This text, while it proposes many ideas about how the P.R.C. has succeeded economically over the past thirty years, presumably by studying and adapting western methods to its own ends, does fall short of illustrating substantially any justification about how the free market can be reconciled with a state - run culture and country run by party rules. It also proposes China was substantially unscathed by the latest financial crises; something probably meant to be read by people who are uninformed. The book begins by questioning, in view of the monolithic success of P.R.C. and its command / free market model economy with communism in its foundation and background, what the survivability of the "American" model laissez - faire capitalism in a political environment of liberal democracy could be in view of the newer influences of economic disciplines and public, and political (civic and civil) restrictions such as are now prevalent in P.R.C.
The background of the current economic climes in P.R.C. is illustrated as having its origin in the time of Deng Xiao - ping ("three times up an down") whence the western leaning of many elements in the system of the P.R.C., and principally the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Deng was made famous, among other things, by stating "I do not care about the color of the cat, as long as he catches mice!" This imparts the value in current Chinese culture that using utilitarian methods to accomplish commercial goals is a major solution to accomplishments in worldwide competition. The text goes through the various corporate reforms under Deng, including the creation of Special Economic Zones, State and Collectively Owned Enterprises (SOE's and COE's,) and Township and Village Enterprises (TVE's) among others. Said corporate entities were created in order: i. To increase worker productivity, and ii. To attract foreign direct investment, the money of which, incidentally, is probably completely gone at this point. The book also illustrates typical hyper - successful Chinese entrepreneurs within China: Ye Mao zhong, Jian Xi pei, Guo Zhen xi, Zhang Yong, Yuan Ya fei, Feng Jun, Luyang Jiang, Zhong Qing hou, Zhou Hong ji, Zhang Lau and others. These are exclusive of Chinese outside China like the very well - to - do Steven Chen, Jerry Yang, and Andrea Jung (all the business people the author cites are men,) and no mention is made of the overseas Chinese being much more successful financially than their mainland counterparts.
The overall successes economically and socially, and the influence of Chinese society (again) are illustrated as the result of and "environment of evolutionary adaptedness" (Deng) as exemplified in the Bei jing Olympics in 2008 and the latest economics statistics. The business methods in P.R.C. are also presented in the text as currently distancing themselves from strictly utilitarian values to turn their attention to social and commercial / economic inequality, widespread poor business practices, corruption, pollution (especially of the mainland aquifers) and other difficulties that high - level management has currently pledged itself to remedy. The following topics are examined as well and a chapter is dedicated to each: a. "Spirit" - the knowledge of the Ancients and popular culture as applied to current society; b. "Land" - the Chinese approach to territorial geopolitics as administered by the party leadership and the military; c. "Energy" - as illustrated from the hegemonic Mercantilist tradition and capitalism as the game of commercial activities including party leadership, alertness, opportunism, and application of ancient ideas (Daoism, Confucianism, Legalism, and doctrines of Sun Tzu and the like.) Chinese management is illustrated in the end as being autocratic with many redeeming features, of which the characteristics of adaptation, reciprocity, consensus, ...
The author goes so far as to cite and compare Chinese methods with the theories and practices of Frederick Taylor's management style, and the same with those of Alfred Chandler, Ronald Coase and Oliver Williamson as a continuum of ideas leading to Chinese principles at present. Only a few paragraphs are committed to this conclusive prose and the validity of this type of continuity is doubtful and in the reviewer's opinion the current Chinese methods are industrial and technological, scientific and cultural, even agricultural in nature, in the older, twentieth - century sense, without consideration to or any focus on the actual benefit of such business methods and activities in a world of more advanced doctrines and principles, that is the present basis for their corporate forms of business.
THS
