As an aspiring business professional, there are many ethical issues that must be taken into account. For instance, many companies choose to produce products in countries outside of the US because of cheaper labor costs. However, the production process that some companies choose to utilize are not always socially responsible; working conditions, wages, and employee benefits do not always seem important to companies. When a company is too focused on profits and cutting costs, there are detrimental downfalls in terms of employee satisfaction and strong ethical practices.
It is also necessary to continue education past your undergraduate and graduate experience to remain successful in the business world.  The global economy is constantly changing and influences how your business should operate.  After seeing all of the innovative companies and technological advances in China, it is evident that the successful companies are continuously learning more ways they can improve.  Taking seminars, visiting other countries, and keeping up with new technology is vital.

As a professional in any industry, you will likely need to work in a group at one point or another.  As a member of a group, you may find yourself with individuals that have different talents, mindsets, and tendencies.  Over the course of two weeks, I interacted with not only business students, but also engineers and Chinese students.  Working on a multi-disiplineary team can be challenging; not everyone has the same knowledge or skill set.  However, communication and collaboration creates a versatile group; you have a variety of different thinkers to solve a common problem.  Multi-disiplineary teams have the capability of seeing things from different angles which can lead to a well rounded decision.  The trip also taught me how important socialization with others is in the real world; the social environment is far from homogenous.  Putting yourself in new, uncomfortable environments teaches you how to adapt and problem solve.  Social differences and  language barriers are prevalent in global business, but knowing how to work around these obstacles makes you a valuable professional.

Overall, my experience on this abroad trip exposed me to a new culture and way of life.  There were many obstacles that became opportunities to further understand what global business entails.  Working in heterogenous groups, living in a new country, and interacting with new people enhanced my understanding of what doing business outside of America entails.