Conflict And Innovation ― Joint Ventures in China

By presenting these two analytical essays and eight case studies on Sino-foreign joint ventures, Douw (modern Chinese history and society, U. of Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and Kwok-bun (sociology, Hong Kong Baptist U., China) seek to emphasize the position of companies in the midst of society and show "transnational companies as sites in which different societies are represented and link up with one another in competition as well as in cooperation." The opening essays provide a historical view of the role of middlemen in the localization of Sino- foreign enterprises and review the literature on conflict and its management in such ventures. The cases studies look at joint ventures involving Dutch, Germans, Japanese, Koreans, and Taiwanese and address issues of conflict and cooperation, gender in cross-cultural management, human resources management, shared values and cultural divides, and antagonism between indigenous and expatriate managers. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Leo Douw obtained his Doctorate in the Humanities in 1991. He is Lecturer of Modern Chinese History and Society at the University of Amsterdam and the Free University Amsterdam. With Cen Huang and David Ip, he has edited in 2001 a book titled Rethinking Chinese Transnational Enterprises: Cultural Affinity and Business Strategies (London: Curzon). At present he engages in research on the organization of business enterprises and migration in colonial Taiwan (1895-1945).
Chan Kwok-bun received his doctorate in Sociology in 1978. He is Head and Professor of the Department of Sociology and Director of the David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2005, he has published two books: Chinese Identities, Ethnicity and Cosmopolitanism (London: Routledge) and Migration, Ethnic Relations and Chinese Business (London: Routledge). He is currently doing research on return migrants in Hong Kong.