Microsoft Headquarters in Paris

Microsoft is ever innovating, and during our visit we were shown a demonstration of Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010. These new versions have new, creative features and a sleek look. We were also shown some new computer technologies, namely a touch-table computer. What at first appeared to be a small coffee table ended up being a computer system operated by the touch of one’s fingertips.

Microsoft’s Paris headquarters is quite large and serves the French region. Microsoft has adopted a cultural approach through which it places virtually independent subsidiary offices in each region where it operates. Microsoft first began to penetrate Europe in 1982 when it began operating in the United Kingdom. The Microsoft offices throughout the world are considered subsidiaries to the Microsoft Corporation and are run by locals. This decentralization has made a significant difference in the way Microsoft operates around the world. Each subsidiary more or less operates on its own. This has helped increase the levels of responsibility and accountability that personnel take on in each of the subsidiaries. Microsoft Corporation places them in charge of marketing strategies in their respective areas. These local offices conduct surveys and do “experiential marketing” in order to determine the best strategies for the corporations various marketing segments.

Our visit to Paris was the epitome of a computer guru’s dream. The headquarters in Paris made me think of the things I’ve heard about the workplace at Google. There were a lot of conveniences and services that made it appear to be a great place to work. One thing that we students enjoyed was the vending machine that dispensed free drinks! One our way I heard students saying “I could work here!” The environment was clean, fun, convenient, and exciting.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATO was organized in 1949 as a military alliance between several countries. The first members of the alliance included countries from Central and Western Europe, Canada, and the United States. The crux of the agreement stated that “an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.”

The main purpose of NATO was to discourage the communist movement and neutralize any threat of Soviet invasion. According to James Snyder, an American civilian at NATO, the alliance is the reason we call it the Cold War. He asserts that NATO successfully dissuaded Russia from taking any military action or activating its missiles, such as those which were stationed in Cuba.

Owing to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, NATO’s initiative was activated for the first time. NATO’s 28 members stood behind the United States in mourning the loss of lives and in taking action against the perpetrators. Currently, NATO sustains 80,000 troops and other personnel in three continents. One point Mr. Snyder emphasized during this presentation is that “Americans are the not the only ones in Afghanistan.” Troops and personnel serving to promote stability in Afghanistan are from 42 countries. He also stated that NATO and the United States forces that primarily support it are not there establish democracy. There are there to remove threats and establish political and economic security. As he said, “You cannot have anything first except security.”

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, NATO’s mission has changed significantly. Since then it has been striving to re-define its role, and as apparent, it has focused its efforts on promoting security in the Middle East. For more information about NATO and efforts in Afghanistan see

The Afghan Star (video)

The War Briefing (video)

Return of the Taliban (video)

A Soldier's Dilemma in Afghanistan (video)

Talking to the Taliban (video)

Anheuser Busch - InBev

InBev is one of the world’s largest brewers and has four facilities in Brussels. We went to the brasserie produces the Stella Artois brand. We learned about how the beer is made from the ingredients to the brewing, fermenting, and bottling. It was fascinating to learn about the checks involved that ensure clean, quality processing of the beer. The company takes measures to make sure every can or bottle of beer is exactly the same. Our guide talked about the possibility of losing face with the world because of a mistake with even one bottle of beer.

As for the process of making the beer, barley is used for Stella Artois. The boiling process takes hours, and then large tanks are filled and the beer is allowed to ferment for one to two weeks. There are 72 tanks, and each holds 650 hectaliters, or 65,000 liters. They are huge cylinders 59 feet high and 24 feet in diameter. As I looked at these enormous tanks and pondered on the large number of them, it I was impressed by the investment that went in to building the facility. Before an ounce of beer could be produced, the entire plant had to be clean, complete, and working perfectly. At the bottling facility, recycled and new bottles are cleaned three times and then filled. Many measuring checks follow to ensure that each bottle is clean and that each bottle has the right amount of product. If a can or bottle does not measure up, an arm ejects it from the line.

The process is impressively clean and efficient. What intrigued me most is that the beer business could be considered “sinful,” yet the innovations this company has made in quality assurance technology are great examples for other food producers. What more, the company recycles and sells the byproducts of its processes so that most of it is reused rather than disposed as waste. The level of efficiency and quality assurance this company carries is astounding.

Huntsman Chemical Corporation

Our visit to Huntsman Chemical was fascinating and eye-opening as to how a multinational company in Europe operates. To begin our tour, we were debriefed by a safety director regarding safety rules and policies. We could immediately tell that the company vigorously strives to maintain a safe environment.

Huntsman operates all over Europe and allows its facilities a lot of autonomy. Many companies in Europe are decentralized, and they must be in order to be adaptable to the cultural variance. The past year and a half has seen a significant world recession, and Huntsman Chemical has made several adjustments in order to weather the economic storm. Nick Webster, a director at Huntsman Chemical, hopes that within the next year the company will be back on the same financial feet it was on before.

Huntsman Chemical supplies companies with various chemicals. They are used in industries such as plastic, automotive, textiles, footwear, construction, agriculture and health care. During our visit in Brussels we learned particularly about chemicals that are used for plastic products (such as polyurethane), insulation materials, chemicals for making foam padding, and adhesives.

It is important to note that Jon M. Huntsman, the owner and founder of this company, virtually funded our trip to Europe. In the fall of 2007, Mr. Huntsman donated some money to the College of Business at Utah State University, and the professors have used it to fund the Huntsman Scholars Program. The business school was thereafter named the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business in his honor. For more information about Mr. Huntsman and his many gracious contributions to the world, visit http://huntsman.usu.edu/htm/about-the-school/huntsman.

European Free Trade Association

EFTA was founded in 1960 as an alternative for countries that were unable to join the European Economic Community. It originally had seven members, and currently has four - Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, and Leichtenstein. It has offices in Brussels, Luxembourg, and Geneva, where we went to visit.

While visiting with an EFTA representative, we learned that one of the reasons behind EFTA's existence is to provide some independence and strength for those countries who do not want to join the European Union. Switzerland knows that it is in the middle of the European Union, but does not see necessity in joining. Membership in the EU requires extensive policital adaptation, or comformance with EU policy.

EFTA is small and based on what we learned, it could dissolve at any time. Yet it remains as a functioning organization and provides economic alliance between its member countries.

The World Trade Organization

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is headquartered in Geneva. It has 153 members, and its policies are made by consensus. With so many members and with the organization operating by consensus, it is very difficult to establish new policies.

We visited the WTO and had an opportunity to learn more about its operations. The WTO is an evolution of previous agreements that began in 1944 with a proposal that led to the creation of the International Trade Organization (ITO) in 1947. The ITO never effectuated any real change in world trade, but propelled the idea of open trade along with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which was also established in 1947. In 1994, the GATT led to the establishment of the WTO, which adopted the principles of the GATT and bore responsibility for their execution.

The effect of these organizations on world trade has been great, and currently, the Doha Round is underway in which the members are seeking to develop a policy that will abolish export subsidies in developed countries. Economically speaking, the WTO represents a great deal of progress in the world, yet there are many who oppose its movements, such as domestic workforce groups in and also environmentally conservative groups. Business and trade across the world are the cause of much harm to the environment.

One thing that I find particularly interesting about the WTO is that it does not nor can it impose its policies upon its members, even if they have previously agreed to them. The members work together to motivate members and non-members alike to adopt WTO principles. Members who do not comply will likely be subject to tariffs and other economic barriers from other members, which barriers may lead a member country towards conformance with WTO policy.

International Committee of the Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a fascinating organization and accomplishes much good around the world. The ICRC provides food, medical services, family member reunion assistance, and even visits prison inmates in over 80 countries. The life of ICRC personnel requires language skills, relocation, a strong knack for negotiating, and the willingness to risk one’s safety. We learned from the mouth of one who had been all over the world in the name of the Red Cross.

The Red Cross originates from a Swiss businessman and social activist, Henry Dunant, who witnessed a terrible battle in Italy. He consequently wrote a book promoting the establishment of relief committees and rules of war. This led to the eventual creation of the ICRC, which today is supported by every country in the world save seven.

The Red Cross maintains its strategic position through neutrality and offers aid and relief to both sides when it comes to war. The Red Cross encourages countries and groups to keep the universal Rules of War and to uphold the International Humanitarian Law (IHL). I had never learned about the ICRC, and to say the least, was moved by the good it does in the world. I felt like I had been in the presence of a saintly organization. Our group left with a challenge to choose something specific and commit to doing it in an effort to make the world a better place.

• For a special highlight of the ICRC, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2zLOi8egz8