PREFACE

Management science studies the general principles of management behaviors.The principles of management behavior shave different characteristics depending on the eras and environments in which they are enacted.Scholars from both the East and the West have a wealth of knowledge on human behaviors,generating profound perspectives about the principles of these behaviors.Domain experts have developed management theories which provide deep insights into human management behaviors,and it is these theories and knowledge that contribute to the formation and development of Management as a discipline.With around 5 000 years of recorded history China is a nation with a rich and cultured history as it flourished in the early stages in world civilisation.Tremendously rich thoughts on management act as beacons of knowledge in a sea of literature.In fact some early concepts central to the evolution of the management perspectives in widespread use today where initially conceived in ancient China.These include:the practive of inaction in times that it is suitable,through righteousness of the heart there will be harmony in our surroundings,plan in advance and be cautious in war,the importance of moral conduct and personal integrity over simply following laws and regulations.Creating and building China's industrial system was a primary focus for the country following the foundation of the People's Republic of China.This led to the opening of the economy as a result of to policy reform in the late of 1970s,in turn supporting the development of the high-tech industry ecosystem in the 1980s.The 1990s heralded the implementation of national key basic research and development initiatives.Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012,the nation's macro policies and newly introduced development concepts all center around people,greenness/sustainability,and building a community with a shared future for all mankind,promote and embody the development of Chinese local management theories,which in turn provide endless opportunities for dialogue and integration with established Western management theories.Many modern management theories are rooted in China,such as “the Rendanheyi Model”“the Grey Management”“the Three Axes Management”,have been the source of great insight and guidance for Chinese firms seeking to change their image from providing “low price,low quality” to being the provider of “innovative and high quality” offerings on the world stage.In the past ten years,Chinese companies have played a leading role globally in 5G,artificial intelligence,advanced algorithms,drones,aerospace and more recently electric vehicles amongst others.Through our exploration of the Chinese management paradigm we examine how innovative Chinese companies conduct their management activities and the types of management theories and practical experience these companies offer to their domestic and foreign counterparts.

The West was catalyzed by several industrial revolutions.The evolution of its management science is highly linked to the industrial revolutions.The early management school of thought in the West began to emerge following the proliferation of the factory system.The Utopian socialist Robert Owen,the father of classical economics — Adam Smith,the father of modern computing Charles Babbage and others in the UK provided their own thoughts on management in relation to staffing,labor division,and batch production from various lenses,all of which laid a solid foundation for the birth and development of modern management theories.Fredrick W.Taylor,a chief engineer in an American manufacturing company,published “Principles of Scientific Management” in 1911.Meanwhile,Henry Fayol,a general manager in a French mining company,published “general administrative theory” in 1916； Fayol is the first person credited with identifying five management functions （planning,organizing,commanding,coordination,controlling）.Max Weber,a German sociologist,proposed bureaucratic organization.All these classical management theories explain the methods and processes through which companies can improve efficiency.Elton Mayo,an academic from Harvard University,conducted the Hawthorne Studies,which emphasizes the central role of humans in the industrial civilization.The Studies created the foundation for the development of behavioral science.However,these management theories pay little attention to the external environment,and it is this difference that resulted in divergent schools of management following World War II and into the 1980s.These schools include management process,human behavior,social system,management science （also called quantitative management approach）,decision theory,system management,the empirical approach,managerialism approach,socio-technical system and contingency theory.The phenomenon was labeled “the Jungle of Management Theory” by American management expert Harold Koontz.Different scholars provide their own thoughts on management from diverse lenses.As time passes and studies continue to study the various phenomena within the field of management,our understanding of pertinent issues is gradually becoming mature.As new insights emerge our perspectives on human behaviors has become enriched,with greater scope to understand human complexity and changeable nature.The management theories in the East and the West will continuously extend their boundaries,further synthesize the concepts,integrate with each other and develop together.

There are plenty of books on management at home and abroad.Reading these books can facilitate an understanding of the general principles of management behaviors and guide practitioners in their approach to management.However,many management textbooks focus on introducing management theories.Textbooks that pay close attention to company management cases are far less widespread and there are even fewer that focus on Sino-English bilingual cases.The analysis and explanation of innovative company cases in management enable us to provide the reader with real-life practical experiences.Therefore,after I reviewed the cases,I agreed to write a preface for this book,at the request of Professor Dr.Tang Mingfeng,without hesitation.Professor Tang Mingfeng has studied extensively in China and Europe,receiving formal higher education in both jurisdictions.This experience has enabled her to develop a profound understanding of management theories and practices in both the East and the West.The case collection edited by Professor Tang integrates practitioner cases from the East and the West,illuminating real-life situations and addressing the gap in Sino-English bilingual management case textbooks in China.Furthermore,the book can be used as a complementary reference book for domestic and foreign textbooks of Management.This book outlines 15 Chinese companies' stories.Among these cases,there are some globally reknowned companies like TikTok,Huawei,JD,Gree and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.Others are typical small-medium-sized companies,such as Sichuan Huifeng Engineering Management Company,and so on.Each case is insightful,novel,illuminating and offers practical knowledge.They align well with Management courses whether these are taught in Chinese or English,in turn this publication responds to the shortage of teaching cases in the Sino-English bilingual language in China.The book combines the management specialties of Chinese companies with the requirements of textbook reform.The books format provides content that offers useful teaching materials through tangible examples which assist in bringing existing theories to life in a company context.Professor Tang Mingfeng carefully observes the management activities of domestic companies of various size,she leads her team in selecting appropriate company cases,blending management theories on decision making,organizing,leading,controlling and innovation with the management activities of Chinese companies in China's new development era.This book is a timely contribution to the management field and its readability and practical orientation will make it essential reading for both management students and practitioners.It gives me great joy to support young professors like Tang Mingfeng as she diligently takes on the task of preparing and publishing a book of this calibre.Following its publication I expect this book to quickly become a management manual for both domestic and foreign readers.I hope this book will inspire more scholars to tell the stories of Chinese companies and share China's management roots with the world.

Professor Gu Xin

Business School,Sichuan University

December 18th 2023