Singular and Different: Business in China, Past, Present and Future

Contrary to the popular view that persists in seeing China as a land of 'one billion consumers' and that the country is on a fast track to convergence with the West, economically if not politically, this book argues that the pitfalls and dangers of business in China have not gone away - indeed in some cases they have multiplied. Cultural and political sensitivities remain powerful. China is not so much converging with the West as proceeding through a stage in its own economic and cultural evolution. Singular and Different is intended as a series of sober reflections on the differences that remain between East and West, and how Western managers can act to minimize risk and increase their own chances of success.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Why is China so Important? And Why is it so Important to Know about China? All under heaven: The Growth of Culture and Society The Language of the Han: Writing and Speaking Chinese Administering Wealth: Chinese Thinking about Economics Mutual Misunderstanding: Mandarins, Cadres, Taipans and Traders China Stands Up: The Rise of Modern China Equality and Mutual Benefit: Talking Business, Both Ways Within the Four Seas: Compatriots at Home and Abroad The Long Game: Managing Foreign Ventures in China Rushing into the Future: China's Financial Markets Seek Truth from Facts: Finding out more about China

About the Author :
IAN RAE is a businessman and consultant who has spent most of his working life in the Far East. He now writes on China, including a series of articles for Mastering Management Review, published by the Financial Times. He has also lectured on business in China at the School of Oriental and African Studies and at the London Business School. MORGEN WITZEL is a writer and lecturer. He taught business methods in china at London Business School for five years and is the author of numerous books and articles on China. He is currently honorary Senior Fellow at the School of Business and Economics, Exeter University.

Review :
'Written in a highly accessible and easy style, Singular and Different is a worthy addition to the growing library of Chinese Business Books.' - China-Britain Trade Review 'This is one of those books which I wish had been available when I first started to look at China and things Chinese in the 1970s. It is full of sage advice on the evolution of Chinese business etiquette, on the frustrations of business, and the strange Western characters who are attracted to China. There is also a clear, useful introductory analysis of why some companies have succeeded in China, while others fell by the wayside: stickability and localisation.' - John Adams, Royal Society for Asian Affairs