Asian Firms

Book excerpt: This book appeals to a wide range of readers who might be interested in the historical development of Asian economies, evolutionary trajectories of Asian firms, institutional change and dynamics in Asia and management and organization of Asian firms. For readers who are interested in specific Asian economies this book will also be useful because it provides a comparative perspective that examines different Asian economies and their forms in a single work. Henry Wai-chung Yeung, National University of Singapore Tipton provides a fresh approach to understand how Asian firms differ from their western counterparts. Paul Beamish, University of Western Ontario, Canada Frank Tipton s book is a comparative study of the management structures of Asian firms. As Asian economies continue to expand, the management of Asian firms becomes ever more important, whether they are suppliers, customers, partners, or rivals. As the author argues, Asian firms are very different from their Western counterparts, and these differences reflect the variations in national history and institutions within which they operate. Asian Firms compares Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian management structures and sets them in their historical and institutional context. Based on a wide range of interviews and material drawn from a variety of disciplines, the argument is framed by the sayings of the legendary strategist Sun Tzu and the renowned businessman Tao Zhu-gong. A series of case studies illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches of managers in each of the national traditions. Asian Firms asks in each case what Western managers can learn from Asian firms, and what Asian firms can learn from each other. With a multidisciplinary approach and emphasis on practical lessons and tools, the book will be of great use and interest for managers. It will also appeal to students and researchers of international business, postgraduate management students in courses with a comparative or Asian emphasis as well as academics and researchers of Asian studies.