How are you? Is everything well with you?

Today is the 154th day that I am in the US. Originally, I planned to write after my 2nd examination of the course Organizational Behavior next Wednesday. But, for feeling the new inspirations from the lesson itself, I cannot help stopping for a while, to re-translate, re-sing and re-record the song ? Share the Hardship and Joy with My Motherland with Love, then to write something I am thinking below.

If saying that the course of Marketing Management by Dr Steve Parker made me realize that I should care for marketing job much more, the course of Financial Management by Dr Kent Ragan made me to face the lack in my knowledge structure and started to fill it, the first lesson of Organizational Behavior by Dr. Elizabeth Rozell made me realize some weakness of mine as a manager, then, Maslow’s Hierarchy Needs in her third lesson, made me think of the relationships of individuals, organizations and countries, and made me think of the social responsibility that an individual or an organization should bear to their country and this world. As a manager, to realize it and to work on it consciously, may be more important than the improvement on the pure management skills.

I have learned the Hierarchy Needs Theory of Maslow 3 times.

First time, I learned it when I was a full time undergraduate student in Qiqihar University in Heilongjiang in 1979. Then, China just finished the tragedy of Culture Revolution; universities just recovered their enrollment system. The 10 years’ tragedy had almost destroyed the Chinese economy -- products, especially food quite lacked. All of the university students’ food had to be rationed. Many male students could not eat enough. With this situation, I completed my studies for 5 years and became a college teacher in one of richest cities in China’s history South of the Yangtze River. But, then, most of Chinese, including me lived on the lower-order needs level. According to Maslow’s Theory, we were working for the basic physiological and safety needs. Few people have extra money to satisfy the other needs.

Second time, I learned it when I was a part time graduated student in Fudan University in Shanghai in 1997. Then, the Chinese economy had great development, food was not a problem, some precursors in some new industries, including me started to pursue more knowledge, to face the challenge of establishing more new businesses. After working hard in Shenzhen for 7 years, finishing the life when I ate only one piece of bread with a cup of water as my lunches to save money as a new citizen in the new city, after becoming a department manager for 4 years, I had an ability to study in one of the best universities of China by airplane in most of my holidays and weekends for 3 years. According to Maslow’s Theory, many of the Chinese and me entered the lower level of the higher-Order Needs, to work for the social and Esteem needs.

The third time ? right now, Feb, 2009, I am learning it as a full time student in Missouri State University in the US. Now, China has had an earth-shaking historical change, people’s lives have changed better and better. We do not worry about food at all. What we are thinking is what and how we should eat more healthily, how to live more comfortably, where we should invest. I myself have completed my duty to raise my family and my son who has near finished his 7-year’s studies in Australia; work has changed to be an art of management; I have had my own habitation, car, cleaning lady, private tutors and I have learned the art of painting, music and language for more than 6 years and become an artist with certificate in my free time. Right now, I am working hard still, for I enjoy the process, the sense of achievement and the satisfaction of work and study, for I want to make my own value maximize. I have entered the beginning level of the Self-realization needs according to the theory of Maslow.

When I write here, my strongest feeling is that the fate of an individual or an organization cannot leave from its social environment. Therefore, we must stand our social responsibilities and to do something for others, for our motherland and this world. After all, we are the social people and organizations. We cannot exist without the support of the others, the society and the world, just like a plant can not live without sun, air and water. Right?

How do you think of my opinion? Do you agree with me?
I am just a learner on art of painting, music, English and Chinese language, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do a few things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Culture Exchange, Chinese Language Learning & Friendship making. To help the others while improving myself.

I will appreciate your understanding, directions, supports and hope to get your friendly direction and help.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or Yiping007@MissouriState.edu, or to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Wed, Feb 25, 2009 From USA