Sounds like everyone has some interesting reading ahead. I'm looking forward to reading more about what you're learning and the thoughts you have to share.
The most recent chapters have been talking about the life of migrant factory workers. One thing that has been stressed over and over again is how much change is constantly occurring. People are always changing factory jobs and locations. Cell phone numbers are constantly changing in order to take advantage of the best and latest service deals. This means that it is incredibly difficult to stay in touch with people. A person may make a good friend at one factory, but if that friend leaves in search of another job, it is highly unlikely that the two will ever have contact again. This constant change is perhaps the biggest cause of another recurring theme which is that a factory girl must always rely on herself. She has no one to fall back on, to help her or aid in any of her challenges. She must do it all on herself. This is the reality of being a factory girl.
Your book is totally different from mine and it is nice to get a fresh and new look at China. Many times we just look at the whole picture and forget to take note in the brush strokes that makes up the portrait. I am sure you will feel a connection if we ever tour a factory full of workers. Sounds like a great book.
I agree with Jeffrey, your book sounds great! I love reading books (especially business/learning books) that give the perspective of the average person - they're usually so broad. It seems like your book is giving you a new way to view China through the micro-lens instead of a macro perspective. Excited to read more about it!
The reading this week has focused on the policy changes China has made to become the booming nation it is today. In 1974, only $38,000 could be found in all the banks of Beijing, so clearly it was not the wealth of China that brought it to such prosperity that it is today. One of the biggest achievements for China during its climb to the top was accession to the World Trade Organization. This increased both trade and foreign investment. It appears to me like the world was just waiting for the frontier of China to open and the World Trade Organization did the job. China wants to be scene as a credible and trustworthy nation by joining the world in business and covering up its scandals. I will be interest to see if China saves and protects its recent history and the events that have unfolded.
That's pretty crazy that a little over 30 years ago, China had so little national wealth. It shows how quickly the fate of nations can change. I think the history of China is fascinating. They do a good job of putting their best foot forward, and ignoring any of the more scandalous events in their history.
Jeffrey, that stat is crazy! $38,000 might as well have been $0. Seems like China has made more changes than almost any other country in the world in the last 40 years, but I had no idea it was that drastic. I'll try to keep up with your post and see how things pan in as your read more.
The first chapter of my book is all about Confucianism and Communism and how that affects the Chinese today. One of the big points of the first chapter is how it is sometimes hard to get a clear opinion from a Chinese individual and how that can be frustrating to a foreigner. However, this is usually because the Chinese is used to thinking about themselves as part of a group, not as an individual, and so they tend to leave decisions to group collaboration instead of personal opinion. Confucius still plays a big role in society. Chinese culture is not at all individualistic like the US. Communism has added to this feeling of group culture. So while questioning a Chinese person, if they seem to be being evasive, it is probably because it is an answer better left to either their superior or to a group discussion.
This difference between collectivism and individualism is so interesting to me. We (from an individualistic culture) like things to be more direct and share our opinions and personal thoughts. But it's so interesting that in China, a person doesn't want to share their personal opinion but wants to support the group. One of the chapters in my book also was sharing about the author's grandfather and the journal he kept and how he himself never was expressed directly in his journal. Everything he wrote was clothed in the context of the group, instead of the individual.
So then how does someone go about finally getting a response from the chinese then if it is a collective decision? Another question that pops into my head as a read this was does this apply to China as a whole or just certain regions. My book discusses how many different regions will have different cultures and so I kinda hope that your book goes into that a bit more.
I am getting the impression from this book that the Chinese understand fully that China business leadership needs improvement. It is hard to motivate employees because they are still coming out of the planned-economy mentality where leaders did not have to make tough decisions because the government made them for them. Simply importing the best practices from the west is not the solution. Leaders need to take those practices and blend them with Chinese cultural values in order to succeed as managers. In China, business relationships are hierarchical, where managers don't give the power to the employees to "own" their jobs by empowering them to make decisions as they do in the United States. Business leaders can't just take the same practice from the US and use it in China, it has to be adapted to fit their culture.
That's pretty cool that they recognize it! And it makes sense too. To me, it seems that their culture holds respect for authority and reverence for tradition in highest regard. The former perpetuates the reverence and I can see why it is difficult for some of them to step up and make decisions by themselves. Is it appropriate for them in their culture to speak up and speak out? Is it received well? Individualism is not a huge part of their culture and it seems to me as though the government and culture play a huge part in what each citizen's personal perceived liberties are. As for the application of practice of business and its adaptation to China, i have a question. How much of this is just social change - them perceiving that it is more and more ok to express themselves individually - and how much of it is business practices that are actually different?
It's very interesting that coming from communism, China almost has to developed their own business practices from a very basic level. I wonder what effect the changes in the way they conduct business will have on their society. China is still rapidly growing and changing so it will be very interesting to see what type of society they will end up being.
It sounds like a really interesting the book that you are reading. Two points got my attention in your post, the first is that the leadership is authoritarianism, and they don't care about people’s opinions because they are the leaders and their employees need to listen to them. The other point stood out to me is the they are focused on results and products and not on their workers.
Based on my reading in: How to do Business in China: 24 Lessons...
The book begins by stating the fact that China has the most amazing story when looking from its history to now. From history lessons teaching of the Silk Road and China's trade dominance to its 20th century "backburner" state, no one expected for China to erupt as the economic powerhouse it has become. The book states that people are calling this the "Chinese Century", with solid reasoning. He states that whether businesses today want to interact with China or not, it's inevitable. China has found a way to fuse itself with different aspects of business all around the world. He tells his readers to research and learn about China for themselves. China has gone through a lot in their history, and the author is convinced that their past greatly dictates their people, culture, and economic drive - and that venturing business-people need to be aware of how that affects their dealings. I look forward to reading facts that solidify his claims throughout the book, so far it's been really interesting!
China's history is so interesting and so rich! There is so much diversity and so many highs and lows that it is intriguing to try to understand how it can all fit together. Today it seems as though China has pushed its way into so many areas of economic and social structure. My book discussed pride and how the pride of the Chinese people has helped push them to become the power they are today. That goes along with how business people should react to Chinese involvement and dealings.
The first section of ChinAmerica is entitled "Beating America" and covers how in terms of growth, China is far ahead of America. Jones stresses that one reason for this is that the Chinese people have traded short-term accumulation of wealth in exchange for current gratification. This is contrasted with the very entitled mentality of Americans, with many living beyond their means. However, if China wants to continue at this growth rate, they need American to continue consuming their exports. So for a profitable future, both countries will need to grow economically, rather than a trade off of wealth. Jones urges that America focus on manufacturing. Not only would this help the U.S. economy directly, but the taxes paid internationally would also start returning to the U.S.
We hear a lot about how much America depends on China, seeing how many products here in the U.S. are made in China, but your book seems to highlight how China also depends on America for a lot of its economic success. (I wonder if there will be a lot of products in China that say "Made in the United States.") It will be interesting to see if your book goes into more depth on how the two countries rely on each other, and in what categories does each county have the upper hand in.
This first chapter talked about the basic facts and backgrounds. The author in this chapter talks about the past and the present and why the U.S. chooses China for doing business. Even with the language barrier and the distance, business people want to do business with China, for many reasons. The author highlights two of these, one being that taxes in China are lower than in other countries, the other is that the infrastructure in China provides the communication and the connections needed to do business. There are other reasons that also support the decision to work with China. The author also mentions labor cost and information statistics.
The most recent chapter I have been reading is entitled The Grand Bargain. Essentially, the chapter includes an overview of why and how bargaining occurs while doing business in China - especially when it comes to foreigners doing business within China. I found the history behind the “bitter taste” China has against Westerners remarkable intriguing. The concept dates back to two hundred years ago, where prior to that time, China was known as one of the world’s mightiest empires, and when foreigners were believed to have strong-armed their way into China, a negative connotation still remains two hundred years later. The chapter goes on to describe ways and methods that when it comes to Westerners doing business in China, that there is a wall of bitterness built between the two cultures. However, though I have always heard of the two clashing cultures that meet at the grounds of business, this chapter set a great explanation and reasoning as to why “business peace” remains a rare deed within China and outsourced companies.
The beginning of my book explained the many different cultures found in China. There are 55 ethnic minorities in China, making up a small percentage of China's population with more than 120 million people, that live in 23 different provinces across the country. All of these people bring different religions, cultural beliefs, and various languages to the table. The government monitors the minority groups in different ways with different regulations. In different provinces, the regulations may be more strict for a minority group than for the same minority group living in a different province. The main business hubs exist in the larger cities, located towards the eastern part of China. With so many various cultures and beliefs, and with so many people, business in China may have to be performed differently depending on which area one may be conducting his business in. However, wherever business in China may be conducted, all of the minority groups provide contributions for the overall business success found in China.
The first several pages are quotes and written experiences from people who were one of the first people to interact with China when it's government opened its borders in the late 1970's, early 1980's. The fact that China's borders are "open for business" "...is still quite new." An American businessman, finance-expert, by the name of Robert Theleen gives his first hand experience of how when he arrived to China to discuss petroleum finance, everything was very under-the-table. He spoke of how a note was left for him at the Hotel room to meet at a specific place and time. He was picked up by a limo and driven to a remote place, where 40 Chinese officials waited. He was then told by an interpreter why he was there and what he would be doing (discuss petroleum financing). This was in 1976. China was not open to foreign influence of any fashion. They had literally cut themselves off from the rest of the world; essentially blocking themselves from learning or using any other ideas or business practices that had made other nations successful. And the Chinese government eventually began to realize that this was what was causing their downfall as a nation. And it didn't only affect economics, it affected cultural and social factors as well. A perfect summary of the first chapter and condition of China in the 1970's: "I saw a nation that had no hope, but it had a strong desire to improve, to get out of the bottom. The rapid changes that took place afterwards can only be explained by seeing what China was then." - Robert Theleen.
This topic is still very relevant today. History repeats itself unless it can be learned from and improved upon. I think when we experience China we will feel the undercurrents of the historically closed China. I only say undercurrents because the seclusion has been balanced out by intellectual curiosity and the desire for a competitive economy. Recently, China has embraced the once feared international business practices and as predicted, this has caused a change in their culture and society. It is shifting from having a very strong culture based on the family unit to a more materialistic and individualistic society.
My book, "Dragons at Your Door..." Introduces the reader to the reasoning behind the statement that Chinese businesses are highly competitive. Namely; successful, rapidly growing and offering a grand amount of competition to countries that have historically had an open business market. Statistics, acronyms, percentages and other numerals are heavy through this portion of the book. The first chapter outlines how China's businesses have been able to become quickly competitive (on an international level) soon after start-up. The two main reasons: cheap labor and globalization. The cheap labor that they have access to is not just factory workers, but highly skilled professionals such as: engineers, researchers, and professors. I also found it fascinating that Chinese businesses have access to state assets and intellectual property at a cost greatly reduced from what businesses experience in the United States and Europe. Why is this the case? The book says it is China's drive to bolster its national asset base that has implemented cost restrictions on these items. We can easily see that they have indeed bolstered their national asset base.
Jenny, I appreciate you pointing out the fact the cheap labor that has helped to make Chinese business prosperous includes highly skilled jobs. Embarrassingly, I picture the powerful Chinese labor force as low-paid factory workers, but of course highly trained professionals would be the underlying current that makes China capable to truly compete with the West. Also, thank you for enlightening me on some of the government policies that enable business growth. As we know in the United States, governments and businesses will always be entangled in a power struggle.
'The 36 Ancient Chinese Strategies for Modern Businesses' begins with an introduction on the 36 stratagems in their original context, as "tactical maneuveurs," explained in the categories that they are broken down to: "Superior Stratagems," when one is in a superior position, "Opportunistic Stratagems," when one can take advantage of the opposition's weaknesses, "Attacking Stratagems," when one seeks success through direct attack, "Confusion Stratagems" and "Deception Stratagems," (names are self-explanatory), and "Desperate Stratagems," for when the situation looks serious. I spent the time telling you that breakdown because a) I think it's important to note the context of the original stratagems, as advice from warriors and strategies, possibly as old as 2000 years and b) realizing the first part makes me really anticipate how these stratagems will be applied to a business context. Especially with names like "Deceive Heaven to Cross the Sea" and "Beseige Wei to Rescue Zhao." The overall writing style of the author is clear and easy to understand, which I appreciate.
The first chapter to Inside the Chinese Business Mind talks about the history of China. It goes into times in China where there was a lack in food and people had to have meat stamps in order to get meat. Even if someone went into a restaurant and ordered something with meat they would have to pay with cash and meat stamps. It also discussed how China even though it is it's own country has many different sub groups within it. It ended with mentioning that the book will be about how to understand the culture as you get into it, and not how to understand all the different sub cultures.
I love learning about different countries' cultures and history. I think I would've loved to have read the book you chose. It's amazing how much cultures and societies differ these days. I can't wait to learn more about the history of China when we get there and start touring!
The first chapter of How China’s Leaders Think discusses pride and how pride motivates the Chinese people to work hard and become a leading nation. The author tells a story in which he heard a colleague make several derogatory comments about the Chinese government, even in situations where others would hear. In the hillside where no one would hear them, the author decided to make a remark to his colleague about America preventing the 2000 Olympics from occurring in Beijing, expecting a supportive remark about America’s decision. Instead the author was met with angry and very derogatory remarks about Americans. Although the Chinese might not like some of the things their government does they have too much pride in China not to defend it whole-heartedly. The chapter then goes on to explain that science and expensive contributions have occurred despite poverty of many people because of Chinese pride. The Chinese want to be a nation of economic superiority and will forgo personal desires. Pride is something foreigners use to understand the Chinese culture, not necessarily something they see in themselves.
While reading this week, I learned about China's "Peaceful Rise" theory. This theory was developed about Jung, a common Chinese citizen. The idea behind this theory was to gradually become the world's leading power peacefully. However, interestingly enough, the Chinese government turned it down because they felt that the word "Rise" was too general for foreign countries to understand. This same theory is now known today as "Peaceful Development." I also learned that China has predicted America's decline in foreign affairs, only to be proven wrong many times. Some of these times that China had predicted America's fall was during the mid-80s, mid-90s, and 2001 (because of the 9-11 tragedy). However, they were wrong every time. Chinese analysts were absolutely certain that the United States would fall during the transition from the Bush administration to the Obama administration. This interpretation is a matter of opinion for most American citizens.
I think it's really interesting how one word can make a difference or cause an altercation in business affairs. Being mindful of how things are written or described is very important.
The most recent chapters have been talking about the life of migrant factory workers. One thing that has been stressed over and over again is how much change is constantly occurring. People are always changing factory jobs and locations. Cell phone numbers are constantly changing in order to take advantage of the best and latest service deals. This means that it is incredibly difficult to stay in touch with people. A person may make a good friend at one factory, but if that friend leaves in search of another job, it is highly unlikely that the two will ever have contact again. This constant change is perhaps the biggest cause of another recurring theme which is that a factory girl must always rely on herself. She has no one to fall back on, to help her or aid in any of her challenges. She must do it all on herself. This is the reality of being a factory girl.
ReplyDeleteYour book is totally different from mine and it is nice to get a fresh and new look at China. Many times we just look at the whole picture and forget to take note in the brush strokes that makes up the portrait. I am sure you will feel a connection if we ever tour a factory full of workers. Sounds like a great book.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree with Jeffrey, your book sounds great! I love reading books (especially business/learning books) that give the perspective of the average person - they're usually so broad. It seems like your book is giving you a new way to view China through the micro-lens instead of a macro perspective. Excited to read more about it!
DeleteThe reading this week has focused on the policy changes China has made to become the booming nation it is today. In 1974, only $38,000 could be found in all the banks of Beijing, so clearly it was not the wealth of China that brought it to such prosperity that it is today. One of the biggest achievements for China during its climb to the top was accession to the World Trade Organization. This increased both trade and foreign investment. It appears to me like the world was just waiting for the frontier of China to open and the World Trade Organization did the job. China wants to be scene as a credible and trustworthy nation by joining the world in business and covering up its scandals. I will be interest to see if China saves and protects its recent history and the events that have unfolded.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty crazy that a little over 30 years ago, China had so little national wealth. It shows how quickly the fate of nations can change. I think the history of China is fascinating. They do a good job of putting their best foot forward, and ignoring any of the more scandalous events in their history.
DeleteJeffrey, that stat is crazy! $38,000 might as well have been $0. Seems like China has made more changes than almost any other country in the world in the last 40 years, but I had no idea it was that drastic. I'll try to keep up with your post and see how things pan in as your read more.
DeleteThe first chapter of my book is all about Confucianism and Communism and how that affects the Chinese today. One of the big points of the first chapter is how it is sometimes hard to get a clear opinion from a Chinese individual and how that can be frustrating to a foreigner. However, this is usually because the Chinese is used to thinking about themselves as part of a group, not as an individual, and so they tend to leave decisions to group collaboration instead of personal opinion. Confucius still plays a big role in society. Chinese culture is not at all individualistic like the US. Communism has added to this feeling of group culture. So while questioning a Chinese person, if they seem to be being evasive, it is probably because it is an answer better left to either their superior or to a group discussion.
ReplyDeleteThis difference between collectivism and individualism is so interesting to me. We (from an individualistic culture) like things to be more direct and share our opinions and personal thoughts. But it's so interesting that in China, a person doesn't want to share their personal opinion but wants to support the group. One of the chapters in my book also was sharing about the author's grandfather and the journal he kept and how he himself never was expressed directly in his journal. Everything he wrote was clothed in the context of the group, instead of the individual.
DeleteSo then how does someone go about finally getting a response from the chinese then if it is a collective decision? Another question that pops into my head as a read this was does this apply to China as a whole or just certain regions. My book discusses how many different regions will have different cultures and so I kinda hope that your book goes into that a bit more.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFrom "Business Leadership in China"
ReplyDeleteI am getting the impression from this book that the Chinese understand fully that China business leadership needs improvement. It is hard to motivate employees because they are still coming out of the planned-economy mentality where leaders did not have to make tough decisions because the government made them for them. Simply importing the best practices from the west is not the solution. Leaders need to take those practices and blend them with Chinese cultural values in order to succeed as managers. In China, business relationships are hierarchical, where managers don't give the power to the employees to "own" their jobs by empowering them to make decisions as they do in the United States. Business leaders can't just take the same practice from the US and use it in China, it has to be adapted to fit their culture.
That's pretty cool that they recognize it! And it makes sense too. To me, it seems that their culture holds respect for authority and reverence for tradition in highest regard. The former perpetuates the reverence and I can see why it is difficult for some of them to step up and make decisions by themselves. Is it appropriate for them in their culture to speak up and speak out? Is it received well? Individualism is not a huge part of their culture and it seems to me as though the government and culture play a huge part in what each citizen's personal perceived liberties are. As for the application of practice of business and its adaptation to China, i have a question. How much of this is just social change - them perceiving that it is more and more ok to express themselves individually - and how much of it is business practices that are actually different?
DeleteIt's very interesting that coming from communism, China almost has to developed their own business practices from a very basic level. I wonder what effect the changes in the way they conduct business will have on their society. China is still rapidly growing and changing so it will be very interesting to see what type of society they will end up being.
DeleteIt sounds like a really interesting the book that you are reading. Two points got my attention in your post, the first is that the leadership is authoritarianism, and they don't care about people’s opinions because they are the leaders and their employees need to listen to them. The other point stood out to me is the they are focused on results and products and not on their workers.
DeleteBased on my reading in: How to do Business in China: 24 Lessons...
ReplyDeleteThe book begins by stating the fact that China has the most amazing story when looking from its history to now. From history lessons teaching of the Silk Road and China's trade dominance to its 20th century "backburner" state, no one expected for China to erupt as the economic powerhouse it has become. The book states that people are calling this the "Chinese Century", with solid reasoning. He states that whether businesses today want to interact with China or not, it's inevitable. China has found a way to fuse itself with different aspects of business all around the world. He tells his readers to research and learn about China for themselves. China has gone through a lot in their history, and the author is convinced that their past greatly dictates their people, culture, and economic drive - and that venturing business-people need to be aware of how that affects their dealings. I look forward to reading facts that solidify his claims throughout the book, so far it's been really interesting!
China's history is so interesting and so rich! There is so much diversity and so many highs and lows that it is intriguing to try to understand how it can all fit together. Today it seems as though China has pushed its way into so many areas of economic and social structure. My book discussed pride and how the pride of the Chinese people has helped push them to become the power they are today. That goes along with how business people should react to Chinese involvement and dealings.
DeleteThe first section of ChinAmerica is entitled "Beating America" and covers how in terms of growth, China is far ahead of America. Jones stresses that one reason for this is that the Chinese people have traded short-term accumulation of wealth in exchange for current gratification. This is contrasted with the very entitled mentality of Americans, with many living beyond their means. However, if China wants to continue at this growth rate, they need American to continue consuming their exports. So for a profitable future, both countries will need to grow economically, rather than a trade off of wealth. Jones urges that America focus on manufacturing. Not only would this help the U.S. economy directly, but the taxes paid internationally would also start returning to the U.S.
ReplyDeleteWe hear a lot about how much America depends on China, seeing how many products here in the U.S. are made in China, but your book seems to highlight how China also depends on America for a lot of its economic success. (I wonder if there will be a lot of products in China that say "Made in the United States.") It will be interesting to see if your book goes into more depth on how the two countries rely on each other, and in what categories does each county have the upper hand in.
DeleteThis first chapter talked about the basic facts and backgrounds. The author in this chapter talks about the past and the present and why the U.S. chooses China for doing business. Even with the language barrier and the distance, business people want to do business with China, for many reasons. The author highlights two of these, one being that taxes in China are lower than in other countries, the other is that the infrastructure in China provides the communication and the connections needed to do business. There are other reasons that also support the decision to work with China. The author also mentions labor cost and information statistics.
ReplyDeleteThe most recent chapter I have been reading is entitled The Grand Bargain. Essentially, the chapter includes an overview of why and how bargaining occurs while doing business in China - especially when it comes to foreigners doing business within China. I found the history behind the “bitter taste” China has against Westerners remarkable intriguing. The concept dates back to two hundred years ago, where prior to that time, China was known as one of the world’s mightiest empires, and when foreigners were believed to have strong-armed their way into China, a negative connotation still remains two hundred years later. The chapter goes on to describe ways and methods that when it comes to Westerners doing business in China, that there is a wall of bitterness built between the two cultures. However, though I have always heard of the two clashing cultures that meet at the grounds of business, this chapter set a great explanation and reasoning as to why “business peace” remains a rare deed within China and outsourced companies.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of my book explained the many different cultures found in China. There are 55 ethnic minorities in China, making up a small percentage of China's population with more than 120 million people, that live in 23 different provinces across the country. All of these people bring different religions, cultural beliefs, and various languages to the table. The government monitors the minority groups in different ways with different regulations. In different provinces, the regulations may be more strict for a minority group than for the same minority group living in a different province. The main business hubs exist in the larger cities, located towards the eastern part of China. With so many various cultures and beliefs, and with so many people, business in China may have to be performed differently depending on which area one may be conducting his business in. However, wherever business in China may be conducted, all of the minority groups provide contributions for the overall business success found in China.
ReplyDeleteFrom "China Entrepreneur..."
ReplyDeleteThe first several pages are quotes and written experiences from people who were one of the first people to interact with China when it's government opened its borders in the late 1970's, early 1980's. The fact that China's borders are "open for business" "...is still quite new." An American businessman, finance-expert, by the name of Robert Theleen gives his first hand experience of how when he arrived to China to discuss petroleum finance, everything was very under-the-table. He spoke of how a note was left for him at the Hotel room to meet at a specific place and time. He was picked up by a limo and driven to a remote place, where 40 Chinese officials waited. He was then told by an interpreter why he was there and what he would be doing (discuss petroleum financing). This was in 1976. China was not open to foreign influence of any fashion. They had literally cut themselves off from the rest of the world; essentially blocking themselves from learning or using any other ideas or business practices that had made other nations successful. And the Chinese government eventually began to realize that this was what was causing their downfall as a nation. And it didn't only affect economics, it affected cultural and social factors as well. A perfect summary of the first chapter and condition of China in the 1970's: "I saw a nation that had no hope, but it had a strong desire to improve, to get out of the bottom. The rapid changes that took place afterwards can only be explained by seeing what China was then." - Robert Theleen.
This topic is still very relevant today. History repeats itself unless it can be learned from and improved upon. I think when we experience China we will feel the undercurrents of the historically closed China. I only say undercurrents because the seclusion has been balanced out by intellectual curiosity and the desire for a competitive economy. Recently, China has embraced the once feared international business practices and as predicted, this has caused a change in their culture and society. It is shifting from having a very strong culture based on the family unit to a more materialistic and individualistic society.
DeleteMy book, "Dragons at Your Door..." Introduces the reader to the reasoning behind the statement that Chinese businesses are highly competitive. Namely; successful, rapidly growing and offering a grand amount of competition to countries that have historically had an open business market. Statistics, acronyms, percentages and other numerals are heavy through this portion of the book. The first chapter outlines how China's businesses have been able to become quickly competitive (on an international level) soon after start-up. The two main reasons: cheap labor and globalization. The cheap labor that they have access to is not just factory workers, but highly skilled professionals such as: engineers, researchers, and professors. I also found it fascinating that Chinese businesses have access to state assets and intellectual property at a cost greatly reduced from what businesses experience in the United States and Europe. Why is this the case? The book says it is China's drive to bolster its national asset base that has implemented cost restrictions on these items. We can easily see that they have indeed bolstered their national asset base.
ReplyDeleteJenny, I appreciate you pointing out the fact the cheap labor that has helped to make Chinese business prosperous includes highly skilled jobs. Embarrassingly, I picture the powerful Chinese labor force as low-paid factory workers, but of course highly trained professionals would be the underlying current that makes China capable to truly compete with the West.
DeleteAlso, thank you for enlightening me on some of the government policies that enable business growth. As we know in the United States, governments and businesses will always be entangled in a power struggle.
'The 36 Ancient Chinese Strategies for Modern Businesses' begins with an introduction on the 36 stratagems in their original context, as "tactical maneuveurs," explained in the categories that they are broken down to: "Superior Stratagems," when one is in a superior position, "Opportunistic Stratagems," when one can take advantage of the opposition's weaknesses, "Attacking Stratagems," when one seeks success through direct attack, "Confusion Stratagems" and "Deception Stratagems," (names are self-explanatory), and "Desperate Stratagems," for when the situation looks serious.
ReplyDeleteI spent the time telling you that breakdown because a) I think it's important to note the context of the original stratagems, as advice from warriors and strategies, possibly as old as 2000 years and b) realizing the first part makes me really anticipate how these stratagems will be applied to a business context.
Especially with names like "Deceive Heaven to Cross the Sea" and "Beseige Wei to Rescue Zhao."
The overall writing style of the author is clear and easy to understand, which I appreciate.
I also see the importance of these stratagems, because people clearly use them to their advantage or disadvantage.
DeleteThe first chapter to Inside the Chinese Business Mind talks about the history of China. It goes into times in China where there was a lack in food and people had to have meat stamps in order to get meat. Even if someone went into a restaurant and ordered something with meat they would have to pay with cash and meat stamps. It also discussed how China even though it is it's own country has many different sub groups within it. It ended with mentioning that the book will be about how to understand the culture as you get into it, and not how to understand all the different sub cultures.
ReplyDeleteI love learning about different countries' cultures and history. I think I would've loved to have read the book you chose. It's amazing how much cultures and societies differ these days. I can't wait to learn more about the history of China when we get there and start touring!
DeleteThe first chapter of How China’s Leaders Think discusses pride and how pride motivates the Chinese people to work hard and become a leading nation. The author tells a story in which he heard a colleague make several derogatory comments about the Chinese government, even in situations where others would hear. In the hillside where no one would hear them, the author decided to make a remark to his colleague about America preventing the 2000 Olympics from occurring in Beijing, expecting a supportive remark about America’s decision. Instead the author was met with angry and very derogatory remarks about Americans. Although the Chinese might not like some of the things their government does they have too much pride in China not to defend it whole-heartedly. The chapter then goes on to explain that science and expensive contributions have occurred despite poverty of many people because of Chinese pride. The Chinese want to be a nation of economic superiority and will forgo personal desires. Pride is something foreigners use to understand the Chinese culture, not necessarily something they see in themselves.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this week, I learned about China's "Peaceful Rise" theory. This theory was developed about Jung, a common Chinese citizen. The idea behind this theory was to gradually become the world's leading power peacefully. However, interestingly enough, the Chinese government turned it down because they felt that the word "Rise" was too general for foreign countries to understand. This same theory is now known today as "Peaceful Development." I also learned that China has predicted America's decline in foreign affairs, only to be proven wrong many times. Some of these times that China had predicted America's fall was during the mid-80s, mid-90s, and 2001 (because of the 9-11 tragedy). However, they were wrong every time. Chinese analysts were absolutely certain that the United States would fall during the transition from the Bush administration to the Obama administration. This interpretation is a matter of opinion for most American citizens.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really interesting how one word can make a difference or cause an altercation in business affairs. Being mindful of how things are written or described is very important.
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