This volume examines the business behavior of ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs in the People's Republic of China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia whose business acumen and network connections (guanxi) have aroused great admiration and sometimes envy and discomfort. The book tries to dispel some of the (culturally biased) misperceptions about the business conduct of the ethnic Chinese in East and Southeast Asia such as their homogeneity, tribal image and socioeconomic exclusivity, the idea of Greater China as an exclusive, transnational Chinese business circle both within and outside China etc. It also illustrates the challenges, which the rapidly progressing integration of East and Southeast Asia's market cultures into the global market system pose, for ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs, their family businesses, conglomerates and network ties.
The contributors comprise sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, economists and geographers from Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the USA - all leading scholars on ethnic entrepreneurship, the Chinese overseas and Chinese (business) affairs in East and Southeast Asia. Most of the case studies are based on solid, indepth empirical research and will prove extremely useful for anyone wishing to understand what makes Chinese network capitalism tick and why it will continue to be a critical force of Asia's great transformation.
Due to its reflective agenda and multi-disciplinary approach, this book will be essential reading for those interested in East and Southeast Asia, development studies, Chinese (ethnic) entrepreneurship, business networks, management as well as socioeconomic change.