December 2009 / January 2010 - Association of Dutch Businessmen

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Interview Vendors (ISVs) to help them go to market. We also work very closely with our local OEM partners like Lenovo, to strengthen a stronger partnerships that will extend collaboration to benefit our end customers with integrated hardware and software support. Enabling partner ecosystem and growing with the local industry is our long-term strategy and view, and we continue to see encouraging results on all fronts. Looking back on your activities in China, what would you do differently? What tips & tricks can you share with other Dutch businessmen seeking success in China? I would certainly recommend people to live in China, which is something I have not had the chance to do. If you truly want to understand, motivate and influence, it’s best that you live there, build genuine connections and immerse yourself. Flying in and out of the country gives you impressions and insights but does not have the same impact. Learn the language if you can invest the time and have the discipline, make friends beyond work, and learn about communication styles and relationship networks. Here are a few lessons learned and tips: 1. Be the voice of customers – Lead by example and show the teams how your company strategy flows through in execution. 2. Invest in the best talent - People make the most difference in the quality of your service and product innovation. Take a long-term view to hire, develop, rotate and retain talent for China. Create a culture with passion and energy that is compelling and rewarding. Employees and customers will reward you. 3. Never compromise on your values - Rooting out systemic issues in business practices will take a generation. The causes arise from economic differences, status quo and fearbased decisions. Address them and relentlessly advocate transparent business practices. Keep your focus on helping customers solve problems. Use data and business intelligence to effectively run your operations. Put yourself in the shoes of your staff, partners or customers and see their point of view when faced with challenging dilemmas. I believe a management team should trust their employees to do the right thing, but be ready to enforce accountability when it’s necessary. 4. Be determined and accountable - When you are pursuing long term goals, it does come with short term deliverables and P&L constraints. Influence your headquarters, share global strategies and advocate local needs. Patience has never been my biggest strength and I’m constantly reminded. Holding people accountable on quarterly and annual results is relatively easy, but differentiation comes from influencing the drivers that allow you to execute on 3-5 year goals. As member of the Services organization, one of fundamental things we have to do is shift perception and educate the market on the value of intangible goods, as it is very different between the East and West. This means a constant commitment to excellence from pre-sales all the way to support, and life cycle management to help our customers understand their needs and their rights. I see this as a long term cultivation of mutual understanding and see mutual business benefits in China. I encourage you to advocate best practices, spend time and make effort to build informal relationships. Take an interest in your business associates and their families and you’ll find that there are a lot of shared family values between the Chinese and the Dutch cultures. If you establish a connection and build trust, your business experience in China should be a successful and pleasant one for many years to come. Voordeligste tarieven vanaf € 22,- per dag all-in Snelste Schiphol service • 24 uur per dag • Geen extra verzekeringen bij aankomst • Laagste eigen risico www.bblcarrental.nl bb&l_2009_ad_194x61.indd 2 12/17/08 10:31:11 AM 24 Vol.19 • No. 10 • December 2009 / January 2010
Special The Little Red Book By Richard Soemita Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, better known in the West as The Little Red Book, was published by the Government of the People’s Republic of China from April 1964 until approximately 1976. As its title implies, it is a collection of quotations excerpted from Mao Zedong’s past speeches and publications. The book’s alternative title The Little Red Book was coined by the West for its pocket-sized edition, which was specifically printed and sold to facilitate easy carrying. The closest equivalent in Chinese is, literally “The Red Treasured Book”, which was a term popular during the Cultural Revolution. The most printed book in the twentieth century, Quotations had an estimated 5 to 6.5 billion copies printed during Mao’s attempt to transform Chinese society. The book’s phenomenal popularity may be due to the fact that it was essentially an unofficial requirement for every Chinese citizen to own, to read, and to carry it at all times during the later half of Mao’s rule, especially during the Cultural Revolution. During the Cultural Revolution, studying the book was not only required in schools but was also a standard practice in the workplace as well. All units, in the industrial, commercial, agricultural, civil service, and military sectors, organized group sessions for the entire workforce to study the book during working hours. Quotes from Mao were either bold-faced or highlighted in red, and almost all writing, including scientific essays, had to quote Mao. To defend against the theory that it would be counter-productive, it was argued that understanding Mao’s quotes could definitely bring about enlightenment to the work unit, resulting in production improvement to offset the time lost. During the 1960s, the book was the single most visible icon in mainland China, even more visible than the image of the Chairman himself. In posters and pictures created by CPC’s propaganda artists, nearly every painted character, except Mao himself, either smiling or looking determined, was always seen with a copy of the book in his or her hand. After the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 and the rise of Deng Xiaoping in 1978, the importance of the book waned considerably, and the glorification of Mao’s quotations was considered to be left deviationism and a cult of personality. The original books now became a collector’s item and some editions are highly sought after. The book has been translated in many languages, even in Dutch and was first published in 1967 by A.W.Bruna & Zonen. Mao’s quotations are categorized into 33 chapters in the book. Its topics mainly deal with Mao’s ideology, known in the West as Maoism and officially as “Mao Zedong Thought.” 25 Vol.19 • No. 10 • December 2009 / January 2010
Page 1: December 2009 / January 2010 MITA 3
Page 4 and 5: A monthly publication of the Associ
Page 6 and 7: Business World Expo 2010 Shanghai C
Page 8 and 9: Business What does a Chinese consum
Page 10 and 11: Business Rich, Richer, Richest: Wea
Page 12 and 13: Business Building business ties By
Page 14 and 15: Business My Chinese adventure: host
Page 16 and 17: Business Under Chinese management B
Page 18 and 19: Green Page Low Carbon City Initiati
Page 20 and 21: Travel China beaches By Sara Caris
Page 22 and 23: Interview Ask4Me in Guangzhou By Fr
Page 24 and 25: Interview Doing business in China,
Page 28 and 29: Special Tibet, or did the 13 th Dal
Page 30 and 31: Know your tax China challenges Spec
Page 32 and 33: Business news Sources: Het Financie
Page 34 and 35: Event Agenda BODY WORLDS: The origi
Page 36 and 37: Conference Calendar A selection of
Page 38 and 39: Association Info New Members Anne E
Page 40: Connected Heart-to-heart Reserved F

December 2009 / January 2010 - Association of Dutch Businessmen

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