Harsh language, I know. I wanted to get your attention.

One pattern I often see in discussions in and outside campus re: China and its many problems, is a lack of appreciation for how Beijing has its hands full trying to control its various provinces, so as a nation it can get some things in order.

E.g., see one of my prior posts such as Canary in a Coal Mine: And the Feds in Washington DC Don’t Think Our States Show Them the Love on dams, coal and coal mines, other, etc.

And here are three more ‘Exhibit As’ that touch on Beijing’s dilemma in this regard and just how rebellious and disobedient some of these provinces can be:

Check out this excellent feature by Australian TV on China’s Ghost Cities and Malls in some of its provinces (h/t to Amanda Podesta for this share).

Wall Street Journal, Parts of China Missed Memo on Old-Tech Transfer Rules

NY Times, Far From Beijing’s Reach, Officials Bend Energy Rules.

And see China hand David Wolf’s excellent blog post on his Silicon Hutong blog, Beijing vs. the Provinces:  A Rethink.

So to appreciate this issue and deepen learning, let’s personalize things a bit.

What is an example, in your past or current personal or professional life, where a request or mandate was given to you by a higher authority in your organization (or to others you knew or worked with) and you either intentionally ignored said request or tried to find a way around it, or saw others or other departments in the organization try to do so, because it personally benefited you (or them) to do so?

What theory have you studied in one or more of your classes explains this phenomenon?

Why does it happen over and over and over again in business organizations?

What, if anything, can be done to eliminate or curb it?

What type of a person/business leader has the best chance of eliminating or curbing this in his/her business organization?

Discuss. And welcome to the reality and difficulty of business, which the business bashers of the world don’t appreciate — they think we just wave a magic wand in our organizations and all proceeds smoothly and people/departments/units happily skip along and do what they are asked.

You would also be mistaken to contend that we do not have these same types of power grab and disobediance issues between the feds and the provinces (here, though, we call them states) in in the US. See, e.g., this WSJ article, Backlash Endangers California Pot Dispensaries.