Second China allows for virtual culture training

by Mike Barish on

A team of University of Florida computer engineers have used the online world Second Life to create a virtual Chinese city that users can “visit” to simulate Chinese cultural experiences. The goal of Second China, as it is called, is to allow diplomats to gain experience interacting with Chinese nationals in typical settings such as business meetings.

Second China seeks to enhance the Chinese culture training that Americans receive before embarking to China so that they can hit the ground running once they arrive. Unlike other areas of Second Life in which all of the avatars are controlled by an actual human being, Second China has computer controlled avatars with whom you can interact. This ensures that all visitors to Second China will have similar experiences which allows for a more reliable training environment.

The project was supported by a $1.25 million dollar federal grant, so your tax dollars are truly at work here. My company offers culture training for employees who will be working overseas and I have both attended and facilitated some of those sessions. I think they more than adequately prepare people for local customs and social mores. I can’t imagine myself sitting at my computer, logging into Second China and attending a virtual meeting. That just seems foreign to me. Get it? Yeah, well, this idea seems about as good as that joke.

Rather than interact with some creepy avatar in a virtual meeting (aren’t real business meetings torturous enough?), I’d rather speak with peers who have been to China and seek their advice before traveling over there. Or I could read a book about conducting business there. Those just seem like more appealing uses of my time.

Can a virtual world help simulate cultural experiences? Maybe. But I’ll just grab some dim sum in Chinatown and call it a day. Thanks anyways.

Source: Science Daily

Business travel in the new economy

by Mike Barish on

I happen to love business travel. It’s allowed me to visit exotic locales such as Delhi, India and Schenectady, NY. It’s helped me accrue airline miles that I’ve used for personal trips. And it hasn’t cost me a cent since my corporate card handles all the dirty work. But recently companies have started to encourage their employees to find cheap alternatives to the normal perks of business travel.

In a recent piece in the New York Times, Joe Sharkey points out corporate travel managers are actually starting to recommend that traveling employees stay with friends or family rather than book hotel rooms. Or, if a hotel is absolutely necessary, they are suggesting that coworkers share rooms. Can you imagine waking up next to Fred from Accounting who loves telling you about his Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Well, you may have to get used to it.

I can completely understand companies attempting to rein in travel expenses. Maybe they’ll make adjustments to the list of preferred hotels and eliminate some of the pricier boutique accommodations. Perhaps they’ll ask employees to share rental cars. But asking people to crash at their friends’ houses or share hotel rooms? That’s tacky and inappropriate.

Look, these are tough economic times. People are losing their jobs. Companies are going out of business. By no means am I condoning a completely irresponsible abuse of business travel. But when you travel for business, you are inconveniencing yourself. You’re leaving the comforts of your home, as well as your family and friends, behind. For that you should be compensated and accommodated. So, while I’m willing to stay in the Holiday Inn Express instead of the Ritz Carlton, I’m not willing to share a bathroom with anyone with whom I will have to share a cubicle the next day. Because Fred’s IBS stories are bad enough experienced secondhand.

Tripkick your way to a better hotel room

by Jeremy Kressmann on

If you travel at all for business, you’ve probably experienced your fair share of horrendous, anonymous hotel rooms. You know that room you had that smelled like a combination of mildew and bleach? Or with the million dollar view of the garbage bins out the back? What about that room where the construction crew jackhammers woke you up at 7am? Yeah, been there.

Perhaps then we should all take a look at Tripkick, a website that promises to help find “the hotel room that’s perfect for you.” Rather than focusing on overall ratings for hotels, Tripkick helps users rate and review particular rooms in each hotel. Looking for a nice view of the bay at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco? Request a room ending in either 05, 06, 07 or 08. How about if you want to find the quietest room at the W in Chicago? Stay away from rooms ending in numbers 28-33, which are noisier because of the nearby El trains.

While Tripkick offers some interesting functionality, it’s not for everyone. Hotel bargain hunters are at an obvious disadvantage here – mostly because hotels frequently assign less desirable rooms to customers who book the most discounted rates. It’s going to be a much tougher sell to get upgraded to nice “bay view” room when you booked a 20% off room using Priceline. Not to mention most of us are not really considering swanky places like the Four Seasons, which form the majority of Tripkick’s hotel reviews. But frequent business travelers take note – a site like Tripkick can mean the difference between a good night’s sleep or yet another jackhammer wake-up call.

ExecutivePlanet: Know your business culture

by Justin Glow on

I’ve been on a Wiki kick lately. First it was the digital ode to Abbie Hoffman with Steal this Wiki, then the news about Wikitravel guides going to press. Now we’ve got Executive Planet: a Wiki aimed at traveling business people, but us common folk can get some use out of it too.

Executive Planet is dubbed the “guide to doing business worldwide,” and it offers up a host of locally-written cultural guides in nearly 50 countries. For instance,

  • In Jordan, “Quiet voices are a sign of respect and maturity.”
  • In Venezuela, “You are discouraged from eating and walking at the same time.”
  • In China, “Use your whole hand rather than your index finger to point.”
  • In India, “Standing erect with your hands on your hips is likely to be seen as an aggressive and dominating posture.”
  • In the United States, “The standard space between you and your conversation partner should be about two feet.” Got it, pal?

If you’re not traveling for business, many of the tips will be useless. (For instance, in Colombia, “For women, a suit or dress is appropriate for business, while a cocktail dress is a requirement for most social occasions.”) Even so, a quick glance over the guide before your next trip won’t hurt anything — especially if you plan on finding yourself in a more formal situation.

Audio guides for business travelers from The Economist

by Iva Skoch on

The fine folks at The Economist have created a series of audio guides for those doing business in unfamiliar cities.

They provide recommendations for getting around, accommodations and restaurants, as well as the finer points of doing business. Each guide is about 15 minutes long and you can listen to them at economist.com.

Here is a glimpse:

  • “Start running towards passport control as soon as you get off the plane”. (Tip for passengers landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport)
  • “Pack a sense of humor and a good sense of the ridiculous”. (To those traveling to Dubai)
  • “You can arrive on Sunday or Christmas Eve and still have business meetings. (On arriving in San Francisco)