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Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

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CSOEs Statesponsored<br />

Agenda<br />

Resource<br />

Focused<br />

Relatively<br />

Strong<br />

Governance<br />

<strong>Challenges</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Era</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Globalization</strong><br />

Edited by Emmanuel Obuah<br />

community<br />

More<br />

embedded<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> local<br />

community<br />

Less<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>itable <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> short run<br />

More stable <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> long run<br />

Strategic Orientation. While CSOEs, due to <strong>the</strong>ir commitment to state imperative, may aim to acquire<br />

strategic assets by focus<strong>in</strong>g on Africa's extractive <strong>in</strong>dustries CPOEs are more likely to explore valueadded<br />

local bus<strong>in</strong>ess opportunities <strong>in</strong> a wide range <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustries (Gu 2009). Such a diversified strategic<br />

orientation leads to activities that are more <strong>in</strong> tune with <strong>the</strong> needs <strong>of</strong> host countries <strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> us<strong>in</strong>g Africa<br />

to accomplish some sort <strong>of</strong> "global agendas" likely observed with CSOEs. The flexibility and adaptability<br />

that <strong>the</strong> CPOEs have developed <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a should <strong>the</strong>n become a comparative advantage over CSOEs <strong>in</strong><br />

atta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g effectiveness <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual African markets.<br />

P2. CPOEs, <strong>in</strong> comparison to CSOEs, are more likely to enter Africa with a more<br />

diversified orientation.<br />

Structure<br />

The notion <strong>of</strong> path dependency would suggest that both CSOEs and CPOEs should adopt <strong>the</strong> k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong><br />

organizational structure that <strong>the</strong>y use <strong>in</strong> home market (i.e., Ch<strong>in</strong>a). If that is <strong>the</strong> case, Africa would<br />

witness two types <strong>of</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>ese firms: CSOEs that are under closer government scrut<strong>in</strong>y and thus<br />

comparatively more formally structured and CPOEs that are market-governed and thus comparatively<br />

more loosely structured. It should be noted that several authors have exam<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>ten stra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

relationship between Ch<strong>in</strong>ese firms and <strong>the</strong> local African community (see for example, Kwon Lee, 2009<br />

and Haglund, 2009). These tensions are perhaps more easily understood given <strong>the</strong> weak corporate<br />

governance <strong>of</strong> CPOEs, <strong>the</strong> weak <strong>in</strong>stitutional environment <strong>in</strong> Africa and a general lack <strong>of</strong> effective<br />

enforcement. We believe:<br />

P3. CPOEs, <strong>in</strong> comparison to CSOEs, are more likely to have weaker corporate<br />

governance.<br />

The notion <strong>of</strong> path dependency would also predict that both CSOEs and CPOEs will follow <strong>the</strong>ir home<br />

grown management practice. However, s<strong>in</strong>ce CSOEs need to fulfill <strong>the</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>ese's government<br />

commitment to Africa's economic development, <strong>the</strong>y are likely to respond to <strong>the</strong> requirements from <strong>the</strong><br />

local governments and communities with regards to <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong>y structure <strong>the</strong>ir bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> areas such as<br />

employment. By comparison, CPOEs, without such a mandate, could behave more ak<strong>in</strong> to o<strong>the</strong>r "overseas<br />

Ch<strong>in</strong>ese bus<strong>in</strong>esses" that are well documented <strong>in</strong> exist<strong>in</strong>g literature (Kao 1993). Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

characteristics <strong>of</strong> overseas Ch<strong>in</strong>ese bus<strong>in</strong>esses, such as heavy reliance on co-ethnic ties <strong>in</strong> resource<br />

mobilization, risk mitigation, and market expansion have lasted to <strong>the</strong> present day (Redd<strong>in</strong>g 2000). In reproduc<strong>in</strong>g<br />

an ethnic enclave approach <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> host society (L<strong>in</strong> 2007), CPOEs thus have little <strong>in</strong>teraction<br />

with <strong>the</strong> local communities o<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> latter be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> clientele. In Africa, CPOEs have a strong<br />

tendency to hire Ch<strong>in</strong>ese labor immigrants who <strong>in</strong> turn live <strong>in</strong> isolation from <strong>the</strong> local communities<br />

(Broadman 2007). To summarize:<br />

767

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