Today was probably my favorite lecture so far. Not only was the topic really interesting, but also Professor Derek Yang was very engaging. He began lecture with exactly how I favor my professors at UMD: an introduction about his life. I like getting to know my teachers so that I know where they're coming from, why they teach what they teach, what their experiences have been, etc. I enjoy learning more when I feel like I can connect with the professor. His teaching method was perfect. Rather than speaking at us and strictly lecturing, he was having a conversation with us. He asked us if the material was familiar, if we were following what he was saying, and was all in all making sure we were learning and staying interested. I also like how he handed the slides out after the lecture. At first I was thinking, 'well what am I supposed to take my notes on?' In the end I found myself paying more attention to him and not just the paper in front of me. I was able to watch the slides in front and listen to him speak more easily. After an introduction, Derek Yang began his lecture with asking us what service is. It seems pretty self explanatory - but it got us really thinking about what it is and truly how important it is in the economy. Focusing on a few different specific service brands, rather than looking at a general perspective, made the lecture more interesting. Comparing the same service brands we have in the U.S. was interesting to see how different the companies are when located in different countries; for example, some restaurants serving completely different foods, or some service being successful in the U.S. and not successful in China. One thing I found interesting was how Barbie dolls were not successful in China. A store in Shanghai closed in 2011 because people were not buying due to high prices, and also because of the way they were designed. Barbie dolls portray a "sexy" look and cannot be very appropriate for young children. Derek Yang mentioned how Chinese girls like to dress in clothing such as something with Hello Kitty on it. Learning about this brought my attention to really needing to understand the target market for any service an economy wants to provide in order for it to be successful.
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