One of the main reasons I wanted to contribute to the success of this blog is my desire to dispel ideological myths and dogma that exists in western discourse, and if I’m lucky, reach out to a few people in my age group back in China. One of the myths, against which I voiced skepticism in “Rethinking the Freedom-Innovation Nexus” is the supposed causal link between political freedom and scientific innovation.
I wanted to follow up on this with a McKinsey discussion on the Chinese model of innovation. I think this is podcast yields useful insights on the current state and characteristics of modern day Chinese innovation at the enterprise level.
http://www.mckinseychina.com/podcasts/is-there-a-chinese-model-of-innovation/
A couple of highlights:
– Chinese companies embrace change and adaptation at a faster pace relative to their other Asian counterparts at a similar stage of development in their respective countries.
– Chinese companies are more willing to import talent from abroad, China’s ‘richness of talent’ comes in part from returnees who received education and worked in the west, as well as state funding of world-class academic research institutions.
Black Pheonix says
I think it’s pretty evident from the history of Chinese immigrants around the world in the 2 centuries, that Chinese people in general are very adaptable to different environments, cultures, systems of laws, and business customs.
A critical reason for this is perhaps China has had such great highs and great lows in recent history. We know that we are capable of great potential, with or without “democracy”.
We have seen the depth of misery, and we will not make excuses for it. We are makers of our future, not victims of our “systems”.
From here on, it can only get better.
We have true hope in ourselves, not Hope as slogan of adulation for some political demigod.
10,000 years to China!!!
Zack says
finally, some western commentators are starting to raise eyebrows at the commonly barely concealed racism of the ‘Chinese be stealin’ our secrets’ trope:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/22/west-chinese-hackers-hysteria-naughton