Strictly Business

Tuesday was another fascinating day. We first visited Nibbly Bits cookie company outside of the city of Cape Town. The company has partnered with a social entrepreneur in the United States and Wharton Business School to market a line of cookies in North America. The brand name, Khaya, means “home” in the native language of Xhosa. When fully implemented, the revenues from the venture will help the company to train unskilled workers in not only business skills but also life skills.

Following our visit to the cookie company, we traveled into the Winelands region to tour two different wineries. The setting was incredible, with the Dutch-styled winery buildings set amidst rolling hills of vineyards and rocky mountain peaks. In sampling various wines and local artisanal cheeses, we also discovered why South African wines have such a positive reputation in the wine world. By day's end, South Africa had shown us yet another side of her remarkable diversity.

Posted by Jeffrey Overby at 05:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Some pics from the past few days. Dr. Overby will post some detail soon. Click on individual image for larger view.

Posted by Claudia Myrick at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We are in Capetown, South Africa...safe and sound. Had a great day of cultural activities and are starting our conference meetings tomorrow! We will try our best to get to the internet to keep you posted! Here is a pic of us right out side of the Capetown Airport!

Posted by Claudia Myrick at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

South Africa, here we come! As part of the Massey School’s graduate program, 18 graduate students and I departed today for Cape Town. This International Business Field Study course is unique among graduate business programs because all Massey graduate students are required to complete one international trip during their degree program. Though we will be in South Africa for only a little more than a week, we have a full itinerary. We plan to visit with various businesses and hear from a number of speakers in order to learn more about doing business in South Africa. In addition, this trip includes a special focus on social entrepreneurship. We are going to see real-life examples of how individuals have used their entrepreneurial skills to solve social problems and empower the poor, and in the process, better understand the interrelationships between poverty, AIDS, and economic development. The trip is not all about business, however. We also plan to see why many people consider South Africa to be the most beautiful country in the world. In the process, we might even catch sight of a baboon, an elephant, and hopefully some African penguins.

Posted by Jeffrey Overby at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We now have a professional organization for Belmont University students interested international business - the International Business Society (IBS). Members are welcome from various backgrounds and majors but are united by their interests in international business issues and career opportunities. The IBS will foster greater understanding of international business practices through a variety of meetings and events, including: guest speakers, business socials, career workshops, study abroad fairs, and field trips to corporate offices and community organizations.

If you are interested in joining this organization and participating in events, contact one of the International Business professors, Dr. Jeffrey Overby - overbyj@mail.belmont.edu, Dr. Howard Cochran - cochranh@mail.belmont.edu, Dr. Marieta Velikova - velikovam@mail.belmont.edu, or Mr. Jose Gonzalez - gonzalezj@mail.belmont.edu.

Posted by Jeffrey Overby at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Consumer Reports just released its latest report on automobile reliability (October 2007), and for the first time in several years, three of Toyota's models did not make the recommended list. It just goes to show that even an organization perceived in the marketplace as the quality/reliability marketplace leader is susceptible to an occasional hiccup.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Toyota slipped from first place last year to fifth place this year on the Consumer Reports list, with Honda now occupying the top company spot. Singled out for problems were Toyota's 6-cylinder Camry and the all-wheel drive Tundra truck. Are things falling apart within this Japanese icon? Clearly not Combined, Toyota, Lexus, and Scion still account for 44% of the list of CR's most reliable models (17 of 39 on the full list).

Quality remains a top priority for the company, and it continues to enjoy outstanding results due to its focus on performance excellence. But the current Consumer Reports list still points to an organizational "fact of life." Even the best struggle to sustain their performance at consistently high levels. It's one of the primary reasons that performance excellence systems like those embodied by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria are so important to long-term organizational success. Companies need an approach that will get them to the top, but they also need that same system to help them stay on top and sustain the gain. Be assured that by the time any of us read about a problem with the 2006 Camry V-6, Toyota was well ahead of us, and their systematic feedback had long before alerted them to where things needed to be improved, and they were actively engaged in correcting identified problems. [Joe Alexander, Associate Dean and Senior Professor of Performance Excellence]

Posted by Joe Alexander at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a test.

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