International Business 208--Business in Mexican Culture
In-Country Experience in Mexico 2003
The students
joined by Jorge Luján and Omar Mendoza Huerta
at the top of the Pyramid of the Sun,
Teotihuacán.
Andy Amsbaugh provides his impressions of the group's activities on March 16, 2003. "On Sunday we visited the Pyramids of Teotihuacan and the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. The most interesting aspect of the pyramids was the use of astronomy in the design of the city and the careful surveying done during its construction. It was no easy task climbing either the pyramid of the sun or the Pyramid of the Moon, as the stairs were about 1.5 times as high as anything we are used to in the modern world. After we concluded at the Pyramids, we continued to the Museum of Anthropology and saw an incredible array of Aztec cultural artifacts, as well as many Teotihuacan artifacts that really put our experience at the Pyramids earlier in the day in a better perspective."
John Worth and Jennifer Lang researching for their Mexican marketing channel project.
March 17--Update From
Student Jennifer Lang
Jennifer Lang provides her impression of the group's activities on March
17, 2003:
"This morning, Carlos Caballero from Queretaro's Secretariat of
Sustainable Development (http://www.queretaro.gob.mx/SEDESU/)
gave the
group a presentation very similar to the ones he gives to companies that
the state tries attract here. Later, we had an eye-opening experience by
touring low to middle income neighborhoods in Queretaro. Back at the
Monterrey Tec campus, professor Alejandra Noriega gave us a lecture on
Mexico's current economic situation, which included the history and
results of 25 years of economic reform in Mexico. After having lunch in
downtown Queretaro, the group really enjoyed touring the central market
and experiencing how traditional marketing channels remain very prominent
in Mexican consumer society."
Kate Sargent viewing Querétaro, Mexico. The aqueduct is in the background of most views in Querétaro.
March 18--Update
From Student Josh Stroder
Josh Stroder provides his impressions of the group's activities on March
18.
"This morning the group visited Troll Corporation. (http://www.troll.es/esp/)
The company assembles lighting products marketed both in low-end commodity
lighting markets as well as in very specialized, design intensive markets.
Their facility seemed incredibly small when compared to the amount of
machinery and labor packed inside it. After leaving Troll, we toured
middle and higher income neighborhoods in Querétaro. The differences
between the lower class neighborhoods we toured yesterday and these mid-
to high-income neighborhoods were remarkable.
We returned to the Monterrey Tec campus (http://www.qro.itesm.mx/) where
Jorge Luján provided an insightful lecture on some of the differences
between consumer markets in the United States and Mexico, as well as some
of the differences between US and Mexican advertising.
Then, we began research on our individual projects - first by visiting a
Soriana hypermarket, which is comparable to a Wal-Mart located in a lower
income neighborhood in the United States.
We wrapped up with the day with a trolley tour of Querétaro that enabled
us to see Querétaro 's aqueduct from a great vantage point and gain a
perspective on some of the many key events in Mexican history that took
place here.
Bernal, Mexico
March 19--Update
From Student Eric Zaleski
Eric Zaleski provides his impressions of the group's activities on March
19.
"Today we drove about 30 minutes to San Juan del Río to tour the PPG
Industries plant there (www.ppg.com). PPG’s products include automotive
paints, resins, and a line of paint used in painting consumer aerosol
cans. Their staff was very helpful to the group, providing a very
revealing, complete tour as well as providing thoughtful answers in group
Q & A.
From PPG we traveled to Bernal, a small town at a base of an incredible
natural rock monolith. While in Bernal, we had lunch, and toured the city
– it gave us a great opportunity to observe small town life in a
colonial setting. Upon returning to Querétaro, many of us continued on to
observe low end income markets. On a personal note, today was Jade
Knuth’s birthday; students in the group took her out to honor the
occasion."
Students meeting with Alfredo Montellano, General Manager, of Montellano Estructuras y Construcciones in Celaya, Mexico
March 20--Update
From Student Katie Sargent
Katie Sargent provides her impressions of the group's activities on March
20:
Today was a long day! (Instructor note: Ms. Sargent held up admirably)
First we went to Montellano Estructuras y Construcciones in Celaya, took a
tour, and asked General Manager Alfredo Montellano a lot of questions
about his company. We continued on to Salamanca, and did much the same at
Metal Manufacturas, and its General Manager, Salvador Solís.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about these visits was the fact that
each of these companies are part of a group of 6 Mexican family-owned
firms that have created a strategic alliance to combine their strengths in
an effort to expand their business into the United States.
We returned to Celaya (in the state of Guanajuato) to visit traditional
marketing channels in the city's central market, where an incredible
variety of consumer items were sold in small stalls. This traditional
market spaces are really interesting because they are so different from
anything the group is familiar with from the United States. Upon returning
to Querétaro, we continued research for our individual projects by
visiting Plaza Boulevares - an upscale mall frequented by only the upper
ranges of economic society.
After that, we were free to explore Querétaro for one last night.
Whew!"
Metropolitan Cathedral as seen from the Templo Mayor in Mexico City, Mexico.
Sarah Cleary provides her impressions of the group's activities on March 21:
On our last day in Mexico, we returned to Mexico City to visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, Templo Mayor and Chapultepec Park. The only word to describe the cathedral is “breathtaking”. The Cathedral was constructed on a lakebed; the building has sunk unevenly, leaving it uneven in various places. The reconstruction and preservation of the cathedral showed me the dedication that Mexicans have to preserving their history.
After that, upon visiting the Templo Mayor, I was again impressed by Mexico’s historic preservation efforts, which reveal era after era of pre-Columbian ruins. The deep symbolism and connection to nature that pre-Columbian civilizations possessed really made me see how powerful and complex these civilizations were.
Finally, at Chapultepec Park, we saw the memorial to the “Niños Heroés”, who were Mexican military cadets that in the U.S. – Mexican war, wrapped themselves in the Mexican flag and jumped to their deaths to avoid the Americans’ capture of the flag.
Today showed me how truly historic and proud Mexican culture is. I can definitely say it will be sad to leave!
Students enrolled in I B 208-Business in Mexican Culture, in Spring 2003 prior to a traditional Mexican dinner and a dance/musical performance at the Focolare restaurant in Mexico City.