Janet is interested in exploring future job opportunities in China. This would allow her to both be a part of the current China economic boom, and explore her ancestral roots. Janet also has previous work experience in high-tech but doesn’t know much about high-tech activity in China or have any local contacts. She also knows very little Chinese geography – mostly just the names and locations of the largest cities in China. But Janet is particularly interested in Shanghai, due to its well-known international character and hip, cosmopolitan atmosphere. Having grown up in the U.S., Janet identifies more with America than with China. She’d like to contact start-ups in China, but doesn’t know about any.

Because of her long-term interests in China, Janet has started to read up on the country, reading virtually every article on China that she comes across just to keep updated. She’s especially interested in finding out the opportunities and challenges for foreigners and returning Chinese. Janet has even started focusing her class projects on China, just so she can capitalize on her news-reading. For example, she recently did a project on the effects of WTO membership, and she is trying to find out about information technology providers for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

As a second generation Chinese-American, Janet speaks Mandarin but finds it easier to read text-filled websites in English. She tends to use popular sites – like Yahoo!, CNet, or Google – to find information on the Web, although she sometimes also checks out stories on Sina. However, she’s concerned that news from China might be censored by the Chinese government, which she knows has a hand in everything in China. Janet is also used to reading weblogs, or “blogs” but finds that doing so can often take up the better part of a day. She spends a considerable amount of time on homework, group meetings, and other aspects of grad school life. In any case, she doesn’t like reading things on-screen very much. Janet feels overwhelmed by the quantity of sources of Chinese high-tech news, and doesn’t know where to look or what sites to really monitor in the long run. She also finds many websites, especially Chinese sites, cluttered and illegible. She’ll sometimes read the Chinese newspaper on weekends when she’s at her mother’s house.

Janet’s Goals:

· Find a well-paying job in Shanghai
· Understand how things work in China (e.g. government, quality of life, cost of living)
· Keep up with news in China
· Research: find answers to specific questions and newsworthy events (e.g. WTO, 2008 Olympics)
· Find out what are the reliable and reputable news sources
· Not spend too much time keeping up on news, but also being able to dig deeper for more information on interesting topics

Stella is a well-connected, ambitious, and organized career woman. Prior to business school, Stella worked as a project manager and market researcher in the digital imaging field. She’s therefore very knowledgeable about her industry and very familiar with marketing resources, from databases and analyst reports to the crucial industry events to attend and professional societies to join. She knows exactly where to go for the information she’s seeking, whether it’s an electronic or human source. Stella prides herself on the speed at which she can accomplish get things, especially as she prefers avoiding the computer when she gets home at the end of the day. Stella also knows the weaknesses of these sources, especially the difficulty in getting current, relevant statistics on China and Chinese companies – a country and region that she’s interested in eventually exploring professionally.

Stella is also trying to decide whether to pay for a subscription to the Taiwanese “Market Information Center” (MIC) database, as her free one-month subscription is ending. Stella often uses MIC to confirm news she’s read or heard of from other sources. She judges reliability of news on the consistency of the story in alternate news sources. Stella also has a free electronic subscription to the Wall Street Journal in Chinese (the English version is not free). In any case, it’s easier and faster for her to read in Chinese, as it’s her first language. Stella will read an interesting headline, then call a friend or contact to verify the story. She always double-checks stories against other publications or with her professional contacts. Stella strives to get inside information where possible and ethical. Stella therefore regularly attends industry events in the San Francisco Bay Area to keep up her personal network and hear the latest buzz of what’s hot in China, and especially in her industry. She likes to be able to call up a friend and get a quick SWOT analysis (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) on any company or situation.

Stella’s Goals:

· Produce thorough, well-planned, and well-researched papers for her MBA classes (find data to support her own business analysis)
· Keep abreast of industry-specific news, from both business and consumer standpoints
· Not spend too much time reading news or researching topics (no more than 45 minutes on a single question)
· Keep up her social and professional networks by attending events and placing phone calls
· Not spend a lot of money getting information

With 10 years’ experience at his job, Scott is recognized in both his company and his industry as an expert on the wireless telecommunications industry. He is responsible for trends analysis in the wireless telephony space. While his role is globally-focused, he tends to watch Asia Pacific news as that region drives development and wireless technology adoption in the rest of the world.

Scott is a very independent, methodical, and structured thinker. He doesn’t have much patience for superfluous information, including other analyses or opinions of the news he reads. He only uses industry analyst reports to “appease management” and back up his market forecasts and assertions. Scott prefers to scan multiple news sources regularly, some of which he receives directly by email subscription on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. He will validate facts and explore details of a story with contacts on-site in Asia, whether customers or field sales professionals.

Typically, Scott must scan news stories for common topics and determine whether a newsworthy event is a trend or an isolated, anomalous instance. He must keep track of his company’s product offerings and constantly think how his employers can fill a need or fulfill a role in the industry he is supporting. On rare occasions, he must also prescribe economic forecasts to his customers, telling them how much they should charge their end-users for a service, the size of the potential market, etc.

Scott’s Goals:

· Network with customers and colleagues in the field
· Continue to be highly regarded within the company (and for the company to be perceived as visionary)
· Keep abreast of industry-specific news, from business and consumer standpoints
· Compare articles and opinions (have access to multiple reliable sources)