Beijing Jeep A Case Study Of Western Business In China
January 31, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Beijing Jeep A Case Study Of Western Business In China
In this updated, paperback version of BEIJING JEEP, journalist Jim Mann traces the history of the stormy relationship between American business and Chinese communism through the experiences of American Motors and its operation in China, Beijing Jeep, a closely watched joint venture often visited by American politicians and Chinese leaders.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Still Relevant
Read the book when it was first published in 1989. Today it is an interesting historical note on Chinese joint business practices. Things have changed greatly in China in the past 18 years. The Chinese have evolved greatly in their international business practices, but the intent of Chinese business has not changed. Chinese business still intends to use American business technology for the good of China without the interference of US industry. The content of the book is history, but do not take the message as history. A necessary read for anyone interested in Chinese business.
4 Stars Now more of a history book then a business book…
Great book, great story, but not necessarily applicable to today.
4 Stars Must-read for China-bound business execs
This is a very good account of the difficulties AMC encountered in trying to set up the first automobile-manufacturing joint venture in China. In fact, these were the same difficulties many other American businesses ran into in the 1980s, when everyone was eager to get into the Chinese market. I think the same problems remain today. In fact, the Chinese bureaucracy is 10 times more corrupt (in more than one incident the first thing visiting Chinese officials to the U.S. ask of their American hosts is “where is the brothel with blonde girls?”) and the Chinese people more anti-Western than in the 1980s. The BJ Jeep story is not outdated. Every business exec who thinks of doing business in China must read this book, not some sugarcoated account of how great China is. I grew up in China in the 80s and witnessed the economic revolution firsthand. What pained me the most, even as a teenager, was how corrupt the Chinese society and government was becoming. Red envelopes — the venue for bribery — were becoming commonplace, and demanded by every level of bureaucrats with any degree of power. My recent return trips to China confirmed that the situation had not improved at all but worsened. Busisiness negotiations are a nightmare with the mainland Chinese. The book has a very interesting discussion in the beginning about how overseas Chinese are so efficient while the mainlanders are both inefficient, greedy, and inept. Trust me, all these are still true today.
From my point of view, China is not a market every American business should or must enter. Most foreign companies that have joint ventures do *NOT* make money in China and will probably not do so in the foreseeable future. The only ones that made a lot of money were the Japanese, who flooded (as told in the book) the Chinese market in the 80s with cheap, good consumer goods that the mainland Chinese hadn’t seen. Nowadays it’s more difficult as China’s own companies are getting competitive as well as people are no longer held in awe by Western-style products. What this book teaches, then, is how to keep your expectations low if you want to do business in China, as well as how to avoid some of the common mistakes American executives tend to make, such as assuming the efficiency of the Chinese system or presuming the chain of command. This book will serve as an excellent reminder that mainland China is still many, many years behind the West in both management style, operational efficiency, and cultural honesty.
4 Stars Interesting Read
A well writen book. Easy to read. But it is out of date and one has to be careful not to generalize the findings which were based on experiences of the first joint ventures in China some twenty years ago.
5 Stars Involving Story of Globalization Glitches
This book is absolutely required reading for anyone contemplating any business venture or involvement in China. We also recommend it warmly to any student of contemporary Chinese history or global business. Author Jim Mann does an exceptional job of telling the harrowing story of a high-stakes joint venture that developed when American Motors set out to manufacture Jeeps in China. The battle lines were quite clear, and this “joint” venture proved to be quite a skirmish. The partners’ expectations could not have been more different. Far from being a collaboration, Beijing Jeep was a contest in which the parties used deception, subterfuge and obfuscation to wrestle for what they wanted, while giving away as little as possible. The Chinese sought access to modern automotive technology and foreign exchange. The Americans chiefly wanted to sell to China’s vast domestic market and to use low-cost Chinese labor in their supply chain. Beijing Jeep depended upon ongoing Chinese subsidies until Chrysler acquired AMC. This account effectively ends with that acquisition and with the Tiananmen uprising shortly thereafter, although the author added an updated epilogue. This Jeep’s rough road offers critical lessons about driving business in China.
The Executives Guide to Corporate Events and Business Entertaining How to Choose and Use Corporate Functions to Increase Brand Awareness Develop New Nurture Customer Loyalty and Drive Growth
January 31, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
An industry expert shows readers how to get the best return on investment from corporate events
Corporate events and business entertaining are a major part of a company’s communication, marketing and public relations strategy. They are used by businesses of all sizes to solicit new business, create a corporate or brand image, and retain and build loyalty with existing suppliers and customers. They can also be used effectively to elicit peak performance from employees and produce camaraderie and teamwork among co-workers. The corporate event bar has been raised dramatically and the competition to craft something original that will help a business create public awareness as well as industry and media buzz is fierce.
Staged effectively, business functions can contribute to a company’s success, standing, profitability and business development. But corporate events and business entertaining can also seriously damage a company’s image and put the company and its management in potentially high-risk situations if not handled carefully, professionally, and appropriately. Corporate boards and chief executives are now seeing how company scandals played out in the headlines can estrange customers, sink stock prices, and end careers in a matter of minutes. And many of the transgressions that have been made public have been linked to corporate events and business entertaining.
The Executive’s Guide to Corporate Events and Business Entertaining provides executives with all the information they need before they plan, host, sponsor, or attend corporate events. It gives rising and established executives the tools they need to move ahead with confidence in planning their next company function.
International MandA Joint Ventures and Beyond
January 31, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
International MandA Joint Ventures and Beyond
- Questions on the Text
- Sample Agreements and Forms
- Real-World Merger and Acquisition Documents
- Supplementary References
International M&A, Joint Ventures, and Beyond provides a graduate- and professional-level course on all aspects and types of international business deals. This accompanying workbook allows you to practice the specialized techniques and strategies associated with becoming a cross-border M&A expert without leaving the comfort of your desk or losing millions of dollars over misunderstood international M&A issues. This workbook–a perfect companion to the actual text–helps familiarize you with the ins and outs of international M&A in todays business environment.
The International M&A, Joint Ventures, and Beyond Workbook offers practical discussion points that will help further your understanding of cross-border deal making. This indispensable, hands-on companion to International M&A, Joint Ventures, and Beyond: Doing the Deal, Second Edition strengthens your grasp of the most critical aspects of international M&A, with such tools as:
- Study questions and answers
- Sample agreements and forms
- Real-world M&A documents
- Case studies
- Supplementary references
Put your knowledge of international M&A to the test first, then enter the markets with confidence and make things happen.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars excellent overview
This is an excellent resource with helpful checklists and quick overviews on points to considering when structuring an international deal. Chapters on legal aspects of international joint ventures (Robert F. Ebin) and International Project Finance (Scott L. Hoffman) are top-notch. I highly recommend this to anyone “doing the deal.”
3 Stars Good summary
The book covers the accounting, legal, tax and financing aspect of international merger and acquisition activities. There are 15 chapters, with each chapter contributed by different author. The continuity is not good. The lack of real world M&A cases is the major drawback of this book. At the graduate level, the book is still useful as a checklist.
5 Stars Very Useful.
A very useful companion to the main text. Provides a substantial amount of additional material, such as Q&A on the text, Q&A on real-life examples of mergers and acquisitions, sample forms, checklists, and an additional reading list. I highly recommend it.
Where Are the Customers Yachts or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street A Marketplace Book
January 31, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Where Are the Customers Yachts or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street A Marketplace Book
“Once I picked it up I did not put it down until I finished . . . What Schwed has done is capture fully-in deceptively clean language-the lunacy at the heart of the investment business.”-From the Foreword by Michael Lewis, Bestselling author of Liar’s Poker
This hilarious portrait of everyday Wall Street and its denizens rings as true today as it did when it was first published in 1940. Writing with a rare mixture of wry cynicism and bonhomie reminiscent of Mark Twain and H. L. Mencken, Fred Schwed, Jr., skewers everyone including himself in his brilliant send-ups of bankers, brokers, traders, investors, analysts, and hapless customers.
“How great to have a reissue of a hilarious classic that proves the more things change the more they stay the same. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.” -Michael Bloomberg President, Bloomberg, LP
“. . . one of the funniest books ever written about Wall Street.”-Jane Bryant Quinn, The Washington Post
“It’s amazing how well Schwed’s book is holding up after 55 years. About the only thing that’s changed on Wall Street is that computers have replaced pencils and graph paper. Otherwise, the basics are the same. The investor’s need to believe somebody is matched by the financial advisor’s need to make a nice living. If one of them has to be disappointed, it’s bound to be the former.”-John Rothchild, Author, A Fool and His Money Financial Columnist, Time magazine
“A delightful classic and reminder of excesses past and how little things change.” -Bob Farrell, Senior Vice President, Merrill Lynch
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Funny, but useless
For the author investing is nothing but a flipping contest where you have 50/50 odds…
Of course there is always a risk, and a possible reward, but if you are able to at least approximately calculate these risks and the reward outweights by a good margin the risk, then you are investing (which according to the author is impossible)…
It is funny, but if you are looking for a funny investing book “A fool and his money” is much more enjoyable…
5 Stars Know more about the stock market and participants..
You should consider reading this book if you are an active investor in the stock market or even participating in the market through mutual funds. This book is too fun to read and most probably you will not be putting the book down till you finish it, at least I found it so interesting to finish it in one sitting. Though I read lot of more academic and conceptual books on investing, this book is also much relevant to investing.
The writing is so hilarious and it presents very hard look at brokers, bankers and different participants in the financial markets. Some of interesting chapters from this book for me are on stock options and short selling. If you don’t like playing with stock options like me, then you will surely find the chapter on stock options much useful and fun to read. It would be worthwhile to consider reading this book before you visit your broker next time or investing in any stock based on tip from your portfolio manager.
5 Stars The funniest stock-market book I’ve ever read.
Yes, I am one of the few who read the book cover to cover. It does not take long, and it is really really funny.
The funniest chapter was the one on short-selling.
RShaw
5 Stars Timeless and User Friendly Insight into Wall Street
Where are the Customers’ Yachts? was written in 1940, but the advice and insights contained in this slim volume are as up-to-date as anything you will read on the Internet this week. Written in a humerous and down-to-earth style, without a lot of confusing jargon or mathematical equations, Mr. Schwed tells investors what they can expect from Wall Street and what they ought not to expect. He never talks down to his readers; nor does he require that they have PhDs in Economics. Rather, he simply states facts about what it is possible for Wall Street to provide and what it is foolish to ask Wall Street to attempt.
Mr. Schwed has a low opinion of the SEC and demonstrates convincingly that the “investor confidence” mantra of the SEC and its brother regulators is not only deceitful but wrong-headed. What is needed is investors that understand the nature of the game they are playing.
Reading this enjoyable and enlightening book is one of the best ways for any sensible person to gain that understanding.
5 Stars How timely
As the financial sector has neared meltdown lately the wit and wisdom of this broker from the 1920s era was enlightening. Will Wall Street ever learn? I expect to see more bubbles before I am done investing. I’ll probably be re-reading Schwed’s book then, too. Jason Zweig is great, he made a lot of helpful updates to a few archaic references in the book, and otherwise updated it.
Fazisi The Joint Venture
January 31, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
United States Government New Customer Step by Step Guide
January 31, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
United States Government New Customer Step by Step Guide
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars What a great book!
My husband and I had been trying for some time to learn how to sell our custom framing services to the U.S. Government. We found this book on Amazon.com, ordered it, and within a matter of weeks we were selling to Uncle Sam. We’re a “mom & pop” type of operation so our sales are certainly not on the scale of IBM or Chrysler, but we’re looking forward to continuing expanding our sales to the world’s largest buyer. Thanks for this timely book!
Stop Selling Start Partnering The New Thinking About Finding and Keeping Customers
January 30, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Stop Selling Start Partnering The New Thinking About Finding and Keeping Customers
“There’s only one Larry Wilson . . . number one when it comes to the art of selling.” —Warren Bennis, University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Business Administration University of Southern California
“Stop Selling, Start Partnering will help you take a fresh look at your selling activities whether you are in the boardroom, face to face with customers, or anywhere in between.”—Harvey Mackay, Author of Swim with the Sharks
“Regardless of your position within the company, your task in the second half of these unforgiving ’90s will be to help your company learn how to get, how to treat, and how to keep customers. Read Larry’s new book and you will be much better prepared to accomplish this mission.”—Lou Pritchett, Former VP of Sales and Customer Development, Procter & Gamble
Stop Selling, Start Partnering outlines a fresh approach to finding and keeping customers through powerful, long-lasting partnerships. Drawing on his extensive experience with companies such as Kodak, US West, Saturn, and Baxter Healthcare, Larry Wilson shows managers, executives, and salespeople how to design and nurture “customer-keeping” organizations. Filled with smart advice and practical customer partnering guidelines, Stop Selling, Start Partnering redefines the new success factors for every organization that faces the daily challenge of finding and keeping customers.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars EXCELLENT BOOK ON SALES
“Stop Selling, Start Partnering” gets the thumbs up from me … it describes accurately the selling game today. Salespeople would be well advised to get this book and digest its wisdom.
5 Stars Solid Ethical Advice
This book is about the reality of the marketplace of today. It discusses how to apply an ancient principle for marketing success. It describes how to reach your target audience through empathy. In short, Larry Wilson reminds us of the value of relationships. Don’t let the title mislead you, this book is all about sales, about selling your ideas and yourself. Wilson buys the cliche, “Nothing happens in a business until someone sells something.” He’s an advocate of sales, but not “business as usual.” People and their expectations are different now.
Culitivating relationships in business is a way of pursuing lifelong customers. His description of how human nature has changed due to the choices available now helps you to position yourself and your company to tap into these realities of the marketplace.
5 Stars Customers say no to “me company, you customer” mentality
In my e-book “Jumping Out of the Box” I talk about opening relationships. That’s exactly what this book focuses on. For example, the authors advocate taking a major role in helping B2B customers reach their business goals. Through rapid innovation many products quickly become commodities.
Partnership is a whole new game for businesses ingrained in the old push concept of trying to berate customers into submitting to buying whatever the company offers. To be honest, Wilson’s book will certainly be most useful to B2B (Business to Business) companies. However, it’s not too hard to see numerous applications for B2C (Business to Consumer) companies.
Take the authors advice on why you should Put Customers Before the Boss. The customer really is king and companies should be organized around them, not towards always pleasing the boss. Stop Selling, Start Partnering is divided into three parts:
Part I. Permanent White Water
Part II. Imagining the Future
Part III. Incredible Results, More Effective People – The Strategic Abilities of the Future
The bottom line to this book is this: Yes, sales are important. However, it’s high-time that companies recognize that customers are in the driver’s seat – now more than ever. Entrepreneurs everywhere are staring at incredible opportunities as customers no longer put up with the traditional “me company, you customer” mentality.
Michael Davis – Editor, Byvation
Instant Referrals
January 30, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Turn your best customers into your most passionate promoters.
If you’re the kind of business owner who hates cold calling and chasing after new leads, then you’ll love the easy referral strategies in Instant Referrals used by self-made millionaire and entrepreneurial expert Brad Sugars. Discover how to:
- Evaluate a referral-based system that’s right for your business
- Determine which customers you want referred to you- and which you don’t
- Transform satisfied customers into your biggest fans by continually exceeding their expectations
- Create ways to use referrals to generate more buzz for your business
Get real results right now when you discover all that Instant Success has to offer!
Instant Advertising * Instant Cashflow * Instant Leads * Instant Profit * Instant Promotions * Instant Repeat Business * Instant Sales * Instant Systems * Instant Team Building * The Business Coach * The Real Estate Coach * Successful Franchising * Billionaire in Training
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star THESE ARE ALL FAKE REVIEWS!!!!
Click on the “see all my reviews” link for reviewers on this book. All they have reviewed is the “Instant…” books like this one. Obviously planted reviews. I know which book on referral generation I’m NOT buying. Pathetic!
1 Star Don’t waste your money
Brad Sugars hypes himself as a business guru. His books are mostly simplistic generalities with some sound principles “lifted” from other writers. If you have read any other well-known authors you will find that Brad simply has regurgitated their material. Don’t waste your money on his books or the consulting services he is really trying to promote. BTW, the majority of his book reviews are planted! Seems unethical to me.
5 Stars Referral Strategies Everyone Can Use
I found this book to be extremely helpful for 4 specific reasons: First, Brad Sugars covers the “theory” behind true marketing, as one must understand that to bring about any real changes to business growth. I was forced to really examine what my target market looks like so that I know what referrals to ask for. Next, there were 21 specific strategies that were covered in depth. Every business owner can pick a handful from this list and get results! Next, I always enjoy reading a true life case study with a real business. This shows how the process works in the real world. Last, the section on testing and measuring ties everything together. Research has shown that 80% of our marketing efforts don’t work. The only way we can identify what does work is to consistently test and measure. This section provides guidance and a sample form to be used. All in all, this book is a must for a business owner’s library and a reference that should be re-read often.
1 Star Instant Referrals
I a glad I borrowed this book from the library rather than having shelled out $ for it. Urfortunately I question my library now, “Why did they have this rather than the first two referral books I had on my list!”
The book is less about referrals than Mr. Sugars dream about general marketing and operation of a small business. I was frustrated in even finding direction from him to approach customers in requesting referrals. He seemed to dance around the referral process by writing about a variety of other business operating issues rather than getting to the point.
Even more curiously, his ideas about customer contact appear outright bizarre. Who would want to do business with someone so haughty?
My impression is that the author writes from dreams rather than experience.
On the other hand, somehow the book had a lot of positive reviews and it caused me to waste my time in picking it up at the library. I humbly say I don’t know how he did that!
4 Stars Quick read packed with ideas
The nice part of Brad’s books is that they are all pretty easy and quick reads. He does give several ideas for referral programs and really helps you set it up correctly by asking what type of business do you want and which program will be conducive of that business.
Brad uses a fictional business as an example and to help drive his points in, that’s part of what makes this book easier to read. If you want to set up a referral program and not sure what to do, this is a book for you.
Rain Man Penguin Joint Venture Readers
January 30, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
Rain Man Penguin Joint Venture Readers
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars A decent potboiler, but does not follow the movie word-for-word
This novelization of the film “Rainman” (Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise) is a fairly good read, despite some objectionable product plugs between its pages.
The novelization does not strictly follow the film’s storyline and dialogue, so if you are expecting a script reference work, look elsewhere.
The writing is not great writing– there is imagery and insight, but not to a remarkable degree. There is a little story embellishment compared to the film, but not much.
This is, however, a cleanly written and logically coherent potboiler– far better than, for example, the abominable novelization of “Speed 2: Cruise Control”. (There are three novelizations of “Speed 2: Cruise Control”, from separate authors. At least one contains major plotpoint errors, spelling mistakes, and boring writing.)
This review refers to the ISBN 0-451-16284-6395 edition of “Rainman” by Leonore Fleischer.
The New Idiot Proof Guide To Customer Loyalty
January 30, 2009 by Joint Venture Marketing · Leave a Comment
The New Idiot Proof Guide To Customer Loyalty
This hilarious book goes beyond customer service and teaches the reader how to build a customer base built on love, respect and admiration. Humorous insights in the book are designed to inspire employees to deliver extraordinary loyalty-inducing service. Learn why customer satisfaction is a pathetic goal and how to make the quantum leap to customer loyalty.
