CHINA, INC. WAS ANOTHER OVERHYPED AND DESTRUCTIVE MANAGEMENT FAD:
During a recent conference of regional business leaders at which I was in attendance, an executive of one company was asked about tariffs and the global supply chain squeeze, and what impact they were having. He started his response by stating that “China, Inc. was another overhyped and destructive management fad.” He went on to state that Trump’s Chinese tariffs turned out to be a welcome catalyst for many businesses to finally start disengaging from China, and that businesses shocked by current supply-chain problems from China are as delusional as the GE executives who believe their company keeps struggling because it just isn’t pushing Six Sigma hard enough.
His comment about China, Inc. caused me to recall two conversations I had about ten years ago with two separate business executives.
Flashback to November of 2019: How to Conduct Business with Chinese Companies That See a Dark Future.