Naps in the office - perhaps the secret of China's digital success?

Networking China: The Digital Transformation of the Chinese Economy A political economy of China's new digital capitalism In recent years, China’s leaders have taken decisive action to transform information, communications, and technology (ICT) into the nation's next pillar industry. In Networking China, Yu Hong offers an overdue examination of that burgeoning sector's political economy. Hong focuses on how the state, in conjunction with market forces and class interests, is constructing and realigning its digitalized sector. State planners intend to build a more competitive ICT sector by modernizing the network infrastructure, corporatizing media-and-entertainment institutions, and by using ICT as a crosscutting catalyst for innovation, industrial modernization, and export upgrades. The goal: to end China's industrial and technological dependence upon foreign corporations while transforming itself into a global ICT leader. The project, though bright with possibilities, unleashes implications rife with contradiction and surprise. Hong analyzes the central role of information, communications, and culture in Chinese-style capitalism. She also argues that the state and elites have failed to challenge entrenched interests or redistribute power and resources, as promised. Instead, they prioritize information, communications, and culture as technological fixes to make pragmatic tradeoffs between economic growth and social justice. "In great detail and with the careful reflection of a seasoned scholar, Yu Hong describes the astounding growth of digital technology in China and its complex and powerful ramifications at home and abroad."--Vincent Mosco, author of To the Cloud: Big Data in a Turbulent World "Yu Hong's book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the role China's cutting-edge information technology sector has played in the nation's unprecedentedly rapid economic development. She provides excellent insight into the nuances of state policies on key communications systems, and does so with a keen, discerning eye for the vital issues affecting the present and future course of China's networked economy."--Eric Harwit, author of China's Telecommunications Revolution http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/78hhc2pr9780252040917.html

16th EDAMBA Summer Academy, 2007

The overarching research question is how internationalization of R&D influences the development of dynamic capabilities. This question is raised out of the following observed phenomenon -Chinese high-tech companies internationalizing parts of their R&D activities to western countries. This phenomenon is in contrary to most of the established views on international R&D Management. To accomplish our research we conduct a qualitative multiple-case study using data of four Chinese high-tech firms to develop testable hypotheses. At the current stage of this research in progress we started to collect data in a web survey to detect the phenomenon, and conducted structured interviews in the pilot and the additional cases.

2023

Navigating the intricate landscape of digital transformation collaboration between Europe and China unveils a terrain rife with challenges and laden with opportunities. The convergence of distinct cultures, regulatory frameworks, and technological landscapes demands a sophisticated approach for success. Among the challenges are the regulatory disparities that echo through the digital realm, demanding meticulous attention to compliance intricacies. Cross-cultural communication, especially in the rapidly evolving digital space, adds another layer of complexity that necessitates adept strategies. However, within these challenges lie unprecedented opportunities. The expansive Chinese market, undergoing rapid digital evolution, opens avenues for European companies to innovate and expand. Ventures in emerging technologies, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence hold the promise of mutual growth. Crucially, success hinges on cross-cultural strategies. Beyond being an ethical consideration, understanding cultural nuances becomes a strategic imperative. Effective communication, culturally attuned product design, and collaborative decision-making emerge as linchpins for prosperous digital ventures. This article delves into the heart of digital collaboration challenges and opportunities between Europe and China, spotlighting companies that have navigated this intricate terrain. It aims to provide insights and lessons, offering a roadmap for those embarking on the transformative journey of digital collaboration between these two global powerhouses.

Strategy Science, 2021

Chinese firms have been widely seen as imitative. This historical case study explores what organizational mechanisms allowed Tencent, a Chinese firm in the fast-changing instant messaging (IM) service sector, to achieve a new-to-the-world innovation with its WeChat smartphone app. Tracing the competitive dynamics in the Chinese IM sector from its inception, we found that Tencent was able to create the innovative WeChat product through a crisis-induced intrafirm coopetition dynamic that was embedded in variation-selection-retention evolutionary processes spanning the market, the firm, and the business unit levels. Building on the intrafirm coopetition and evolutionary literatures, the paper shows that three business units simultaneously competed and cooperated in developing alternative IM products while being exposed to market selection for survival. The coopetition dynamic took place in three key areas: technology, product promotion, and complementary assets of suppliers. The relati...

International Journal of Communication, 2019

In this article, we use the example of e-commerce giant Alibaba and its outbound activities in the Asia-Pacific to illustrate how China’s digital platforms have become part of a “digital empire in the making.” The article examines how this emergent digital empire is a manifestation of “going out,” a term used by the Chinese government to rally the private sector (particularly platform capitalists) to internationalize, and how digital champions such as Alibaba have responded to and embraced an outward-bound strategy. Though the Asia-Pacific represents an important region for Chinese economic security, especially when one considers the established business interests there, extension of Chinese influence to central Asia conjures up a different kind of weida fuxing (great rejuvenation), one that evokes a great historical past—namely, the Chinese empire. Accordingly, we speculate on how digital technologies, platforms, and business mergers will facilitate Chinese influence along the digital Silk Roads.

Prometheus, 2012

2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2014

In this research, we investigated the differences in the roles and responsibilities across the CIO's job across three main regions of one country-China. In particular, we studied how CIOs of Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan varied across the regions. We found that the roles and responsibilities of China's CIOs were influenced by the region's government strategy and the maturity of its technology infrastructure. Our second finding was that the degree to which a CIO's ability to evolve his/her roles and responsibilities is constrained / supported by the ability to collaborate with the government's infrastructure and to access technological resources. And our third finding was that a CIO's exposure to global business partner's operations, technologies, and processes facilitated the need for the executive to further develop and mature their roles and responsibilities. CIOs roles have evolved to reflect the information systems (IS) infrastructure and strategy of their own firms, leading to two versions of the role: one, an executive-level manager who is focused on the firm's strategy and processes; the other a technical manager focused on minimizing costs by rationalizing and leveraging the existing IS infrastructure. The degree to which a firm has standardized its IS architecture infrastructure and the degree to which IS enables core products, services, processes, or competitive advantage of the firm impacts the nature of the role.

2009

This study aims at analyzing, discussing and reporting the results of the qualitative study which is conducted to audit the management of the innovation process in Chinese (i.e. located in China) small and medium sized companies. The analysis is based on the five critical factors for innovation management: strategic orientation, effective external linkages, supporting processes, supportive organizational context, and organizational learning (Tidd et al., 2005). Prior to the present study, authors: Fees and Lankau (2008) conducted a quantitative exploratory survey research employing a structured questionnaire in order to analyze the status quo of innovation management in China and Germany. The results of their studies revealed several deficiencies with regard to managing innovation capabilities in Chinese companies; however, qualitative research is needed to explore the richness, depth, and complexity of this phenomenon. To probe into the issue further, the data analysis of this stud...

Prometheus, 2012

This paper has two aims. First, we clarify the belief that many Chinese firms have operated quite successfully both onshore and offshore by following costcutting strategies, through process efficiency rather than innovation. Second, we explain the reasons why Chinese firms are not all innovative by means of a review of empirical studies, as well as our own examination of two technology companies. We argue that there might be a dynamic sort of innovation that combines strategic costing with organisational and technological changes, and which has contributed to the fast growth and business success of some Chinese firms on the global stage in recent years. We use institutional theory and a resource-based view of the firm to explain why firms follow either innovative or imitative strategies. In analysing the three areas of innovation in two technology-based firms, we detect both innovative and imitative behaviour in Chinese firms. Our conclusion is that not all Chinese firms are innovative. Most Chinese firms follow an imitative strategy because of an imperfect institutional environment which diminishes the protection of intellectual property rights, which we regard as a prerequisite for innovation. Where Chinese firms do exhibit innovative behaviour, this is still predominantly strategic cost innovation, not innovation as it is commonly perceived and understood by researchers in the West.