The West cannot afford to ignore China. Not only is China one of the few markets in the world that is still showing healthy signs of growth, but Chinese companies are increasingly coming out into the wider world and competing with Western firms on their own turf. China is the coming economic superpower of the Twenty-first-century, and now is the time to start understanding China and building relationships to it. This book aims to describe some features of the Chinese business environment and culture, including the origins and development of that culture, and introduce Western business people to some of the key features, as well as some of the less obvious ones. It offers cautionary tales and warnings of risk, along with advice on how the latter can be overcome. It breaks down a number of misconceptions about China and offers managers a more realistic view of management in China today.
'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
'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