Doing Business in China : Report From a Field Study Trip

This book is about the theory and practice of doing business in China and is based on M.Sc. students evaluated assignments related to a field study trip to China. The book is organised into six chapters. Chapter one reflects on why one should do business in China. Reasons for doing business in China are, among others, access to low cost production and to a rapid growing market for products due to high economic growth in China. The second chapter is concerned with Chinese business culture. When engaging in business in China, it is important to pay attention to cultural aspects. One should adapt to local customs, habits and traditions. The third chapter is concerned with drivers and barriers for offshoring production to China. Furthermore the chapter addresses four challenges with offshoring to China as well as discusses the degree of planning before the offshoring takes place. The fourth chapter is about innovation in China. The chapter provides an overall knowledge of how Chinese market structure has led to increased focus on cost innovation, and provides an increased understanding of innovation in a Chinese context. The fifth chapter deals with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). With the globalisation of trade, having a strong focus on CSR has become even more important. This also applies to a Chinese context. A company entering China needs to gain an understanding of the CSR issues related to the national context. The final chapter focuses on the overall learning process obtained from this field study trip to China.