Is China Quality An Oxymoron?
February 19, 2008
The transformation of China from rice bowl to iron bowl has been done expediently. For example, in 2000, 30% of the world’s toys came from China. Five years later, this had increased to over 75%.
China increasingly dominates manufacturing in industry after industry. Over the last decade, China exported one out of every three pairs of shoes in the world. Between 2001 and 2004, China’s auto parts exports increased from $1.3 billion to $9 billion. In 1996, China exported $20 billion worth of computers, cell phones, CD players and other electronic devices. Eight years later China exported $180 billion worth.
As the West’s craving for products from China has grown, the cost of poor quality has increased at proportional rates. In recent years, there have been a number of massive recalls of Chinese-made products, from pet foods to toys to consumer electronic goods. Read more… »
10 Power Tips For Global Execs
February 1, 2008
In a globalized world, best practices are sometimes overshadowed by expedient policies. This trend attenuates organizations at the core and leads to sky-high attrition rates and substandard performance.
However, at the foundation of laudable organizations regardless of age, culture or revenues, best practices are endemic. With the economies in Asia burgeoning, some executives find it hard to instill the elementary, yet crucial, practices that are the building blocks for long-term success. Read more… »