Chinese Business In Southeast Asia

Addresses the rise of China and its impacts on Southeast Asia's economies and businesses, especially on those of ethnic Chinese. Also discusses Southeast Asian government policies, particularly their economic and business policies, towards local Chinese, and Southeast Asian Chinese businesses, both conglomerates and SMEs, in an era of globalization.

Presents empirical findings from different South-East Asian countries to demonstrate that Chinese businessmen employ a variety of strategies in their networking, entrepreneurship and organisational and firm development; and concludes that much more research is needed in order to provide a full understanding of Chinese business success.

Monograph on the role of Chinese ethnic groups in South East Asia's economic development - discusses emigration, evolution of commercial enterprise, national level attitudes, geographic distribution, social institutions, the contribution of entrepreneurship, human resources and capital resources, regional development, comments on racial discrimination, restrictive government policies and legislation affecting their businesses and labour force, and includes economic implications, trends and recommendations. Graphs, references and statistical tables.

This unique volume provides a broad introduction to the ethnic Chinese business in Asia, with focus on the ethnic Chinese in East and Southeast Asia. The growing interest in ethnic Chinese business reflects its importance in these two regional economies, and its relations with China's economy — the world's new economic powerhouse. It examines the nature and characteristics of the ethnic Chinese business, such as business networks, family business and conglomerates, concepts of xinyong and guanxi, and entrepreneurship and management. It also examines the input of history and culture in the formation and operation of ethnic Chinese business. The second half of the book is devoted to detailed regional studies, covering the Chinese in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This book provides an excellent introduction for tertiary students in business schools, and for prospective businessmen who wish to do business with the Chinese in East and Southeast Asia.

The role of ethnic Chinese business in Southeast Asia in catalyzing economic development has been hotly debated - and often misunderstood - throughout cycles of boom and bust. This book critically examines some of the key features attributed to Chinese business: business-government relations, the family firm, trust and networks, and supposed 'Asian' values. The in-depth case studies that feature in the book reveal considerable diversity among these firms and the economic and political networks in which they manoeuvre. With contributions from leading scholars and under the impressive editorship of Jomo and Folk, Ethnic Business is a well-written, important contribution to not only students of Asian business and economics, but also professionals with an interest in those areas.

Using the proflierating volume of social science data and concepts on the subject, this book attempts to provide an alternative interpretation of the business conduct of the ethnic Chinese of East and Southeast Asia. The authors argue that: explanations of Chinese business conduct in terms of culture are too convenient and simplistic; not all Chinese everywhere are the same, nor do they do business only among each other; not all Chinese are successful in business, and not all successful businessmen are Chinese; guanxi (connections) has its down side; many ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia may well be reluctant merchants as they face many institutional obstructions to their upward mobility; and the seeming solidarity among the ethnic Chinese as more to do with external forces impinging upon them as members of a racial group rather than primordial sentiments internal to the group.

Southeast Asia has a population of more than half a billion, yet its economy is dominated by about 40 families, most of Overseas Chinese descent. Their conglomerates span sectors as diverse as real estate, telecommunications, hotels, industrial goods, computers and sugar plantations. New Asian Emperors shows how and why Overseas Chinese companies continue to dominate the region and have extended their reach in East Asia, despite the Asian financial and SARS crises of the past decade. The authors base their conclusions on in-depth structured interviews spanning a decade with the often elusive Overseas Chinese CEOs including Li Ka-shing, Stan Shih, Victor Fung, Stephen Riady and Sukanto Tanoto, as well as on the strategic information that their companies use. The analysis of the New Asian Emperors’ present-day management techniques and practices draws on the history, culture and philosophical perspectives of the Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. In the midst of today’s global economic crisis, this book also takes a fresh look at the role and management practices of the Overseas Chinese as they continue to create some of Asia’s wealthiest and most successful companies. New Asian Emperors explains: The sources and characteristics of Overseas Chinese management Whether Overseas Chinese management practices will spread in the same way that Japanese management did in the 1970s Whether Western management technologies have found themselves outmaneuvered in Asia’s post-crisis arena The Overseas Chinese managers’ strategies for the informational black hole of Southeast Asia and what Western managers can learn from them The New Asian Emperors’ unique strategic perspectives and management styles revealed through exclusive, in-depth interviews The implications for successfully co-operating and competing with the Overseas Chinese of Southeast Asia New Asian Emperors offers key insights into the Overseas Chinese and the important role that cultural roots play in their dominance of Southeast Asian business.

Following in the tradition of generations of expatriate Chinese merchants, they began establishing small family businesses. Today, the authors show, these have expanded into conglomerate business empires. Entrusting corporate divisions almost exclusively to relatives, and dealing extensively with fellow expatriates, these entrepreneurs have formed close-knit and formidable business spheres throughout Southeast Asia - a "bamboo network."