Statement of Purpose

As a student of management science during both undergraduate and graduate programs, I have been closely following the growth of Chinese enterprises over the past five years during the country’s economic boom. It is true that, generally speaking, Chiense enterprises have gained much headway in their management and, during the transition from the conventional planned economy to the increasingly market-oriented economy, a number of successful expertises have emerged. However, compared with leading international corporations, Chinese enterprises are relatively weak in competitive power, especially in the international business world.

There are many reasons that can account for this low management level and low competitiveness, but I am of the conviction that the lack of effective strategic management remains primary. The lack of or erros in strategic management make many Chinese enterprises to have only a fleeting existence. It is a singular regret that not only China’s enterprise community lack mature experience of strategic management but also the academic community of the country has been late in theoretical research on the subject. Strategic management as an academic discipline has not been established as part of standard curriculum in most business schools. An important purpose of my current application for your highly respected PhD program in strategic management is precisely to learn the most cutting-edge knowledge and expertise in strategic management so that, by the time I complete my proposed program, I can return to China to undertake strategic management research and practice, and inject new vitality into this field.

As the human society enters the 21st century, the scarcity of natural resources constitutes an increasingly challenge to human survival. On the other hand, science and technology are developing at an unprecedented rate, market competitions become ever intensified, and the consumers are so capricious in their demands. All those important changes in the business environment have significantly escalated the uncertaintities and risks for top enterprise decision-makers. Under such circumstances, it is all the more imperative that top administrators attach great importance to strategic management and to the long-term development of the enterprise. Both the successful experiences and lessons of failures showcaded by many enterprises at home and abroad testify to this essential truth—in this era of rapid economic growth, strategic management of a matter of life and death for an enterprise. Therefore, as a student of business administration during the undergraduate program and of enterprise management during the Master’s program, I believe that I have an important role to play—to pass my research findings in strategic management onto the industrial communities so that they will be better equipped to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing business world.

I am well prepared for your programme in at least four aspects—a solid academic foundation, research project experiences and internships, research publications, and a well-defined study interest. Academically, I have received a most rewarding Bachelor’s education at the School of Management of XX University , majoring in business administration. I studied a whole spectrum of management courses, together with courses in economics, statistics, and marketing, and English, with top academic performance in my class. Currently, I am working on my Master’s programme and the degree is expected next July. My major is Enterprise Management, focusing on strategic management and organization behavior and my academic transcript will indicate my sustained excellence.

I have research project experiences, teaching assistantships and internships. In August, I worked on the feasibility study on XX Project headed by Prof. XX and since Jan this year I have been working on XX, a project headed by my advisor and sponsored by XX Provincial Education Commission. I have served as teaching assistant on two courses— Real Estate Laws and Regulations and Economic Law. My internships include working with two local real estates companies and carrying out statistical surveys for a consulting firm. 

My greatest achievements lie the research on corporate strategic management and on corporate competition. I have completed a total of 6 research papers, five of which have been published and one accepted by leading scholarly journals in the field. They are listed as following—XX, XX, XX, XX, XX, and XX.

As I delve ever deeper into my studies, I am increasingly aware of the need to gain in-depth understanding of the core issues in strategic management. The Ph.D. program offered by The XX School of Management is precisely geared to my intellectual objective. Although Ph. D. program is primarily aimed to prepare individuals for academic and research careers, it is also consistent with my professional objective—first to seek employment with a multinational company based in China where I can accumulate important managerial experiences by working my way into its middle-level and senior management and then launching my own consulting firm offering consulting services to China’s medium and small enterprises. I will expose Chinese enterprises to advanced concepts and practices in strategic management developed by the international academia and industrial communities.

As China assumes an increasingly important status in global economy, strategic management becomes more important than ever. Under your program, I would like to focus on Strategy and Organization, which will allow me to build on my past research on corporate competition and core competency. This is the field in which I will have the greatest research potential and will accomplish the greatest achievements. Your program fascinates me for another important reason—students will be trained in communication skills, an essential trait for a successful corporate leader and researcher.

Strategic Management is a new and comprehensive discipline. With my past academic, research and internship experiences, as well as my well-defined objectives, I deem myself a most worthy candidate for your program. My academic pursuit derives from my long-cherished interest in the subject and from my determination to contribute to this emerging discipline in China’s academia. As a young person, I am ready to grow and mature academically together with the development of this academic discipline that I am most interested in.