Fellowship Projects

To focus the direction of the fellowship program this year, we have created two themes that we will be investigating through the MOT China course and our visits to organizations in China. These themes will allow us to concentrate on issues relevant to doing business in the current environment as well as preparing for the future of business and technology in China. It is our hope that investigating these topics will also provide insights that we will share with our host companies, sponsoring companies, and the Management of Technology program at the University of California at Berkeley.

MOT-CRC China Fellowship Project Themes

The Evolution of Innovation in China

Over the past decade, China has come to be known as “the manufacturer to the world” – the de facto source for inexpensive labor. However, the low cost competitive advantage will not remain significant forever, and there are other opportunities that China is poised to provide. Already, a few indigenous basic technology companies are popping up amongst the sea of manufacturing and service oriented companies. The question is, is this the start of a trend?

We will be exploring how China and the US compare in the innovation game. How has the US maintained its leading position in creating new technologies and exploiting them in the marketplace? How can and will China follow suit? What barriers to innovation do Chinese entrepreneurs currently see, and how do they see those barriers falling? Where can foreign investments and MNCs’ ventures into China stimulate the process for mutual benefit? We will look at and compare: management practices, methods in education, and government policies (including regulatory and incentive structures). During our trip to China, we seek to visit with a broad spectrum of leaders involved in this issue, from: universities, technology parks/incubators, VCs, larger SOEs and MNCs, consultancies, and government.

Consumer Behavior in China

Our project will explore the Chinese consumer’s purchasing behavior and how they are using technology (i.e. Internet research and e-commerce) to make purchasing decisions. We will juxtapose how American and Chinese companies research and segment customer markets and suggest ways in which Chinese companies can better understand the Chinese consumer. Ultimately, we believe that Chinese companies can increase profitability through better understanding their relationships with consumers by developing consumer insights through using appropriate research methodologies.