游戏开始 - China Europe International Business School

迈克尔 · 戴尔还是雷锋
尽管创业者在中国可以收获很多好处,但是只
有 1/5 的新兴公司能够顺利渡过一年。中欧教授们
一致认为,在中国,创业所面临的一个最大障碍就
是缺乏对创业的鼓励,无论是学术界、金融机构(不
愿意提供信贷),甚至朋友、家人都反对创业。葛教
授指出,在美国,中小型企业解决了 85% 的就业,
95% 的新就业岗位由中小企业创造。因此,中国如
果创造一个有利于创业的环境,可以获益很多。
葛教授期望看到中国商业文化对风险的承受能力
能够得到改变。“西方的风险资本家的确也会检查公
司的成败,但是他们也看中你从失误中收获了什么。
在中国,市场尚未成熟,所以,大家在判断公司的时
候只看其结果——这样的环境不利于创业。我们应
该在国内营造一个有利于创业的环境”, 他说。
他和中欧的其他教授建议,为了营造更有利的
环境,中国应该建立诸如美国小企业管理局这样的
公共机构,来帮助新兴企业和中小企业。在葛教授
看来,事实上,中国年轻一代的创业精神已经初见
端倪。“80 后的一代和上一代不一样,他们更多元
化。”他说,“过去的楷模是雷锋,现在是比尔 · 盖茨
和迈克尔 · 戴尔。”他提到了诸如真功夫餐饮集团创
办人及 CEO 蔡达标(EMBA2006)这样的企业家,
真功夫是首家成功地大规模推广中式快餐连锁店的
公司。
风险与风险资本
新兴企业所面临的另一个困难就是中国的银行
体制。“国内银行一般不支持创业和小型企业,特别
是在西部地区。”言培文教授说,更糟糕的是,当创
业者无法通过正规的金融机构获取资金时,他们就
会求助于地下钱庄。“中国有一个很发达的灰色市场,
很多中国创业者都从那里获取资金——但是这样是
有问题的。”言培文说,因为这个体系是非法的,创
业者很容易受骗,这个问题在国内欠发达地区显得
尤为严重。
封面关注 COvEr STOry
TheLINK 2007 冬季刊 TheLINK Winter 2007/8
就可获得的风险资本而言,葛教授认为中国有
很多的风险资本,但并不针对那些处于起步阶段的
公司。“创业者在播种阶段进行初步市场调查时,还
无法获得充足的资金。你必须依靠自己。而当你发
展壮大,不需要钱的时候,投资者才愿意投资。”
一旦公司开始运作,它面临的一个最大挑战就
是保证其商业运作的道德性。蔡舒恒教授这样描述
道 :“在某种程度上,你可以将现在的中国和 30 年
前的台湾进行比较。创业者就像牛仔——他们很喜
欢冒险,很喜欢风险”。很多情况下,因为新创建的
公司规模小、抵抗力差,所以就很可能在商业伙伴、
供应商和员工间滋生腐败。蔡教授对这个问题进行
了研究。他专门研究了台湾地产公司信义在运营中防
范腐败所采取的种种努力。蔡教授在美国费城召开
的 2007 管理学会年会上阐述了该研究结果,并将
于 2008 年以案例形式将其发表。
言培文教授对此表示同意,他说 :“确实可以看
到不少创业者的不道德行为,如侵犯知识产权或其
他侵犯法律的行为”。他强调,中国商业圈中讲关系
的习惯也导致了一些不符合商业道德的行为。对新兴
企业来说,尤为致命的威胁是,员工或者以前的员
工盗用公司的技术、合同或流程,创办一个类似的
对手公司。
适逢其时
未来将会给中国的创业者带来什么?中欧教授认
为前景非常之好,至少在近期是这样的。“未来五年
对创业者来说是相当令人兴奋的”,言培文教授说,
“你能够得到发展,有很多创业者可以进入的空间。”
葛教授进一步说,对很多行业而言,最佳创
业阶段就是现在。“十年后,竞争就会很激烈了。
很多行业的格局正在形成,因此未来进入的门槛
就会高得多。所以我告诉学生们 :要创业,趁现
在。”
COwbOys ANd COwGirls
Another hardship for would-be startups is
China’s banking system. “The banks in China
are generally not very supportive of entrepre-
neurs and small businesses, particularly in
western China,” says Prof. Jenster. Even worse,
when cash is not available via established fi-
nancial systems, business founders often turn to
China’s underground money lenders. “There is
a well developed gray market for lending where
many Chinese go to get financing – but this can
be very problematic,” says Jenster. Because the
system is not legal, business founders can easily
be cheated. He says the problem is particularly
serious in the lesser developed regions of China.
In terms of available venture capital,
Prof. Ge says lots of VC money is available in
China, but not for startups at the beginning
phase. “Sufficient money is not available for
entrepreneurs in the seed stage, for conducting
initial market research. You have to do this on
your own [in China]. Only when you don’t need
money – when you are up and running – then
investors are willing to invest.”
Once a new company is operating, one of
the biggest challenges is ensuring ethical busi-
ness operations. CEIBS Management Professor
Terence Tsai describes the scenario in this
way: “In some ways, you can draw parallels
between China now and Taiwan 30 years ago.
Entrepreneurs are behaving like cowboys and
cowgirls – they are very adventurous, very risk
friendly.” In many cases, because startups tend
to be small-scale and vulnerable, they make
likely targets for corruption among business
partners, suppliers or even employees. Tsai’s
research into this issue includes a detailed case
study on the Taiwan-based real estate firm Sinyi
Realty Inc., chronicling the company’s efforts in
Taiwan, and now mainland China, not to tolerate
corrupt practices within its operations.
Tsai's research on this was presented at the 2007
Academy of Management annual meeting in
Philadelphia, and will be published in 2008 as a
CEIBS case study.
“You do see quite a lot of seriously unethical
behavior where entrepreneurs in China are engaged
in IPR crimes or other violations,” agrees
Prof. Jenster. He stresses that China’s guanxi
system of business relationships also creates
the potential for unethical behavior. Particularly
devastating for startups is the threat of current or
former employees stealing company technology,
contacts, or processes and starting a similar and
competing business.
NOw’s The TiMe
What will the future bring for entrepreneurs in
China? CEIBS professors see a rosy future, at
least in the short term. “The next five years will
still be very exciting for entrepreneurs,” says
Per Jenster. “You have the growth; you will have
a lot of room for entrepreneurs to step into the
market.”
Going one step further, Prof. Ge says, for
many sectors, the best time to launch a business
in China may be right now. “Ten years from
now, competitors will have come in. Many industries
[in China] are now consolidating. In the
future, the entry barriers will be much higher,”
he says. “I tell my students: If you want to start
a business, start now.”