The impact of Chinese culture can be felt in all areas of business and management in China, from Chinese firms to Western companies. This edited volume integrates contributions from multiple disciplines and countries, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, France, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. More than merely a compendium of how-to-do-business-in-China tips, this book examines the influence of culture—specifically, Confucian values and Chinese traditions—on foreign direct investment, joint ventures, management styles and theories, and organizational behavior. Alon and his contributors demonstrate that significant differences still exist between Chinese and Western cultures, and that these differences require an adaptation on both sides. Chinese firms will need to adapt to the way Western organizations do busines, as well as to currents in Western management theory; meanwhile, Western firms will need to take Chinese cultural influences into account when formulating strategy. Both sides can benefit from the insights contained in this volume, which is relevant for scholars of international business, cross-cultural management, and organizational behavior.

This book provides an exhaustive view of China’s Management Control Systems (MCS), examining the development of theory and practice and presenting a framework that integrates China’s unique enterprise regulations, corporate culture and managerial mindset into management control systems. The work offers detail about the effects of China’s economic reforms on management control in Chinese enterprises and insightful comparisons with Western theory and Western examples. Readers will discover important themes and the evolution of theory in MCS, including discussions of frameworks and the links between management control and economics, management, accounting, cybernetics and system theory. Early chapters explore management control in Chinese enterprises during the period, especially the demands of (guidance, enforcement and external regulation) and the demand for (stakeholders, managers, investors) management control. The work moves on to explore Western management control theory and research, including an examination of the evolution of internal control theory. The author presents detailed perspectives on the elements of management control systems and introduces masterful new ideas and methods through four general control models and ten critical elements in the management control process. A view of management control in various different types of enterprise is presented, from special enterprises and small to medium enterprises to non-profit organizations. The standards for enterprise management control are explored. This work is a valuable practical guide for corporate management teams who wish to develop and execute their own internal control strategies. It will also provide foreign researchers, policy-makers and practitioners with a new perspective on Chinese management control experiences.

Chinese management has experienced a dramatic change in recent years. In many areas, established ideas about how Chinese management operates are oversimplified and outdated. This book sets out to provide a more realistic portrait of Chinese management today, and how it has changed dramatically over the past ten years. The portrait of contemporary Chinese management draws on extensive interviews with Chinese managers conducted by the authors. These provide a wealth of concrete illustrations of how managers deal on a daily basis with the opportunities and threats they face.

This book is a seminal contribution to decision making theory through its study of management decision making in six Beijing state enterprises during the period 1985 to 1989, when the government adopted decentralization as the key to reforming state industries. Through interviews, document surveys and analysis, the author provides a unique insight into not only the changes, but also the complex relations among managers, the Communist Party organization and planning authorities. Readers will gain a richer understanding of Chinese management issues and society.