Editor's note

Citation

(2007), "Editor's note", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 28 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbs.2007.28828caa.001

Editor's note

Our focus in this issue of JBS is on China, opening with a case study from Jim O’Rourke and his colleagues from Notre Dame on Google in China and the ethical issues the company is facing as it does business there. The Chinese Government wants to censor the content of Google and Google seems amenable. There is no question that doing business in China requires companies to make certain kinds of accommodations, just as a company operating in the USA has to conform to government regulations. But where does a company draw the line when requirements conflict with other values?

JBS asked three experts to comment on the dilemma Google faces, and, by implication, the precedent the company is setting. Paul Argenti of Dartmouth, a professor and consultant, and Lou Capozzi, former chairman of a leading public relations firm, both Americans, and Sandra Macleod, a Briton and head of a research and consulting firm, all contributed insightful commentaries.

John Humphreys’ opinion piece on dealing with China’s ascendancy suggests that the Western world look carefully at China’s growth and see in it remarkable opportunities for synergy and cooperation. When China was regarded as the Red Menace under Mao and Deng, the West worried about China’s military intentions and surging population in a secret society of oppression and poverty. Now that China is a more open country and its economy is surging rather than its population, some Western observers are warning of the Chinese economic powerhouse. Humphreys tries to dispel these concerns in his essay.

But upon considering the paper by Lee Li, Gongming Qian and Brian Gaber, readers may indeed be concerned by how the Chinese deliberately roil markets in order to sustain their advantage as a low cost producer of goods and services. The uncertainty and complexity of developments in China make it difficult for Westerners to form consistent attitudes and polices toward this rising giant.

In a first of its kind, Professors Michael Goodman and Jay Wang report on a survey they conducted of communication practices and beliefs in a representative sample of Chinese companies. As the Chinese economy transitions from a government-dominated culture to a market-driven one, businesses are realizing they must communicate more openly and effectively with various audiences. Readers will note as many striking similarities to Western communication values as differences.

Adrian Slywotzky and Charlie Hoban sound a note of eminent good sense in urging companies to collaborate more on projects and functions that are undifferentiated and where the cost savings far outweigh competitive concerns. In citing the leading American car companies, they suggest that more collaboration starting years ago might have prevented the current disaster that may be looming for individual manufacturers.

From three professors at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, we have a paper on a classic win-win-win opportunity. When business teams up with valued customers to support a social cause identified by customers as important, not only does the company’s generosity foster stronger relations with the customer but the cause benefits as well. The authors explain how to approach this kind of partnership from a strategic viewpoint and strengthen the company-customer bond.

In addition to these full-length articles, we hope readers will find our three columnists provocative and succinct, as usual.