On returning to the USA recently for a business trip a picked up a couple of books in the airport in Shanghai. Finding a decent collection of English language books in the airport is a new experience in itself. I’d been thinking about how to help an expat friend of mine, a new arrival in China, who has been having some issues in adapting to the new surroundings (i.e. work environment.) He was getting frustrated with the relative immaturity of business practices and with the perceived unwillingness of subordinates to follow direction.
So in the airport I found three books that I thought migth help: (1) The China Executive by Wei Wang, (2) China CEO, A Case Guide for Business Leaders in China by Juan Antonio Fernandez and Shengjun Liu, and (3) Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow. Well the last one might seem a bit strange but of course understanding the transitions that have occurred in China in such a relatively short time frame are im ...