Back to News Menu
About the Rat
Asian Business Strategy & Street Intelligence Ezine

Quite simply, those that have developed a strength over the years for flexibilty and leanness. These companies, without an albatross weight of over-formalised organizational structures can innovate creatively just at a time when creative strategies are needed, can respond to quick market, consumer, industrial and political changes and change quickly. They are built around flexible teams, have reduced heirarchial levels, and in the process have been able to respond faster than many to the opportunities that exist in a fast changing time.

Singapore Airlines, in an industry that is bleeding regionally, has increased the gap between itself and other regional airlines including MAS, Qantas, Cathay, Garuda and Thai in the last 6 months. It may well take a large slice of Thai and is expanding its investment interests regionally at the right time. Around five years ago, Singapore Airlines drastically cut the number of levels of management, and created a responsive, fast moving organization.

In amongst a graveyard of failed financial sector banks and financial interests in Thailand, the Bangkok Bank, which committed to a team based organization more than 6 years ago is looking far more stable than anyone could have predicted in July last year. Around it, other Thai financial institutions crumble.

Bangkok Bank's relative strength was also achieved within a national business culture that was traditionally Asian ... rigidly heirachial, and based to a more than an acceptable degree on privelage and status rather than performance.

Smaller and leaner organizations rather than monopolies and megacorporations such as the "chaebol" in South Korea are more able to focus on a mission and vision. "Sticking to the knitting" though an old and tired management maxim, nevetheless rings true in 1998 in Asia.