Visiting the Geely Holding Group in Hangzhou, November 2010

Posted on by admin

Geely headquarters, Hangzhou, China.

The Geely Holding Group headquarters in Hangzhou, November 2010
Photo: J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC © 2010

It was with great expectations that I went to visit the Geely headquarters in Hangzhou, the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd, as part of a Swedish delegation from the University of Gothenburg. Geely’s acquisition of the Swedish car manufacturer Volvo with their headquarters in Gothenburg was announced on Monday the 2 August 2010 and with that, the Zhejiang Geely corporation had concluded the largest ever acquisition of a foreign car company in the history of China.

Geely headquarters, University of Gothenburg visit 2010.

A warm sign at the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group headquarters that welcomed the visit by the Swedish delegation.

Geely headquarters, hallway.

Just inside the Geely headquarters entrance.

Having followed the Ford and Geely negotiations as well as could be done in the press, I expected this acquisition to be an important opportunity to study the process of top management knowledge transfer between modern China and the West.
Continue reading “Visiting the Geely Holding Group in Hangzhou, November 2010” →

The RESER 20th Anniversary Conference Gala Dinner, Gothenburg 2010

Posted on by cheryl

2 Patrik Ström and Cheryl Marie Cordeiro, RESER's local organizing committee 2010.

Dr. Cheryl M. Cordeiro-Nilsson and Associate Professor Patrik Ström (Chairman of the local Organizing Committee for RESER 2010), a last inspection of the Odd Fellows Estate grand hall, prior to dinner.
Photo © J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2010

The 30th September to 2 October, 2010 saw the world’s leading researchers in the field of Services Research gather in Gothenburg, Sweden, for their annual conference.

The Chairman of the local Organizing Committee for RESER 2010 was Patrik Ström, Associate Professor, Docent, PhD, Ek.Dr. Staffan Helmfrid Pro Futura Fellow at the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, whom I had the pleasure to assist in the materializing of this event.
Continue reading “The RESER 20th Anniversary Conference Gala Dinner, Gothenburg 2010” →

Doktorspromotion 2009, University of Gothenburg

Posted on by cheryl

Cheryl Marie Cordeiro, Doktorspromovering 2009, PhD graduation ceremony, University of Gothenburg, Svenska Mässan

On stage, halfway through the ceremony. I’m seated third row from the back, in a white dress. Deans and faculty leaders of the University of Gothenburg (GU) are seated at the front of the stage, in the respective faculty colours and gowns.
Photo for CMC © Jan-Erik Nilsson, David Neikter Nilsson, Anders Lindström 2009

The 30th of October, 2009 was the University of Gothenburg’s annual prize giving and doctoral awards ceremony and gala event. It was wonderful to have these grey autumn days lit by people dressed up in formal attire, tailcoats mandatory for all men receiving awards that evening, and all women in long dresses or ball gowns. Everyone looked smart and regal.

For this event, I wore the full length, white crochet dress that my mother had made for me more than a decade ago. It was meant for my college prom night, so I was 18 years old when I wore this dress the first time.
Continue reading “Doktorspromotion 2009, University of Gothenburg” →

35 for Gothenburg: a book by Edwin Thumboo

Posted on by cheryl

Singapore Literature booth, Göteborgs Bokmässan, 2009

Singapore literature, displayed at the Singapore booth at Gothenburg’s annual Bookfair, 2009.
Photos © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro for CMC, 2009

Even with new publishing spaces and mediums available on the internet with e-journals, online magazines, webpages and blogs, books in print continue to remain a stable platform for voices to be heard. It seemed that this year’s annual Gothenburg Bookfair was just as busy and electric in atmosphere as previous years. In fact, this years visit went straight to my heart. In the maze of exhibition stalls – some piled with books from the ground up so as to obscure vision – was a cozy and neat, red and white walled unit labeled, Singapore Literature. Even its colours reminded me of home and I was completely drawn to this year’s event as such, focusing my attention on the International Square, a hall dedicated to international authors.
Continue reading “35 for Gothenburg: a book by Edwin Thumboo” →

Sweden’s growing trade with Asia and it’s trade presence in Singapore

Posted on by cheryl

A view of the Merlion at the Esplanade, Singapore.

An interconnected world

The world is becoming an increasingly small place to live in, we can feel it in the pace at which the world economy runs these days. World trade is much larger, faster and more intense than what we knew even from 1819 when Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore as a trade entrepôt. Many organizations today are multinational in nature in order to compete on the global scene. Employees in such organizations are often located away from home countries in order to continue the work of the organization on a global scale, contributing to the existence, expansion and success of the organization.

Organizations going global would also mean that their people would be working on a global stage, having colleagues from foreign countries. It would mean working with someone who not only looks physically different from yourself but who share a different set of values, taken-for-granted assumptions and collectively shared beliefs, in other words, a different ideology (Simpson, 1993).

These collectively shared beliefs or ideology, stem from their own socio-cultural and political background and working together would mean communicating on a daily basis about work projects, negotiating meaning with each other so that each one understands what the other wants, the aim of which is to push the organization forward in reaching its goal.

Individuals who are often deployed to an overseas organization affiliate from their home country would often possess specialized knowledge, expertise and leadership skills, so that they can help set up and steer the affiliate organization in the new country.
Continue reading “Sweden’s growing trade with Asia and it’s trade presence in Singapore” →