Professional Development

Ethical Issues in My Profession:
Business extend their facilities to Vietnam primarily for cheaper labor. A company may offer a "competitive" salary in Vietnam that would be far less than what it would be in the United States. The economy is inflated enough so that employees can earn their living on these salaries that would not be acceptable in the United States. As shown when visiting II-VI, the work was tedious and labor intensive, and people will accept these jobs in a market with limited options. Working conditions are becoming better in Vietnam, although the nation is still a far way off from American standards. With the "western" companies we visited, they conditions were favorable and employees seemed to be comfortable with their status. The companies we visited were primarily expat run with Vietnamese employees working at lower levels; this goes against the American ideology that if one works hard, they can make their way higher. Of course everyone wants to be successful, though I am unaware what level of satisfaction this working society can have. Overall, United States industries can expand globally in order to save money and thus offer competitive prices on a global market. Although this money saving occurs by paying lower wages, it is relatively comparable to those of the rest of the nation. These companies are also providing jobs for the Vietnamese working class and offer what seem to be decent working conditions. Although simple or menial jobs are leaving the United States, the management, design, and other education-required careers remain.

Educational Breadth as Professional Development:
Cross-cultural education is a must when working on an international level. The majority of management and leadership roles in companies were filled by Americans or other expats. The Chief Engineer at II-VI gave a prime example of not understanding Vietnamese culture; he lost a majority of his employees after the first Tet holiday in country. This is common in Vietnamese working culture, and he had to learn how to adapt the company to address this issue. Companies expanding into Vietnam, as well as other countries, also need to assess government interaction with industry. Communist, Capitalist, and every other philosophy in between has a different degree of regulation which companies need to factor into their business strategies. Students should take general courses in world history to understand global culture and interaction. Specialization in a particular continent or region could be helpful and can be done by taking classes related to that desired area of specialty. Classes in world politics or political theory can also be helpful when larger corporations are working with the foreign governments. To work in a specific country for a long period of time, learning the language would be extremely helpful and would break down gaps between business partners and investors from that nation. Although these classes are not required to be successful in an industry, they can be beneficial when working and performing on a global scale.

Lifelong Learning, Continuing Education as Professional Development:
Technology is always advancing, society is always evolving, and public need is always changing. Companies and their employees must grow and change with their environments to meet these demands and develop more and more. Glass Egg Digital Media was a prime example changing their company to meet new demands. The company started by only producing animations of cars for video games, which they became very good at. As the years passed and new markets opened, the company began to spread into objects, environments, and characters. The only way for the company to be competitive in these fields was to train their artists and allow employees to continue their education in different areas. Those in management roles also needed to learn more design areas they were entering and the companies to which they can accommodate. Mr. Wall from the US Commercial Service also had to continue his education as he worked in several different countries. He needed to not only learn about the countries and their culture, but then had to learn about their business practicing and how to be successful in these countries. Lifelong learning allows for change and expansion, and is a natural part of personal growth and professional development.

The Social Environment of Professional Life:
In Vietnam, there seemed to be strong connection between peoples' social life and their professional life. Miss Loan's entire life was effected by her father and his connection with the South Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. Because her family was on the "wrong side," she was not offered the same opportunities for success as some of her peers. Business culture is also very personal and about not only about working, but about relationships as well. Members of Glass Egg and the Chief Engineer from II-VI recommended establishments to us that were unrelated to their industries, but were just for the sake of fun and enjoyment. During our visit to the American Center, a striking question came up when a student asked, "What is racism like in American schools?" This was a shocking question, though looking back, makes a lot of sense. In a relatively ethnic homogeneous nation, racism is limited and does not have the same history as it does in the United States. The current issues in Vietnam are more related to working conditions, government interaction, and media censorship. These controversial topics were not discussed while in country due to careful consideration. As an engineer entering other countries, it is important to understand these topics and to know when some things need to be left unsaid.

Functioning on Multi-Disciplinary Teams:
Our group of students from the university was highly diverse not only in field of study, but in race, religion, and background as well. People have differences and it is very important to accept them and to appreciate their variety. Engineering and business students also have different strengths and perceptions on a lot of topics. An engineer may look at the manufacturing and specifications of a product, while a businessperson may look at how to market or sell the product. We had to acknowledge these strengths and utilize them when they were needed and to overcome weaknesses from others. I believe we were a successful team and managed to work effectively as a group. Touring both finance-related and engineering-based companies offered both types of students exposure to the real world application to the concepts taught in the classroom. It is also interesting that business student can learn from engineering companies and engineering students can learn from business companies. Students also needed to bridge gaps for peers that were lost or did not fully understand concepts by helping to explain or elaborate on practices. Challenges were minimal in the team and only limited to some lack of background knowledge and having to overcome that. It is important to consider all levels of knowledge and to make information understandable to a wide array of individuals.