《110-1 GHRM501/IB506》Field Trip in Ocean Alexander & Hong Yu Food Museum of Cuttle Fish Ball

According to Prof. Heidi, organization theory and management can be learned not only through textbooks but role models in industries. Since Kaohsiung is a port city, she took students to visit manufacturers, Ocean Alexander and Hong Yu Food, reputable in the domestic as well as global yacht and seafood industry separately on Dec 21.

Ocean Alexander was the first stop. The company was founded in 1977. It is the one and only listed company yacht manufacturer. With great financial management and precise development strategy, it thrived after the financial crisis in 2008 and became the top 4 brand in the global industry. The success of Ocean Alexander is also attributed to the exceptional team. To attract talents around the world, the company proudly claimed that compensation and welfare stand out in the industry. After introducing the organizational structure and HR function, Ocean Alexander kindly answer all questions raised by students and gave them a factory tour.

As a role model of SMEs in Taiwan, Hong Yu Food gave students an opportunity to see the daily operation of a typical family business. Hong Yu Food was one of the vendors selling cuttlefish balls in the traditional market 20 years ago. With good quality, their cuttlefish ball gradually won customers’ hearts, and they successfully became suppliers of well-known enterprises, like Costco, Evergreen, etc. During the trip, students have a taste of not only local SME culture but the delicious classic food of Hong You Food.

             The field trip to Ocean Alexander and Hong You Food is enlightening in many ways. Students learn the different business operation styles, HR functions, and how marine culture influences local companies. By visiting the leading companies in the industry which also have gone through organizational changes and restarting, students can apply what they learn in the class and adapt to distinct company culture in the future.