A Personal Introduction
Doing business in foreign countries often involves questioning your own "self-evident truths" of business. Business culture in the East Asian countries of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, and South East Asian countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines differs greatly between them, and indeed from Anglo Saxon cultures. Our Asian business columnists explore a variety of real situations in doing business in Asia, with a stress on cultural differences. There are business tips aplenty, developed in the style of each columnist, from locals in their own countries to those working in countries away from their country of birth. But more than just tips, we hope our columnists convey some of what only comes from experience, making mistakes, and continually learning, - the "feel" for doing business and living in Asian countries.
1968 Melbourne Australia
As a young budding old goanna player of 16, newly converted to the earthy feel of a range of black blues artists from Otis Redding, Howling Wolf, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins, BB King (in fact - all 3 Kings), Aretha Franklin's sacred gospel, to Nina Simone's gut wrenching soul, later populists like Ray Charles, Ry Cooder, to jazz derivatives like Theolonius Monk, Ellington, MJQ, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis, I remember fronting up, battered second-hand Hohner Clavinet in hand, to audition for what was to become one of Melbourne's finest blues bands. Around me were people that were to become household names in Melbourne's burgeoning Rock scene, in bands such as Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons, Pelaco Brothers, Lobby Lloyd and the Elks.
As we launched into a free for all rendition of "No-body knows you when you're down and out", I became aware of the diminutive sax player becoming increasingly agitated... Shouted out for everyone to stop and amidst the hum of clapped out Fender Twin Reverb amps and the cymbal's clash reverbrating into thin air he muttered.. Heh we've got it all f**** wrong...! You're all too busy. Work together... ..And there's no feel... It sounds like you're reading off bloody sheet music.
Then he shut his eyes, and started a slow simple basic riff on his sax that seemed to come from anywhere than sheet music. As if wrenching the world wide collective soul from long-lost sufferers, a few simple rich notes, repeated over and over pierced the rancid stuffy smoky air in the backyard garage lined with old egg cartons. One by one, we all joined in,...
As the last reprise faded out, and he removed his mouth from the sax, I saw him for the first time, beaming a smile, seemingly borne from the relief and exhilaration of going to someplace else and back... All around me there was a poignant silence as we waited for a reaction..
That's it guys... It's the FEEL!..., he exclaimed, as all broke into applause and reached for their reefers..
2000, Singapore
A Singaporean academic I met in my early days in Asia, complaining of the raft of foreigners invading the university, stated it clearly - "They can never really know what it is like here - that comes from years of not only reading books, but eating the food, breathing the air, waiting in queues, interminable social gatherings, raising families and paying the landlord."
One of the key beliefs of the founders of the Asia Pacific Management Forum 5 years ago was that success in business and management in Asia was not only a function of left brain rationality, but also right brain "feel". It was felt that the then nascent Web provided a great means to reflect the "feel" of doing business in Asia, along with the provision of objective research, facts, and figures. ..And what better vehicle than real managers and consultants actually working in the region, rather than just researchers studying the region - many from abroad. The Asia Pacific Management Forum columnists have turned this belief into reality, as surely as I learned for the first time back in that backyard garage, what FEEL was all about...
Rod Davies
Managing Editor
Asian Business Strategy and Street Intelligence Ezine, Asia Pacific Management Forum
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Meet the columnists
Street Intelligence - and the soul of the Asia Pacific Management Forum
Clarence Henderson is a gung-ho writer. Always entertaining, personal, incisive, and with the insider business and background savvy to back it up, Clarence is a mix of gonzo journalist, historian, and business writer. His original takes on corruption in the Philippines (Cronies and Booty Capitalism), the vagaries of Erap ( Filipino Political Theatre), the under-side ( Bloodsport in Manila, BlackJack Filipino Style and Eva from Cebu), is mixed with tips to make your business in this crazy place just a little more stable. An American in Paris is nothing compared to our American in Manila. Don't forget to visit Pearl of the Orient Seas every month. Monthly.
Piset Wattanavutukal is our newest columnist, and it was about time we had a China-based column in the APMF. ..And not only based in China, but Shanghai - perhaps China's most exciting, romantic, and certainly most historically significant business city. But for our purposes, Shanghai represents the promise of China's first real integration into a global economy ever (in a very long history that makes Western civilization seem puny and an upstart), and an unprecedented opening up of China as both an export and import market. Piset is Chinese Thai, Chinese in ethnicity but Thai in nationality, so he is at the same time, a stranger in a strange land as our EAB member Gary Fontaine would have it, but also is - at his roots - Chinese. So his unique expertise as both a foreigner and a Chinese is extremely valuable. Both a businessman and an educator, Piset's clear writing style, grasp of the issues, and knowledge of China is a great help to those entering the Chinese market. For China is indeed - an Awakening Dragon... Piset also invites guest columnists as well. Monthly.
Frank Yu provides a personal view on China strategy from Hong Kong. As of writing, Frank's column is only a few days old but we expect many to warm to his friendly, chatty, and incisive style. Working mainly in the Internet field and a great believer in research he is involved with some of the most well known names in the East Asian tech fields such as China dot com, and several new internet ventures. He is also the author of several very highly recommended web logs including Ion Collidor and Brand Recon, as well as a columnist for the South China Morning Post. Frank is the closest we have to a real live Chinese Web entrepreneur who will change the way East Asia works.
Meet Frank at China Recon every month for more China strategy direct from that other Pearl of the Orient - Hong Kong. Monthly
Paul Temporal's Branding Tips is the flagship column on Branding Asia dot Com, presenting extracts and case studies from his latest books including "Branding in Asia" (John Wiley 1999). Paul is perhaps the leading expert on how to create strong Asian brands and turn them into global brands consulting with some of the most well-known companies in Asia including SingTel, Motorola, and Malaysia Airlines. Monthly.
Henry Astorga is a Filipino who made the trip West to work and establish himself in Los Angeles USA. While our columnists generally are local Asian business people working in their own country of birth, or Westerners who have taken the reverse trip (from West to East), Henry analyses the Asian work experience in the West. In perhaps one of the world's most dense collection of Asian expatriates, Henry examines how Asians make the transition to the West, and how best to manage Asian expatriate workers and managers.
Don't forget to visit East-West Strategies every month for more on the Asian perspective of a Western workplace and management strategies.
Also from Branding Asia dot Com, Deenaz Damania presents McCann-Erickson's Consumer Insights, a monthly focus on general findings from their focus groups held throughout the region. In the past Deenaz has focused on several consumer groups including women, Malaysian teens, and Malaysian holiday makers. Monthly.
Market Research Graffiti has just commenced with an article on market research agencies vs advertising agencies. It is targeted towards market research professionals working in Asia or on Asian accounts. While editors will be starting the column off, we hope to feature the work of others. Contributions are welcome. Approx Monthly. Details available from Chiyo Hyiuki.
The Chao Phraya River Rat (aka Asia Pacific Management News) was one of the first columnists on the APMF, (and indeed the net). The Bangkok
Post calls it an "alternative view of.. ..area news.. ...it
is to news as alternative music is to music, but has some different,
original and often amusing slants....". Sometimes quirky, but always alternative and questioning in nature, themes cover all areas of business management and culture - designed to re-inforce a learning point from original analysis of news both from the mainstream press and a network of journalist mates we have be-friended over the years in the region. Often news items here contributed by journalists whose own papers won't print them. Several items emanate from late nights at well-known scribe hideouts like the various journalists clubs, the "Front Page", Albion Hotel and the Thermae. The scope covers South East Asia and Australia. Contributions are always welcome. See the information page. Daily - except when we are REALLY busy...
Hari Ini is a recent column, but being published daily it has already amassed a considerable archive. It is sourced and written in most part by the Chao Phraya River Rat. We just edit out the litigious content. Featured on the APMF Home Page, and archived by month here, Hari Ini is a chaotic repository of comment, satire, new Web sites, announcements, and on-the-street observations, which we would miss if we waited for the recalcitrant Rat to chronicle them formally. When he's lazy he just sends them here. Some of the items, however, are expanded into a full item form the Chao Phraya River Rat column subsequently. Lacking in detail, or authority - but enough to get you thinking every working day. Again we are happy to publicize upcoming conferences, relevant Websites and products here, but please note the reviewing style is short and satirical. The editors take no responsibility for what the mean Rat may do to your offering.... Contributions to Chiyo Hyiuki.
Boye Lafayette de Mente is a renowned author and observer of Asian management culture, having penned over a dozen books on Japanese, Korean, and Chinese management in particular. Asian Code Words consists of extracts from his recent books, and occasionally Boye drops in a "live" item as well. There are many "how-to" books on working in Asia. Yet Boye manages to rise above the dross characteristic of many of these offerings. His style is to introduce an Asian management or cultural keyword or phrase, and explain it's significance for those working in East Asia, or with Chinese, Korean and Japanese organizations. Boye has spent many years in East Asia and his observations come from hard-won experience. You can also order his books from the link on every page.
Kriengsak Nirattapanasai has become a great mate of the forum over 3 years. Thai by birth and resident in Thailand, his Thailand Tales is a straight-forward no-nonsense guide to doing business in Thailand by a Thai who is honest about the shortcomings and strengths of both local Thai business and the falang. Working in several organizations, including Kepner Tregoe (Thailand), and now as a VP in the Thai Danu Bank, he has seen what works and what doesn't and has seen the bad falangs as well as the good falang's. Uncharacteristically honest about the failings of both falang and Thai attitudes to business, Kriengsak also helps foreigners understand the many customs of Thai's and how best to work with his countrymen, including the meaning of all those strange but significant Thai phrases. Coming up to his 30th column, Kriengsak has received many thankful e-mails from foreigners, and has followed up his words with real action, running workshops on working with Thai's for organizations such as the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. See his columns on MaiPen Rai, Nan the Cow, Thai Nicknames and The Monk's Tale. Homespun Thai philosophy with an edge... Monthly.
It would be remiss of us not to mention the recalcitrant Blanchard, our first-ever columnist, and always promising to send us new material but never managing it. Blanchard's Oriental Travel Journal is/was the diary of a befuddled and bumbling Englishman trying desperately to come to terms with the newly independent and confident Asia but never quite managing it. In fact the editors at The Civilised Traveler reviewed Blanchard's column in words much better than we could have penned. Blanchard drew a lot of people to the Asia Pacific Management Forum in our early days for his unique writings. A colonial anachronism, so is his column, as it hasn't been updated for 3 years or so - though we still dust off his superb Christmas Parable every year - a paean to lost Asian values long before Asian values became a political football.. Still there in glorious battleship grey just like the old days.. we patiently await Blanchard's return...
Yet another abandoned diary - but we leave it there for it's historical significance. One of the early Blanchard fans, Yen Chong, decided he had had enough of the Mat Salleh in Asia theme, so he proposed a column which reversed the theme. " An Expatriate's Diary" became a column chronicaling the life of a Chinese in San Francisco, again which had many fans in the early days. Yen had to resign due to pressure of work, but the opportunity is open for anyone who wants to continue Yen's early work.
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