STAR Interface February 2008 by Gruwelmania

Interface | Magazine of the RSM Erasmus University | Volume 24: Number 3 | February 2008

Interface magazine

Business Spirituality

Neelie Kroes

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As I was drinking a nice glass of wine with a friend of mine, we were talking about the fact that you get to know a huge number of people during your student life. I can’t even imagine how many people you get to know (and forget) about in an entire lifetime. Have you ever realized how many times you are in the background of someone else’s photo? How many peoples’ life’s you’re influencing? How many dreams of others you’ve helped to reach? Or how many dreams you might have destroyed? Maybe you noticed or maybe you didn’t. Who really knows to what extent we mean something to others? I certainly don’t.

interface | february 2008 | 4

A few weeks ago, I visited an event completely dedicated to influencing others. It was a “Network Event”, in which hundreds of people gathered in one place, with the only purpose of networking. It turned out to be an evening I had never anticipated. An evening where the host, in an ultimate American way, was linking the people he once “networked” to each other. In a way it is kind of contradictory. On the one hand you don’t have a clue of what is happening in about six billion lives around the world, on the other hand there are millions of lives you are unconsciously influencing, something made apparent by an event like this. Perhaps you have noticed the STAR recruitment marketing campaign all through the month of January. Billboards, posters, flyers, and pages in the STAR Interface just with faces. All different people, with different lives, different dreams and different perceptions of life. They are the “people of STAR”. Diverse, ambitious and self-aware people, that know what they want in life, yet are unconsciously influenced by others, within and outside of our organization. In this edition of STAR Interface there is an interview with Paul de Blot, professor in Business Spirituality. He explains business

Presidential

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Colophon Interface Magazine is published by STAR (Study Association RSM Erasmus University). The editorial staff aims to promote the exchange of knowledge, experience and opinions among all those involved in RSM Erasmus University. Editor-in-Chief Svetlana Militsyna Creative Directors Roel Spee, Martijn Daniëls Editorial board Serpil Olmez, Peter Snijders, Elian Diculescu

spirituality by the interaction between the professional (business) side of the company and the idealism of the people (their spirit). It is this balance between the heart and the rational that is unique for all companies. He also mentions how important it is to have vision and ideals to accomplish something in life, either on your own, or as a group. What intrigues me here is that motivation, vision and idealism of people can make or break a company. These processes happen in companies all over the world, but again you don’t realize this at all. Most likely, you will graduate between now and a few years and become one of these people who are the spirit which keeps a company running. The question is: how do you know in which company your spirit, idealism and motivation can flourish the most? The last few weeks the Erasmus Recruitment Days were held on campus. Next to helping out the committee with the event, I also participated in some workshops and interviews myself. It was indeed interesting to see a bit of the world you barely know anything about. Suddenly companies that didn’t seem so attractive from the outside turned out to be much more interesting from the inside. I feel I’m one step closer to find the company where I can put my spirit and ideals to practice and influence people in some way. As I

mentioned before, during your student life and career you will probably influence the lives of many people. Yet, influencing lives should not be a purpose on its own, it is just part of the game, happening unconsciously. You will probably try to do this in ways so that it has no negative consequences for others. While your life may be influenced by others as well, ultimately you should be the one in control. Nobody else is going to be the architect of your life. So why not do the things you’ve always wanted to do? I often wonder why people do the ‘things they always wanted’ at the end of their lives. What made them wait until being old, instead of doing these things while they were younger? Wouldn’t it be much better that when you’re old you can look back on all the great things you always wanted to do, and how you realized these dreams? That’s my dream, only doing the things that make me happy. During this journey you will probably be influenced from all sides continually, but that is the charm of it. Changing direction all the time, knowing that you end, where you want to end. Best Regards, Bart van Muijen Chairman STAR Board 2007/2008

Writers Daniel Horn, Bastian Steinbach, Sabrina Fuchs, Elian Diculescu, Rebecca Morris, Hannes W. Peters, Martijn Daniëls, Elwin Velden, Serpil Olmez English language Elwin Velden Canvassing of advertisements Remco van den Born Graphic design and production OCC crossmedia, Breda Circulation 6.000 copies Mailing Four times a year to students, employees and alumni of RSM Erasmus University; once a year to students Economics and Business Administration across the Netherlands Address STAR Interface, RSM Erasmus University, P.O. Box 1738, Room T04-53, 3000 DR Rotterdam E-mail: interface@rsmstar.nl (not for change of address); Tel: (010) 408 2037; Fax: (010) 408 9023 Change of address Students of Erasmus University: www.erna.nl / cbi@oos.eur.nl; Others: info@rsmstar.nl.

Copyright © February 2008, study association STAR No portion of the information in this magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the editorial board. www.rsmstar.nl/interface

Editorial

Back to the Stone Age My lights went out. For about three hours, my whole neighbourhood had to live without electricity. Not even the streetlamps shone light onto the dark and empty road outside. My neighbours panicked, but soon returned to their flats and my building fell silent again. I was deprived of TV, a land line, internet, lights, heating and even hot water. Ironically enough, ten minutes before this happened, I had finished reading Serpil Olmez’s article “Eureka!” on great inventions of the past. Sitting there, by the light of one candle, I began to wonder: have we become too dependent on these inventions? Has technology become such an integral part of our existence that we are lost without it? Imagine what your life would be like without your computer, mobile phone and microwave. It’s a scary thought, one that many of us would rather not think about. But have we ever stopped to think that maybe these things have only complicated our lives and not made them simpler? Technology has made communication, information sharing and production more efficient. However, this efficiency seems to have taken a hold on everything we do. In the modern world of today, we need to be more

efficient and involved in order to get ahead. We are so fixated on results that we forget to stop and think about what it is that we really want; what do we want to achieve? According to Paul de Blot, who we interviewed for the article on Business Spirituality, this is an essential question that we should all ask ourselves. Maybe it’s time that we do. I learned a few things about myself in those hours in the dark. Maybe we should all turn off our computers, phones and TVs and just look into ourselves and figure out what it is that we really want. You might just find out something that will surprise you. You might even find out that you would like to become a writer for the Interface. We are always looking for new talent and applications are always welcome. If you are interested, you can apply through the STAR website. If you have any questions or comments, you can contact me at interface@rsmstar.nl. Svetlana Militsyna

interface | february 2008 | 5

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Table of contents

Content index

Culture Shock

Editorial

Is Putin good for business?

6-7 8-12

Myths of Late Sleep

Neelie Kroes

Win a Column!

Biofuel

In the Spotlight

16-17

Internationalization of SME’s

8 BusinessP.Spirituality

30 31 32-33 34-35

New Dean of RSM

38-46 44-45

Leadership Development

48-49

STAR Pages

KPMG

28-29

Column

20-22

Eureka!

2-3 Shell 13 Unilever 18-19 Gemeente Den Haag 26-27 Akzo Nobel 36-37 Gemeente Rotterdam 42 51 NIBC Ernst & Young 52

What is Your Opinion?

Business Spirituality

Under Full Sail

Advertisers index

Presidential

Table of contents

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Table of contents

STAR Study Trips

IBS India

During these study trips

STAR International Business Study is heading for India this summer! The elephant is

the participants will visit

rising and that is especially

one of these amazing cities;

interesting for multinationals,

Chicago and Hong Kong. In

where

the

the city they will visit the

business solutions in various

most important sights, the

business areas.

This year Team Erasmus University will once again participate in the Race of the Classics; the biggest student sailing event on classic vessels

Europe. The 14th of April Hendrika Bartelds, team Erasmus University’s solid base during the Race, will hoist her sails.

As every year, STAR organizes two spectacular study trips.

IBS provides unique

universities and other places.

I-Link Event I-Link is a one-day event organized by the Master Study Clubs of Supply Chain Management, Business Information Management and Management of Innovation. These Study Clubs are part of STAR, the Study Association of RSM Erasmus University in Rotterdam. This year, the event will take place on Wednesday April 2nd.

Page

Putin

Neelie Kroes

Biofuel

Dean

Now that we know Vladimir Putin will be around four more years, it is time to strike a balance. After eight years in office, the Russian government has

Ambition and excitement – that was the message Neelie Kroes

oil and the environmental

had written down on the inside

consciousness of consumers,

of her hand. Two keywords

the demand for cars run on

our greatest ability is the

Feeling homesick, lonely and irritated? Don’t worry, it’s just culture shock. Everyone has had it and if you haven’t don’t worry, you will. Read

she had been entrusted with by

biofuel is constantly growing.

cumulating of knowledge

on to find out how to diagnose

been infiltrated with members

and cure this condition.

of the Federal

new generation can thus

Security Service (FSB). The current governmen-

Drs. J.W. Oosterwijk, chairman of the Executive Board of the EUR; two words she found

Scientists around the world are

through the centuries.

build on the inventions and

tal system has little to do with

intriguing enough to keep in

discoveries of the previous

democracy, making the words of

one.

old

Soviet leader Gorbachev, perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness), sound dull and far away.

Culture Shock

Eureka!

In the Spotlight

interface | february 2008 | 7

interface | february 2008 | 6

In the Western world, we

Last issue, Interface put a

do business by looking at the

coffee lady in the spotlight. In this issue, we have a man you probably haven’t seen unless you’ve been in serious trouble. Interface put the head-security guard at Erasmus University in the spotlight.

economic side and often forget the underlying vision, spirit and people. Isn’t there more to business than just profit? Interface talked to Professor Paul de Blot, chair of Business Spirituality at Nyenrode Business University, to get the scoop.

From roaring around in caves to our modern day society: the human race has come a long way.

According to scientists,

Each

Do you have any idea who

we have to thank for all the conveniences we enjoy in our lives today? Let’s take a look

trying to develop an alternative

When students arrive at RSM on exchange from other international business schools, they comment on two things, says Chair of the Exchange Programme & Academic Director MSc IM Rene Olie. The first

to gasoline, but until now, no

is the degree of interactivity in

adequate substitute has been

class; the second is how chal-

her palm as a mantra and per-

found. The concern regarding

lenging the programmes are.

haps even as a message for her

the nvironmental problems

colleagues in

Brussels. And

Due to increasing prices for

linked to

CO2 emissions has

most certainly as a message she

gained magnitude over the last

conveyed to her audience.

few years.

at some of the most important inventions throughout time.

Page

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Interview

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Interview

Business Spirituality Professor Paul de Blot, chair of Business Spirituality

by looking at the economic side and often forget the underlying vision, spirit and people. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there more to business than just profit? Interface talked to Prointerface | february 2008 | 8

fessor Paul de Blot, chair of Business Spirituality at Nyenrode Business University, to get the scoop. By Svetlana Militsyna and Peter Snijders

In the Western world we often associate spirituality with zen, yoga and meditation. However, in Indonesia, the country where Paul de Blot was born, spirituality has a different meaning: humanity. There is no denying the use of business, but spirituality focuses on better business. Better, in the sense of quality; better quality business that stems from the depth of the spiritual power of the organization. The profits and results of the organization have a lot to do with the people and their well-being within that organization.

Business spirituality in a nutshell The main components of business spirituality are expertise, interaction and transcendence (being aware that that one can do more than one thinks). Modern companies mainly tend to focus on the first: expertise. It enables them to set measurable and tangible goals by which they can measure their performance. However, in the end it is all about the wishes and longings that people try to fill by doing business. It is the original vision that started the company. It is the question: What are you trying to achieve? Even business people have ideals and wishes they want to fulfill. We all search (consciously or not) for something that can satisfy our deepest urges, something that gives meaning to life. Spirituality is the process of giving that meaning.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Indonesia spirituality has a different meaning: humanity.â&#x20AC;?

Business Spirituality

Spirituality is unique and for every person and organization is it different. What works in one company does not necessarily work in another. A company can copy the success formula of another. They can have the same strategy, hire employees with the same expertise, focus on the same consumer and produce an identical product; and yet they can still fail while the other company flourishes. The thing that they cannot copy is the spirit of the business, the very thing that makes the tangible ingredients come together. Spirituality is the interaction between the professional (business) side of the company and the idealism of the people (their spirit). It is this balance bet-

interface | february 2008 | 9

In the Western world, we do business

ween the heart and the rational that is unique for all companies. To illustrate this point, Paul de Blot likes to use the example of Sony. After World War II, Japan’s image was ruined and Sony was worried about the effect this would have on the company. Sony wondered how they could repair that image. At that time, a new technology was being developed: the modern radio. However, it was too heavy and impossible to carry. Akio Morita (co-founder of Sony) wanted to build a smaller, portable radio. His friends and colleagues told him it was impossible but he carried on. In the end, he managed to manufacture a pocket radio. It was the combination of his expertise and idealism that let him reach his goal. Another example is that of Boeing. They used to produce small passenger planes, but they wanted to make larger ones, ones that could carry 500 passengers. Everyone told them that it would not work, the planes would simply be too heavy to fly and the company would fail. All the employees worked together and used their expertise and inspiration to give birth to the 747, which has now been selling for 30 years. It was that combination of knowledge and vision that helped both companies achieve their success. interface | february 2008 | 10

“A work environment based only on realism does not work, but neither does one based solely on idealism.” In the competitive world of today, there is a tendency to focus on short term gains, in the long term this is disastrous. To survive in the long term, there should be room within the organization for both the idealism and the realism. Companies need both their professional expertise and the inspirational power of spirituality. When there is too much focus on the expertise side, the wellbeing and spiritual needs of the employees are not taken into account. This creates a business culture where there is no room for a pleasant working environment and this in turn leads to stress, burnouts, conflict and low performance. A work environment based only on realism does not work, but neither does one based solely on idealism. This can be seen in the relief efforts for the 2004 tsunami. People were drawn there by their idealism to help those affected by the disaster, but they lacked the expertise needed. This created disappointing results and often relief efforts fell victim to corruption. You cannot survive on realism or idealism on their own, but you need a balance of both. A balance that can best be described by the popularly used Chinese symbol: yin and yang. The expertise in spirituality that we look at is on the level of doing. It is manufacturing, finance, logistics, etc. It is a system where the goal and means to the goal are straightforward.

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It represents what we might call the hardware of the company. Problems in this area can be fixed easily through training, hiring experts or seeking advice from consultants. This is why, in the Netherlands, only 10% of companies fail due to the lack of expertise. The second ingredient to spirituality is interaction or org-ware (organization ware). This is the interaction within the organization. This interaction between employees also creates the path to interaction between the expertise and the spirit of the organization. This aspect is vital, as you cannot improve communication and interaction between employees if they are not willing. It is thus no surprise that 30% of businesses in the Netherlands have failed due to lack of interaction. This leaves us with the other 60%. What aspect can be so powerful that it has lead to so many business failures? These failures stem from the spiritual level of the organization. It is the loss of vision, loss of inspiration and suffocation of the spirit that has such an impact on the organization. Nice, but does it really work? A lot of people still ask the question of whether spirituality still provides added value to the company and if its presence can lead to better results. Rationally, it is hard to prove that it does, but it can be shown that if it is not present in the organization, less attention is paid to employee well-being and spiritual needs. As mentioned above, this can lead to unrest among the employees and eventual lower results and profits. When you walk into an office where there is a lot of light, plants and a smiling secretary greets you, you get a more positive impression of the company. A company that is filled with spirituality thus has a better image and better working environment, which leads to better interaction within the organization and, in the end, better results. Frederick Taylor was an inspiration to the business world. He created the most human unfriendly way of doing business, in which all parts of a complicated process were divided into smaller parts that allowed for better control and proved to be the best way to get unskilled labor to work. This process, based on efficiency, is still used in a lot of organizations today. Through his design, everything becomes controllable and measurable, but it leaves little room for freedom or creativity. This machine-like process, where processes are broken down and assigned time slots, is often used in hospitals, hotels and government institutions. In these bureaucratic organizations, people and employees are assessed and treated on the basis of certain norms and everything is controlled by computers. People are no longer seen as human beings, but are treated like anonymous numbers. Here at Erasmus University, we are also given a number upon registration and this number is the first thing to be asked upon contact with the university. Here we can look at the example of the nurse and her patient. When a nurse takes the time to talk to her

patients while she is going about her medical tasks, the patients will get the chance to talk about their illness and feel like someone is listening. Many patients will take pleasure in this and thank the nurse for her attention; in turn, the nurse will feel appreciated and get spiritual energy to carry on her job. If management cuts down the nurse’s tasks into small bits and assigns time slots for her tasks, she will have less time to talk to patients. They will, in turn, give less thanks to the nurse, she will be less motivated to carry out her tasks and thus be less happy in her job.

“In the Netherlands only 10% of companies fail due to lack of expertise.” Hardware, org-ware and spirit are essential to the survival of the organization. No organization can live on just two of these things. They are interconnected and work together through a balance. Professional expertise should come from the bottom up. It should come from the employees who have the knowledge and the ideas to keep the company innovative. Vision should be a top down approach. It should come from the management of the organization. There should be a strong leader in place who can pass on this vision and spread it through the organization. It is thus not surprising, that when asked what a good leader should be, Paul de Blot answers that a good leader is one that can free people and free their inspiration. Employees should be free to exchange ideas and ideals. This is why Google gives its employees one day off per week to partake in their own activities. This is a day where they can do what they want. This frees up their creativity and allows them to get in touch with inspiration. Business Spirituality seems to have a great impact on organizations,

but what happens when the organization gets too big? To maintain a spiritual element, you need small-scale management. You need to divide the company into small units, with each unit having its own culture. The most effective units will be the multicultural ones, which will be the ones with the capacity to innovate. In contrast, single culture units tend to be weak. In such an organization, with a strong sense of spirit and interaction, you do not need a strategy on paper. The strategy and vision will be in the minds of the employees, and they will carry out the vision of the company through their own expertise in their individual units. A good vision will inspire people and give them energy to do their job.

Final words As a final note, Paul de Blot would like to give some advice to students; advice that we should heed, since he has years of experience in the education field (having completed multiple studies himself). “You must do your study as fundamentally as possible. Without knowledge you are losing yourself in the flow. Do not stop and change studies. Students who stop their studies never finish anything. When you do not like it, but still finish it, you will gain confidence and expertise. Finish your studies and take time for spiritual expertise and reflection.” Studying gives us a chance to exchange points of view and opinions with people from other backgrounds, through this we can learn from each other. Students have a lot of energy and motivation, but lack the knowledge. Professors that teach the classes have a lot of knowledge, but very often lack the energy of the students. Through interaction between professor and student a lot can be gained, so do not hesitate to ask them for help. They will feel appreciated and get motivated and you, in turn, will get the knowledge you need. This effect can also be seen in Business Spirituality. It is for this reason that Paul de Blot has lived on campus in Nyenrode with the students. It is because of the energy that he gets from them. Jokingly, he makes the comment that students are always late, but

interface | february 2008 | 11

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they still pass the courses because they have their energy and motivation. Another advice that Paul de Blot would like to pass on is that we should all discover ourselves. A technique that he uses himself is keeping a diary. At the end of each day, you should write down the facts and events of the day on one page and on the opposite page write down the feelings that you had. At the bottom, you should always make a conclusion to the day. For example: This event made me happy. In this way, after a while you will see a pattern in yourself and your feelings and will get to know yourself and your spirit. In the end we should all ask ourselves: What is it that makes sense in our lives? This is the bottom line of spirituality. Often people cannot answer this question, but they can feel the answer. Business Spirituality is not a new term and Paul de Blot has several publications (one of them available through www.nyenrode.nl) and there is even a magazine out on the topic (www.bsmagazine.nl). So get reading and learn how you can instill spirit into your organization.

CV of Paul de Blot

interface | february 2008 | 12

Professor Dr. Paul de Chauvigny de Blot SJ Lic. Ph. (83) was born on the island of Java, Indonesia. Having grown up with a large family helped him develop his social skills and to understand the power of communication and interaction. Paul de Blot always dreamed of becoming a pilot, but due to the outbreak of World War II, he was unable to go to Europe to follow the necessary education. When he was called to military duty he joined the special forces. During this time he was taken prisoner and sent to a Japanese concentration camp. There, he spent a year in solitary confinement in a blind cell, not knowing if it was day or night. During this experience he was able to come in touch with his spirituality and realized that they could lock him up, but in his mind he was still free.

theology, physics, political science, psychology and spirituality and cultural philosophy. After becoming a Jesuit, his life took him to many places and he has held various positions; positions that the Jesuit order believed would allow Paul de Blot to better serve humanity. By coincidence, he came in contact with the Business University Nyenrode in 1979 and started work there as a campus moderator for the students. At that time it was normal that students and several professors lived on campus. To be able to serve the students better, he followed the same courses as they did and soon became familiar with the business world. When, in 1992, students were no longer obligated to live on campus, his task as campus moderator ended, but Paul de Blot stayed at Nyenrode and concentrated on giving guest lectures and trainings. In 2004, at the age of 79, Paul de Blot received his PhD, finished clown school and fulfilled a lifelong dream of learning to fly. Since May 2006, Paul de Blot has held the chair of Business Spirituality, consults businesses and gives guest lectures at various universities.

Society of Jesus In 1534, Ignatius of Loyola and six of his fellow students at the University of Paris came together and agreed to be bound by a vow of poverty and chastity. They called themselves the company of Christ, because they believed that Jesus Christ had brought them together for a reason. In 1537, they received permission from Pope Paul III to be

The confinements of the blind cell had a great toll on his health and after a year he was declared clinically dead. This was a strange experience, Paul de Blot remembers seeing and hearing everything. He saw fellow inmates come and pay respects to him and then he woke up. This experience has stayed with him for the rest of his life. He recalls that, while floating above his body, he felt free and peaceful. After being liberated from the concentration camp, he went to study, but in 1948 the terrible images of the suffering at Hiroshima urged him to help the victims. The only way to do this was to join the Jesuit, access to Japan was forbidden for anyone else at the time. However, before he was ready, a lot of studying had to be done, because a Jesuit believes that people should use their qualities optimally. So at the age of 24, Paul de Blot began the preparation for a long period of study at a monastery in Java. The choice to join the Jesuits came as a shock to his parents; it meant that he would have to give up his noble title: compte. In 1962, after 14 years of studies, his journey to Jesuitism was complete. During his life he has followed education in chemical technology, Eastern Culture, philosophy,

ordained priests. In 1538, the pope gave the company a mission that would mean a break-up of the group and they decided to bind themselves together spiritually under one superior. Ignatius was chosen as the first superior-general and sent the company around Europe to set up seminars, schools and colleges. Today, Jesuits (as members of the Society of Jesus are often referred to) are involved in the fields of missionary work, human rights, social justice and higher education. Becoming a Jesuit takes a lot of time, effort and studies. The main purpose of the Jesuit order is to serve humanity and as a Jesuit, you can be sent by the order to where you are needed most. This is why members need to follow a broad education and gain expertise in different fields, so that they can use their knowledge when they need it most.

Taste it

Life at the leading edge of international energy

TB-3R-02 Ad.indd 1

23-04-2007 09:48:42

the galzine of Mar.n e |sta rsm fac Int wwerw.

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Article

Do you like the columns Interface places every issue? Or do you think you can do better? Either way, write your own column and win a placement in the next Interface. So are you creative and would you like to win a column in the Interface, send in your column now!

Breaking the Myths of Late Sleep

By Elian Diculescu interface | february 2008 | 14

Myth #1: Time doesn’t matter as long as I get a good sleep To the dismay of many, a recent study carried out in South Korea by Jung Kim has proven that the quality of sleep is directly linked to the time we go to sleep. Hence, if you want to stay up all night, be ready to sacrifice your mental health together with your academic results. Indeed, getting 7 to 8 hours sleep is vital, but getting it at the right time is gold!

Myth #2: Catching up on lost sleep By nature, the human body has an auto-balancing mechanism. Hence, after a late night out partying with friends, we are able to recover some of the sleep loss. This is achieved through a deeper sleep on the next night. However, overusing this “safety net” decreases the ability of the human body to make up for the hours of rest unaccounted for. This is due to the fact that a dysfunction occurs, preventing the body from adjusting to sleep deprivation by cutting

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vs. Federerm Beckha

e Interfac e magazin

Bos Wouter Beijing

2008

the sensation of tiredness (even though the day-to-day performance of the individual drastically decreases). The moral: socializing until late from time to time is acceptable, but overdoing it will lead to a lot of troubles including cardiovascular disease.

Myth #3: I’m not worried; I have two full nights to catch up with the subject A student who hasn’t attempted at least once in his/her lifespan to compress the work of one trimester in a period of two days is a rare museum piece nowadays. The reason behind this is the conviction that one can achieve the same results through an all-night studying regime. Recent studies carried out in New York indicate the contrary. Even though capable of concentrating for such an impressive number of hours, the students attempting this are more susceptible to making mistakes during the exams and to have delayed reactions. Hence, getting a good sleep rather than trying to cram all the information might represent a more “profitable” trade-off.

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RSM Era sm

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lume 24

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Write for Interface Interface is looking for new writers who can contribute articles and interviews. Apply now and be part of the Interface writing team.

“If you want to stay up all night, be ready to make the sacrifices.” What can one make of the above information? Living a student life is important, as we will never be able to go back to this period. However, living it too intensely (in the negative sense) might lead to reaping the problems later. Being a student is only a stage in life, and the final purpose is to have a balanced life as a whole.

Al Gore

Nowadays, the late nights represent an inherent element in the life of many students. This trend is somehow encouraged by the lack of information regarding the negative effects associated with this habit. This article, based on scientific research, will try to explain the three common myths regarding sleep deprivation.

-2007

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An Interface writer is creative, passionate about writing, and likes to write about affairs related to Business Administration and Economics.

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Last issue, Interface put a coffee lady in the spotlight. In this issue, we have a man you probably haven’t seen unless you’ve been in

in the Spotlight

Security Guard

serious trouble. Interface put the headsecurity guard at Erasmus University in the spotlight. By Martijn Daniëls

On Campus

Is it difficult to keep the entire campus safe? Sometimes, but it’s great fun too. Rinus has been responsible for campus security at Erasmus for six years now. It all started in the mid-seventies, when he was appointed five sites by the Dutch Security Service. One of these sites was Erasmus University Rotterdam, where he was asked to stay fulltime in 1979.

attended lectures during the evening, and when he didn’t receive the correct answer to one of his questions, he would take over the lecture and start teaching himself. The security guards took him out for coffee to hear his story. This homeless man appeared to be a former high school teacher who lost his job and family. “It’s sad to see someone totally lost,” Rinus adds.

When he just started working at the EUR, he was mostly working night shifts. It didn’t take long for Rinus to experience something out of the ordinary during his nightly rounds. A group of students occupied and barricaded the sociology department on the 10th floor of the H-building. Although it may sound bad, it was everything but a tense situation. The campus security guards were welcome to visit the occupants on the 10th floor for some good conversations and many laughs. After two weeks the situation just returned to normal without any hard feelings, and there was even a nice dinner held in honor of the occupation.

And what does the head-security guard do in his free time? He sings. Rinus sings with a choir that is going to celebrate its 45 year anniversary in 2008. For the occasion, the choir organized a benefit cabaret show in Groningen. It’s something different than singing, but Rinus loves it just as much. To top things off, he also writes for the choir magazine, which is read by over 150 members.

Being a security guard is a very diverse and responsible job. Rinus has to keep up with the latest first aid techniques and new technology to stay on top of his game. He also has the privilege to come up with new idea’s to improve campus security and enjoys working with students. His job makes every day different from the last, but sometimes Rinus’ job is misunderstood. He’s not the campus cop; it’s much more than that. It’s a social position where he listens to students and faculty, and tries to make life on campus more secure for everyone. The local police are only involved when there is a serious crime committed on campus. He also depends on his colleagues, who are always keeping an eye out for misbehavior.

Name: Rinus van Herk Birthday: 1st of September Building: P

When asked what Rinus will always remember during his time at the university, he tells a sad story about a homeless man who used to sneak onto campus in the evening. He

Rinus likes to spend time with his family, especially his two granddaughters. When asked how Rinus deals with the responsibility of his job and family, he said he loves to get some rest at his mansion in Southern Germany. The mansion is still a work in progress, but he can walk through the beautiful surroundings with his wife and dog. Rinus likes to spend as much time there as his work allows him. After spending this much time on campus, Rinus is positive about the future of the university. There are already 25 different cultures studying and living together on campus; it’s amazing. In all his years, he can’t think of a single incident related to discrimination or racism. There’s something to learn for the Dutch society, where discrimination and conflict seem to be the norm. “I think it will be a better time when all these fresh new students are in control,” Rinus adds. Now you know who’s responsible for your security on campus. So if you see Rinus walking on campus, don’t hesitate to talk to him or say hi. He loves talking to students, even if they aren’t in trouble.

interface | february 2008 | 17

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Gökhan Tuncer, Supply Chain Trainee in the management potential program of Unilever My traineeship

Why Unilever?

“After finishing the study Business Administration (Strategic Management) at the Erasmus University I started working as a Supply Chain Trainee at Unilever in April 2007. The Supply Chain program consists of two different jobs: in the first six months I worked as a logistic assistant for the Culinary cluster (brands like Calvé, Knorr and Conimex). Now, in my second job, I am responsible for logistic improvements. In this challenging job I have to manage several projects whereby the biggest focus lies in making our supply chain more efficient and competitive. It is not only important to achieve this by having commitments within our own organization, it is also necessary to have a strong cooperation with our customers and logistic suppliers.

During my study I heard a lot of positive stories from other students about Unilever and I was triggered to do some research about the employment possibilities and the brand portfolio of Unilever. The fact that Unilever is a multinational with A-brands and international opportunities in combination with having my own job with a lot of responsibilities got my interest. During my application process I felt chemistry between me and Unilever. I followed my intuition and have no regrets! Unilever is a very good employer for me: the possibilities, responsibility and readiness to help each other are enormous. Besides this I work with young, dynamic and very flexible colleagues. There is also Young Unilever Managers network were we can exchange our experiences and do nice activities. In august this year I will go for example to the Olympics in Beijing to represent Unilever in the Holland Heineken House!”

For me it is a challenge to come with a thorough analysis, present the benefits (e.g. scale advantages) and to convince all parties that we will create win-win situations. Next to this I am also responsible for monthly evaluations with the clients that I have in my portfolio. In these meetings we evaluate for example order-behaviors and the reliability of deliveries. And last but not least I am also responsible for all kind of new projects and ideas within logistics. This together makes my job very diverse, challenging and instructive. For me it is now important to understand the supply chain business and to develop my personal and business skills. To achieve this we get a lot of training and support to launch our own career. The professional skills developments occur on the job, but there are also many trainings to ensure the expertise that is needed within the career area. Vuil is goed. Sterker nog, hoe viezer hoe beter. Dat klinkt vreemd voor een wasmiddelmerk als OMO. Maar we zien graag mensen die alles uit het leven halen. En daardoor af en toe vuile handen krijgen. Heb jij de ambitie om te werken aan innovaties bij OMO of andere grote merken? Dan bieden wij wat je nodig hebt voor een mooie carrière. Kortom, stroop je mouwen op. Op www.unilever.nl/werken lees je meer.

interface | february 2008 | 19

We believe ’dirt is good.’ Not surprisingly we’re looking for people who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.

Advertorial

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season. During the Middle Ages, however, certain needs started to change. Monks in monasteries needed to get up in the middle of the night and pray, and thus needed some sort of mechanism to wake them up. After experimenting with burning up candles and bells, in 1290 the first mechanical clock was developed. Still very inaccurate and without a face – which meant they could not be read – they were used in combination with sundials. In 1656, Dutch astronomer and mathematician Christian Huygens built the first pendulum (swinging weight) clock, which had a high degree of accuracy. When the railroads started to need timetables in Britain in the 1830s, time differences in the country became a problem. In 1880, the British passed a Definition of Time Act, making Greenwich Mean Time standard for the whole country.

Thermometer - 1592

Eureka! From roaring around in caves to our modern day

Fire

Do you have any idea who we have to thank for

Not so much an invention, more a discovery – but a very important one, as it played a crucial role in the evolution of man. No exact time can be identified for the discovery of fire yet, but evidence suggests that the controlled use of this phenomenon dates back almost 1,5 million years. It was not only a means of keeping warm – which was critical during the glacial periods, but it was also useful in scaring away animals – as most of them are afraid of fire. The softening of food through cooking led to the evolution of the human face, as strong large jaws were no longer needed. And of course, the extra hours of light may have started a socializing process early in our history.

all the conveniences we enjoy in our lives today?

The wheel - Around 3500 B.C.

society: the human race has come a long way. According to scientists, our greatest ability is the cumulating of knowledge through the centuries. Each new generation can thus build on the interface | february 2008 | 20

inventions and discoveries of the previous one.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important inventions throughout time.

It is still a mystery who exactly invented the wheel, some evidence suggests it was the Mesopotamians – a people that used to live in a part of what is now Iraq. The invention sure made moving things around a lot easier and played a key role in the industrial revolution. However, it seems the first use of the wheel was to facilitate pottery making.

By Serpil Olmez

Time - 1290 Of course, time wasn’t invented, but the perception of it changed through the centuries. For a long time, it was all about sundials. These sundials showed hours of varying length, depending on the

Isn’t it colder today than it was yesterday? Well, there really was no way of really knowing until the invention of the thermoscope. The idea was then further developed by the Italian Galileo Galilei, who developed the first basic thermometer that allowed temperature changes to be measured. Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, a German physicist, later developed the first alcohol thermometer in 1709, and the first mercury thermometer in 1714, and in 1724, he developed the Fahrenheit temperature scale. Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius developed the centigrade scale around the same time – which from 1948 onwards was referred to as the Celsius scale.

Soft drinks - 1772 Joseph Priestley, British theologian and philosopher, invented carbonated water as he was experimenting with the brewery gas of a brewery next to his house. After its invention, he hoped it would be a cure to scurvy (“Scheurbuik” in Dutch). In 1772 he published a pamphlet with “Directions for Impregnating Water with Air”, directing people how to make soda water. Priestley did not commercially exploit his invention himself, but Johann Jacob Schweppe, a German watchmaker and silversmith, founded Schweppes in 1783, after he patented a method to charge water with carbon gas. His successful company still exists today.

Vaccination - 1796 Before the 19th century, people rarely died of old age. When the plague broke out in 1347, for example, it killed nearly half of Europe in about two years. A massive breakthrough in fighting diseases came in 1796, when the English country doctor Edward Jenner discovered a link between smallpox and the milder cowpox. He found that by injecting a person with the milder version, that person would become immune to the more deadly version. Another big breakthrough came with the invention of penicillin – the first modern antibiotic – by Alexander Fleming in 1928.

Bicycle - 1817 A Dutch favourite, the two-wheeled rider-propelled machine. Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun of Germany developed the first bicycle, the “draisine”, in 1817. He himself called his machine – which was entirely made of wood – the Laufmaschine: it had no pedals, a rider would need to use his feet to move forward. In 1818, the Baron patented his invention and exhibited it in Paris. In 1865, pedals were added to the design (to the front wheels that is) and the machine

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became known as the “velocipede” or the “boneshaker”, as riding it was extremely uncomfortable.

Telephone - 1876 Nowadays, it seems the telephone has evolved to form a part of our physique, as it appears glued to some people’s hands or ears. This ‘miracle’ of communication was first patented by Alexander Graham Bell in the U.S. in 1876. Of course, back then the telephone was nothing like it is today, with persons (operators) on a central location connecting your call to the person of your request; not by dialling a number, but by telling the operator who you wish to speak to. The first mobile phone was developed by Bell Laboratories (later became part of AT&T, now part of Alcatel-Lucent) in 1947 - designed to be a two-way radio. The first mobile phone that looks anything like we use today was invented in 1973 by dr. Martin Cooper – general manager at Motorola. However, you needed a lot more muscle to carry it around then, than you do now. Dr. Martin’s first call on his invention? To his rival Joel Engel at Bell Laboratories.

Light - 1879 “And God said, Let there be light; and there was light”. However, it took man a lot longer to simulate this phenomenon. It wasn’t until 1879 that Thomas Alva Edison developed the light bulb. This first light bulb was based on the passing of electricity in a vacuum, which made the wire glow. Unfortunately, the light bulb was very inefficient, as only 5 % of the output was light, and the rest was heat. In 1934, the more efficient fluorescent light bulb was invented.

“Most of us can hardly imagine life without the computer, let alone studying without one.” Television - 1923 On average we spend three hours per day watching moving images on a box. Vladimir Kosma Zworykin, a Russian inventor, laid the foundations for our beloved television with the invention of the iconoscope in 1923 and the kinescope in 1924 - tubes used for television transmissions. In 1927, American engineer Philo Taylor Farnsworth was the first to transmit a television image. From that moment on, dozens of inventions and refinement techniques followed to get to the modern televisions we have today. Interestingly enough, both ‘godfathers’ of television found the phenomenon of actually watching television a waste of time and a threat to intellect. On the same note, us couch potatoes owe a lot to Robert Adler as well. He invented the wireless remote control for televisions in 1950 and thereby enabled us to spend hours with pointless flipping through channels without burning too many calories.

Television - 1923 On average we spend three hours per day watching moving images on a box. Vladimir Kosma Zworykin, a Russian inventor, laid the foundations for our beloved television with the invention of the iconoscope in 1923 and the kinescope in 1924 - tubes used for television

interface | february 2008 | 21

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“Both ‘godfathers’ of television found the phenomenon of actually watching television a waste of time and a threat to intellect.”

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Eckert and John Mauchly, as they were the first to patent it. It wasn’t until the invention of microprocessors in the early 1970s that the ‘old’ large, costly systems could be replaced by personal computers. Computers were now becoming accessible to a larger audience, which triggered a whole new range of innovations. The currently popular laptop wasn’t introduced until the early 1980s.

Internet - 1969 What is now called the internet actually started as the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) at the US Department of Defence. ARPAnet connected computer networks at universities and research laboratories in the US and enabled them to communicate with each other directly. In 1989, English developer Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web for the European Organization of Nuclear Research (CERN). He wanted to facilitate the sharing and updating of information among researchers and combined his hypertext idea with the internet. Contrary to what many believe, the internet and the World Wide Web are not the same thing. The hypertext documents on the World Wide Web are accessed via the internet and viewed with a web browser.

interface | february 2008 | 22

Computer - 1939

Post-it notes - 1974

How did students write their essays before word processing software? And what about those big reports like the thesis? Most of us can hardly imagine life without the computer, let alone studying without one. The first computer was invented in 1939 by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry, making the Atanasoff-Berry the world’s first digital electronic computer. It comprised of many innovations, e.g. it made use of binary code, had a separation of memory and computing functions, and performed parallel processing. However, for a long time, most of the credits for the invention went to Presper

Ever wondered how those yellow self-adhesive notes were invented? Well, it was the perfect example of a solution looking for a problem. 3M’s Spencer Silver had invented a glue with a special molecular structure: it was strong enough to stick to objects, but weak enough to only stay there temporarily. Arthur Fry, also an employee of 3M, came up with the idea for the post-its when he was singing in the church choir. He had put notes in his hymnal to remind him where to find what. Unfortunately the notes would move or fall out. An idea for a product was born. Eureka!

Internationalization

of Small & Medium-sized Enterprises Small entrepreneurs make bold moves. The global business environment is no longer an exclusive terrain of big players. Small entrepreneurs who dare to think big enter the arena. By Daniël Horn

For these entrepreneurs ‘going global’ equals access to new markets, chances for product innovation and, for some, even fun. This is a review of the symposium Internationalization of Small & Medium-sized Enterprises, organized by Studium Generale and EUREOS on the 12th of December. We live in the age of globalization. The past 15 years have seen an explosion in technology and commerce that has stitched the world together. The senior economist of ABN-AMRO, Floris Kleemans, pointed out several causes of globalization: the increased mobility of resources, development of infrastructure, and global availability of products and services. The business environment is more turbulent than ever and the traditional power division across the globe is rapidly changing. The United States’ perilous trade deficit and the rise of Asia to a focal position on the trade market, make these developments all too clear. Mr. Kleemans noted that emerging economies offer great opportunities for business, as he expects their years of growth to continue. Globalization has made access to these countries easier than ever. To an increasing extent, small & medium-sized

enterprises (SMEs) sense international opportunities and overcome the liabilities of newness and foreignness. Hendrik Halbe and Erwin Koenraad presented the results of the International Research Project, a study of Dutch SMEs operating in Brazil. As a BRIC-country member and the world’s 15th largest economy, Brazil is a country par excellence to investigate. The barriers entrepreneurs face in Brazil are mainly related to laws, regulations and the presence of red tape. The access to financial resources is limited, which restricts the companies’ maneuverability. Networking appeared to be the major factor of success for the SMEs; knowing the right people helps to get things done and cannot be overstated. Companies need deep pockets for success and a long breath. The duration of the internalization process takes a severe amount of time and financial capital. Access to new markets, low production costs and laws & regulations seemed the main motives for the Dutch SMEs to start their operations abroad. Nothing new so far, since multi-nationals provide a similar set of reasons. Interesting is the emotional motive, as some entrepreneurs choose to go abroad because they think it is fun. These entrepreneurs just jump in and do it. Mr. Clint Kortmann, CEO of Talent&Pro, fits that description. Talent&Pro supplies financial and insurance organizations with promising graduates. Mr. Kortmann urges us to think big: ‘Holland is just a city at the end of the river Rijn’. ‘Things are happening in China, students who want to learn about business opportunities should go there and find out for themselves,’ states the CEO. Within its eight years of existence, the company has already opened offices in England, Germany and China. The company has been rated as one of the 100 best places to work in Europe by the Financial Times. When Clint Kortmann started to show off by playing movies of his visits to China, he taught us another valuable lesson: success could go to one’s head.

interface | february 2008 | 23

transmissions. In 1927, American engineer Philo Taylor Farnsworth was the first to transmit a television image. From that moment on, dozens of inventions and refinement techniques followed to get to the modern televisions we have today. Interestingly enough, both ‘godfathers’ of television found the phenomenon of actually watching television a waste of time and a threat to intellect. On the same note, us couch potatoes owe a lot to Robert Adler as well. He invented the wireless remote control for televisions in 1950 and thereby enabled us to spend hours with pointless flipping through channels without burning too many calories.

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Diagnosis:

Culture Shock Feeling homesick, lonely and irritated? Don’t worry, it’s just culture shock. Everyone has had it and if you haven’t don’t worry, you will. Read on to find out how to diagnose and cure this condition.

What is culture shock anyways?

interface | february 2008 | 24

The term “culture shock” was introduced by Kalvero Oberg in 1954, but naturally this phenomenon existed for a very long time before that. After all, world travel was not invented in 1954. Everyone who has ever moved country or spent a long duration of time abroad knows what this article is about. Culture shock can best be described as a feeling of anxiety when people find themselves in an entirely different and new cultural and social setting. This does not only affect exchange students, but also people going for placements, or those brave few that venture out into the unknown and go work for that amazing company in a far away, exotic place.

By Svetlana Militsyna & Elwin Velden

“Maintain confidence in yourself and know that eventually things will get better.” Stages There are several phases to culture shock that can appear at different times and intervals for each individual. There is some disagreement as to how exactly these phases are divided, but it is most commonly divided in the honeymoon phase, negotiation phase, “Everything is

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ok”-phase and reverse culture shock. The honeymoon phase is the phase most of us experience when on holiday. At this point we see everything through pink glasses and everything seems wonderful and new. In our state of euphoria, we fall in love with the place and if we leave we vow to come back. After a few days, weeks or even months, comes the negotiation phase, which is when culture shock kicks in. You start longing for home, and local habits become irritating and annoying. This is when the pink colored glasses come off and you start noticing and encountering the difficulties of everyday life. Not speaking the language and not understanding the culture begins to get to you and you find yourself wanting to shut yourself off from the world. This is when most of the symptoms of culture shock occur. By the time the “Everything is ok” phase hits you, you have become accustomed to your new country. Everything becomes routine and does not seem as foreign and different anymore. You realize that the new culture has good and bad aspects and you begin to gain a feeling of belonging. For most of us the stay in a foreign country does not last forever and the time will come when it’s time to return home. After living away for a long time you may realize that things are no longer the same in your home country. This is the point where many people experience the symptoms of reverse culture shock, as they have once again entered a different culture. You need to adapt once again and might have to go through the same phases all over. For every person the phases come at different times and at different magnitudes. Some people may not even notice the first phase and immediately start experiencing the difficulties and symptoms. There are many factors that can contribute to the duration and intensity of culture shock. Some of these are: individual’s state of mental health, type of personality, previous experience, socio-economic conditions, familiarity with language and culture, family and social support systems and level of education. All these factors differ for different people, so don’t feel bad when your peers adapt faster than you. Your time will come too.

Symptoms It is important to understand that culture shock is a normal experience and everyone will experience it at one point or other during their life. Symptoms can occur suddenly and be brought on by holidays, birthdays and even bad weather. They can even appear at different times but it is important to know what they are and to know what you can expect. The symptoms can affect many aspect of human behavior. The most profound effect is often mentally, where homesickness and idealization of the old country might develop, an obsession with hygiene (e.g. washing your hands an unusual amount), a feeling of helplessness, vulnerability and lack of confidence, and even a loss of identity. Related to this are behavioral changes. Others might perceive you as hostile or irritable, with you constantly complaining to them about the country and culture. They might even see you turn into somewhat of a recluse, where you try to shut yourself off from the world. Physically, you can experience unusual and unplanned changes in weight, changes in sleeping patterns, and even headaches, stomach upsets or allergies. Watch out for these symptoms and understand that, in most cases, they are only temporary and will pass in time.

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How to cope Once you have understood that these symptoms are connected to culture shock, there is always something that you can do to ensure that they pass quicker and easier. You could, for instance, start by reading up about the country and culture before leaving. By being prepared, things will seem more familiar when you arrive and reduce the shock. This familiarity will help you avoid cultural misunderstandings, but these can still occur. In this case, it’s a good idea to not get offended, or offending the locals and engaging in confrontation. Instead, you should try to be open-minded and attempt to understand the culture from the beginning. Maintain confidence in yourself and know that eventually things will get better. You could set specific goals and activities for yourself with regards to understanding your new surroundings. Completing these activities and reaching your goals will give you more confidence to cope.

“It is important to understand that culture shock is a normal experience and everyone will experience it at one point or other during their life.” However, be patient and don’t try too hard to fit in. Don’t try so hard that you forget to take some time out for yourself, away from the culture you have immersed yourself in. By giving yourself this time, you will be able to put things into perspective and have new energy to cope with the differences. It can also be comforting to find people from your own country to help you ease into the new culture and to talk to about the differences you have all encountered. However, do not only communicate with these people and make sure that you make contact with peers from the new culture as well. Finally, understand that it’s ok and normal to feel sad and home sick, but if you feel too overwhelmed, look for help. There is always someone around who can lend a helping hand. Look for study advisors and university psychologists who you can talk to.

Need more information? If the information provided in this article is not enough to comfort you there are always other sources to consult. The Internet is a great place to gather information and knowledge but it does not stop there. There are many students who have been in the same situation as you are in right now and they are a great source of information. Before you leave for a different country, for whatever reason, make sure you consult people who have gone through the process before and ask for tips from them on what you can expect and how to better cope with the inevitable symptoms of culture shock. It’s also not a bad idea to seek professional help. There are always study advisors and university psychologists at your own university that are there to help you and to give you advice on what you can expect. Not to mention the support system that will be present in your host country.

interface | february 2008 | 25

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Trainee in Rotterdam! Durf jij? Arjen Stroo, financieel trainee gemeente Rotterdam:

manier om het organisatorische proces te leren kennen, maar

Niet alleen heeft Rotterdam een veelzijdige leefomgeving en een

krijgt. Elk jaar bieden we afstudeerders met

“Niet alleen heeft Rotterdam een veelzijdige leefomge-

ook kon ik mijn theoretische kennis uit de cursus in de praktijk

trendy uitstraling, maar ook de mentaliteit van ‘Niet praten, maar

een universitaire of HBO-opleiding de kans een

ving en een trendy uitstraling, maar ook de mentaliteit

toepassen. Na zes maanden kon ik al zeggen dat ik veel had

doen’ spreekt mij zeer aan. Toen ik in november 2006 begon aan

tweejarig traineeprogramma te volgen.

van ‘Niet praten, maar doen’ spreekt mij zeer aan.”

geleerd en dat ik ook echt een bijdrage had geleverd aan de

het traineeship, wilde ik dan ook graag verhuizen naar Rotterdam.

organisatie. Op dit moment werk ik bij Sociale Zaken en Werk-

Na een korte zoektocht ben ik verhuisd naar Blijdorp. En dat

Wat bieden wij je? Het traineeprogramma start jaarlijks op

gelegenheid aan een monitoring van het project ‘Werk direct’.”

bevalt prima!”

1 november en 1 mei met elke keer tien studenten. Het streven

ben ik begonnen als financieel trainee bij de gemeente Rotterdam.

Werken als trainee?

Rotterdam is in veel opzichten een voorloper, een

of bedrijfskundige opleiding aan te stellen. Daarnaast worden

Ik heb bedrijfskunde gestudeerd aan de Erasmus Universiteit met

“Het werken als trainee bij de gemeente Rotterdam bevalt erg

vernieuwer. Zonder durf had de jarenlang grootste haven

vijf studenten met uiteenlopende opleidingen aangesteld.

als specialisatie Business-Society Management. Daarnaast heb

goed, vooral de combinatie van werken en leren spreekt mij erg

ter wereld niet in Rotterdam gelegen. Zonder durf was

Als trainee doe je kennis en ervaring op met het uitvoeren van

ik m’n propedeuse psychologie behaald in Leiden, hetgeen een

Wie ben ik? “Mijn naam is Arjen Stroo, ik ben 25 jaar en in november 2006

is om per programma vijf trainees met een bedrijfseconomische

aan. Als trainee kun je in twee jaar vier verschillende projecten

Rotterdam de wolken minder dicht genaderd. Zonder

projecten. Je start met een tijdelijk dienstverband voor twee jaar,

leuke aanvulling bleek te zijn op bedrijfskunde. Hoewel deze

uitvoeren bij verschillende gemeentelijke diensten of deel-

durf waren veel debatten over grootstedelijke problemen

dat met maximaal drie jaar kan worden verlengd. Afhankelijk

studies niet direct aansluiten bij een financieel traineeprogramma

gemeenten. Hierdoor kun je goed bepalen wat je leuk vindt en

niet in Rotterdam gestart. Rotterdam zoekt medewerkers

van je leeftijd en opleiding ligt het aanvangsalaris tussen € 2.300,-

heeft dit me er niet van weerhouden te solliciteren. Ik ben er

waar je zou willen uitstromen na het traineeship. Daarnaast volg

met bezieling, die hun verantwoordelijkheid nemen

en € 3.000,- bruto per maand bij een 36-urige werkweek.

namelijk van overtuigd dat je door werkzaam te zijn met financiën

je een opleidingsprogramma, gericht op het verhogen van de

en ook de minder gebaande paden durven te betreden.

Daarnaast bieden we moderne secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden,

theoretische kennis en een persoonlijk ontwikkelingsprogramma.

De stad die durft zoekt mensen die durven.

zoals een uitstekende verlofregeling. Het traineeprogramma van

de gehele organisatie goed kunt leren kennen.”

“Niet praten, maar doen. Deze Rotterdamse mentaliteit spreekt mij erg aan.” Wat doe ik?

Dit laatste traject wordt door de trainees zelf ingericht, hetgeen

de gemeente Rotterdam is zowel in 2006 als in 2007 genomineerd

erg leuk en leerzaam is. Een ander aspect dat mij erg aanspreekt

We bouwen bij de gemeente Rotterdam aan de stad én aan de

voor ‘Het Beste Overheid Traineeship’ en ‘Het Beste Finance

is het werken met een groep van negen andere trainees: we delen

samenleving. We houden de regie goed in handen, maar geven

Traineeship’.

ervaringen, helpen elkaar waar nodig, organiseren gemeente-

veel ruimte voor initiatieven. Met 13.500 medewerkers zijn we een

dagen en doen diverse andere leuke activiteiten zoals een avondje

grote werkgever in het Rijnmondgebied. En met een paar duizend

Durf jij? Ben je geïnteresseerd en heb je een universitaire of

weg of een sportmiddag.”

uiteenlopende functies ook een veelzijdige. Samen werken wij

HBO-opleiding? Stuur dan je sollicitatie met CV met daarin je

voor bijna 600.000 Rotterdammers aan de stad.

motivatie naar Anita Meijs, a.meijs1@sdr.rotterdam.nl.

“Mijn eerste project heb ik uitgevoerd bij deelgemeente Feijenoord

Kijk voor meer informatie op www.rotterdam.nl/werkenbij.

op de afdeling Financial Control, waar ik een bijdrage heb

Rotterdam?

geleverd aan diverse werkzaamheden in de planning- en control-

“Gedurende mijn studie aan de EUR ben ik steeds enthousiaster

Wie zoeken we? Zo’n stad zoekt talent dat graag de handen uit

cyclus. Mijn grootste bijdrage heb ik echter geleverd aan de

geworden over het leven in Rotterdam. Ik bezocht de stad al

de mouwen steekt en ziet wat aangepakt moet worden. En het

totstandkoming van de jaarrekening 2006. Dit was een goede

regelmatig voor sportevenementen, voorstellingen, uitgaan etc.

besef dat je alleen door goed samen te werken, zaken voor elkaar

Hier vertellen huidige trainees over hun ervaringen.

and She Conquered

Now that we know Vladimir Putin will be

Unleashing the hidden spirit of Female Entrepreneurship

a balance. After eight years in office, the

around four more years, it is time to strike

Russian government has been infiltrated with members of the Federal Security Service (FSB). The current governmental system has little to do with democracy, making the words of old Soviet leader Gorbachev, perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness), sound dull and far interface | february 2008 | 28

away. Apart from all the negativism, there is one domain that likes Putin around: business.

Article

President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party prepared for the worst in order to persuade the people of Russia in the parliamentary election of 2nd December 2007. United Russia gained a 64% victory, from an election that was neither free, fair nor democratic. After the charade, the only remaining question was answered: will Putin remain in control? Indeed he will, even though the constitutional limit forces him to adopt a special construction. Putin wouldn’t go as far as changing the constitution, but instead pulled another trick. On December 11th, United Russia’s candidate Dmitry Medvedev announced that, when he becomes president, he wants Mr. Putin himself to serve as his prime minister. Over two terms of Putin’s Presidency, a group of FSB operatives has gained control over the Kremlin, the government, the media and large parts of the economy. Many important decisions in Russia are now taken by a tiny group of men, who served alongside Mr Putin in the KGB and who also originate from St Petersburg. Putin has crushed opponents, put television back in state’s hands, scrapped the autonomy of Russia’s regions and blatantly fixed elections.

“Putin has crushed opponents, put the television state’s hands, scrapped the autonomy of Russia’s regions.”

By Daniël Horn

Is Putin Good for Business?

But Putin has also presided over an impressive economic recovery, although the way it was accomplished has often shocked the world. Russia has managed to turn her energy sources in a legitimate tool of foreign policy as well as income. In December 2006, Royal Dutch Shell along with its Japanese partners, Mitsui and Mitsubishi where forced out of a costly project to coax oil of the frozen seas of Sakhalin Island, in Russia’s far east. Russia’s GDP has been growing vastly for the past years. In early 2007, growth accelerated and investment growth mushroomed into a genuine boom. Both domestic and foreign investors have steadily increased their interest in investments in the Russian market. The 8% inflation is compensated by a reported wage growth above 15 %. Investors are fond of Putin; Putin’s backing of Medvedev and his new power structure is the best news that investors could have hoped for, displayed by a two percent peak in the Russia’s benchmark stock market index. When we look at the government and the lack of democracy, little has changed since the Soviets. But there is more too be said, Russia is slowly but surely attaining a premium position in the world. In this energy-hungry world, for Russia, the best has yet to come.

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She Came, She Saw

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Article

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Article

Mr Murdoch openly took a pro-Iraq War position, that all of his over 175 papers worldwide followed his example. A concerning fact, considering that rumours have it that key personnel at the Dow Jones company have already been replaced in favour of Murdoch loyal people. This raises interesting questions about men like Rupert Murdoch taking a certain position and using his media empire to communicate his opinion, and thereby shaping the news landscape in his favor. Winston Churchill supposedly once said that “There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion.” This means that the media shape and form our own opinion with what they show us, how they present information and - probably most importantly - with what they do not show us. Few people realize how far Rupert Murdoch’s grip on the information flow is; besides The Wall Street Journal, a newspaper considered daily literature by elite businessmen, he has a firm grip on different media that reach us as well.

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What is Your Opinion? And where did you get it? In 2007 the takeover bid by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation for the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, sparked a fiery discussion about the effect and the consequences of media monopolies. By Bastian Steinbach

When Rupert Murdoch first announced his takeover bid for the Dow Jones company, the Bancroft family, former owner of this company, bluntly rejected his offer. However, after three months of struggling and a controversy about journalistic values, Mr Murdoch managed to take advantage of the divided Bancroft family and seal this incredible deal. For around 5 billion dollar, News Corporation acquired the second largest US newspaper with a daily circulation of over two million and another million online subscribers in 2006. Journalists, editors and readers worldwide are now worried about what will happen with The Wall Street Journal, which was known for its independence, integrity and credibility. On the other hand, the News Corporation is known for its dubious financial practices which led to an effective corporate tax rate of roughly 6% during the years 2002 till 2006. The tax rate should lie between 30% and 36% but thanks to several subsidiaries on the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Virgin Islands and the Netherlands Antilles the cunning Mr Murdoch is able to avoid the usual tax rates. Moreover, the News Corporation is known for its conservative position and actively favours conservative views and candidates on its TV coverage. Professor Roy Greenslade showed in 2003, after

“There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion.” The Australian, The Sun, The Sunday Times, The Times, New York Post, Dow Jones, Weekly Standard are only some of the papers Murdoch controls. 20th Fox Television and Films, Fox Network, News Corp Europe, BSkyB, DirectTV, National Geographic Channel are only few out of his many worldwide TV stations. Not to forget his ownership of MySpace and Jamba!, two internet based media companies. On top of it, the News Corporation owns the LA Dodgers baseball Team and 40% of the Staples Centre in LA. Not to speak of the 50% of the Australian and New Zealand Rugby League. The question arises: where can you get information which is not tainted with a personal political agenda? A difficult question to answer, considering that even your beloved baseball star from the LA Dodgers could be saying things in an interview for the sake of his job because he is under pressure from Mr Murdoch. However, it is important not to drift into paranoia and account every statement on TV to “their master’s voice”, an expression coined in The Guardian Unlimited about Rupert Murdoch’s empire. Nevertheless, recent events show us that we need to be wary and critical towards the information we absorb. Once again, Churchill phrases it correctly: “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on” - a statement which is not only true for lies but for personal opinions and half-truths as well.

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Column

The World in Black and Pink The Solar System became one planet richer with Sedna. The washing machine requiring no detergent was created. Touch screen products turned from a reverie to reality in just a matter of years. The cure for cancer is on its way. At a glance, many could indeed state that our world in general, and our society in particular, are moving in the right direction.

By Elian Diculescu

What some fail to see behind the cold, high-tech material is the essence of society: the people. Whilst the standards of living are improving slowly but surely, the mentality of the population seems to be depreciating faster than the US dollar following the 9/11 incident. The 20th century was the bloodiest in the entire history of humanity. The two World Wars devastated many nations, and have proven that words such as “negotiation” and “diplomacy” have partially lost their meaning. This reveals that the idea of colonialism and race supremacy are far from being past, with the media channels being used to manipulate the population rather than to correctly inform it on these issues. With every generation, a change occurs: a shift in mentality, a shift in fashion, a shift in traditions. However, modernism should not necessary mean cold, silver souls. It should not mean the usage of drugs and alcohol as instruments to see the world through pink lenses. It should not turn fashion books into the Holy Bible for young girls, enacting the money and power culture from an early age and slowly wiping concepts like pure friendship and serious relationship. It should mean more mutual understanding, more tolerance, and more openness towards innovative concepts. As long as genius minds with an altruist soul are brought up to this world, we will continue to break through and reach new levels of development, and, perhaps, reverse the negative trends encountered so far. Nevertheless, one question stays: is our society evolving or regressing?

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Article

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Article

Neelie Kroes the message Neelie Kroes had written down on the inside of her hand. Two keywords she had been entrusted with by Drs. J.W. Oosterwijk, chairman of the Executive Board of the EUR; two words interface | february 2008 | 32

she found intriguing enough to keep in her palm as a mantra and perhaps even as a message for her colleagues in Brussels. And most certainly as a message she conveyed to her audience. On the 17th of January, Neelie Kroes found herself being interviewed by Twan Huys for the “Nova College Tour” in the Woudestein Sports Centre, generously answering questions from the audience of Erasmus students. By Hannes W. Peters | Photography Ronald van den Heerik

Neelie Kroes is a member of the European Commission. She began her rich and diverse career in Rotterdam, where she studied Economics at the Erasmus University. During her time as a student she was a member of the board of the R.V.S.V. (Rotterdamse Vrouwelijke Studenten Vereniging). Such a position, along with simply being one of the few (7) ladies studying economics at the time, is remembered by an open-hearted Neelie Kroes as a great opportunity. It may have been this background that paved the way for her to be ranked #59 on Forbes’ list of the World’s most powerful women.

“It is a privilege to study!” Ms Kroes is an outspoken advocate of positive discrimination, saying affirmative action is absolutely necessary – simply to gain balance. She dismisses the risk and negative effects of less qualified individuals riding on a ‘free ticket’, while stating that she would not have her current position had Jose Manuel Barroso not demanded a minimum of 8 women in his commission. It is one particular quality Neelie specifically, yet not exclusively, ascribes to her gender that sheds light on this ambivalence and that was reason enough to choose Angela Merkel as her favourite over Hillary Clinton and the late Benazir Bhutto: The self-confidence to set aside your ego for the sake of teamwork. Women are not only better team players; they can excel in leadership by bringing all parties to the table and actually listening to them. This demands the confidence to expose vulnerabilities. And so she did. Questions about her personal life were answered where some presidents might have left the room. According to our special guest, an ambitious career is possible to combine with family life – which in her case most importantly means her relationship with her son. Communication and a positive attitude is the key. At a young age, it is wise to explain that work to ‘mama’ is like playtime for the child. Building trust is essential, even if that means going home when it really is impossible to leave work at that time. The European Commissioner for Competition was accommodating in discussing her work. In short, only fair competition is fair to the consumer and also to the team players. She is more than willing to

make sure everybody plays by the rules. This leaves us with amusing anecdotes about a dinner with Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer. Fines in the range of several billion Euros do speak a clear language. The commissioner tackles malpractices, a prime example of which is the artificial prolonging of patents in the pharmaceutical industry. The delay in the necessity for new drugs this creates, grants companies the luxury to delay investments in R&D. Further research in the pharma industry will hopefully alleviate this problem.

that it was a complex document and that she wondered whether a referendum was the most appropriate tool for its acceptance, she was asked whether she deemed the European citizens too dim to make an informed decision. Not deterred, with her usual flair and eloquence, she explained that it was up to national governments to explain the document to their citizens as well as make clear to them the benefits the European Union brings.

The monumental task of just handing out fines to cartels does require moral concessions. Catching criminals may require working together with whistleblowers. In the case of the Dutch beer cartel, critical questions about the relative height of fines were raised. Although we are assured fines are properly calculated according to formulas, we cannot help but remain curious about the workings of the Commission. One member of STAR inquired what Ms Kroes thought of the EU’s attempt to pass the slightly watered down version of the European constitution ‘by the backdoor’. When she explained

“The market is like a game of football - if one player does a foul, everybody loses.” Neelie Kroes presented herself as a sincere, likeable and witty guest. A slightly edited version of the interview can be viewed on www. novatv.nl.

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Ambition and excitement – that was

Due to increasing prices for oil and the environmental consciousness of consumers, the demand for cars run on biofuel is constantly growing. Scientists around the world are trying to develop an alternative to gasoline, but until now, no adequate substitute has been found. The concern regarding the nvironmental problems linked to CO2 emissions has interface | february 2008 | 34

gained magnitude over the last few years. The trend is pointing towards cars that run on biofuel as opposed to the large SUVs which have little regard for pollution levels. By Sabrina Fuchs

Article

Some governments support this recent trend. For instance, in London, cars using ecological fuels obtain a free parking pass around the city. Nevertheless, there are several problems linked to biofuel. Over the past years, farmers in Brazil started to cultivate nothing but sugar cane, which is used to produce ethanol, in order increase their wealth. This has led to a lack of food supply, since they are neglecting other agricultural products. Biofuel made of canola and palm-oil has also been criticized due to the fact that it could also be used in food production. In response to critics, Shell wants to build a pilot plant near Hawaii where the company will attempt to produce biofuel from algae. The advantages of using algae are their abundance of oil and their fast regeneration.

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Advertorial Article

Biofuel,

not as ecologically friendly as it sounds

Another issue related to biofuel is the uprooting of tropical rain forests in order to produce sugar cane and palm-oil in Latin America, Malaysia and Indonesia. Fuel production should not justify clearing rain forests. Trying to produce biofuel to protect the environment on the one hand, whilst destroying the rain forest on the other hand, is not a viable option, as deforestation has grave effects on the climate. Furthermore, by using the slash and burn method, CO2 is released into the atmosphere, which is against the basic principle of ecological fuel. It is not sufficient to compare the greenhouse gases of gasoline and biofuel, but we also need to look at how much the production of biofuel pollutes the environment. Consumers need to be aware of the fact that not everything that says “bio” is necessarily good for the environment.

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There is another negative effect of biofuel that could further affect the world economy: OPEC threatened to raise oil prices if western states continued to invest in the development of biofuel. They feared its impact on the sales of oil, as the products are substitutes, and thus OPEC announced the reduction of investment in oil well construction if the trend remains. However, there is hope, since some ground-breaking discoveries have been made in the search for the optimum substitute to gasoline. US researcher Al Stiller developed a fuel made from chicken dung. Not only does this seem to be as effective as diesel, but it also solves the problem of getting rid of the dung, which has caused large amounts of pollution to the inshore waters due to waste disposal of chicken farms in the past. Stiller is also investigating horse and cow dung to analyze whether they could be used as well. In conclusion, the current lack of natural resources necessary to produce biofuel makes it hard to completely substitute gasoline. Therefore, the best alternative is to implement government policies which reduce the per capita consumption of energy until a sustainable solution is fully developed.

“Consumers need to be aware of the fact that not everything that says “bio” is necessarily good for the environment.”

WE PUT THE SPARKLE IN YOUR CHAMPAGNE

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Advertorial

Akzo Nobel After graduating in June 2001 at the University of Lund, Sweden, I started working at the MIAC (Management Information and Control) department of Akzo Nobel’s Business Unit Industrial Coatings in Malmö, Sweden.

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Akzo Nobel || Creating the difference

Having studied Business Administration (Major in Accounting) in combination with languages the job at MIAC was ideal for me. To consolidate the reports we had to have a lot of contacts with the companies all over the world belonging to the Business unit. In 2003 I got the possibility to move to the Netherlands to work at the Consolidation department of Group Coatings at Akzo Nobel in Arnhem. Working in such a department gives you a good overview of the major issues going on within the Coatings organisation and how these are reflected in the financial reports. It is a dynamic and diverse work and enables you to have contact with colleagues all over the world. Akzo values and supports network relations among employees. A good example is the support to the Your Akzo Nobel association which is meant for new and young employees within the company. Through Your Akzo Nobel both formal as informal activities are organised where people from different units and sites in the Netherlands have the possibility to get in contact with each other. In addition many of the activities organized help the employees to get acquainted with the organization. At such a big Group as Akzo Nobel there are possibilities to move across units and borders. To get the chance to live and work in another country is something that I definetely recommend! The possibility of learning a new language and culture, getting to know new people and seing new places are reasons why you should stay abroad at least during a period of your life.

Name: Cecilia Odevall Works at: Akzo Nobel Control & Administration Position: Corporate Accountant Education: Business administration Where: Lund University, Sweden

Akzo Nobel is one of the world’s leading industrial companies. We are the biggest global coatings manufacturer and the number one in decorative paints and performance coatings, as well as being a major worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals. We employ around 68,000 people in more than 80 countries and are committed to developing innovative products and cutting-edge technologies, with a heavy emphasis on sustainability. We have the scale and expertise to deliver whatever our customers require, wherever and whenever they need it. Based in the Netherlands, Akzo Nobel is a Fortune Global 500 company and is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange. We are the Chemicals industry leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, as well as being included on the FTSE4Good Index. Pro forma combined revenues for 2006 totaled EUR 15 billion. The financial results for the fourth quarter and full year will be published on 6 March 2008 (preliminary date).

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Control & administration

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STAR Pages

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STAR Pages

STAR Study Trips

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This year Team Erasmus University will once again participate in the Race of the Classics; the biggest student sailing event on classic vessels in Europe. The 14th of April the Hendrika Bartelds, team Erasmus University’s solid base during the Race, will hoist her sails. On that day the actual Race will start in the Veerhaven in Rotterdam.

From Rotterdam 35 Erasmus students will sail, together with 19 other teams, to Oostende, cross the Nord Sea to Ramsgate or Lowstoft and return to Amsterdam after passing Ijmuiden. But also beforehand there will be plenty of things going on. This year’s lustrum (the 20th anniversary of the Race of the Classics) goes hand in hand with a number of pre-activities. There is for instance the VIP-drink, during the first leg from the Veerhaven to Oostende. Team Erasmus University-sponsors will have the opportunity to join their team on board of the Hendrika Bartelds, meanwhile networking with team members and other sponsors; creating possibilities. To keep the clouds clear and the competition friendly, there is also need for a party now and then. Besides the lustrum party (the 4th of April) each team will invite all participants and other “Race”- fans to their hometown. The party you don’t want to miss is of course Team Erasmus University’s pre-party here in Rotterdam, in the second week of April. At the time this article is written, no further details are known, but it promises to be an eventful and unforgettable evening! But let’s not forget the ultimate goal of the “Race”: winning at least one of the three prizes there are to win. Last year’s team has set the standard high: winning the Sprint Award and the Race Achievement Award (RAA). The Sprint Award is given to the winner of a very short leg. But the RAA in particular we would like to congratulate last year’s team with: this award is given to the best organized team! It’s hard to match the outstanding organization of last year’s Team Erasmus University. However, a new, fresh team dared to get to this challenge. A few months ago they didn’t even know about the “Race”, some of them didn’t have sailing experience at all... But as the “Race” is getting nearer, things are getting organized and the “Race”-feeling is living among all of them. Perhaps this results in one or two prizes for this year’s team too!

For more information about Team Erasmus University please visit www.teamerasmus.nl. Here you’ll find an agenda with all (pre-) activities and a weblog with the latest news.

Chicago: “The windy city”

Hong Kong: “City of many faces”

After the success of previous studytrips to Paris and New York, STAR BA Studytrip will visit Chicago this year. From 3 - 13 April we will visit this dynamic, third business city of the United States with a group of 40 Business Administration students. We will experience business life by visiting companies and go back to the roots of business by visiting universities in this windy city with its tall skyscrapers. Of course, sightseeing will be a part of our program too; we will visit the Sears Tower, take a walk on the Navy Pier, go to a baseball game and explore the city. Besides this, there will be plenty of time left to explore the nightlife of Chicago and do some good shopping. And don’t worry; we won’t forget to take a big cup of coffee at one of the Starbucks cafés in town!

Hong Kong is a city of many faces; not only it is a mash-up of cultures from the East and the West and influences from both parts of the world meet each other everyday, but it is also a world-class trading, financial and business centre. Just looking at the skyline of Hong Kong Island is enough to understand the importance and greatness of this city: Over 3900 international corporations have established headquarters or offices in Hong Kong, making it the 11th largest trading economy in the world, Asia’s second biggest stock market and the world’s 15th largest banking centre. How did Hong Kong become such a significant international player? It most certainly has something to do with the influences of both Great Britain and China. This unique combination has enabled Hong Kong to evolve into the best of both worlds, creating a hardworking, adaptable and well-educated workforce. But also the top-ranked universities, its location, ideally positioned in the rapidly developing part of East Asia, and the fact that Hong Kong has one of the finest deep-water ports in the world make it that the city has become an important player on the global markets and will, most likely, keep on playing a key role. Enough reasons for the IBA Study Trip 2008 to explore this extraordinary city; 40 students will visit several multinational companies, attend lectures at top universities and experience the mashed-up culture, making the trip a learning game to discover the many faces of Hong Kong.

For more information, please check out www.rsmstar.nl/bastudytrip

For more information, please check out www.rsmstar.nl/ibastudytrip

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Under Full Sail

As every year, STAR organizes two spectacular study trips. During these study trips the participants will visit one of these amazing cities; Chicago and Hong Kong. In the city they will visit the most important sights, the universities and other places. Next to that there will be a lot of time to get to know the other participants during shopping or partying. If you missed the boat this year, keep it the STAR Study Trips in mind because next year they will visit two other great cities.

STAR Pages

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Unique business solutions IBS provides unique business solutions for companies who are interested in the Indian market. Our multi-faceted research services and market insights tailored to companies specific needs will help them to put business opportunities in India into perspective. IBS offers various kinds of consultancy services concerning investment opportunities. In cooperation with companies, we conduct tailor-made research. There are several possibilities ranging from market research to competitor analysis to value chain analysis.

Why India?

India:

The rise of the elephant!

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STAR International Business Study is heading for India this summer! The elephant is rising and that is especially interesting for multinationals, where IBS provides unique business solutions in various business areas.

What is IBS? International Business Study is a project of STAR, Study Association of RSM Erasmus University. Every year, IBS offers companies and nonprofit organizations tailor-made contract research in an emerging market. IBS has more than 20 years experience in doing research in emerging markets. In previous years, research has been conducted in emerging markets such as Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam and Thailand. This year IBS will investigate India, an emerging market with endless possibilities. The IBS project is carried out by a group of 28 senior business administration students of the RSM Erasmus University. The project started in November 2007 with general research on India, developing the brochure and the website (www.ibsresearch.nl). In January, IBS started with the acquisition period, wherein companies are approached to offer them tailor-made contract research. After this period, many months of desk research will follow concluded by a three-week visit to India in July. During this visit the students will conduct field research and thereby get the opportunity to put theory into practice. The project finishes with the reporting stage in November 2008 and a seminar where companies get in touch with the students.

India is an emerging market that offers unique business opportunities. It is the largest democracy and the fastest growing free market economy in the world. With more than 1 billion inhabitants India is the second largest country in the world. Thereby, it is the largest English speaking nation.

“The mobile phone users of India grow every month with about 2.5 million people.”

STAR Pages

why India is leading the ‘global knowledge worker’ revolution. India is set to become increasingly attractive to multinationals where IBS helps them to do analysis in diverse areas of interest.

Seminar Every year IBS is organizing a seminar for companies who are interested in the country in which they conduct research. The theme of the seminar is serving opportunities for Dutch companies in India. An afternoon full of interesting speakers will give you information about business possibilities, financial support and many more. They day will be concluded by a network drink to change thoughts about the topic.

Date: April 15th, 2008 from 1400 hrs Location: Delftse Poort (the Nationale Nederlanden building in the centre of Rotterdam) Companies who are interested in research in India or in the seminar can still apply. For more information about research from the International Business Study or the seminar, please visit www. ibsresearch.nl or call us on 010 408 2485. interface | february 2008 | 41

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India is well-known for its availability of skilled labour and raw materials, because of the highly educated English speaking graduates. India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The Indian economy experienced a GDP growth of 9.4 percent during 2006-2007. By 2025, the economy is projected to be close to 60 per cent the size of the US economy. The country’s economy is liberalized; therefore almost all sectors of the economy are open for foreign direct investment.

Opportunities India’s growth is especially interesting for Dutch companies as the Netherlands has always had a good economic relationship with the country. For example, Indian exports to the Netherlands in 2006 accounted for $1.66 billion to the Netherlands while imports were $1.1 billion during the same year. Most of the foreign direct investment from the Netherlands is concentrated in the following sectors: chemicals, foodprocessing, services (financial and non financial) and telecom. Most promising sectors for Dutch companies are agricultural, biotechnology, consumer goods and retail, financial sector, ICT, infrastructure, medical sector and water management. India has many competitive advantages; one of the most important is its large workforce, including both skilled and unskilled labour willing to work at low wage rates. Indeed, the confluence of cheap labour and high skill levels, including the highest availability of IT skills on a headcount basis in any labour market worldwide, very good knowledge of the English language and the positive work ethic explains

Facts • The number system and decimal system were invented in India? • India is leading the ‘global knowledge worker’ revolution • The number of births that occur in India each year is higher than the entire population of Australia • Indian Railways is the largest employer in the world, with 1.6 million people • About 50% of the residents in India are under 25 years old

www.denhaag-vacatures.nl

Waarom niet Den Haag? Als je voor het stadhuis staat dan zie je het pas. Wat een gebouw, wat een ambitie! En zodra je binnenkomt voel je het: dit is een grote gemeenschap met een veelheid aan mensen, culturen, architectuur en bedrijvigheid. Daar wil je toch bij horen, daar wil je toch aan proeven, daar wil je toch van leren? Ruim 8000 mensen zijn je voorgegaan. Zij werken bij een van de 14 diensten die de gemeente kent. Deze diensten zorgen gezamenlijk voor een enorm pakket aan dienstverlening aan de Haagse samenleving. De miljardenbegroting dwingt tot een bedrijfsmatige en zakelijke werkwijze. Sommige onderdelen moeten zelfs concurreren met het bedrijfsleven om interne opdrachten te verwerven. De gemeente Den Haag heeft daarom zowel een maatschappelijke als bedrijfsmatige oriëntatie, dit is een grote gemeenschap met een veelheid aan mensen, culturen, architectuur en bedrijvigheid. Mocht je als starter de uitdaging aandurven, dan is het traineeprogramma iets voor jou!

Traineeprogramma Gemeente Den Haag

225 x 300 mm_STAR/Interface

M/V DEN HAAG

Sinds 1998 heeft Den Haag een traineeprogramma voor de loopbaantrajecten Advies & Management, Financiën & Control en Personeel & Organisatie. Het programma duurt twee jaar, start elk jaar in september en heeft jaarlijks ruimte voor gemiddeld 10 trainees. Elk jaar is het mogelijk om vanaf februari tot 15 april te solliciteren via het inschrijfformulier dat op de website staat geplaatst.

De schaal van de organisatie, de grote variëteit aan taken en beleidsvelden en de ontwikkelingsgerichte cultuur bieden veel mogelijkheden om je te ontwikkelen. En als de gemeente Den Haag het heeft over ontwikkeling dan blijft dat niet bij mooie praatjes. Oordeel zelf en kijk voor meer informatie op www.denhaag-trainees.nl of bel Ilona Kacanic ˇ ´ (070) 353 2502; mail: i.kacanic@bsd.denhaag.nl.

Kennis en vaardigheden: • universitaire opleiding; • maximaal twee jaar werkervaring; • initiatief, teamgeest en een resultaat- en veranderings-gerichte houding. Arbeidsvoorwaarden: • startsalaris ± 2.548,- p/mnd; • uitstekende opleidingsfaciliteiten; • activiteiten van Jong Den Haag; • baangarantie en postdoctorale opleiding na traineeprogramma.

Talentenjacht Foto: Bestuursdienst

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Als trainee werk je bij twee verschillende diensten of directies. Met je coach en mentor maak je een persoonlijk ontwikkelingsplan waarin je ontwikkeltraject wordt vastgelegd. Verder volg je de eerste negen maanden naast je werk een intensief introductieprogramma waarin o.a. kennis van de gemeentelijke organisatie, vaardigheidstrainingen en netwerkbijeenkomsten centraal staan. Daarnaast werk je met je collega-trainees aan een gemeentebreed project.

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STAR Pages

STAR I-Link Event 2008

Knowledge sharing in business networks What is it all about?

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I-Link is a one-day event organized by the Master Study Clubs of Supply Chain Management, Business Information Management and Management of Innovation. These Study Clubs are part of STAR, the Study Association of RSM Erasmus University in Rotterdam. This year, the event will take place on Wednesday April 2nd.

In this regard, networking can take many forms that can influence the strategic focus of a company to achieve success and competitive advantage. Specifically, we would like to focus on the following theme topics:

Knowledge sharing in business networks - Theme topics

The purpose of the I-Link Event is to create a link between theory and practice for both Master students and companies within the field of Supply Chain Management, Business Information Management and Innovation Management. The main topic for this year’s I-Link Event is ‘knowledge sharing in business networks’. To create this link, several workshops and lectures will be organized to give students the ability to discuss and learn the new insights on this topic.

1. How to work together to create valuable knowledge for partners.

What do we mean by business networks?

4. How knowledge sharing contributes to staying innovative and organizing the product portfolio, e.g. through new trends like ‘open innovation’.

In today’s networked economy, collaboration with other firms is essential for survival. Responding to the growing turbulence and uncertainty in product, labour, and financial markets, firms have experimented with new innovative forms of production and information exchange, involving more flexible work practices and dynamic relations with competitors, suppliers, buyers, and service providers, including network arrangements.

2. Information sharing practices (both faceto-face and IT), linking systems together, and the influence of trust. 3. The effect of business networks on supply chains, for example how 3PL (third party logistics provider) is affected by outsourcing and off shoring decisions.

5. How to develop an effective overall strategy by leveraging the capabilities of partners in the business network.

We all are looking forward to see you on the 2nd of April to join us in this great event!

Visit the STAR Lustrum photo exhibition at the RSM Erasmus University, T-building! February 25th to March 20th.

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STAR Pages

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RSM Pages

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Not only we give you the opportunity to spend some more time with your classmates, you will also experience some great nights! We organise several cultural and sportive activities, parties and events. However, we are mostly known for organising the great IBA social drinks. Six times a year we make sure everyone of IBA has the opportunity meet each other and party together at this event. So far we have organised 3 social drinks at different places, such as de Beurs, Catwalk and Club Riva and we have made a lot of students happy and drunk. But besides alcohol and parties, the IBA events committee needs to do also some intelligent things, and that’s why we organised for example on the 16th of January a ‘Welcome back day’ especially for the IBA exchange students. In order to transform those foreign students into typical Dutch ones, we needed to take some action. And how can you make foreign students feel more welcome than eating ‘boerenkool’ and ice skating? Indeed, that’s the best solution for integration in the Dutch society! Have you accidentally missed one of our events? Don’t worry. Also in 2008 IBA event committee will be active again! Don’t miss out on our social drinks and cultural activities this year, and make sure you will be chosen as Prom King/Queen of Erasmus on our special Prom night in February! We hope to see you soon at one of our activities, enjoy them as much as we do!

George S. Yip

Appointed new Dean of RSM Erasmus University

The Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam has appointed George S. Yip as the new Dean of RSM Erasmus University, effective as of 16th January 2008. He succeeds Prof.dr. Han van Dissel and Prof.dr.ir. Berend Wierenga (interim dean) as Dean of RSM. George S. Yip, a dual American and British citizen, is an expert in global strategy. For the last two years he has been Vice President and Director of Research & Innovation at Capgemini Consulting, on leave of absence from London Business School, where he has been a Professor of Strategic and International Management since 2001. Between 2003 and 2006, he was the Lead Senior Fellow of the Advanced Institute of Management Research. Between 2001 and 2003, he served as Associate Dean of London Business School and as Chair of its MBA programme. Previously he has worked as a professor at Cambridge University, UCLA, Georgetown University and Harvard Business School. His business experience includes working in

management at Unilever and Pricewaterhouse. He is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business, and studied economics and law at Cambridge University. He earned his MBA (strategy and finance) at Cranfield School of Management and Harvard Business School and received a DBA (business policy) from Harvard Business School. Jan-Willem Oosterwijk, Chairman of Erasmus University’s Executive Board, is delighted with the appointment: “George has built up an excellent international reputation. As a member of supervisory and management boards, George can tap into a huge amount of in-depth business experience. Equally important, he has gained a great deal of experience in strategic management, particularly at MBA level. His arrival signals to the wider world that, as one of the leading business schools, RSM Erasmus University is determined to be ranked amongst Europe’s ‘Ivy League’ business schools. We are convinced that, by bringing in George, we will have a strong manager who can help us to achieve that ambition.”

“His arrival signals to the wider world that, as one of the leading business schools, RSM Erasmus University is determined to be ranked amongst Europe’s ‘Ivy League’ business schools.”

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Are you also tired of just studying, studying and studying? And you wish you could spend some more time on getting to know you fellow students a little better? Well, here we are! IBA-events committee organises a lot of fun activities.

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RSM Pages

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in Europe – helps facilitate this by allowing our students to go on exchange at top schools worldwide. Most degree programmes also offer international study trips and internships. And then there is the student body itself. More than 80 nationalities interact daily within our programmes. This exposure to diversity helps our students to develop a certain maturity and international mindset, as well as a significant level of cross-cultural expertise.” – Interim Dean Berend Wierenga.

RSM Pages

for a company, or conducting applied research. Some first-year bachelor students, for instance, develop strategic plans for companies and pitch them to a ‘board’ of executives. Our MBA participants take part in a week-long consultancy project and a three-month summer associateship. The fact that we have multinational companies on our doorstep makes integrating theory with practice that much easier to do. Students take the concepts from the functional courses, then live them in practice – it is all about leadership development.” – Eric Waarts, Dean BSc & MSc Programmes.

Open and interactive learning environment

in the words of its leaders When students arrive at RSM on exchange from other international business schools, they comment on two things, says interface | february 2008 | 48

Chair of the Exchange Programme & Academic Director MSc IM Rene Olie. The first is the degree of interactivity in class; the second is how challenging the programmes are. By Rebecca Morris

“Class-time at RSM is for discussion and debate of material, not merely for instruction,” says Olie. “Programmes are also very demanding – 2 ECTS at RSM are like 4 ECTS at another school. These are the things (visiting) students notice that stand us apart.” There has long been a tug-of-war at business schools between academic rigour and practical application. But RSM deliberately emphasises both – claiming they are two sides of the same leadership coin. “At RSM, hard and soft skills are considered both fundamental to leadership,” says Interim Dean Berend Wierenga. “You may be a convincing communicator, but if you lack judgement, you are not a leader. Leadership requires a broad foundation of knowledge; strong analytical skills; the ability to persuade others to follow your vision – a complex set of soft and hard skills. The idea is that at RSM, you learn this first through theory, and then by applying your ideas in practice.” Six core methods underpin this integrated

approach. Described in the words of RSM’s leaders, these are:

Knowledge backbone “At RSM a contingent of active researchers teaches on every programme from the bachelor to the MBA, while our PhD, MPhil and MSc students work side-by-side with established scholars. What is the value of this academic emphasis in terms of leadership development? Because academic theory trains you to think and analyse: to break down an issue into fundamental pieces. RSM students are encouraged to challenge assumptions and the ideas of management gurus – to think for themselves. These are important qualities for innovation and important qualities for future leaders.” – Ale Smidts, Dean of Research, Scientific Director of ERIM.

International experience “Every student at RSM is encouraged to experience business abroad. The school’s partner school network of more than 100 schools – a network that is unmatched

“Leadership requires a broad foundation of knowledge; strong analytical skills; the ability to persuade others to follow your vision - a complex set of soft and hard skills.” Softer side of management “Personal leadership development is at its most intense in the MBA programmes, where a significant portion of the programme is dedicated to personal behavioural transformation. However, at RSM we believe that all students need a degree of soft skill competency. For our undergraduate students this might mean better communication skills from more team-work on projects; in our PhD programme, better presentations from extra sub-courses in presenting skills. The objective is that every student at RSM should have the chance to develop his or her personal abilities according to what is appropriate for their particular career stage.” – Eric Waarts, Dean BSc & MSc Programmes.

Experiential learning “Students at RSM are regularly placed in situations so real that they could substitute for the actual experience. This could be consulting

Ethical leadership “In September, RSM signed the UN Global Compact’s Principles of Responsible Management Education [a pledge to adhere to a framework for advancing the cause of corporate social responsibility]. Corporate social responsibility as a topic of research and education is already an important area for RSM – we have one of the largest departments dedicated to ‘business and society management’ in Europe. Signing the pledge signals in a strong way to the external world that RSM strives to produce leaders who adhere to the highest levels of good conduct. How do you teach that? By ensuring that the knowledge students’ gain and the experiences they have on the programmes make them aware of the very large impact their decisions have on the world as future leaders.” – Mike Page, Dean of PostExperience Programmes.

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The RSM Approach to Leadership Development,

“Despite being an international school, we deliberately capitalise on our Dutch roots to bring certain values into the programmes. The Dutch are known for their openness to the outside world; for being good with languages and accepting of difference. These values help us to foster a sense of no dominant culture in the classroom, which allows us to preserve the rich diversity of opinion. Another value is equality – students at RSM take part in a ‘dialogue of learning’ between their peers and the instructors. These values are there to facilitate learning but also, we hope, encourage a tolerant and global outlook in the students themselves.” – Mike Page, Dean of Post-Experience Programmes.

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ERIM Celebrates its 100th PhD dissertation ERIM celebrated the milestone of its one hundredth PhD dissertation published in the ERIM interface | february 2008 | 50

PhD Series in 2007 with the release of “HORA EST! and Beyond” – a compendium of interviews with its first 100 graduates.

Since its founding in 1999, ERIM’s doctoral programme has been a vehicle for the early academic careers of new, excellent scholars in the field of management. Following are a selection of quotes from the book, in which ERIM doctoral graduates reflect on the impetus for pursuing their doctoral degree, its trials, tribulations and rewards, and most importantly, its influence on their careers in both business and academia in the years since “Hora Est”.

“My PhD enabled me to develop myself as a professional scholar and enlarge my international networks within both business and academia – I am choosing to purse my career in both.” Dr. Justin Jansen, assistant professor at the Department of Strategy and Business Environment at RSM. My PhD allowed me to specialise in a discipline without the distractions of the commercial world. Perhaps the greatest benefit was the access to some of the most influential organisations and people around the world.” Dr. Jos van Iwaarden, assistant professor of Quality Management and Performance Improvement at RSM and president of ERIM’s new alumni association. “I was looking for an intellectual challenge and discovered a taste for academic research. ERIM professors are known academics – these affiliations directly influenced my chances of landing a job at a good management school.” – Dr Kristine de Valck, assistant professor at HEC Paris.

“My doctoral position at ERIM gave me the opportunity to become a professional in empirical finance. The theoretical underpinnings I learnt during my PhD are essential in my current position.” Gerard Moerman, investment strategist at AEGON Asset Management.

We view professionalism as the product of excellent abilities and execution. We pride ourselves on it in everything we do. Being professional is about setting the highest standards of performance and wanting to excel. If you have the same standards, we would like to hear from you. For our Analyst Program, NIBC is looking for university graduates who share our pursuit of professionalism. Personal and professional development are the key-elements of the Program: in-company training in co-operation with the Amsterdam Institute of Finance; working side-by-side with professionals at all levels and in every financial discipline is part of learning on the job. We employ top talent from diverse university backgrounds, ranging from economics and business administration, to law and technology. If you have just graduated, with above-average grades, and think you belong to that exceptional class of top talent, apply today. Joining NIBC’s Analyst Program might be the most important career decision you ever make! We offer a highly competitive compensation package with a significant variable component. Additionally, you also benefit in the company’s future growth by participating in a long-term incentive plan. Want to know more? Surf to www.careeratnibc.com.

“For my work as an energy market consultant it is important to be able to show that you are a specialist in your area, and the fact that I completed my PhD certainly helps. For me, a PhD was simply the best possible start for an entrepreneurial career.” Cyriel de Jong, owner of a consulting company. “My PhD was an opportunity to gain a head-start professionally. The other was the personal challenge. Although my focus today is on applied research, the challenge and thrill of discovery still motivates me.” Bjorn Vroomen, researcher at the CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

“My PhD allowed me to specialise in a discipline without the distractions of the commercial world. Perhaps the greatest benefit was the access to some of the most influential organisations and people around the world.”

THE MERCHANT BANK OF CHOICE

Interested? Please contact us: NIBC Human Resources, Fleur Groeneveld, +31 ( 0 )70 342 55 52 , recruitment@nibc.com. For further information see www.careeratnibc.com. NIBC is a North West European Merchant Bank of Dutch origins with worldwide activities. We are entrepreneurial in a way that is always in keeping with our clients’ best interests. We believe ambition, teamwork, and professionalism are important assets in everything we do. NIBC N.V. Carnegieplein 4 , 2517 KJ Den Haag. T H E

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Ga jij mee naar New York voor onze Assurance Masterclass? Bewijs jezelf dan tijdens een van de selectiedagen in maart. Dan kiezen we wie er van 6 t/m 11 mei 2008 samen met onze professionals aan de slag gaan met een pittige casus. In NewYork! Ga dus snel naar www.ey.nl/newyork en schrijf je uiterlijk 7 maart in. Vraag bij je inschrijving meteen het I love EY-T-shirt aan en maak kans op een mooie prijs bij inzending van de meest originele foto. www.ey.nl/newyork