China News Agency, Bangkok, October 6th: Why has Confucian culture become the core value of Chinese business management in Thailand?
——Interview with Thai scholar Lv Xichuan
China News Agency reporter Wang Guoan
In Thailand, Chinese business enterprises are leading the competition, and a large number of Chinese business leaders have made extraordinary achievements, which has become a phenomenon.
Xie Guomin's family, Xu Shuen's family, Su Xuming's family and other Chinese businessmen have been at the forefront of the local rich list all the year round.
Then, what constitutes the cultural background and management characteristics of Thai Chinese business enterprises?
Thai scholar Lv Xichuan recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "East-West Questions" and believed that Confucian culture constitutes the cultural background of Thai Chinese business enterprises and has also become the core value of Thai Chinese business enterprise management.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Agency reporter: There are many Chinese businessmen all over the world, especially in Southeast Asia. In Thailand, Chinese business enterprises have made outstanding achievements. Can you talk about the situation of Chinese business enterprises in Thailand and their status in Thailand?
Lv Xichuan: The
Chinese are known for their hard work and business skills.
In Southeast Asia, the achievements of Chinese business enterprises are particularly outstanding.
I have studied Chinese business enterprises in Malaysia and Thailand respectively, and Chinese business enterprises have been very successful in both countries.
However, the social status of Thai Chinese business enterprises is more stable, and Chinese businessmen feel more secure, because Thai Chinese and Chinese businessmen have successfully completed "localization".
The entire mainstream Thai society, including the Thai royal family, fully recognizes, highly trusts, and treats Thai Chinese businessmen equally.
Based on this sense of identity and wealth security, Thai Chinese business enterprises are definitely the "driving force" of the Thai economy.
This research conclusion is not only based on large-scale Chinese enterprises in Thailand, such as CP Group, Red Bull Group, Central Group, Bangkok Bank and other multinational enterprises that are already very large, but also small and medium-sized Chinese enterprises scattered all over Thailand.
It can be said that Thai Chinese business enterprises have become the backbone of the Thai economy.
CP Group, a large Chinese business enterprise in Thailand, participated in the first China International Consumer Goods Expo to be held in Haikou City, Hainan Province in 2021.
Photo by Luo Yunfei
At the same time, Thai Chinese businessmen are deeply integrated with the mainstream society in Thailand and are willing to give back to Thai society actively and selflessly.
Chinese business enterprises are the "stabilizers" of Thai civil society.
The family of Mr. Yi Guangyan, a famous ant family in the Chinese community in Thailand, not only has made great achievements in business operations, but also donated to a series of charitable causes such as Thailand Overseas Chinese Newspaper Deshan Hall, Overseas Chinese Hospital, and University.
In Thailand, there are many Chinese businessmen who are enthusiastic about public welfare like this.
To sum up, Thai Chinese businessmen are recognized and respected by the mainstream society. They also actively promote the development of Thailand's economy and selflessly give back to the society, forming a "virtuous circle".
With Confucian values, it can be understood as "benevolence" and "righteousness" - "If you are good to me and trust me, then I will also work hard to repay."
China News Service: What do you think Thai Chinese companies have in common?
Lv Xichuan:
Chinese business enterprises account for a high proportion of Thailand's economy.
The success of many Thai Chinese businessmen is inseparable from their shared Confucian values.
Confucian values take "virtue" as the core, and pay attention to benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith.
There are also "gentlemen", "relationships", "reconciliation" and so on.
The most important common feature of Thai Chinese business enterprises is that they attach importance to "relationship" and "human affection".
"Relationship" includes two levels: "internal" and "external". How to deal with the internal relationship is related to the internal management of the enterprise, and how to deal with the external relationship, such as the relationship with customers and partners, is related to the external development of the enterprise.
"Relationship" represents a social network and a certain degree of "compromise". Handling internal and external "relationships" is crucial to the business of Thai Chinese companies.
"Humanity" is also an important feature of Thai Chinese business enterprises. "Talking about human feelings" makes Thai Chinese businessmen full of "humanity", mutual benefit and mutual benefit with all parties, and constitutes a "community of destiny".
Located in "Central: The First Home" on Shilongjun Road, Old Street in Bangkok, photos of old Bangkok are displayed on the wall.
This is the location of the first store opened in Bangkok more than 70 years ago by the founder of the first generation of the Zheng family, the "king of department stores" in Thailand.
Wang Guoan She
China News Service reporter: What role do you think Confucian culture has played in the management and development of Chinese businessmen in Thailand, and what positive influences have they exerted?
Lv Xichuan:
Confucian culture constructs the "underlying logic" of the business operations of Chinese business enterprises in Thailand, paints the "basic color" for the development of enterprises, and has many positive effects on enterprise management and development.
For example, hard work, precepts and deeds, and restraint are all Confucian traditions.
Thai Chinese businessmen are very hardworking and are recognized by the world.
Many Thai Chinese business enterprises have passed down to the second and third generations. Each generation of Chinese businessmen and entrepreneurs has been working hard and working hard, and finally accumulated huge wealth.
Speaking of teaching by words and deeds, in Thai Chinese business enterprises, the "fresh people" who are new to the industry learn and grow with senior employees, and step by step they are trained to become employees who can be independent.
Business owners, managers, and employees are "setting an example" for others, teaching them carefully, and the entire company grows together.
At the same time, the development of the enterprise fully balances all stakeholders, and everyone has food, which is a very positive positive impact.
As for being reserved and reserved, Thai Chinese businessmen are not aggressive in the industry competition, so they are more recognized and favored by all parties.
In Thailand, many old Chinese businessmen dressed in ordinary clothes are actually invisible rich people, and low-key is a common feature of them.
China News Service reporter: What are the similarities and differences between the management of Chinese business enterprises in Thailand and those of Western enterprises? What are the advantages and limitations of each? How to reflect the different cultural backgrounds of entrepreneurs?
Lu Xichuan:
Comparing the management of Chinese business enterprises in Thailand and Western enterprises, the biggest difference is the goal.
Different goals lead to different management methods.
The goal of Western companies is to make profits, while the goal of Thai Chinese companies as I understand them is to "pass from generation to generation", which is "sustainable development" in modern terms.
Many Thai Chinese business enterprises are family businesses that have been passed down for generations.
Due to the singularity of goals, Western enterprises are relatively "simplified" in management and have very clear "boundaries".
Thai Chinese businessmen measure "favorableness" in a broad range. Chinese business enterprises are more like a school. Employees are members of the school. In the day-to-day work, the employees gradually grow and drive the development of the company.
Western companies are more like a factory. Employees are the parts of the factory. They work together and are linked to each other, ultimately driving the operation of the company.
The advantage of Thai Chinese business management is that the company is relatively united, which makes the company extremely resilient, but it pays too much attention to "relationship" and "human affection", which is prone to cronyism, breeds corruption and arbitrariness.
The biggest advantage of western business management is "high efficiency", but the limitation lies in the lack of humanistic care.
The differences between Thai Chinese business management and Western business management reflect the cultural influence of each.
The "bottom logic" of Thai Chinese businessmen's corporate culture is Confucian values; the Western corporate spirit is derived from capitalist values - the pursuit of interests first.
Of course, Thai Chinese business management and Western business management have their own advantages.
With the development of the times, many Chinese business enterprises have also learned and absorbed many advantages of Western enterprise management, thus becoming more internationalized.
Exhibition titled "The Origin of Central Group Since 1950" at "Central: The First House" in Bangkok.
Wang Guoan She
China News Service reporter: From the successful development of Chinese business enterprises in Thailand, what is the unique value of Confucian culture to modern enterprise management? What are the lessons and inspirations for global entrepreneurs?
Lu Xichuan:
The successful development of Chinese businessmen in Thailand proves the value of Confucian culture to enterprise management.
In my opinion, the most fundamental aspect of Confucian culture is its strong humanistic concern, which has unique value to modern enterprise management.
Especially in contemporary society, with the rapid development of science and technology, human beings have entered the era of artificial intelligence, metaverse and virtual space, and a large number of human beings are gradually replaced by robots, and enterprises generally pursue "high efficiency", and ordinary employees are increasingly "value anxiety" in the enterprise.
Therefore, no matter from which aspect, modern enterprise management can draw rich nutrients and wisdom from Confucian culture and Confucian thought.
The concepts of "people-oriented" and "benevolent people love others" in Confucian culture have great significance and enlightenment for entrepreneurs to manage well and develop enterprises.
Internally, entrepreneurs treat employees kindly and make good use of talents with benevolence, so that the enterprise has a strong cohesion; externally, they treat stakeholders equally and humanely.
At the same time, it has won a wide range of social affinity by giving back to the society through bosom.
This is also the successful experience of Thai Chinese entrepreneurs.
While creating wealth, they are more focused on building deep relationships between people, and this relationship makes everyone feel safe.
In a big way, enterprise development is not only to obtain more profits, but also to seek a happier life for human beings.
This is the essence of Confucian business ethics and the greatest inspiration to entrepreneurs.
(Finish)
Interviewee Profile:
Thai scholar Lu Xichuan was interviewed.
Wang Guoan She
Lu Xichuan, the second-generation Chinese in Thailand, graduated with a master's degree in business administration from the National Institute of Development and Management of Thailand, and a doctorate in business administration from the Asian Institute of Technology. College Visiting Lecturer.
The main research direction is business management and marketing in Southeast Asia.
His main publications include "Competitive Marketing from the Perspective of Confucian Values in Malaysia: A Case Study" and "The Impact of Cultural Factors on the Management of Chinese Businessmen and Family Businesses in Thailand".