Differences in Culture
March 23rd, 2006
Here is an upcoming conference at UC Berkeley Law School that relates to a number of the discussion threads that have developed on this blog ….
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN EAST ASIA: CULTURE, PSYCHOLOGY, ECONOMICS AND LAW
May 4-5, 2006, Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley
Is there something “different” about East Asian culture and psychology that means that any attempt to reform corporate governance through the adoption of Western norms is destined to fail? Or is the notion of “difference” simply an excuse for corruption and lack of transparency? And then again, do East Asian culture and psychology hold strengths for corporate governance that wait to be discovered? In a unique but essential dialogue, psychologists, economists, legal scholars and practitioners from the West, China and Korea will debate these questions and propose solutions at “Corporate Governance in East Asia: Culture, Psychology, Economics and Law”. Keynote speakers will include the founder of the World Bank’s Global Corporate Governance Forum, Stijn Claessens, and psychologist Richard Nisbett, author of “The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners think Differently … and Why”. For anyone trying to conduct business or simply understand East Asian cultures, this conference will provide unparalleled depth and breadth of insights.
Entry Filed under: Pre-Departure, China
6 Comments Add your own
1. Caroll Moya | March 24th, 2006 at 12:33 am
This upcoming event sounds intriguing. In many ways, James McGregor addresses these similar issues in his book One Million Customers. I Googled the event and if anyone is interested I believe registration is $100 for students, which includes a breakfast, two lunches, and a lot of valuable information… not a bad deal! For further information here is a link:
Corporate Governance in East Asia
2. Darren Deedon | March 25th, 2006 at 11:48 pm
Through our studies of our business practices, and international business practices, I have also wondered if foreign businesses and their unique business cultures might lead us to adopt “new” “better, faster, cheaper” business practices. Or, will it be their culture be forced to change to our standards, in order to compete as an economic powerhouse.
Think about it. How long can China and India continue to steal other counties intellectual property, until they face a world economic backlash? We are not the only nation that guards our IP as if our life depends on it. If they can’t be trusted, the business opportunities are quite as great as they could be (yet still very significant).
I hope to hear more about this very interesting subject.
3. Mike Rogers | March 26th, 2006 at 8:39 pm
While countries, such as China and India, may seek to imitate the United States in the short run in order to catch up, I believe in the long they will develop their own business culture. Take for example China, for two thousand years Chinese civilization was literally the center of the economic world. Even look at the Chinese characters for China, they translate to the “Middle Kingdom.” There is too much history and pride there for the Chinese to not attempt to develop their own style of business.
So, is there something in Asian culture that predetermines that any attempt to reform coporate governance through Western norms will fail? Not necessarily. They are a highly motivated society, seeking to better themselves and their country. For the time being, imitating the West helps them do that. In the future, though, I believe the Chinese will try to return to center of the globe.
4. Deirdre Byrne | March 26th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
I think that China will continue to adopt Western forms of doing business to the extent that they can no longer benefit from doing so. There is still obviously a lot which they can learn from the West, both in terms of business structure and technical know how. However as to whether they will ever totally embrace Western business standards I doubt it. Even if they wanted to they probably wouldn’t be able. Certain aspects of the manner in which business is preformed there are too intertwined with their culture and history to ever change completely.
5. Drew Lassen | March 28th, 2006 at 4:04 pm
This is an interesting topic to explore in conjunction with the post made a couple of weeks back on Feb 14. entitled “English Corner”. On one hand, traditional Chinese customs may prohibit efforts to westernize their ideas of corporate governance. On the other hand, there appears to be a wave of well-educated, high-achieving individuals that prefer the western way of doing business. These are the future controllers of Chinese business and Chinese policy, and it looks like they are likely candidates for changing the status quo.
6. Elisabeth Suiter | April 1st, 2006 at 10:53 pm
The topic of intellectual property protection is an interesting one. Some of us are in Burgunder’s class this quarter which addresses this issue, and he has made a point on how stronger intellectual properties may be good for some of us, but it can literally choke to death some conomies which are built around the ability to make cheap imitations. I asked on the panel headed by our Dean a couple months back if they believed that people buying counterfeit products were really lost sales, or if it was possible that those people would not have bought the original if the counterfeit was not available anyway. The issue remains that we must protect intellectual property to the extent to which creativity can continue to be encouraged, but stronger intellectual property rights may not always mean better, according to what we have begun to learn in Burgunder’s class. So then, while we sit and wait for China to conform to our standards, we may have to consider the possibility that maybe they really shouldn’t.
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