@ Articles on the Life at Fuqua
1. Cultural Differences Do Differences Make - Fuqua Students, Ford Books and Videos Help Share Perspectives
2. Alumni Relations Fellows Program Helps Build Lasting Links to Fuqua
3. "Team Fuqua" Pays Off

Cultural Differences Do Differences Make - Fuqua Students, Ford Books and Videos Help Share Perspectives

Meg Trauner, Librarian
November 14, 2002, The Fuqua Times

When you grow up in the Balkans, or are related to such folks (as I am), you hear a lot about cultural differences. From an early age, you hear one Baltic people described as "fierce fighters - worse than the Nazis." Cross the border and the citizens are untrustworthy. In the next country, they are loyal to a fault. Many of us in the US have parents or grandparents who emigrated from another continent and grow up expecting cultural differences between groups. Often these "historical facts" are actually stereotypes, but it is still interesting to hear about traits or customs from other countries. Recently, I asked our international students if there were any American customs that seemed amusing or surprising. The most frequent reply was the habit of using the phrase "How are you," to mean "Hello." To Michael Philipse "the 'How are you?' every morning is kind of funny in the sense that the person asking the question is not interested at all in any answer that actually responds to the question in more detail." Interestingly, several weeks ago, I was having a conversation with an American student from Texas and he mentioned making the "How are you" mistake himself when he first arrived at Fuqua.

Some of the responses mentioned certain lowbrow facets of American culture. InMyung Song recalled a photo of someone's bachelorette party. "The photo of a nearly naked male dancer along with a group of ladies surprised me a great deal." But when you think about it, many of our wedding customs are strange, and some are tacky - the dollar dance, the fund raiser wedding, an ungracious toast, the cash bar or pay buffet. BTW, there is an extensive website devoted to tacky wedding etiquette: http://www.etiquettehell.com/wedindex. A surprising number of international students mentioned food, something experienced every day. International students find that American food is not tasty, but it is abundant. Neda Podergajs mentioned "One uniquely American habit that I love: getting my cup of coffee refilled for free." Dining customs also differ. Danielle Leao provided a very thoughtful explanation. In Brazil, as well as in any other Catholic cultures I believe, one cannot mix food with money because a meal is seen as a sacred event. Therefore, when you go to a restaurant in Brazil, or Italy, or Portugal, the bill is given to you only after you asked for it. It is an insult to drop out the bill on one's table when the person is still eating and did not ask for it. In U.S., as you know, to maximize the profit and the efficiency, right after you start eating, the bill is dropped on the table so you don't have to wait for the waiter to come over in order to pay the bill. Also, when you get to a restaurant and get the menu, it is also an insult to try to rush you to order. Therefore, the custom in Brazil is to ask the waiter to come over when you are ready to order. No one would come over and ask "are you guys ready?" if you did not give any hint that you are.

The library has a number of resources that advise students about cultural differences. One of the most popular is the book, Kiss Bow or Shake Hands: How to do business in sixty countries. This book is organized by country and discusses cultural orientation and business practices. This book advises that in the US "the greeting 'How are you?' is not an inquiry about your health. The best response is a short one, such as 'Fine, thanks.'" This book also covers standard business protocol. For example, the chapter on Japan describes the importance of the business card. Cards are presented and handled very carefully. Never write on a business card in the person's presence. In the U.S., the book notes that most business people have cards, but they are not exchanged unless the person wants to contact you later. The search numbers for this title are: HF5389M671994. Another popular group of books is the Dos and Taboos series. The original volume, Do's and Taboos Around the World, is a best-seller now in its third edition. It discusses confusing business and travel issues such as tipping, giftgiving and -receiving. This book covers fewer countries but includes sections on hand gestures, body language and use of English language idioms. According to this book, even small gestures can create confusion. Raising your eyebrows in Tonga means "yes" or "I agree," while in Peru, it means "money" or "pay me." The search numbers for this title are: HF5387 .D66 1993

Dos and Taboos Around the World for Women in Business is another part of the series written for American women who travel for business. This book lists protocol issues for women abroad, safety tips while traveling, and preparing for the international assignment. There is also a section that lists business behavior by country. The search numbers for this title are: G156.5 .B86 D67 1997 Survival Kit for Overseas Living for Americans Planning to Live and Work Abroad discusses American culture and how it influences the perceptions of American travelers as a basis for understanding and coping with a foreign culture. It also discusses skills that are important in adjusting to a different culture, such as tolerance of ambiguity, empathy toward others, clear sense of self and sense of humor. The search numbers for this title are: E184.2 .K64 1996 Rules of the Game: Global Business Protocol divides the world into three cultural types - the tribal culture; the collective culture; and the pluralist culture - and examines the fundamental motivating factors within each culture. The book also offers a series of protocol challenges where the reader encounters a new situation and must deduce the proper response. The search numbers for this title are: HF5389 .L43 1996

Cross-cultural Business Behavior: Marketing, Negotiating and Managing Across Cultures is a very entertaining book with lively examples to help the reader understand colleagues in an international company, or foreign suppliers and customers. The search numbers for this title are: HF5389 .G47 1999.

Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding cultural diversity in business is the result of 15 years of academic research. This book considers culture as the shared ways groups of people understand and interpret the world. It discusses the ways cultures differ in their relationships between people and how these differences impact organizations and employees and on the conduct of international business. It also discuses variations in cultural attitudes toward time and the environment. The search numbers for this title are: HM 258 .T767 1993

Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind is also an academic book. It argues that all societies share basic problems such as equality/inequality, group solidarity, gender roles, and an uncertain future. Each society develops its own solutions which seems "natural," yet differs from those of other cultures. These solutions form the basic values that are at the core of a national culture. This book discusses the differences in culturebased values among more than 50 countries. The search numbers for this title are: HM 258 .H574 1997

Doing Business Internationally: The resource book to business and social etiquette covers social conventions and business practices for 93 countries worldwide. The search numbers for this title are: HF5389 .D64 1997 Ford Library Videos: Cross-Cultural Understanding. 1999, 45 min. This video examines crosscultural values, viewpoints, social structures, perceptions of time, communication and etiquette. #1973 Doing Business in Argentina #1780, Doing Business in Brazil #1781, Doing Business in Chile #1782, Doing Business in Indonesia #1783, Doing Business in Malaysia #1784, Doing Business in Mexico #1785, Doing Business in Singapore #1786. These videos cover cross-cultural negotiation, business protocol, communicating effectively, and management in various countries.

Alumni Relations Fellows Program Helps Build Lasting Links to Fuqua

Tad Schwendler, Class of 2003
November 21, 2002, The Fuqua Times

As the youngest of the top-tier U.S. business schools, Fuqua does not have as expansive an alumni network as do some of our longer-established competitors. Nevertheless, with over 8,500 Fuqua alumni living in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and nearly 600 alumni in 64 other countries, alumni are an important part of the greater Fuqua community. Fortunately, the alumni base, which is composed of daytime MBA graduates as well as graduates of Fuqua's other MBA programs, is growing rapidly and assuming increased prominence in the world business community. It was in this context that the Alumni Relations Fellows (ARF) program was conceived.

The ARF program was initiated in 2001 recognizing that the active involvement of Fuqua alumni is essential to the continued success of the school and its students. As well, a strong alumni network clearly increases the value of the Duke MBA degree for all graduates. Therefore, in a general sense, the goal of the program is to help coordinate with and strengthen ties to Fuqua's growing alumni network. Although this is only the second year of the program, we have already made great strides in achieving these objectives. In essence, Alumni Relations Fellows serve as lead student liaisons between alumni (groups) and the school. Each Fellow is responsible for working with (or helping establish) the alumni group in a particular city or country. These groups vary significantly in their level of organization.

For example, I work primarily with the Atlanta alumni club, which is a well organized and active alumni group. Therefore, club leadership and I have the opportunity to explore innovative ways to foster links between the student, alumni, and school communities, such as the recent student profiles project. Other Fellows work with alumni groups that are not yet as well established. My counterpart Steve Smith has been helping organize the Seattle (Pacific Northwest) alumni club. I was fortunate to be able to attend an event he helped plan this summer, where I met a number of Fuqua alumni currently living in the Pacific Northwest. These organizing efforts will continue to be ongoing as there are opportunities to establish new alumni clubs in cities such as Philadelphia.

There are currently 14 Alumni Relations Fellows, who I would like to recognize below: Special recognition also goes to Tania and Chandra, who are the student coordinators of the program. Internally, we work closely with Alumni Relations Office and Development staff members such as Fuqua's new Director of Alumni Relations, Liz Friedman (Daytime MBA 2000) and new Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, Kristen Curtin. Their support and guidance of the program is invaluable. While the specific responsibilities of the Fellows vary, there are three primary ways in which we assist the school and the existing alumni base: alumni relationship building, current student education, and fundraising.

Alumni relationship building encompasses a range of activities, but the foundation of this initiative is the establishment of mutually beneficial relationships between students, alumni, and the school. In this capacity, Fellows help organize alumni events with their designated alumni clubs, establish lines of communication with club leadership, and coordinate student participation in alumni communication vehicles, such as club newsletters. And, as described above, in some cases Fellows are also instrumental in establishing or organizing alumni clubs in particular cities or areas. Recognizing that current students are future Fuqua alumni, student education is another important role for Alumni Relations Fellows.

We strive to educate students on how to connect with alumni and try to facilitate this process where possible. Additionally, we encourage all students to help promote strong links with the current and future Fuqua alumni base. For example, one of the most important steps that a graduating student/new alumnus can take to maintain a relationship with Fuqua is to update his/her contact information in Alumnilink, Fuqua's online alumni resource. I am sure many of you are familiar with alumni link from the internship/job search process, but if not, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with it at: www.fuqua-alumnilink.duke.edu.

Our other primary area of involvement is to assist in school fundraising efforts. Alumni Relations Fellows have been active in two phone-a-thons this year in which we raised more than $20,000 for the Fuqua Annual Fund. We will also assist with the Mock Annual Fund initiative this upcoming spring and will help with the Class Gift program. Being an Alumni Relations Fellow is an outstanding leadership role for a number of reasons. As a new school initiative, Fellows have the opportunity and responsibility to shape the ARF program and help position it to achieve future success. And, as I indicated above, a strong alumni base increases the value of the Duke MBA so our efforts can have a tangible impact in further improving Fuqua. I have also enjoyed developing relationships with a number of Fuqua alumni, particularly in my hometown of Atlanta. I strongly encourage first year students to consider applying for an Alumni Relations Fellow position this spring, as it is a great way to make a very positive impact on the Fuqua community. I hope that all of my fellow students will become active members of the alumni community after graduation. In the meantime, we Fellows will be working to make the Fuqua alumni network as strong as the community that we share here in Durham.

Alumni Relations Fellows:
Emilio del Rio    South Florida
Carolina Fryer    Northern California
Jason Haight    Boston
Taryn Harper    Chicago
Tracey Lloyd    Southern California
Cheonsik Nam    Korea & Japan
Steven Oblack    New York
Pilar Pereson    Latin America
Chandra Ramadurai    India
Ignacio Rotaeche    Europe
Tad Schwendler    Atlanta
Meredith Singer    Washington DC
Stephen Smith    Seattle

"Team Fuqua" Pays Off

Scott Marcus, Class of 2003

We were the mutts of the competition. While other teams came loaded to the hilt with marketing backgrounds that would make your head spin and exconsultant lineups that you could imagine in their former lives would have charged you five figures just to walk in the door - we had an eclectic bunch. A mix of marketers, consultants, and one ex-Worldcom employee (how the hell that happened we're still trying to figure out) - we weren't quite the thoroughbred type. Rather, we were a team of Fuquans that brought our various expertise to the table for this year's Elite Eight Brand Management Case Competition. The field was fierce this year as teams from Fuqua, Kellogg, Michigan, Wharton, Indiana, UCLA, Berkeley and Minnesota all competed head-to-head for bragging rights. The end result, a 2nd place finish. How we got there was a reflection of the school itself. The competition started benignly enough. Thursday night all eight teams were presented the case by Schwan's (one of this year's sponsors). Turns out one of their premier brands, Freschetta frozen pizzas, has been in a bit of a slump recently. A formidable competitor (DiGiornos - a Kraft brand), little money to spend and a lack of direction had all led to a very bad year for poor old Freschetta. "What are we to do?" asked the brand teamEand with that the competition began.
The next 36 hours were a blur of frameworks, PowerPoint slides, number crunching, and the always present Vanilla Coke (shameless plug from Coke intern) to fuel our thinking. If ever there is a time to reflect back and apply the lessons learned in Managerial Effectiveness, this was it. There's nothing like a high pressure assignment, little time to complete it in, and no sleep for the entire team (can all the consultants just picture their next two years now) to ratchet up the love factor when it comes to team dynamics. This is where we excelled though: each person was able to add their various expertise to the problem and each member of the team learned from each other and trusted the others to get their part of the job done. Much of the rest of our preparation is a blur due to the pace and lack of sleep. We were all in a classroom doing various things, getting last minute support materials (HBR #, our surveys) and debating about the structure of our slides. Late night ping-pong broke things up, but as the night, um morning, progressed, our spirits and bodies waned. Three of us left to catch 1 ˝ hours sleep and a shower at the hotel. Upon their return, the remaining two were passed out on desk and floor, alike. Fortunately the presentation was turned in on time (7:30 a.m.). All dressed and clean, we presented at 11:00 a.m. (middle of the pack). While we hit our points, the judges were cold - no expressions at all. Our glimmers of hope came from the level of detail in the questions we were asked and from the school after us (to remain nameless) who we saw and felt we topped. Most of us were pleasantly surprised at the outcome, as it was announced over dinnerEbr/>
We each learned a lot over the weekendEnot only on the business front, but also in how we deal in a high-pressure team environment. This year it paid off in a 2nd place finish, next year we think we're well positioned to bump that up a bit. I mean, we all know that Indiana needs to be knocked off that high-horse of theirs every once in a while. Thanks to everyone back here who helped us with surveys. And, special thanks to the Marketing Club for helping us get to Minneapolis! Cheers, Elite Eight Fuqua Team: Steve Dalton, Chris Hackney, Katie Lay, Scott Marcus, Sean Maurer