GBS and IBCE Students Gain Rewarding Experience from the Macau Field Trip

43 first- and second-year students from the International Business and Chinese Enterprise (IBCE) and Global Business Studies (GBS) programmes at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School went on a field trip to Macau on 13 November 2015. The trip aims to allow students to learn more about the economy of Macau, the gaming and hotel industry, and the student life at University of Macau.

The trip began with a tour to City of Dreams, an integrated resort combining electrifying entertainment, an amazing array of accommodation, regional and international dining, designer-brand shopping as well as a spacious and contemporary gaming experience. The GBS/IBCE students visited the Heart of House areas, the Crown Towers and Hard Rock Hotel. At the Heart of House Area, students took away invaluable advice from Ms. Ann Lao, Manager, and Mr. Daniel Lo, Specialist from Melco Crown Entertainment’s Learning Academy on what it takes to become a successful manager. With 7,000 employees, City of Dreams demonstrates how to motivate their staff and keeps them energetic. With a small working population and a high turnover rate in Macau, fulfilling employees’ needs is extremely important. The strategy adopted by City of Dreams for employee retention is to provide a range of facilities and staff benefits, including iPads located at the Heart of House informing staff of different internal transfer opportunities available; café/napping areas for staff on breaks, nicely-furnished staff restaurant with various cuisines to cater for different preferences.

The tour proved to be a great experience for those who targeted to become a manager in the future as students were taught that in the competitive labour market nowadays, the best way to retain employees is to think from their perspective and support them with resources and thoughtfulness.

The second focus of the trip was the visit to University of Macau (UM). It started off with a warm welcoming note by Prof. Rico Lam, Head of the Department of Management of UM. UM students then led the GBS and IBCE students for a campus tour and shared their exchange experiences as well as what it is like to live in Macau. It was a nice surprise to the students to meet the Dean, Prof. Kalok Chan, who was making an official visit to UM on the same day.

After a pleasant tour at the new campus, Prof. Linda Chen, Associate Professor in Management at UM, presented her research study on the famous bakery Koi Kei（鉅記）. Prof. Chen analysed the success of this well-established enterprise from multiple perspectives: the economy of Macau, quality of products, their human resources management and marketing strategy. The unique strategies leading to the success of Koi Kei have helped to establish a good reputation through customer-orientated approach, commitment to continuous improvement and building brand image with corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Before the end of the fruitful trip, Prof. Raymond Loi, Associate Professor in Management at UM, shared his research on foreign workers in Macau, the causes and consequences of introducing foreign workers, and the impact on local economy.

The Macau trip provided a rewarding and enriching experience. Not only did it provide students with insights into various opportunities in Macau, but it also helped shape their global mindset.

By Jay Cheng

Cheng is a Year One student from the International Business and Chinese Enterprise program at CUHK Business School.