
Debate on Facebook
People who speak more than 4 languages are usually bad listeners because are used to understand 20% and imagine the rest.

Debate on Facebook
People who speak more than 4 languages are usually bad listeners because are used to understand 20% and imagine the rest.
The lecture given by Professor Sapra about the counterproductive aspects of some of the accouting measures US legislators are considering in order to strengthen the financial sector has been one of the best I have ever had in my whole life.
According to Professor Sapra:
The comparison with the Millenium Bridge Professor Sapra made, together with the clarity of his explanations and his sense of humor, made this lecture so great and memorable.
Professor Oster is my teacher of micro-economics at Chicago Booth.
I would like to talk about her absolutely amazing presentation at TED. Professor Oster rebates many of the believes that are commonly accepted about AIDS in Africa:
What is really amazing and innovative about Professor Oster is that she is using economics to decipher a problem that is usually part of epidemiology or public health.

Approach
This post expresses what Dean Edward A. Snyder’s welcome speech to the class of 2011 means to me. Some people may argue that statement of principles and values are just statements and have little connection with real practices. But I believe that sometimes it is important to step back and think about the meaning of what you are doing.
The University of Chicago is renowned for its schools of thought. Each school has its own approach for an specific discipline: Chicago approach to sociology, Chicago approach to economics, Chicago approach to physics, Chicago approach to literary criticism….
What is Chicago Approach to Management Education?
So, What is Chicago strategy, then?
Picture: belongs to wikipedia.com
This post is dedicated to all those MBA students recruiting for consulting. The first difference among consulting firms you realize when you are recruiting is their terminology. I would like to bring some light to this.
MBAs apply to the row underlined.
| A.T. KEARNEY | BAIN | BCG | BOOZ | MCKINSEY |
| Business Analyst | Associate Consultant | Associate | Consultant | Business Analyist |
| Senior Business Analyst | Senior Associate Consultant | |||
| Associate | Consultant | Consultant | Associate | Associate |
| Manager | Case Team Leader | Project Leader | Senior Associate | Engagement Manager |
| Principal | Manager | Principal | Principal | Assocaite Principal |
| Officer | Partner | Partner | Partner | Partner |
| Director | ||||
| Projects | Cases | Cases | Projects | Engagements |

Jackson Pollock in Action
Many Europeans think they already know it all about America. Many see America as a country with a very short history and a Hollywood-McDonalds approach to culture, where there is not much culture to learn.
In fact, I used to think I knew much more about America than I indeed did. When I took part in the Orientation Week organized by Indiana University for La Caixa scholars, Professor Bruce L. Jaffe, prepared a quite interesting quiz about culture in America. Topics included: education system, geography, politics, employment, demographics, American units of mesurement, American sports …
I got a quit humble mark. But I am learnt quick – I hope. It is not a matter of flashing my mind with American customs. It is a matter of understanding culture in America and picking up what is good in it.

Team-Building with La Caixa at Bradford Woods
I have taken part in three team-building activities, which have been all very interesting:
These are some of the asks I have carried out during my team-building experiences:
I think team-building is very important because it helps people:
2009 Booth Follies. A parody of the “Wassup” Bud Light beer commercial. Starring Deans Snyder, Martinelli, & Kole and Prof. Erik Hurst. Written & Directed by Samarth Chandra

Rotation (image from wikipedia)
Are you an MBA student? Are you considering applying to an General Management / Rotational / Leadership Development program?
Here you have a list of companies with this kinds of programs.
I hope it helps.

"Who do I call if I want to call to Europe?" (Henry Kissinger, Nobel Peace Prize & former US Secretary of State)
I was in Barcelona during the last week of the campaign for the European Elections and I was surprised to realized that nobody was talking about Europe, but about local issues. Even the parties were not talking about Europe.
The problem of the European Union is that it lacks leadership. Therefore people are not interested in it and look back to their local politic. The rotating Presidency of the EU Council every six months does not assure leadership.
The Treaty of Lisbon (2007) has taken actions on this issue with the by creating the position of “President of EU” in its article 15. This is a great innovation. However, there are no specific plans to let Europeans vote directly for the EU President. This is the main drawback of this position: the EU president will be tributary of the national governments which elected him/her at the Council of Europe.
“The President of the USA is elected by US citizens (although indirectly) therefore he can claim legitimacy to express his views worldwide as those of the country. [However,] the President of the EU will never be free to express his views fully, as his legitimacy is granted by the Council, which can choose to withdraw his mandate at any given time [...]“. [Bibliography: President of the United States vs. President of the European Union]
I believe if Europeans could vote directly for one person to be the President of the European Union, would be much more engaged in the European Elections. I believe in a future in which Europeans from all nationalities will vote for another European, most probably from another nationality, to be the President of Europe.
Forget about national stereotypes! Forget about national rivalries! Forget about language barriers! I know this sounds futuristic but we are the Erasmus Generation! We are the first generation in Europe that can achieve this!
See my post about the Erasmus Generation

CV
Analyzing the format and style of CVs in different countries is one of the best ways to learn about different working cultures and to be able to work with culturally diverse teams.
Writing one’s CV in another language is not just a matter of translation, it is a complete adaptation of one’s expertise to the values and practices commonly accepted inside a certain culture.
I have worked in a number of countries and I have faced the challenge of writing my CV/resume in a number of languages. In this article I would like to compare American, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese working cultures by means of analyzing their CV styles. The only kind I have not written myself is the Japanese CV but I include it here because it very particular and interesting.
I will compare American resumes, not American CVs, which are equivalent to what is called CV in most other countries
Individualism Vs Collectivism
Western CVs (America, Germany, Spain, France) usually highlight individualistic values: competitive spirit, initiative, passion for personal challenges, critical thinking, ability to challenge ideas…
On the contrary collective values are much more important in China and, above all, in Japan: zeal, obedience, devotion to the community, loyalty to the Company, social abilities…
Flexibility
Flexibility is especially important in China and Japan, where employment has traditionally been seen as a very long term relationship. During this time, the employee will have many functions in the company. General culture and reasoning abilities are more important than specific abilities in a certain work-line.
Achievements Vs Responsibilities
American resumes are achievement-oriented. You do not talk about what you were in charge of but about how well you did it. You try to market and sell yourself. American CVs are very commercial. Without lying, you can really turn a sand grain into a sand castle! However achievements must be objective and must be quantified whenever possible.
All the others are usually responsibility-oriented, which is more conservative. You usually explain your tasks rather than your accomplishments. Talking openly about accomplishments in Europe and Asia can be a kind of taboo. For this reason, CVs are much less commercial and more factual and formal. An American style resume in Japan or in Germany will probably sound too aggressive.
Verbs or Nouns
Bullet points in American resumes must start with action verbs (See examples), which are used to empathize the accomplishments. Bold the individual contribution and the result, which is the accomplishment, must be included. Each bullet point must emphasize one personal strength. Don’t forget that America society is very dynamic and action-oriented. You have to look dynamic to the recruiter.
On the other hand, Germans, French, Spaniards use nouns or nominal sentences in the bullet points because they need to list responsibilities.
Achievements are better told with verbs and responsibilities are better listed with nouns.
Chronological, Anti-chronological Vs Functional
Spanish and French CVs, as well as American resumes, are usually either anti-chronological or functional.
German CVs are mostly chronological for the sake of clarity. Germans are usually very organized and formal.
Japanese CVs are also usually chronological.
Length & Level of Detail
The shortest format is the American resume, which must be one page. The longest is probably the German one, which may be several pages.
Americans are usually very precise and direct. This is what they expect to see in the resume. On the contrary, Germans are more minimalist and methodical and, as a result, expect much more details. German CVs even go to the primary school and include college marks, specializations and thesis topics.
French and Spanish CVs are somewhere in the middle. They are usually one page in length but two pages are OK if you have a lot of working experience.
Formality
German CVs are very formal and sober. The layout has to be conservative. Even in the digital age, German CVs are often send in paper and signed.

Flags
Candidate’s Personality
Personal data is not really important in the American CV (no photo, no nationality, no age, no family situation). All this information is omitted for the sake of avoiding discrimination. The candidate’s personality background is very important to recruiters but this information is contained in extracurriculars or hobbies.
On the contrary, personal information is key in Japanese CVs because Japanese really want to know how well a candidate fits in the organization. It is compulsory to write about birth dates and birth places, family history and include a photo. It is not strange either to find information about the candidate’s weight, size or visual acuity.
For the sake of accuracy and detail, German CVs also include a lot of personal data (photo, parents profession…).
Spanish and French CVs are in the middle between Germans and Americans: photo, marital status, family data etc. have been traditionally included but some people tend not do it anymore. But if you are not EU-citizen, don’t forget to mention it. It is relevant for work permits.
Education
Having studied in a top university (grande ecole) is of a paramount importance in a French CV. Similarly, a top university will be a very good point in an American resume. In French CVs and American resumes, only the highest degree is shown.
On the contrary, marks are more important to Spaniards and Germans than the ranking of the university . The concept of nation-wide university rankings is strange to Spaniards. Germans are more familiar with this concept but still value marks a lot because they are more tangible and detailed than the concept of university prestige.
Education is very important in Japan and China, comparatively much more important than in the West. Both Japanese and Chinese are eager to learn. Furthermore, work in Japan has been traditionally been considered for life, which makes education even more important. Japanese usually give a lot of details about their education experience.
Career Goals
French CVs include a line on the top to describe the career goals of the candidate. This can range from the position title the candidate is applying to to an statement about the long term. Career goals are very important for employers in America, Spain or Germany but it is usually preferred to talk about this in the cover letter or during the interview rather than on the CV. Western societies are relatively individualistic and this is why individual career goals are important.
On the contrary, Chinese and, above all, Japanese societies are much more collectivist. Recruiters are not interested in knowing about the employee’s career goals because those cultures assume the Company will decide about their professional evolution. The Company’s success is more important than the success of an individual.
Professional Experience
Americans are usually very practical and achievement oriented. For this reason, the American resume focuses more on professional experience than on education. This is also the case of Spain, France and Germany.
Japanese value education a lot and sometimes devote more space to it in the CV than to professional experience.
China is somewhere in the middle.
Extracurriculars & Hobbies
Extracurriculars are very important, especially for American, German and Japanese.
For Japanese recruiters, extracurriculars should show candidates are social community individuals. Candidates should not look competitive or caring about individual success.
Generally speaking, hobbies are less important than extracurriculars in all kinds of CVs. Probably Americans tend to include Hobbies more than the others, because it is very important for Americans to know about the candidate’s personality.
Attachments and recommendations
Cover letters are common in America, France and Germany.
In Japan, they whole recruiting system is based on recommendations, which are not necessarily written. If an application does not come through the network of contacts, it has no possibilities. The same is applicable to China to minor extent.
Germans also include a lot of attachments like school transcripts, diploma photocopies, job certifications and very detail reference details. Details is important to Germans. They do not just want to believe what the CV says. They also want to be able to verify and interpret themselves the contents of the CV. As a result German CVs are very factual.
Background Verification
It is common that prospective employers in America and China call the candidates former employer to verify data of the CV.
Image: I found the image of the CV on Trabajo y Economía and the one of the flags on faq.org.
Dear Davis Cohorters
I need your vote to become the President or the GBC (Graduate Business Council) of the Davis Cohort.
Vote for Pedro!
CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OR GBC REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DAVIS COHORT
.
WHY PRESIDENT OF DAVIS?
.
MY VISION & SUCCESS FACTORS
People from all cultures & backgrounds working together for the common benefit
Open-mindedness – Persistence – Generosity – Enthusiasm – Creativity
.
MY ENGAGEMENT
.
MY QUALIFICATIONS
I coordinated senior managers from 60 subsidiaries in Asia-Pacific to agree for the 1st time on a common Strategic IT plan. Doing this, I learnt:
Some Humor: Vote for Pedro, from the film “Napoleon Dynamite”

Baggage porter in the Peruvian Andes
In late August, I took part in a wonderful travel to Peru with some of my Chicago Booth classmates. This kind of travels organized by the Business School is called “Random Walk”.
In Peru, we hiked 45 km during 5 days along the renowned Inca Trail and we arrived on foot at Machupicchu, the lost city of the incas.
A number of local porters was helping us with our luggage in the Inca Trail. This article reproduces my conversations with one of them, whom we will call “Luis”.
Globthink: Hola Luis!
Luis: Hola
Globthink: Where are you from?
Luis: We are from Misminay
Globthink: Ahhh, tell me about Misminay? How many inhabitants are there? What do people there do?
Luis: Well… It is a small village. A lot of people people, especially the elderly and women, work on agriculture. But men, especially the young, are now working in tourism carrying baggages in the Andes as I am doing.
Globthink: Why did people change from agriculture to tourism?
Luis: We used to be very poor. If you grow vegetables you have money once a year but if you work in tourism you have money every month.
Globthink: When did tourism start here?
Luis: Around 15 years ago more or less. We used to be much more poor before. Now it is better.
Globthink: So how much does a normal porter earn on average right now?
Luis: Around 900 Soles. That is much, much more than as a peasant.
[Globthink note: 300 USD]
Globthink: So what do you think of toursim in Machupichu and the Inca Trail?
Luis: Tourism is the future.
Globthink: Hey Luis, yesterday in the mountains, I saw children coming from School. Where is that school?
Luis: Well, it depends. Most villages do not have a school. Many children have to walk to the train station and then go to a school in a bigger village.
Globthink: But Luis, when I saw those children we were around two hours away from the station. Do you mean those children walk two hours across the mountains everyday to go to the school and two hours to come back?
Lusi: Yes
Globthink: Waaaahhhh! What do children learn in the school?
Luis: Everything: mathematics, Spanish…
Globthink: Do they also learn Quechua?
[Globthink note: Quechua is Luis' native language, the language that was spoken by the Inca before the Conquistadores arrived in the XVI century]
Luis: Yes. They do.
[Globthink note: this is true for some village school but is not the case for bigger cities like Cusco where the vehicular language is only Spanish]
Globthink: Do you think it is important that children learn Quechua?
Luis: Yes, it is. But they should also learn English, French, German… There are many tourists
Globthink: Luis, can you read?
Luis: Not much
Globthink: Changing the topic, what does the Goverment for native Peruvians in the Andes?
Luis: Not much
Globthink: But I was told you have a now a school in Misminay. You did not have one before. Who built the school then?
Luis: The State
[Globthink note: Luis contradicts his previous statement. Obviously the debate about how much the State should intervene in native communities is a complicate one. Too much intervention may destroy local culture. Too little will leave native Peruvians poor and excluded from the society]
Globthink: So, Luis, what do native Peruvians want to do? Do they usually prefer to migrate to the cities to be “more integrated” into the Peruvian society? Or do they prefer to stay in the villages and have a “more traditional” way of living?
Luis: We want to stay in our villages
Globthink: Luis, do you know who was Che Guevera?
Luis: No
Globthink: Che Gevara was a guy who travelled a lot in Latin America. He was even here, in Machupicchu. In his travels he discovered the situation of the poor of America and decided to work for the rights of people like you. A friend of him, called Fidel Castro, and he made a revolution in Cuba. They conquered the Goverment but their revolution did not work well and degraded soon into tyranny and oppression.
Luis: Men are too greedy.
Globthink: That’s exactly want happened.
[ Luis changes the topic. He seems not interested in politics]
Luis: How is Spain?
Globthink: Spain is very different from here. Spain is very flat. Most people live in the cities. Now we have a lot of Latin Americans living in Spain. There are many Peruvians also and… well… Now it is maybe easier for immigrants in Spain because they can talk with their families on the Internet. So they may not feel nostalgic.
Luis: What is the Internet?
Globthink: Well, the Internet is just like a phone. It is just that you read instead of listening and you write instead of talking. And it is cheaper.
Luis: I see.
Globthink: Luis, coming to such a beautiful place and enjoying the landscape and fresh air of the Andes is already great. But been able of doing it with good food, tents, gas bottles, coffee in the morning and everything you and other porters carry for us is absolutely wonderful. In my name and in that of my classmates, I want to thank you for everything you are doing for us. Thank you so much.
[Globthink note: Luis smiles and looks downwards]
Luis: Thank you!
Image: the image belongs to one of the classmates who travelled with me to Peru.
There are two posts written by a 2nd-year Booth student that I would like to recommend to all my fellow incoming students:
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