This week on China Corner Office, Chris Marquis talks to Lele Sang, Global Fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania about her recent co-authored book, Winning in China: 8 Stories of Success and Failure in the World’s Largest Economy. They discuss the different factors that explain the success (or failure) of foreign companies entering China. Examples discussed in detail include how Amazon’s overreliance on its global model led to problems, how Norwegian Cruise Line misinterpreted what Chinese consumers would want and so ended up leaving the market, and the leadership characteristics and governance structures that led Sequoia Capital and InMobi from India to succeed. Lele also analyzes the complex case of LinkedIn and how, despite being a rare U.S. social media company to operate in China, its success has been limited due to a lack of fit with Chinese culture, and also how Intel has fostered an effective relationship with the Chinese government.
