Winter
1998, Vol. 19, No. 1
|
|
JAIMS Team
Wins Regional Finals in Universities Business Challenge
A team of five students from the Japan-focused
MBA program (JEMBA, offered in partnership with the University of
Hawai'i College of Business Administration) has worked its way to
the final, third round of competition in the 1997 Universities Business
Challenge, a business management simulation game for universities
and colleges primarily throughout the United Kingdom. Just back
from their January victory in the London regional semifinals at
the Guinness Brewery, the JAIMS team will return to England on March
4 for the final competition.
Team members Chee Meng Chan (Singapore), Marie
Antoinette Go (Philippines), Suzanne Nakano (Hawaii), Sanjay Pareek
(India) and Curtis Washington (Hawaii) acted as the board of directors
for the Brew Masters Brewing Company, a producer of fine ales. As
the board of directors, the team had to make critical business decisions
that affect the day-to-day operations of the company. The objectives
were to win market share, maximize profit, enhance customer satisfaction
and raise employee morale.
The preliminary round of the Challenge involved
52 teams in five regions and took place last October through December.
The JEMBA "executives" participated in five trading periods,
handling various business situations through Internet, fax and e-mail
to London. Crises they faced included rising transportation costs,
contaminated beer, image problems and recession consequences. "Every
week we had a decision to make," said Washington, chair of
the JAIMS team. "Then we just went for broke in the last trading
period." Going for broke paid off, as the team placed first
in their region.
Twenty-two teams went on to the one-day semifinal
round, with the JAIMS team competing against three other teams in
their region. "We underwent six 30-minute trading periods,"
Chan said. "Between each period we had another 30 minutes in
which we were given new information to analyze and then act on in
the following period. The biggest difficulty was having to make
such quick decisions on pricing, marketing, production and stock
control."
The team was able to work together and place
first in the semifinals, despite their jet-lag. With backgrounds
in semiconductor manufacturing, real estate, accounting, education
and finance, each member took on different roles. According to Go,
"Chee Meng was great at analysis, Suzanne led the marketing
efforts, Sanjay's a math and finance whiz, Curtis kept us in line,
and I was the auditor."
In the final round the team intends to focus
on the winning strategy that took them through the first two rounds
of competition. "We aim for lowest cost, highest margin market
segment," Pareek said.
Roxanne Kam, JAIMS academic services manager,
accompanied the JEMBA students to London. "The Challenge has
been time-consuming, particularly given their accelerated, 12-month
schedule of MBA classes," Kam noted. "When they enrolled
in the JEMBA program, they had no idea they would be volunteering
for such a competition. We've all been impressed with their hard
work and enthusiasm."
Team members acknowledge that working together
as a board of directors in the competition has added a valuable
dimension to their MBA studies. "It's been a great experience,"
Nakano said. "We're all looking forward to returning to the
U.K."
The Universities Business Challenge is sponsored
by Peritas Limited, one of Europe's largest information technology
training, consultant and education organizations. Peritas is a subsidiary
of ICL, a U.K.-based Fujitsu Ltd. company.
JEMBAs Graduate
in Tokyo
With their voices singing "that a lifetime's
not too long to live as friends," the JEMBA-7 class closed
their commencement ceremony on November 21 in Tokyo. Regarded as
a "harmonious" class by many who knew them at JAIMS and
elsewhere, their commencement was also graced by a dance of aloha
and appreciation by class member Christine Noelani Maii. Merle A.
Okawara, president of JC Foods Co., Ltd., gave the commencement
address, while Tadashi Sekizawa, president of Fujitsu Ltd., extended
a congratulatory message. David Lu, first place recipient in the
JEMBA speech competition, delivered the JEMBA address.
Executive Team
Visits China to Finalize CHEMBA Internships
As the 21st century approaches, it is becoming
clear that China is a rising economic powerhouse of the world. One
hundred forty of the top 500 global companies have invested in Beijing,
and in the past year there has been a 45 percent increase in total
contracted investments in Beijing.
It is within the context of these vast changes
that JAIMS is further developing its China-focused MBA (CHEMBA)
program, offered in conjunction with the University of Hawaii at
Manoa College of Business Administration. Last December, JAIMS President
Glenn Miyataki, Vice President for Academic Affairs Blair Odo, and
Vice President for Administration Makoto Takenaka visited Hong Kong,
Shanghai and Beijing to finalize the upcoming CHEMBA internships
in fall 1998. "The trip had four key objectives," Miyataki
said. "First, we wanted to identify organizations and corporations
willing to participate in internships. Second, we wanted to explore
in more detail an academic advisor from a prestigious university.
Another objective was to identify an organization or corporation
that could assist with administrative support and housing arrangements.
And fourth, it was crucial to understand visa procedures for China."
In Hong Kong, the JAIMS executive team visited
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Chinese University
of Hong Kong, and the American Chamber of Commerce. In Shanghai,
they met with Gang Liang, JAIMS alum and president of Shanghai TriWorks,
and with numerous organizations, including the National Committee
of YMCAs; Zhao An Hotel; U.S.-China Business Council, Shanghai Office;
and Shanghai Baolong (Group) Co., Ltd.
Visits in Beijing included the State Commission
on Education; China Council for the Promotion of International Trade/China
International Economic and Technical Cooperation Consultants, Inc.
(CCPIT/ECOTECH); Guanghua School of Management at Beijing University;
APEC China Committee; U.S. Embassy; China Hospital Administration
Institute; Ministry of Health, Department of Policy and Regulations;
China Medical Foundation; and Fujitsu Beijing Ltd.
"Visiting these many organizations enabled
us to assess the possibilities and opportunities for the CHEMBA
participants' in-country experiences," Takenaka said. In addition,
the executive team also enjoyed meeting with JAIMS alumni in Beijing.
"Plans for the CHEMBA internship are taking
shape," Miyataki said. "We plan to bring our participants
to Beijing for two weeks for a China business and management orientation
and for site visits to key business and trade ministries and township
enterprises. Then the students will move on to Shanghai for their
internships and reports."
The CHEMBA internship dates are August through November
1998. Graduation will be in late November with the JEMBA participants
in Tokyo.
JAIMS
Launches Health Care Management Program
Last September, JAIMS trained 16 Japanese medical
professionals about the American managed care system, launching
the inaugural Intercultural Health Care Management Program (IHCMP).
The two-week seminar was a cooperative program between JAIMS and
Showa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. of Nagoya, and participants included
doctors, hospital owners and administrators. Six Honolulu medical
facilities--Kaiser Permanente, Kuakini Medical Center, Pearl City
Nursing Home, The Queen's Medical Center, Rehabilitation Hospital
of the Pacific, and Straub Clinic & Hospital--also took part.
Showa had approached JAIMS to develop a program
to train their managerial and consultant personnel in the American
managed care system, partly in response to proposed changes in the
Japanese medical system. Various government and medical groups in
Japan are discussing ways to establish a medical insurance system
for the 21st century. "In Japan, hospital management under
these new medical circumstances will require improved quality and
will need to reduce hospital costs through better managed care,"
said Tsutomu Araseki, director of Medical Consultants Co., a division
of Showa.
"There is also an interest in health-care
systems in many countries, so this training is very timely,"
JAIMS President Glenn Miyataki said.
The program encompassed such courses as Alliances
of Hospitals and Physician Groups, Insurance and Legal Policies,
Facilities Planning and Management, and Benefits of the American
Managed Care System. Instructors included experienced professionals
in health-care related industries, faculty and medical practitioners
with the University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine
and other university faculty. Dr. Thomas Au, a key advisor and instructor
with IHCMP, was enthusiastic about the program. "I truly believe
this group now knows much more about the U.S. health care system
than does the average American physician," Au said. "The
participants' levels of knowledge and commitment were outstanding--I
learned a lot!"
The half- and full-day medical facilities visits
included an overview of hospital management, observations of selected
operations, and a discussion of key issues with hospital administrators
and physicians. The facilities provided a wide spectrum of health-care
options, ranging from an established HMO (Kaiser Permanente) to
a physician-owned hospital (Straub Clinic & Hospital) to a nursing
home (Pearl City Nursing Home). "I was very impressed with
physicians who are making an effort and are concerned about doing
well within the managed care system," one Showa participant
remarked.
Bentley College
Explores Asian Business at JAIMS
A group of 20 students from Waltham, Massachusetts
met at JAIMS in January for a one-week seminar that gave them an
opportunity to interact with several of Hawaii's Asian business
experts and learn more about Asian business and culture. The seminar,
entitled "Asian Business in the 21st Century," brought
together undergraduate and MBA candidates from Bentley College's
Joseph M. Cronin International Center.
Bentley College, a small liberal arts college
that specializes in professional business education, approached
Blair Odo, JAIMS vice president for academic affairs, several years
ago about the possibility of a course credit program in Asian studies
for their students. "Our goal was to immerse students from
the mainland United States in a multicultural environment,"
Odo said. "We carefully crafted a seminar that built on the
pool of Asian experts here in Hawaii. We also capitalized on the
excellent and diverse participants in our ICMP and JEMBA/CHEMBA
programs."
Karlton Tomomitsu, JAIMS academic programs manager
and coordinator of the seminar, brought in instructors whose experience
included cross-cultural communications, international marketing,
and mediation and negotiation. "Being at such a distance, Bentley
international business students do not usually have easy access
to experts in Asian business," Tomomitsu said. "In one
week at JAIMS, they met and exchanged ideas with experts--all in
one place."
Session topics included Asia Market Analysis, Strategic
Global Marketing, Negotiation and Dispute Resolution in Asia, the
Changing Face of Chinese Film, Japanese Business Etiquette, Crisis
Management and the Role of the News Media, Centers of Chinese Business
in Asia, and Exploring Cultural Workplace Experiences (a small group
session with ICMP and JEMBA/CHEMBA participants). Student feedback
for the seminar was very positive--a frequent comment being "The
speakers are great--I wish we had more time!"
Vice President Blair Odo
Recognized by Leadership America
The fact that JAIMS Vice President for Academic
Affairs Blair M.T. Odo is rarely found in her office says much about
her working style. Whether she's teaching a class, rallying her
staff or traveling across the Pacific, Odo is intensely involved
with others. It came as no surprise to her colleagues, then, when
Katha Kissman, executive director of Leadership America, announced
that Odo was one of 125 women leaders selected to participate in
the 1997 Leadership America program, a national, not-for-profit
organization that recognizes, educates and connects accomplished
women. Odo joins a prestigious group of women who represent 28 states,
the District of Columbia, Japan and the U.K. In announcing the selection,
Kissman stated, "This year's class showcases the best and brightest
women leaders from around the country. Each class is designed to
select women representing corporations, entrepreneurs, not-for-profits,
education and government."
The 1997 program included three sessions, held
in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Dallas. Using the themes
of politics and society, technology and global economy, and the
personal and professional nature of work, the sessions provided
a unique forum for discussion of public policy issues and a broader
access for women leaders into the national decision-making process.
"Interacting with so many women who represent so many different
professions was a highlight of the program," Odo said. "In
our working lives, we often tend to focus on our own area of expertise,
be it education, finance or government, among others. Leadership
America provided opportunities to exchange ideas with women from
a wide range of dynamic organizations."
Odo also appreciated the networking benefits
the program offered JAIMS. "These are women who hold high positions
in their organizations. I hope to capitalize on these contacts for
future business exchange and recruitment opportunities for ICMP
and JEMBA/CHEMBA participants," she said. In addition, Odo
noted that Leadership America reaffirms that women have made strides
in holding key positions in many professions and disciplines. "There
are core values that can help women attain leadership positions--it's
crucial that you're willing to put in the hours, have a passion
for what you do and approach work and related relationships with
a positive attitude."
In November, Odo was recognized by JAIMS for
her ten years of "outstanding service and team spirit."
As vice president, she provides leadership for JAIMS' academic programs
and student services, is involved in overall strategic planning
and policymaking, and serves as liaison and resource for overseas
cultural and business opportunities. All this, and she still finds
time to teach classes in both the ICMP and JEMBA/CHEMBA programs.
Roxanne Kam, manager of academic services, has
been working with Odo for eight years. "Blair leads by example,"
Kam said. "As a role model, she provides guidance, enthusiasm
and a drive for excellence for her staff--Blair truly is the spirit
of JAIMS."
FUNIKA Scholarship
Established
JAIMS is pleased to announce the FUNIKA Scholarship,
established by Nuri Sťzkesen, JMP-11 and AMP-23 alum, and his wife,
Ilknur, through the FUNIKA Foundation, an agency of FUNIKA Ltd.
"FUNIKA" is the name of Sťzkesen's company that he established
in Turkey after his JAIMS studies and is an acronym for his AMP
internship and related companies.
The scholarship is awarded for the internship
portion of the ICMP and JEMBA programs, and those eligible are students
from developing countries. Students must earn an overall grade point
average of 4.0 in all graded courses prior to the internship to
be considered for the scholarship.
ICMP students may receive a maximum of $1,500,
and JEMBA students may receive a maximum of $2,000. The recipients
will be designated as JAIMS FUNIKA Scholars, which will appear on
their graduation certificate.
JAIMS Board of Trustees Chairman
Yamamoto Honored
Takuma Yamamoto has officially retired as chairman
of the board of Fujitsu Ltd., a position he had held since June
1990, and has been given the new title of chairman emeritus. Yamamoto
joined Fujitsu in 1949 and has been chairman of the JAIMS board
of trustees since 1988, a position he still retains. In May 1997,
Yamamoto was awarded the Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent
Order of the British Empire in recognition of his distinguished
contributions to commercial relations between the United Kingdom
and Japan. In November, Yamamoto received the Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Sacred Treasure, the highest honor given from the Japanese
government to those who contribute to the Japanese business arena.
news@jaims--news
about the people at JAIMS
The ICMP-97F class wrapped up a whirlwind four
months at JAIMS in January, and congratulations are due to award
recipients. Mi Jeong (Grace) You received the Francis A. Wong Award for Leadership, and Indra Sudung Tobing was honored
with the Students' Choice Award. The President's Language Award
was a tie between Kaichiro Minami for "My Impression about
Japan" and Akio Komatsu for "Hawaiian Food Culture."
Minako Shimazaki and Mi Jeong You tied for second place honors and
Masumi Shibui took third place. In the research competition, Miwa
Hayashi and Yuko Hisamoto received first place for their work on
"The Future of the Honolulu Symphony." Indra Sudung Tobing
won second place, while third place was a tie between Mi Jeong You
and the team of Yoshimori Asai and Eriko Yamanokuchi. Keynote speaker
at the ICMP-97F closing ceremony was Michael Leineweber, vice chairman
of Media Five Limited, a Honolulu-based multidisciplinary design
firm with projects throughout the Pacific Rim and a host business
exchange company. Congratulations also to the 11 ICMP-97F participants
who completed the Honolulu Marathon in December!
JAIMS staff participated in a two-day gasshuku
(retreat) in November. Discussion and reflection focused on marketing,
personal motivation and core values and a rousing small-group exercise
in problem-solving styles.
The many talents of Karlton Tomomitsu, manager
of academic programs (and JMP-12 alum), became even more apparent
at the Honolulu Japanese Chamber's Shinnen Enkai (New Year's) Banquet.
He was invited to perform in the Chamber's annual stage production
of "Shiranami Gonin Otoko," a humorous adaptation of the
kabuki play, "The Five Notorious Thieves." Tomomitsu portrayed
Tadanobu Rihei, the meanest of the thieves. The performance was
broadcast on local TV station KIKU.
Blair Odo, vice president for academic affairs, and
Soutchay Viengkhou, manager of information technology and equipment
support, celebrated ten years at JAIMS in September and January,
respectively. New to JAIMS are Cynthia Lowe, receptionist and office
assistant, Chikako Tomita, program assistant, and Soichi Kozai,
Japanese instructor. Fond aloha is extended to former JAIMS staff
Sandra Kumabe, who now works nearby at Hahaione Elementary School,
and Sachiko Burke, now a translator for WorldPoint Interactive.
|
