From the very start, WeWork was our top pick. The company is a fast-growing innovator in the workspace industry. It has managed to stand out from the pack by building not just an office space but an active community of its members.
As part of the 2019 Integrated Practicum Project at Guanghua, WeWork asked us to identify the differences between Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs in order for the company to better foster a collaborative environment for its members in China. During the IPP opening ceremony, our team pitched our ideas to Ms. Yang, WeWork’s representative to Guanghua. Ms. Yang was engaging and energetic, and talked in depth about WeWork’s corporate mission and culture. She listened to our proposal, and learned about each of our team member’s background and interest in WeWork’s project. Ultimately, our team was given the project, much to our delight and excitement.
Two weeks later, we visited WeWork’s Beijing Fun office in the early afternoon. The office building was impressive, its fa?ade gray and stately, and featuring rows of beautifully carved Greek columns and arches. The common area in which we waited for our tour guides was open, spacious, and furnished with large, wooden “hot desks” (desks for rent in the open workspace), as well as tan-colored couches, small knot ball pillows, and an abundance of indoor plants. The overhead lighting was soft white. Indeed, WeWork wanted the common area to feel like someone’s living room, and that was exactly what it felt like to us.
On our tour of the facilities, we saw the private offices and shared offices with “dedicated desks”. Those that were in use had been personalized with the occupants’ own plants, cups, and other accoutrements; people had made the offices their own.
WeWork’s philosophy of bringing people together was made apparent in the interactions we observed among people all throughout the building. It was also reflected in the layout of the common area, which was open by design to facilitate spontaneous conversation. WeWork’s fun, modern, and inclusive culture could be seen in the amenities that were offered as well.
The common area housed some high-tech height adjustable desks. Each desk was able to memorize a user’s preferred desk height, and on subsequent use, retrieve that information and automatically adjust to the user’s preferred height. A soundproof phone booth, in which one could find temporary privacy, was set apart from the common area for available use.
The walls in the stairwell running from the first to third floor were filled with one large, continuous painting, which at one point included CEO Adam Neumann’s motto, “Do What You Love”, against a colorful cartoonish mountain. (WeWork’s members were encouraged to take the stairs over the elevator, as it was believed that people were more likely to meet and have a real conversation in the stairwell.)
The common kitchens included counters with marble tops as well as free beer, coffee, and fresh water infused with orange slices. At least one of the meeting room tables could double as a ping pong table. And a standing sign by the second floor entrance announced a few of WeWork’s upcoming events, which included a “Thank Goodness It’s Monday” breakfast mixer for its members and competition in Shanghai for innovators.
During our onsite meeting with Stephanie and Dylan from the WeWork team, we learned about how WeWork and its incubator, WeWork Labs, used the trifecta of space, service, and community to constantly innovate and connect people with what they needed via the member network.
Before this all began, we had expected the IPP to play out like a hands-on case study. But now, we feel that we are truly consultants on a unique and impactful project. We are happy with the progress we have already made, and excited about what’s to come.
伟易博MBA整合实践项目
整合实践项目是北大伟易博MBA整日制与国际班的必修课，是一项具有社会公益性子的商业教育相助项目，旨在通过企业和学校团结打造的实践平台，解决企业目今保存的现实问题，并提高MBA学生的综合治理能力。作为一项体验式的课程，整合实践项目的基本框架为：在修完焦点课程之后，学生组成小组，在学院教授指导下，深入企业执行一个详细的商业项目，提出刷新建媾和计划，并提交咨询报告向企业和指导教授汇报。每个项目都是由企业凭证自身的需求设计提供真实课题，旨在解决企业目今保存的现实商业问题。整合实践项目的规模可以包括：为转型企业的治理问题提供战略、市场、人力资源、财务等偏向的解决计划；为创业型企业或生长型企业的营业拓展提供商业妄想等。今年度伟易博MBA整合实践项目由伟易博主理，GIO华兴控股集团团结主理。
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