Strategic Choice and the Nature of the Chinese Family Business: An Exploratory Study of the Hong Kong Watch Industry

2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1405-1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard Davies ◽  
Catherine Ma
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Strategic Choice ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Watch Industry

This study examines the relationship between the nature of the Chinese Family Business (CFB) and the business strategies adopted, in the setting of the Hong Kong watch industry. The nature of the CFB is conceptualized and measured as a set of sub-dimensions, represented by continuous variables. It is hypothesized that ‘ CFBness’ is positively associated with ‘traditional’ business strategies, but inhibitive of ‘upgrading’. The results show that the hypotheses are partially supported. While the findings support the view that firms’ strategic choices are constrained by material and ideational influences in their environment, only a small proportion of the variation in business strategies is accounted for by ‘CFB-ness’, leaving ample room for human agency. Overall, the results support a ‘middle view’ between the deterministic and voluntaristic perspectives, whereby firms exercise strategic choice within an environment that predisposes, but does not fix, their behaviour.

scholarly journals Business Strategy, Technology Development and Characteristics of Asian Firms: An Empirical Study of the Hong Kong Electronics Industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ko ◽  
Cindy Ge
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Technology Policy ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Electronics Industry ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Technology Strategy ◽  
Original Design

This research explores the phenomenon of firm performance as it relates to the business strategy, characteristics of Chinese Family Business (CFB) in Hong Kong's Electronic Companies, and technology strategy adopted by these firms. The motive to do this research is that there has been very little work on business strategy in export-oriented "developing economies - latecomer economies" as referred by Zahra and Covin (1993). There has also been little work on technology policy/strategy in Hong Kong, although there have been many suggestions that Hong Kong firms "need" to change and up-grade their business strategies. Added to this, Hong Kong firms have interesting characteristics (Chinese Family Business, CFB), which may be related to their business and technology strategies. Performance may be determined by the strategies they adopt. In this research, the key dimensions of "technology strategy/policy" are identified, including Imitation, Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM), which are important in Hong Kong, but which have not been explored much in the literature. Hong Kong firms were selected in this topic since as China is found to become the world's manufacturing base and a lot of that industry, especially in Electronics Industry that this is an important topic.

Parental influence on the purchase of luxury brands of infant apparel: an exploratory study in Hong Kong

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Prendergast ◽  
Claire Wong
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Parental Influence ◽  
Conspicuous Consumption ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Purchasing Behaviour ◽  
Materialistic Values ◽  
The Relationship

With a focus on the purchasing behaviour of parents buying luxury brands of infant apparel, this paper considers the concepts of buying roles, conspicuous consumption/social consumption motivation, and materialism. A survey of 134 mothers who had purchased luxury brands of clothing for their infants found that parents are motivated by the good quality and design associated with the luxury brands. The relationship between the amount of money spent by parents on luxury brands of infant apparel and social consumption motivation was not significant. However, interviewees who spent more on luxury clothing brands for their infants were determined to be more materialistic. It is thus recommended that marketers should emphasise the good quality and design of their luxury brands of infant apparel. In addition, marketers should promote the materialistic values of purchasing luxury brands of infant apparel, showing that buying luxury brands of infant apparel may be a route to happiness, rather than being a route for impressing others.

INHERITANCE, CHINESE FAMILY BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG

2002 ◽  
Vol 10 (04) ◽  
pp. 287-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
VICTOR ZHENG
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Family Business ◽  
The Self ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Initial Capital ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Sibling Comparison ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family Based

This paper focuses on the study of inheritance, Chinese family business and economic development in Hong Kong. In this study, it is found that equal inheritance can assist economic development by generating competition and capital. Equal division is a criterion for sibling comparison. Comparison generates stress and anxiety with each son trying to outdo the other. Competition is therefore galvanized. Furthermore, initial capital that is released from partition can motivate sons, who want to be free from subjugation, to start their own business. This is the origin of the self-employment mentality. Both competition and capital are crucial factors for economic development to take place. The strong desire of self-employment mentality also drives Chinese family business to develop its own type of structure: jia-zu ji-tuan [family-based consortium]. Different family members can be diversified into different businesses or professions. These businesses or professions may or may not relate to each other. However, they maintain a certain level of interconnection under the banner of the family [jia-zu] and can support each other during time of crises and difficulties. They can maintain their domination in the community from generation to generation.

Limits to the Growth of Family-Owned Business? The Case of Chinese Transnational Corporations from Hong Kong

2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Wai-chung Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
Domestic Markets ◽  
Qualitative Case Studies

It has become conventional wisdom in management literature that family-owned business is restricted by its management practices and, therefore, cannot grow beyond a certain size. In the case of Chinese family firms, these practices are related to paternalism, nepotism, personalism, and fragmentation. This paper examines three detailed qualitative case studies of Chinese family firms from Hong Kong that have relentlessly pursued growth through internationalization. It argues that venturing into foreign markets and transnational operations has become an effective means for Chinese family firms to expand beyond the limits of domestic markets and centripetal management structures. International business strategies enable Chinese family firms to socialize trusted members into the corporate “family,” provide a training ground for the future heir to the patriarch, and consolidate networks of personal and business relationships. There are, therefore, no a priori reasons to support the alleged limits to the growth of Chinese family firms in their international context.

scholarly journals Corporate political connection as a determinant of corporate governance in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-475
Author(s):  
Boyce Yung ◽  
Philip Lawton
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Political Connection ◽  
Corporate Structure ◽  
Industry Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Unique Dataset

This article reports a study which uses a unique dataset compiled from listed companies in Hong Kong to demonstrate the relationship between corporate political connection with the corporate structure, ownership background and industry type of companies. The study shows that companies with political connection tend to be larger companies while Chinese family-controlled companies and more regulated companies have a higher level of political connection. Identifying the inadequacies of the existing theories in explaining corporate governance in Hong Kong, the article suggests adopting corporate political connection as a determinant of corporate governance in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

What Time May Tell: An Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between Religiosity, Temporal Orientation, and Goals in Family Business

2019 ◽  
Vol 163 (4) ◽  
pp. 759-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten M. Pieper ◽  
Ralph I. Williams ◽  
Scott C. Manley ◽  
Lucy M. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Temporal Orientation ◽  
The Relationship

The Harilela Enterprises: An Indian Family Business in Hong Kong

2017 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
John Ward ◽  
Suren Mansinghka ◽  
Elyssa Tran ◽  
Bhaskar Sambamurthy
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Family Ownership ◽  
Third Generation ◽  
Leadership Succession ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
The Third ◽  
Management Leadership ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Business Study

A second-generation, multi-billion-dollar Asian family business, run for decades by six brothers, faces issues of ownership, family employment, management, leadership, governance, and succession as it transitions to the third generation of siblings and cousins.To examine ownership and leadership succession strategies and the preparation for next-generation leadership of a family business; study the relationship between business governance and family ownership; illustrate the dilemma of concentrated family ownership control vs. dispersed family ownership; and explore stewardship leadership as a burden and as an opportunity challenging the next-generation leader.

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