New German-Language China/Asia Book Released

March 17, 2011 Posted by China Briefing Reading Time: 3 minutes

Op-Ed Commentary: Martin Kuroczik

Mar. 17 – While there are many text books about China and Asia available in the English language, an important new reference book “Asien für Profis – Strategien für den globalen Mittelstand” (Asia for Professionals – Strategies for Global Medium-Sized Companies) was released for sale today in German.

Nine authors contributed information invaluable for conducting business in Asia. Each of the authors, including Richard Hoffmann, a China-based lawyer with Dezan Shira & Associates, have been living and working in the respective countries in Asia that they are talking about. The book is written in an informative, easily-accessible style and supported by specific case studies; illustrating the corporate strategies of German medium-sized companies that operate in Asia. The book also contains country reports on China, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, India and Indonesia.

An interview with the publisher is reproduced on the German pages of China Briefing News here.

English translated snippets from the interview are as follows:

“(While researching for the book) we had to be on-site to talk to entrepreneurs, cab drivers, students, local politicians and the people on the street. That means devoting time and money on our part. We authors had to spend a five-digit sum for that purpose.”

“The mixture (of the content) creates the excitement. Nine authors reproduce their impressions which are derived from totally different backgrounds: from the viewpoint of a journalist, a lawyer, a scientist, a management consultant, an entrepreneur, the CEO of a Chamber of Commerce or other German institutions where a lot of German enterprises are coming together. Everybody sees Asia from a different perspective. However, people come to similar conclusions.”

“Every enterprise has entered the market via a different avenue, via existing clients or individually. To define ‘Global Medium-Sized Companies,’ one should start by stating what does not make a Global Medium-Sized Company. No exporter, even if he is very successful is a Global Medium-Sized Company, you can only gain this attribute if you are present and show ‘commitment’ to respective market that you are operating in. They have to be there when the client/customer needs them, they have to be learn from being in touch with clients/customers, what their markets desire and need. They have to be dedicated to respond to these wishes and necessities. That is deemed essential for the whole company, from product development, via production to distribution.”

“While the property sector always lives by the mantra of ‘location, location, location,’ the global medium-sized company shall name as their most important success metrics ‘presence, presence, presence.’”

“With regards to Asia, my co-author Hanne Seelmann likes to refer to the ‘Ähnlichkeitsfalle’ (‘resemblance trap’). People in Asia use the same marketing-language for marketing, young people gel their hair exactly like their Western peers, and everything seems to appear similar. But if you could look into their heads, they would look different.”

“The Vietnamese are the ‘Prussians’ of Asia. They are similar compared to us in terms of discipline and quality consciousness and the geographical location of the country made it difficult over hundreds of years, such as in the case of Germany, to live peacefully. The country offers a great diversity of opportunities, but also risks.”

Asien für Profis – Strategien für den globalen Mittelstand has been edited and published by Dr. Gunter Denk and Tim Cole. To order this book, please click here.

Martin Kuroczik works for the German Desk of Dezan Shira & Associates in Shanghai. The firm’s German Desk in China is headed by Olaf Griese, regional partner of the firm in Shanghai, and Richard Hoffmann, senior legal associate in Beijing. Please see our German Desk contact details here. China Briefing News is also available in German. To obtain a complimentary subscription to our weekly German news service please click here.

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