In fact, what pleased me most was that the school, through the implementation of such a course in the curriculum, was actually preparing us for the perpetually-changing world. Why is that of paramount importance? In my opinion, it is because when we acquire the knowledge of the cultures, economies and not forgetting the problems faced by the East and the West (economic superpowers which have already exerted their dominance for a long period of time), and are able to apply them effectively, we will be able to transcend cultural barriers and better relate ourselves to both the East and the West, hence enhancing our 'versatility' and improving our employability. This edge can make all the difference amidst stiff competition for job vacancies around the world. This may seem pragmatic, but in fact, I am genuinely interested in SES, mainly because it will broaden my horizons.

It is also noteworthy to mention that the SES module can only improve two aspects of Cultural Intelligence, namely CQ Drive and CQ Knowledge. However, equipped with these aspects of Cultural Intelligence, we will be able to build on CQ Strategy and CQ Action which are based on the ability to apply the knowledge gleaned. Only then will we be able to collaborate with our counterparts of different ancestries and make our mark in the global economy.

Mode of assessment and apprehensions

Frankly speaking, I was quite surprised when I discovered that class discussion constitutes 20% of the term grade! That will prompt students to step out of their comfort zones and this is not easy. Two reflective journals will constitute the other 80%, which is a massive percentage to say the least. There is also a 5-minute and a 10-minute discussion, the latter being led by the students, and the sequence being determined by their choice of topics. That is when apprehensions loom. A 10-minute discussion is quite lengthy and it will be quite a challenge to sustain the interest of the audience, thus my speech will have to be phrased in such a way that will hopefully satiate their curiosity. This is not the end: on top of the aforementioned, there will be a term paper and research paper which will constitute 80% of the grade for the semestral assessment, which to me is the most important of all. Whether of not I attain a desirable MSG rests on its outcome, and SES is certainly not an easy module. Nevertheless, I will strive to do my best in everything I do, and hopefully, my efforts will not go down the drain, but bear fruit.

Lessons and expectations

So long as I am interested in a module or a topic, the ways which lessons are conducted do not really matter. Most importantly, the lessons should be informative and they should trigger the students' interest, such that they will not only be courageous enough to contribute ideas, but also offer brand new perspectives which will enhance everyone's understanding of the topics. The students should also be able to identity the relevance of the topics to their lives and to the current world and see if they have the potential to affect the way which the world is run. After skimming through the syllabus, I believe that since the syllabus has been perfectly structured to serve its purposes, the lessons will be thought-provoking and enriching. They will not only enrich my knowledge of current affairs concerning the East and the West, but also my intellect. Regarding my expectations of the module, I hope to take away as many things as possible, ranging from a greater understanding of Eastern and Western cultures to the ability to discern the benefits and detriments brought forth by a movement, policy or even a revolution. I also hope to be more sensitive towards cultural differences and be more accommodating, and I firmly believe that all these things, albeit seemingly trivial, will make me a better person.

In a nutshell, I am really looking forward to the tutorials and will do my best to make the most out of them.