The Overseas Chinese are among the most important groups of entrepreneurs in human history. Their contributions in the forthcoming economic reconstruction of much of East Asia will necessarily be immense. The New Asian Emperors provides a concise, highly readable and insightful analysis of why they are so critical to the future of the region and how their contributions are likely to be made.
This book should be core reading for anyone doing business in Asia at this crucial time. (Bruce W. Stening, Professor and Executive Director, Australia Asia Management Centre, The Australian National University)
The biggest effect of the Internet on the local business culture] would be
to fill South-East Asia’s “informational black hole”, a phrase coined by
George and Usha Haley and Chin Tiong Tan in an important study of overseas
Chinese tycoons, New Asian Emperors (Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998).
Developed economies are awash with public data to be crunched and pored over
by analysts and market researchers. South-East Asia, by contrast, is
conspicuously devoid of public information. That makes it hard for
foreigners to do business there, but suits local tycoons splendidly. In the
absence of public sources, information of any kind becomes private and
privileged. It creates opportunities without risk. That is why the “bamboo
network” of whispers and winks has proved so successful in the past.
Finding public information about the lack of public information is tricky,
but Mr Haley and his colleagues had a good try. They used articles written
about business in the region as a proxy, and found that in the late 1980s,
when foreign investors were getting interested, Asian business received only
5% of the coverage of American business. In the early 1990s, as the tigers
became more fashionable, coverage of Asian business went up, but not by
much; and, surprisingly, when the tiger bubble was at its biggest, the
number of articles declined. What little coverage there was, moreover, was
mostly of tiny but developed Singapore.
The Overseas Chinese represent what is arguably one of the most important economic and financial groups in the world, whose actions in the Pacific Rim and in other parts of the world have had profound effects on economic development, financial stability and instability, and the evolution of a wide range of industries in a global economic context. They also represent what is often a controversial economic and political force in countries dominated by other ethnic groups. This book provides a thoroughly authoritative and balanced assessment of the Overseas Chinese in terms of their roots, the role of family structures, management practices, and approaches to dealing with the Overseas Chinese business groups-which themselves will have to evolve rapidly in the years ahead if they are to succeed as true multinational enterprises. (Ingo Walter, Charles Simon Professor of Applied Financial Economics, Sydney Homer Director of the NYU Salomon Center, and Professor of International Business, Economics and Finance, Stern School of Business, New York University & Swiss Bank Corporation Professor of International Management, INSEAD)
Westerners have long assumed that there is one right way to organize and conduct large-scale business, on a foundation of rationality, individuality, and impersonality. This excellent treatise on the business philosophies and practices of the powerful the Overseas Chinese cannot fail to open Western minds to whole new ways of business thinking. Finally, a book to help Western business leaders understand the business philosophies and practices of the Overseas Chinese. Many practices of multinationals need to be altered if they are to compete with, or work with, the Overseas Chinese. This book is a must reading for any business that wants to succeed in Asia. The authors have presented a masterly picture of how business is done by the Overseas Chinese. (Philip Kotler, S. C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University)
This book is very timely as it examines in a serious but readable manner both the strengths and weaknesses of the Overseas Chinese business community, and provides a framework for understanding how this vibrant community will resurrect itself from the current crisis.
Most books on the the Overseas Chinese business community have veered between extremes: either gushing with adulation, or portraying them as a semi-conspiracy. This book takes a balanced and holistic view, and weaves in the ethical and cultural traits of the Overseas Chinese with their management practices. (Ho Kwon-Ping, President, Wah Chang Group, Owner of Banyan Tree Resorts and Chairman, Singapore Institute of Management)
'Westerners have long assumed that there is one right way to organize and conduct large-scale business, on a foundation of rationality, individuality, and impersonality. This excellent treatise on the business philosophies and practices of the powerful Overseas Chinese cannot fail to open Western minds to whole new ways of business thinking.
Finally, a book to help Western business leaders understand the business philosophies and practices of the Overseas Chinese. Many practices of multinationals need to be altered if they are to compete with, or work with, the Overseas Chinese.
This book is a must reading for any business that wants to succeed in Asia. The authors have presented a masterly picture of how business is done by the Overseas Chinese'.
Philip Kotler,
S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University
'This book is very timely as it examines in a serious but readable manner both the strengths and weaknesses of the Overseas Chinese business community, and provides a framework for understanding how this vibrant community will resurrect itself from the current crisis. Most books on the Overseas Chinese business community have veered between extremes: either gushing with adulation, or portraying them as a semi-conspiracy. This book takes a balanced and holistic view, and weaves in the ethical and cultural traits of the Overseas Chinese with their management practices'.
Ho Kwon-Ping
President, Wah Chang Group (Owner of Banyan Tree Resorts) & Chairman, Singapore Institute of Management
'In the new Asia, especially after the crisis, there will be more and more Overseas Chinese marketers. This book is very important for those who want to deal with them successfully in the true market-based global economy'.
Hermawan Kartajaya,
President, Asia Pacific Marketing Federation
'The Overseas Chinese are among the most important groups of entrepreneurs in human history. Their contributions in the forthcoming economic reconstruction of much of East Asia will necessarily be immense. The New Asian Emperors provides a conside, highly readable and insightful analysis of why they are so critical to the future of the region and how their contributions are likely to be made. This book should be core reading for anyone doing business in Asia at this crucial time'.
Bruce W. Stening,
Professor and Executive Director, Australia Asia Management Centre, The Australian National University
'The Overseas Chinese represent what is arguably one of the most important economic and financial groups in the world, whose actions in the Pacific Rim and in other parts of the world have had profound effects on economic development, financial stability and instability, and the evolution of a wide range of industries in a global economic context. They also represent what is often a controversial economic and political force in countries dominated by other ethnic groups. This book provides a thoroughly authoritative and balanced assessment of the Overseas Chinese in terms of their roots, the role of family structures, management practices, and approaches to dealing with Overseas Chinese business groups - which themselves will have to evolve rapidly in the years ahead if they are to succeed as true multinational enterprises'.
Ingo Walter,
Charles Simon Professor of Applied Financial Economics, Sydney Homer Director of the NYU Salomon Center, and Professor of International Business, Economics and Finance, Stern School of Business, New York University & Swiss Bank Corporation Professor of International Management, INSEAD
An important study of ocerseas Chinese tycoons
The Economist - 7th April 2001
