Changing strategic postures of overseas Chinese firms in emerging Asian markets

One of the most important cultural values in Chinese societies is family‐oriented collectivism. This cultural value has had much impact on the structures and strategies of overseas Chinese firms. Influenced by this cultural value, traditional Chinese firms prefer family ownership and stress hierarchy and centralized decision making, which in turn influence the business strategies of these firms. In recent years, however, the majority of Chinese societies have been in transition, and traditional Chinese culture is also changing. These developments have brought about changes in strategies of the overseas Chinese firms. To study these changes, this paper focuses on the manufacturing industries in a major emerging market, China, and reports evidence of changes in both culture and business strategy of overseas Chinese firms. Concludes with a discussion on the implications of the findings for both researchers and practitioners.

[1]  D. Ralston,et al.  Differences in Managerial Values: A Study of U.S., Hong Kong and PRC Managers , 1993 .

[2]  M. Bond,et al.  Coping with the threat of westernization in Hong Kong , 1985 .

[3]  Michael Harris Bond,et al.  Social Psychology Across Cultures , 1993 .

[4]  Rosalie L. Tung.  U.S.-China Trade Negotiations: Practices, Procedures and Outcomes , 1982 .

[5]  S. Schneider,et al.  Interpreting and responding to strategic issues: The impact of national culture , 1991 .

[6]  H. Triandis.  The Self and Social Behavior in Differing Cultural Contexts , 1989 .

[7]  S. Clegg,et al.  The enterprise and management in East Asia , 1986 .

[8]  Values of American, Japanese and Taiwanese Managers in Taiwan: A Test of Hofstede's Framework. , 1988 .

[9]  Rosalie L. Tung.  U.S.--China trade negotiations , 1982 .

[10]  G. Hofstede,et al.  Culture′s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values , 1980 .

[11]  楊國樞,et al.  Chinese Values and the Search for Culture-Free Dimensions of Culture , 1987 .

[12]  Richard W. Woodman,et al.  Organizational Change and Development: New Arenas for Inquiry and Action , 1989 .

[13]  A. Laurent.  The Cultural Diversity of Western Conceptions of Management , 1983 .

[14]  D. Randall,et al.  Exploring subcultural differences in hofstede's value survey: The case of the Chinese , 1991 .

[15]  Harry C. Triandis,et al.  Individualism-Collectivism , 1986 .

[16]  A. Laurent.  The cross-cultural puzzle of international human resource management , 1986 .

[17]  C. Lau.  Organisation development practices in Hong Kong: Current state and future challenges , 1995 .

[18]  Rita Gunther McGrath,et al.  More Like Each Other than Anyone Else? A Cross-Cultural Study of Entrepreneurial Perceptions , 1992 .

[19]  Ian C. MacMillan,et al.  Does culture endure, or is it malleable? Issues for entrepreneurial economic development☆ , 1992 .

[20]  K. Cook,et al.  Power, Equity and Commitment in Exchange Networks , 1978 .

[21]  Geert Hofstede,et al.  National Cultures in Four Dimensions: A Research-Based Theory of Cultural Differences among Nations , 1983 .

[22]  Ryh-Song Yeh.  Management practices of Taiwanese firms: As compared to those of American and Japanese subsidiaries in Taiwan , 1991 .

[23]  John J. Lawrence,et al.  Individualism and Confucian Dynamism: A Note on Hofstede's Cultural Root to Economic Growth , 1995 .

[24]  G. Hofstede,et al.  Culture′s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values , 1980 .

[25]  Kuo-shu Yang,et al.  Chinese personality and its change. , 1986 .

[26]  B. Posner,et al.  Managerial Values Across Cultures: Australia, Hong Kong and the United States , 1997 .

[27]  Lyman W. Porter,et al.  Cultural Patterns in the Role of the Manager , 1963 .