International Business Strategy (Guanxi) in China and Taiwan Dissertation - 1

International Business Strategy (Guanxi) in China and Taiwan - Dissertation Example The literature review in Chapter two provides a meta-analysis of previous research on guanxi and also an updating of this body of work to take account of the experiences of recent times and globalisation. There follows in Chapter three a consideration of the ethical issues surrounding guanxi, including its role in fostering Corporate Social Responsibility in China and Taiwan. Chapter four concentrates on recent events, presenting a case study from Taiwan with the aim of illustrating some of the issues that arise when guanxi goes wrong. Both theoretical and practical dimensions of guanxi in the context of international business are explored, along with some of the complex social and political factors that are currently influencing business practices in China and the surrounding region. It is suggested that guanxi is changing in the new global context. The study concludes that establishing guanxi is an essential business strategy for western MNEs to be successful in China and Taiwan an d that it will remain a very important part of Chinese business culture. A number of implications for both Eastern and Western partners are listed, showing how they will each have to adapt to the way that guanxi is evolving. Keywords: China, Taiwan, guanxi, culture, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, international business, reputation management. ... Despite the amount of material available on the subject, there is very little clarity in terms of what it means in the globalised world, and how Western investors and partners can best deal with guanxi. Another important factor is the very fast pace of change in China which tends to make even some very recent scholarship obsolete within a short space of time. It is important to understand what guanxi really is, where it comes from, and how it has developed and changed throughout China’s long history. The present study explores in particular the new global context for guanxi and looks for any implications for East/West Partnerships going into the future. The previous literature on the subject is analysed thoroughly, but the study argues also for a fresh appreciation of how guanxi is changing. This has implications both for Chinese businesses and for Western companies entering the Chinese markets and so the emphasis is on ways in which both parties can benefit from this old trad ition in a globalised context. In writing this dissertation I would like to express my gratitude for the excellent assistance I have received from xxxxxxxxx Supervisors? Tutors (sponsor? Family?) Table of Contents Preface List of Figures. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION. 1.1 Chinese Culture in the Modern World. 1.2 Aims and Methodology. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW. 2.1 Origins of guanxi. 2.2 Definitions of guanxi. 2.3 Guanxi from the Western point of view. CHAPTER THREE: ETHICS AND GUANXI. 3.1 Is guanxi ethical? 3.2 Guanxi and corporate social responsibility. CHAPTER FOUR: GOVERNMENT AND GUANXI. . 4.1 Guanxi and the government. 4.2 Case Study: Chen Sui-Bian and the Corruption Incident in Taiwan. 4.3 Changes in guanxi and implications for Chinese and Western companies. CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND