China 2.0 : The Transformation of an Emerging Superpower... and the New Opportunities

by Zhang, Marina Yue; Stening, Bruce W.

• ISBN13: 9780470824238
• ISBN10: 0470824239
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-01-19
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

The World Wide Web underwent a revolution several years ago when it was transformed from purely being a source of information to a platform on which users could interact and collaborate with one another, and out of which web-based communities grew. "The Web" became "Web 2.0". The effects of this participative, interactive use of the Internet have been pervasive, impacting on many aspects of societies around the world.However, Web 2.0 has been much more profound in its impact on China than on any other country. China is in the midst of a radical transformation that has - thus far - not been well understood, especially by foreigners. Interconnection and collaboration among Chinese citizens using Web 2.0 is real and massive - indeed, among the 300 million Internet users and over 600 million mobile phone users in China, the level of connectivity is staggering. The mobilization of public opinion, though under the government's censorship, has caused a new social order in China.Besides fundamentally altering the social order, Web 2.0 is impacting massively on the way that business is done (most especially, relationships with consumers) and the way public opinion is handled. Even more profoundly, it is creating a level of political transparency and institutional reforms which China has thus far avoided. It is no exaggeration to claim that a completely new era in China 's five-thousand year historical development - China 2.0 - has arrived.This book carefully maps the ways in which China is being transformed socially, politically, technologically and economically - and the implications of those changes for a variety of stakeholders. One thing is absolutely clear - engaging with China on the basis of previous philosophies and practices will not work in China 2.0. All manner of stakeholders - businesspersons, corporations and governments, among others - need to develop a new mindset and new skills if they are to be effective in China .While China 2.0 poses new challenges, it also creates a multitude of new opportunities which this book points to. At a time in world economic history when options are disappearing much faster than they are being created, and in which new crises appear on an almost daily basis, understanding China 2.0 should not be regarded as something that is merely interesting but, rather, as something that is imperative.

Author Biography

Dr. Marina Zhang has over 15 years of experience in management consulting and executive education in diversified cultural contexts. She works as a management consultant and coach, and lectures at various universities in and outside of China. Her specialty is in high-tech startups, technological innovation in the network economy and cross-cultural management. Marina obtained her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Peking University, and her MBA and PhD in management from the Australian National University. She is lives in Beijing with her husband and two daughters.

Marina is the author of High-Tech Entrepreneurship in Asia (Edward Elgar, 2007).

Bruce W. Stening is Professor of Management and Vlerick International Dean to the BiMBA Program in the National School of Development at Peking University. He is the author of six books, including The Chinese Business Environment, and over 60 scholarly journal articles.

 

 

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Outline of the Book	p. xxiii
The China 2.0 Express Has Arrived	p. 1
China's Digital Revolution	p. 5
The Collective Power of the Chinese Public	p. 11
Conflict of Civilizations	p. 16
Neither Black Nor White, But Gray: China's Unique Business System	p. 27
"A Harmonious Society": Political Slogan or Imperative for Sustainability?	p. 31
"Mountain Village Version": Can China Be Truly Innovative?	p. 38
Can China Save Capitalism?	p. 46
Notes	p. 52
Chinese Walls Are Falling Down	p. 55
Information Cascades: Mechanism for Mobilizing Public Opinion	p. 57
China is Getting Flat	p. 60
From Personal Letters to SMS in Everybody's Hands	p. 69
The Rise of Grassroots Reporters	p. 73
The Emergence of Handheld Media	p. 77
The Digital Revolution of Media	p. 79
Upset the Chinese Public at Your Peril	p. 84
Key Messages in This Chapter	p. 87
Notes	p. 87
One Billion Consumers Are Waking Up	p. 89
The Emerging "Black Collar" Class	p. 91
The Rising White Collar Class	p. 94
The Untapped Blue Collar Class	p. 96
Interactive Marketing to Identify and Reach-Potential Consumers	p. 98
At Long Last, the Consumer is King in China	p. 103
Leveraging the Crowd Wisdom of Consumers	p. 105
Lock in Consumers' Attention by Enhancing Their Experience	p. 107
The Double-Edged Sword of Interactive Marketing	p. 109
The Invisible Hand Behind Interactive Marketing	p. 111
Brand Building Through Delivering Cultural Values to and Emotional Connections with Consumers	p. 113
Window Shopping Online, Purchasing in Person	p. 120
Case Study: Contaminated Baby Formula and China's Hidden Unharmonious Society	p. 122
Key Messages in This Chapter	p. 130
Notes	p. 131
The Mix of China's Capitalism	p. 135
It Takes Two to Tango, But Can Three Dance Together?	p. 136
Private Capitalism: Surviving in the Niche	p. 140
State Capitalism: Representing the Country	p. 143
International Capitalism: Bridging China with the World	p. 154
China's "Sarbanes-Oxley Act"	p. 171
Key Messages in This Chapter	p. 172
Notes	p. 173
Building a Harmonious Society	p. 175
China's Political Regime	p. 178
Military Actions Follow the Party';s Order, But Political Power Comes from the Barrel of a Gun	p. 185
Unharmonious Elements Challenge Sustainable Development	p. 186
The Revolution in the Party's Ideology: The More Things Stay the Same, the More They Change	p. 210
The Road to a Harmonious Society	p. 214
Land Reform: Sweeping the Minefield	p. 221
Rebuilding the Party's Accountability	p. 224
Key Messages in This Chapter	p. 226
Notes	p. 227
The Dawn of China's Century?	p. 229
China Is Roaring onto the World Stage	p. 233
Lenovo Group, the Flagship of China's Globalization	p. 237
China Needs the World	p. 240
The World Needs China	p. 241
Reality Check: Is Chinese Manufacturing a Worldwide Powerhouse?	p. 243
Chinese Nationalism: Victim Mentality or National Pride?	p. 247
Can China Convince the World That Its Global Ambitions Are Benign?	p. 252
Can China Save Capitalism?	p. 257
Key Messages in This Chapter	p. 260
Notes	p. 261
The Financial Crisis, China's Reaction, and New Opportunities	p. 263
China's Reactions to the Global Financial Crisis	p. 264
Crises Also Create Opportunities	p. 269
New Opportunities	p. 272
Key Messages in This Chapter	p. 281
Notes	p. 281
Afterword	p. 283
Not All Revolutions Are Bloody	p. 283
Web 2.0's Impact in China	p. 286
What Next?	p. 291
Notes	p. 293
Index	p. 295
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