Browsing Asia Research Centre (ARC) by Title
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A Case Study of the Laundry Detergent Market in JapanFujiwara, Masatoshi (Frederiksberg, 2011)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper aims to describe how a commercially successful innovation occurs with the altering of the existing competitive structure in a market under environmental and competitive pressures. I study the history of the laundry detergent market in Japan and elucidate the manner in which Kao accomplished an innovation and increased their market share during the late 1980s. Kao introduced their new detergent Attack through a biotechnological innovation and dramatically changed the competitive structure to their advantage. The innovations introduced were of two kinds 1) fermentation engineering technologies to improve the cleaning performance of detergents by using alkaline cellulase, and 2) concentration of detergents to four times their earlier strength through changes in their powder processing technologies. This historical innovation that occurred in the laundry detergent market in Japan has a contemporary implication because combining firms’ activities and environmental sustainability has been one of the most crucial topics over recent years. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8440 Files in this item: 1
Masatoshi_Fujiwara_CDP_2011-37.pdf (268.8Kb) -
Assessing the Impact of Global Economics on Industrial Developments and Inter-Ethnic Relations in Penang, MalaysiaJacobsen, Michael (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Due to the increasingly integration and thus inter-dependency between the global economy, a given national economy and their societal embedment a triangulation between the three elements is a must if one is to understand the dynamic processes between them. This article focuses especially on the national economic and societal aspects of such a triangulation thus positioning the national dependencies of the global economy in the background. The notion of triangulation is perceived by the author to be more holistic and relational oriented compared to an approach based on decoupling. The latter aims through sector defined studies to assess the level of connectivity between global and national economics as well as between them and their societal embedment in order to detect whether there are potential fault-lines between the three thus mitigating the notion of decoupling. This article applies a triangular approach on the electronic and electrical manufacturing sector in Penang. It concentrates in particular on how companies within this sector relate to pertinent governmental initiated industry policies and the impact of the inter-ethnic related affirmative action policy in this connection. The global aspect of the triangulation has thus been put on a back burner in this study, as the article emphasises the importance of pointing towards the inter-dependency between the political, the inter-ethnic and the economic sectors in Penang, as they are perceived to condition each other. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8203 Files in this item: 1
Michael Jacobsen CDP 2010-35.pdf (172.5Kb) -
Exploring the ‘Black Whole’ in Institutional TheoryJakobsen, Michael (Frederiksberg, 2014)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The aim of this article is to take a critical look at how to perceive informal institutions within institutional theory. Douglas North in his early works on institutional theory divided the national institutional framework into two main categories, formal and informal institution or constraints as he called them. The formal constraints consisted of political rules, judicial decisions and economic contracts, whereas informal constraints consisted of socially sanctioned norms of behaviour, which are embedded in culture and value systems. As formal constraints are straight forward to deal with the informal ones are much more vaguely defined and thus more difficult to grasp analytical. This imprecise perception of informal constraints is surprising as they basically constitute the foundation of the society in question, whereas formal constraints ‘only’ constitute the functional aspects of the state apparatus in that particular society. In order to, however, begin excavating what lies further behind the informal constraints and their impact on the functionality of the formal constraints it is important to take an overall critical look at the way in which institutional theory relate to a given societal context. This article suggest that this is done by first employing an overall international business (IB) approach to analyse a national economy, in this case the Malaysian economy. This will not, however, be done according to the generally accepted procedure in IB studies using either a firm specific or a generic market-based approach, but rather by employing a combination of selected IB theories and a ‘glocalised reading’ on how the relationship between the global economy and a national economy pan out and how this translate into impacting a given societal setup. In other words, IB theories are not only employed in the economic sphere, but also confronted with a variety of societal factors that have a positive or negative impact on the explanatory power of the individual IB theories employed. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8869 Files in this item: 1
Michael_Jakobsen.pdf (230.8Kb) -
Labour Issues in the Construction Industry in the New ChinaCostello III, Charles S. (Frederiksberg, 2007)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The crane has been an ancient symbol of longevity in China carrying with it intimation of distinctive principles of ancient China; harmony, patience and graceful coexistence with nature. It is ironic that the construction crane is the new symbol of a changing land, where old hutong neighborhoods are disappearing as fast as the bird and its habitat. Is this new crane helping to create a harmonious society, as the HuWen administration would have you believe? The economic boom fueled in large part by the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games brings with it many new construction jobs, labour issues and in some cases new forms of corruption. Does this development reinforce solidarity and good working conditions in a country where unions are largely controlled by the government? Or do business networks, guanxi, continue to dominate business relationships and hamper the achievement of good working conditions? These questions will be examined, including issues such as corruption, safety and working conditions. Comparisons to labour issues in the United States will be included. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8944 Files in this item: 1
21costello arc.pdf (357.1Kb) -
Feminist Responses to Reproductive Policy in SingaporeLyons, Lenore (København, 2005)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper examines recent debates about reproductive policy in Singapore by examining the responses of two different groups of women - women Members of Parliament and feminist activists. Women currently make up 10% of MPs in Singapore. Although this figure is low when compared to average rates of female representation globally, it is the highest level in Singapore since Independence. All these women are members of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in power since 1959. While publicly supportive of the view of the PAP male elite, this group of women has introduced a level of critique into reproductive policy not previously seen by the Singapore public. Local women’s groups too have played a visible role in public debates about population policy. The feminist group, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) has had a long interest in reproductive policy issues and released its own position paper to address the government’s recent policy making. This paper examines the responses of these two groups of women towards the PAP’s pro-natalist stance. It explores the extent to which these women have challenged the PAP as well as the obstacles to an independent feminist voice on population matters Keywords: Singapore, population policy, reproductive policy, total fertility rate, feminism, women in politics URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7402 Files in this item: 1
05-04 cdp lyons bibl version.pdf (139.5Kb) -
[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The paper addresses the importance of network trade between Malaysia and China and assesses the extent of product upgrading in components traded. The study brings to the fore the following. First, China is emerging as an important market for component imports relative to component exports. As such the increase in two-way flows of parts and components for further processing and development, implying a shift away from assembly-end operations, remains insignificant. Second, network trade appears to have improved the quality of exports (reflecting the ‘moving up of the value chain’) destined to China, but the gaps between the unit values of export and imports have narrowed in the recent past, implying less product development. network trade, two-way trade, unit values, relative unit values, product upgrading URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7403 Files in this item: 1
devadason_clean.pdf (157.4Kb) -
Transnationalism and the 'Chineseness' of Enterprise DevelopementGomez, Edmund Terence (København, 2006)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The concept of transnationalism is characterised by an important contradiction. While it makes an important contribution to the literature on identity by focussing on the themes of hybridity and pluralism, when it discusses the issue of transnational capital, it falls into the trap of essentialising ethnicity. Transnational theorist argue that there exists a pan-ethnic unity among the Chinese diaspora that would enable this community to emerge as a new economic force globally. The case studies in this essay reveal, however, that transnational networks do not influence the way ethnic groups do business with co-ethnics in other countries. This study argues that there is significant competition among Chinese-owned enterprises, which explains the dynamism of these firms. There is also much evidence of inter-ethnic corporate ties involving Chinese firms. These findings bring into question the importance of common ethnic identity in transnational business transactions undertaken by the Chinese companies. Keywords: Transnationalism, Chinese Identity, Networks, Enterprise Development. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7404 Files in this item: 1
cdp 2006-007.pdf (198.0Kb) -
A Case of Danish Multinationals and their Subsidiaries in P.R. China and IndiaWorm, Verner; Xu, Xiaojun; Shinha, Jai b.P. (København, 2005)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: By drawing on a selective review of literature, we propose that the culture of Danish multinationals and transnational organizations interface with the Chinese and Indian societal and managerial cultures in order to create hybrid cultures in Danish subsidiaries in P. R. China and India. The hybrid culture moderates the relationships between the forms of knowledge and internationalization of multinationals on one hand and the transfer of knowledge on the other. It is postulated that stable cultural frames of the Danes and Chinese managers, both having stable cultural frame, will require long drawn efforts to overcome the cultural distance and transfer the various forms and levels of knowledge in the initial years of the subsidiaries. On the other hand, Indians’ style of switching their cultural frames will create less entry problems but more recurring problems once Danish multinationals will get going. Once the postulates are empirically validated, potential implications for strategic interventions are briefly discussed. Keywords: Knowledge transfer, culture, MNCs. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7400 Files in this item: 1
cdp2005-02worm.samlet.pdf (195.7Kb) -
Will China Continue to Hold Together?Brødsgaard, Kjeld Erik (Frederiksberg, 2012)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The recent Bo Xilai affair has created strains in the Chinese political system and has intensified the power struggle concerning the new leadership appointments due to take place at the 18th Party Congress. The pressure on the political system is intensified by a number of social phenomena such as increased fragmentation, vested interests, corruption, social unrest, increased income and social inequalities and a de facto reform stop since 2009. Some scholars believe that we now see the end of ‘resilient authoritarianism’ and that China either will experience a political and social collapse or move towards a democratic system. However, developments since 1989 show the regime’s amazing ability to revitalize its organizational capabilities and regain its Mandate of Heaven. It may be too early to declare the Party over. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8622 Files in this item: 1
Kjeld_Erik_Broedsgaard_2012-39.pdf (214.0Kb) -
Reconceptualising the Chinese Diaspora in Southeast AsiaJacobsen, Michael (København, 2007)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper argues that the fluidity that permeates the contemporary international community is driven by especially political and economic globalisation, which has a huge impact of the relationship between the nation and the state. As the individual nation state is increasingly depending on the international community for its economic survival this dependency on the global has as a consequence that it rolls back aspects of national sovereignty thus opening up the national hinterland for further international influences. These developments initiate a process of disaggregating state and nation, meaning that a gradual disarticulation of the relationship between state and nation produces new societal spaces, which are contested by non-statist interest groups and transnational more or less deterritorialised ethnic affiliated groups and networks. The argument forwarded in this article is that the ethnic Chinese utilises these newly created spaces for setting up diasporic like networks thus providing substance for transnational ethnoscapes or nations without states. Keywords: globalisation, nation state, diaspora, ethnicity, Chinese, Southeast Asia URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7394 Files in this item: 1
michael-07.pdf (225.9Kb) -
The Case of Chinese Indonesian EntrepreneursKoning, Juliette (København, 2006)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Two things characterize the ethnic Chinese overseas: their subjection to discrimination and their over-representation (relative to the local people in the place of destination) in self-employment and entrepreneurship (Chan Kwok-bun 2004:xiii). Much has been written on ethnic Chinese firms in Southeast Asia. A major part of the scholarly attention has gone into trying to understand and explain business success. As such the debate has for a long time, in a rather dichotomizing way, been divided into capitalist (profit maximisation) and cultural (personal relationship) explanations as the main drivers for this so-called success. Since the late 1990s the debate has entered a new phase, sometimes referred to as the "revisionist mood‿ enhancing the deconstruction and de-mystification of ethic Chinese businesses. Interestingly enough the debate has been rather quiet on issues of identity and ethnic self-representation. This is where this paper tries to fill a gap. By focusing on the role and meaning of ethnicity and religion (as identity markers) in enterprise development, leadership and management styles, and decision-making and networking I hope to contribute to a better understanding of the significance of "being Chinese overseas‿ and "New-Born Christian‿ in entrepreneurial identity. Empirical case material on several new-born Christian ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs of small and medium sized companies in Indonesia shall be used to explore this delicate relationship. The overtly non-Christian socio-political domination and the contested citizenship position of ethnic Chinese in parts of the region shall be features of the necessary contextual discussion. Keywords: Ethnic Chinese, Indonesia, Entrepreneurship, New Order, Chineseness. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7392 Files in this item: 1
cdp 2006-005.pdf (294.0Kb) -
Experiences from SingaporeOoi, Can-Seng (København, 2005)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper draws inspiration from Edward Said’s orientalism, and examines how the three National Museums of Singapore – the Singapore History Museum, the Singapore Art Museum and the Asian Civilizations Museums – are orientalized. The process is mediated through the museums’ close links to tourism promotion in the city-state. The tourism authorities in Singapore have found that the city destination has become too modern and western for many tourists, and the destination has embarked on a campaign to make Singapore more oriental. The creation of the museums is one strategy to orientalize Singapore; these museums assert different layers of Singapore’s oriental identities. Each museum appropriates the tourist orientalist imagination in different ways. This paper argues that the orientalist imagination can be understood as a set of knowledge resources for the construction of local identities to enhance a destination’s uniqueness and attractiveness. Besides reviewing Said’s orientalism, this paper visits criticisms of the theory, within the context of the orientalization process of museums in Singapore. Keywords: orientalism, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore History Museum, Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore tourism. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7399 Files in this item: 1
cdp05-01-csooibibl.pdf (170.2Kb) -
Bhattacharyya, Sudipta; Abraham, Mathew; D’Costa, Anthony (Frederiksberg, 2013)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper uses the structuralist framework of agriculture-industry synergy in an economy to discuss the performance of the agricultural and industrial sectors in India. The industry – agriculture relationship is argued to be integral to economic development as the agriculture sector supplies raw materials, surplus labour to the industrial sector and acts as a source of demand for industrial goods. However, in India this relationship has been complex. This paper looks at the supply side constraints in the agricultural sector and the demand side constraints in the industrial sector to assess the poor development and growth in the two sectors. It concludes that India has not followed the structuralist pattern of sectoral development and poor agricultural growth has not been conducive for demand led industrialization, adversely affecting factor markets for both labour and land. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8642 Files in this item: 1
CDP 2013-40 samlet.pdf (472.2Kb) -
Peverelli, Peter J. (København, 2007)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The Port of Rotterdam is a typical European organisation that undertakes several activities towards China annually and has a clear understanding of what it has to offer to its Chinese counterparts, but does not always succeed in achieving rapport with those counterparts. This paper studies the identity constructs of the Port of Rotterdam in a selected number of Chinese contexts (central ministries, main ports, etc.). The methodology is narrative analysis using corpora of texts compiled for each context. The core theoretical principle1 is that identity is not a property, but a process of ongoing interaction. The identity of A can only be established in a particular context, by observing the interaction between A and parties in that context. A will thus obtain multiple identities in multiple contexts. The results can be used by the Port of Rotterdam to improve the effectiveness of its delegations to China. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7406 Files in this item: 1
peverelli-2007-19.pdf (192.3Kb) -
Ten general principlesLi, Xin; Brødsgaard, Kjeld Erik; Jacobsen, Michael (, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: We argue, due to the conspicuous failure of Washington Consensus-guided reforms in most part of the developing world in 1990s and the outbreak of the current global financial crisis, Washington Consensus, as a general term of the neoliberal free market economic thinking, has been withering. In the meantime, Chinese economic model has gain wide recognition and praise worldwide. Joshua C. Ramo coined the term of Beijing Consensus as an alternative approach to economic development for developing nations. There has been hot debate on the notion of Beijing Consensus. We argue even though there are some problems in Ramo’s original definition of Beijing Consensus, we should not reject this notion altogether. Instead, we should try to come up with better conceptualizations of this term. In this paper, we sum up ten general principles of the Chinese development model as our new definition of the Beijing Consensus. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7830 Files in this item: 1
CDP 2009-029.pdf (112.1Kb) -
Shambaugh, David (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: China’s diplomacy is among the many accomplishments of China during the period of reform and opening up. The People’s Republic of China is emerging fully on to the world’s stage, and in a largely positive fashion. It now has both interests and a presence in parts of the world completely new to China—such as Latin America and the Middle East. Beijing has managed its relations well with the major world powers—United States, Russia, and the European Union. It has transformed its regional diplomacy in Asia, reasserted a role in Africa, and has become more active in multilateral organizations. Thirty years ago, at the outset of the “reform and opening” era, China acted hesitantly on the world stage, limiting itself largely to its united front tactics against Soviet “social imperialism.” Its diplomats were not very sophisticated and rarely left their embassies abroad. In the United Nations, China’s preferred medium of voting was to abstain (especially on sensitive issues). In short, China’s diplomacy was hesitant and not confident, inward-looking not outward looking, parochial and not sophisticated, reactive not proactive, and composed more of words than deeds. Today, these latter characterizations better describe China’s diplomacy. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8013 Files in this item: 1
Hele_discussion_paper.pdf (72.18Kb) -
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in ChinaHolst Jensen, Mads (København, 2006)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Taking into account a broad range of stakeholders who may affect or be affected by corporate action, the perspective of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) carries the promise of a win-win situation for all. CSR in China is highly topical, as the country is integrating into the supply chains of the major global players, but the ideals of CSR are a far cry from the realities of production in "the workshop of the world". In this paper I will discuss key issues relating to the process of adapting CSR into the Chinese context. I will focus on the position of the PRC political leadership. I argue that the leadership seems to pursue an agenda of submerging CSR under the control of the Party-State and conceptualizing CSR by reference to a blend of an eclectic interpretation of Western European welfare models and CSR conceptions with an eclectic interpretation of Chinese tradition and political culture. As a result, CSR in China lacks the element of multi-stakeholder dialogue, which is commonly recognized as the core element of CSR in Western countries. Keywords: CSR, China, Labour issue, MNCE, NGO, Politic change. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7405 Files in this item: 1
cdp 2006-006.pdf (368.9Kb) -
The role of equity in the transition from egalitarianism to capitalismRutten, Koen (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The ‘Scientific Development Concept’, promulgated by Hu Jintao in 2007 articulated the increased eminence of social development in official ideology. The shift from political and economic objectives towards social factors can be explained by growing concerns over the current negative externalities of China’s economic growth, the long and midterm sustainability of its economic development model and the implications thereof for social stability and political legitimacy. An immediate priority has been to formulate and implement a response to mitigate the disruptive effects of the transition to a market economy. Such a response must cover a wide array of social issues, ranging from provision of health, education and infrastructure, pension to unemployment insurance and poverty alleviation. The welfare issue is characterized by high degrees of complexity and interdependency between endogenous factors and exogenous political and economic variables. Improvements are further confounded by the high decentralization of administration, regional disparities and the sheer size of operations. Although progress has been made on most fronts, it remains to be seen whether recent initiatives will prove sufficient to meet China’s social challenges. In this paper, I provide a summary of the academic literature on post-reform development of the welfare system. I will give an overview of its most salient problems, initiatives and their preliminary outcomes. Finally, I will present some concluding remarks and provide suggestions for future research. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8018 Files in this item: 1
Koen.pdf (152.8Kb) -
Yenching University, St. John’s University and Yale in ChinaGjedssø Bertelsen, Rasmus; Thybo Møller, Steffen (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper analyses the historical ‘direct’ soft power of American missionary universities in China and their ‘reverse’ soft power towards American society until their nationalization in the early 1950s. The paper also addresses the soft power of the legacies of these historical universities. This analysis is based on the cases of St. John’s University, Yale-in-China and Yenching University. American missionary universities were founded with the clear ‘direct’ soft power purpose of attracting the Chinese ‘other’ to Christianity. However, soft power resources often have unintended behavioral consequences and a particularly interesting one is ‘reverse’ soft power: Where the intended object society of soft power influences the originator society of soft power, for example, through education and advocacy. American missionary universities exercised substantial soft power both toward the Chinese host society and toward the American society. The institutions in China also left institutional legacies at American—and Canadian—universities which continue to hold soft power in the relationship between American and Chinese society. The extent and limitation of this bidirectional soft power can be discerned from what attracted different actors to these universities and what those and other actors rejected about these universities; this is based on a detailed analysis of the relations between the universities and different public and private actors in the host society and the society of origin. These relations were characterized by the role of the universities as bridges between host society and society of origin carrying much information between societies, raising awareness and interest about the other society, moving elite-level human resources back and forth and raising large financial resources in the USA for education and research in China. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8202 Files in this item: 1
revised CDP 2010-34.pdf (178.4Kb) -
Sin, Khoo Cheok (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Over the past decade, the Government of Malaysia has become increasing aware of the significant contribution of small medium enterprises (SMEs) to the national economy. A number of Government programmes and incentives were offered to the SMEs in the past years but with limited impact. This lecture touches on the nature and contribution of the Malaysian SMEs in the first five years of the 21st century. An attempt was made to identify the success factors and weaknesses of SMEs from official reports of Government agencies, and findings of research studies on the subject. Recognising the challenges posed by globalisation and trade liberalisation on the Malaysian SMEs, the Government revamped its policies, programmes, incentives, and approaches which are currently implemented in the Ninth Malaysian Plan and the Third Industrial Master Plan. The objective is to enhance the SMEs’ capacity and capabilities through continuous product development, knowledge and technology acquisition to empower them to compete with other global players offering high quality products and services at competitive prices. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8023 Files in this item: 1
Discussion paper master.doc.pdf (185.6Kb)