This book describes how a deeper knowledge and understanding of cultural differences represents a meaningful and useful tool for management of companies, and in particular SMEs, in the People’s Republic of China. After introductory chapters on the internationalization of SMEs and the role played by management in this process, the authors explore the implications of academic discourses on culture and its dimensions for company management. The influence of Chinese cultural roots and the country’s current cultural environment on management is then examined, with provision of guidance on response to the identified challenges. A key feature of the book is the presentation of important recent fieldwork in the main economic regions of China. This research further clarifies how business culture and cultural differences impact on company activities in China and casts light on various aspects of the adaptive capability of SMEs within the country, highlighting the value of cultural awareness and intelligence. The book will be of interest to academics and practitioners alike.

This collection of papers from the 2007 International Conference on Knowledge Management, organized by the Executive Academy of the Vienna University of Economics jointly with the International Knowledge Management Society (IKMS), the Austrian Society for Technology Policy (ÖGTP), the Platform Knowledge Management (PWM), the Society of Learning (SoL Austria), the Competence Centre for Knowledge Management Linz, the Austrian Computing Society (OCG), Business Innovation Consulting (BIC-Austria) and Knowledge Management Associates (KMA), represents recent outstanding work by researchers and practitioners in the field of knowledge management.

In a world defined by increasing uncertainty and complexity, understanding the concept of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) is of critical importance. This volume convenes some of the world’s leading experts on EO to provide readers with an overview of the current state of EO research and set a compelling agenda for its future.

Focussing on the way in which relationships at various levels underpin international business activities, this core textbook presents a contemporary and realistic analysis of International Business in action. The concept of change permeates the text, highlighting the dynamic and often turbulent nature of international business and management. The book brings together many operational aspects of IB, covering topics such as market entry decision making, marketing, strategy, international HR, supply chain management, and the role of culture in IB, thus providing a good overview of the various practical and operational issues that firms must consider as they internationalise their operations. This is the ideal companion for undergraduate and postgraduate Business students taking modules in International Business or International Management.

This collective book offers a cross-country perspective on the internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Scholars from prestigious institutions in Europe, North America, Australia and China provide new insights on how SMEs develop and perform their international activities.

In contemporary economies, businesses must consistently make strides to remain competitive and profitable at both national and international levels. Unlike in the developed world, corporations in developing nations face a different set of challenges for achieving growth. Multinational Enterprise Management Strategies in Developing Countries is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on diverse opportunities and obstacles facing multinational corporations in emerging economies. Highlighting innovative perspectives and real-world examples, this book is ideally designed for researchers, practitioners, upper-level students, and industry professionals interested in management approaches for achieving success in international corporations.

Smaller companies are abundant in the business realm and outnumber large companies by a wide margin. To maintain a competitive edge against other businesses, companies must ensure the most effective strategies and procedures are in place. This is particularly critical in smaller business environments that have fewer resources. Start-Ups and SMEs: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a vital reference source that examines the strategies and concepts that will assist small and medium-sized enterprises to achieve competitiveness. It also explores the latest advances and developments for creating a system of shared values and beliefs in small business environments. Highlighting a range of topics such as entrepreneurship, innovative behavior, and organizational sustainability, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for entrepreneurs, business managers, executives, managing directors, academicians, business professionals, researchers, and graduate-level students.

Culture and Business in Asia is an analytical, comparative guide to modern Asian business. Using in-depth interviews, it describes the links between culture and business in India, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, Taiwan and Singapore. Each chapter examines the influence of business culture on decision-making in the areas of ownership, finance, governance, organisation, management and strategy. Key benefits: - Gives a vivid view of how Asian business decision-makers experience the world of work - Includes a unique focus on India - Encourages critical thinking - Examines the relationship of social, political and economic cultures to business. - Provides a cultural platform for business in the profitable but competitive markets of Asia.

This volume sets out in search of what we call ‘Confucian HRM’ in Greater China and beyond. It covers theory and practice not only in the People’s Republic of China but also in the Overseas Chinese (Nanyang) Diaspora, namely in Hong Kong and Taiwan, among others. It will seek to understand how far traditional Chinese culture and values continue to influence the degree to which the human resource management (HRM) as adopted in those cultural contexts has been implemented. Confucian HRM in Greater China includes a wide range of concepts such as Confucian HRM, employee participation, family firms, ‘guanxi’, learning and job satisfaction, local labour markets, performance-based pay, training policies, and women’s roles in employment. A wide range of international contributors provide the reader with diverse theories, methodologies and perspectives, arguing that the continuity of traditional Chinese values is indeed still empirically observable in the contemporary practice of people-management in Greater China. The contributors are all experts in their fields who teach and research on HRM in many faculties throughout the world. This book was originally published as a special issue of The International Journal of Human Resource Management.

Acknowledging China’s established status as a global sporting superpower, this is the first book to systematically investigate sport policy in that country. With a focus on sport development in the most recent three decades, Sport Policy in China explores a wide range of topics in Chinese sport, including elite sport development, professional sports, major sports events, sport for all, the political context within which sport is interiorised and the distinctive sporting status of Hong Kong. It examines the debates around policy, globalisation, diplomacy and soft power, as well as the significance of the principle of ‘one country, two systems’. With international appeal, this book is a valuable resource for students and researchers in the fields of sport policy, sport management, sport development and sport sociology.