Cookies, Wine, and Cheese
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.
Oct 28th and 29th in Cape Town
Some pics from the past few days. Dr. Overby will post some detail soon. Click on individual image for larger view.
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Belmont Massey Students Make It To South Africa!
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!
Graduate Students Travel to South Africa
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.
International Business Society
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.
Sustaining Quality–Even Toyota Susceptible
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.