William C. Kirby
Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration; T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies
William C. Kirby is T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies at Harvard University and Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He is a Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor. He serves as Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies and Chairman of the Harvard China Fund. A historian of modern China, Professor Kirby's work examines China's business, economic, and political development in an international context. He has written on the evolution of modern Chinese business (state-owned and private); Chinese corporate law and company structure; the history of freedom in China; the international socialist economy of the 1950s; relations across the Taiwan Strait; and China's relations with Europe and America. His current projects include case studies of contemporary Chinese businesses and a comparative study of higher education in China, Europe, and the United States. Before coming to Harvard in 1992, he was Professor of History, Director of Asian Studies, and Dean of University College at Washington University in St. Louis. At Harvard, he has served as Chair of the History Department, Director of the Harvard University Asia Center, and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. As Dean, he led Harvard's largest school, with 10,000 students, 1,000 faculty members, 2,500 staff, and an annual budget of $1 billion. As Dean he initiated major reforms in undergraduate education in Harvard College; enhanced Harvard's international studies at home and abroad; increased substantially financial aid in the College and in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; supported the growth of the Division (now School) of Engineering and Applied Sciences; and oversaw the construction of major new buildings in the Life Sciences, Engineering, and the Arts. During his tenure, the Faculty expanded at its most rapid rate since the 1960s. Professor Kirby holds degrees from Dartmouth College, Harvard University, and (Dr. Phil. Honoris Causa) from the Free University of Berlin and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has been named Honorary Professor at Peking University, Nanjing University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Chongqing University, East China Normal University, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, and National Chengchi University. He has held appointments also as Visiting Professor at University of Heidelberg and the Free University of Berlin. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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Book
| 2011
The People's Republic of China at 60--An International Assessment
William C. Kirby
Keywords: China;
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Book
| 2010
Prospects for the Professions in China
William P. Alford, William Kirby and Kenneth Winston
Keywords: Jobs and Positions;
China;
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Book
| 2007
China and the World: Internationalization, Internalization, Externalization (Zhongguo yu shijie: guojihua, neihua yu waihua)
William C. Kirby and Dayong Niu
Keywords: China;
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Book
| 2006
The Normalization of U.S.-China Relations: An International History
William C. Kirby, Gong Li and Robert Ross
Keywords: Relationships;
History;
China;
United States;
Citation: Kirby, William C., Gong Li, and Robert Ross, eds. The Normalization of U.S.-China Relations: An International History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006. (Also published as Cong jiedong zou xiang jianjiao [From Rapprochement to the Establishment of Sino-American Relations, 1969-1979.] (Beijing: Zhongyang wenxian chubanshe, 2004.)
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Book
| 2006
Global Conjectures: China in Transnational Perspective
William C. Kirby, Mechthild Leutner and Klaus Mühlhahn
Keywords: Perspective;
China;
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Book
| 2004
Realms of Freedom in Modern China
William C. Kirby
Keywords: China;
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Book
| 2001
State and Economy in Republican China: A Handbook for Scholars
William C. Kirby, James Chin Shih, Man-houng Lin and David A. Pietz
Keywords: Economy;
Books;
Government and Politics;
China;
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Book
| 1984
Germany and Republican China
William C. Kirby
Keywords: China;
Germany;
Citation: Kirby, William C. Germany and Republican China. Stanford University Press, 1984. (With new Chinese introduction and translation, published as Deguo yu Zhonghua minguo [Germany and the Republic of China], Chen Qianping, Chen Hongmin, et al., trans. (Nanjing: Jiangsu renmin chubanshe, 2006). First translated with new Chinese foreword as Jiang Jieshi yu Nacui Deguo [Chiang Kai-shek and Nazi Germany], Chen Jianping, et al., trans., (Beijing: Zhongguo qingnian chubanshe, 1994).)
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Book
| 1981
Germany and the Two World Wars
William C. Kirby
Keywords: War;
Germany;
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Article
| Shehui kexue yanjiu [Social Science Research]
| Forthcoming
Youxian de huobanguanxi: 1928 nian zhi 1944 nian Zhongguo yu Deguo, Sulian he Meiguo de guanxi (Limited Partners: China's Relations with Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States, 1928-1944)
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
China;
Germany;
Russia;
United States;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Youxian de huobanguanxi: 1928 nian zhi 1944 nian Zhongguo yu Deguo, Sulian he Meiguo de guanxi (Limited Partners: China's Relations with Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States, 1928-1944)." Shehui kexue yanjiu [Social Science Research] (forthcoming).
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Article
| Zhongguo xue shu [China Scholarship]
|
Guanyu Zhongguo, Ouzhou, yu Meiguo de daxue [On the State of Chinese, European, and American Universities]
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Problems and Challenges;
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Article
| Daedalus
|
On Chinese, European and American Universities
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Higher Education;
China;
Europe;
United States;
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Article
| China Quarterly
|
China's Internationalization in the Early People's Republic: Dreams of a Socialist World
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Economic Systems;
China;
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Article
| Sino-American Relations
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The People's Republic of China as History
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
China;
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Article
| China Quarterly
|
The Internationalization of China
William C. Kirby
Keywords: China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. " The Internationalization of China." China Quarterly, no. 150 (June 1997): 443–458. (Translated as "Zhongguo de Guojihua: minguo shidai de duiwai guanxi," Ershiyi shiji [Twenty-first Century] (Hong Kong), no. 44 (Dec. 1997), 33-47.)
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Article
| Journal of Asian Studies
|
China, Unincorporated: Company Law and Business Enterprise in Twentieth Century China
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Business Ventures;
Law;
China;
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Article
| Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs
|
Continuity and Change in Modern China: Chinese Economic Planning on the Mainland and on Taiwan, 1943-1958
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Change;
Economics;
Planning;
China;
Taiwan;
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Article
| Chitake ni arite
|
Recent American Scholarship on Republican China
William C. Kirby and Stephen C. Averill
Keywords: China;
Citation: Kirby, William C., and Stephen C. Averill. "Recent American Scholarship on Republican China." Chitake ni arite 16 (November 1989). (corrected version 17 in (May 1990) 43-64. Published also in Zhongguo jindaishi yanjiu tongxun [Research in Modern Chinese History (Taipei)] 9 (1990))
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Article
| Zhongwai shehui kexue [Sino-Foreign Social Science]
|
Zhonghua minguo shiqide hezi he jishu zhuanrang [Joint ventures and technological development under the Republic of China]
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Joint Ventures;
Technology;
Research and Development;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Zhonghua minguo shiqide hezi he jishu zhuanrang [Joint ventures and technological development under the Republic of China]." Zhongwai shehui kexue [Sino-Foreign Social Science] (December 1987).
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Article
| Republican China
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Joint Ventures, Technology Transfer and Technocratic Organization in Nationalist China
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Joint Ventures;
Technology;
Organizations;
China;
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Chapter
| Prospects for the Professions in China
| 2010
Engineers and the State in Modern China
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Government and Politics;
Leadership;
Engineering;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Engineers and the State in Modern China." In Prospects for the Professions in China, edited by William P. Alford, William Kirby, and Kenneth Winston, 283–314. Routledge Studies on Civil Society in Asia. London: Routledge, 2010.
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Chapter
| Lun Minguo shiqi lingdao qingying [Leadership Elites in Republican China]
| 2009
China's Republican Century: Leaders and Followers on the Mainland and on Taiwan, 1911-2007
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
Leadership;
Government and Politics;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "China's Republican Century: Leaders and Followers on the Mainland and on Taiwan, 1911-2007." In Lun Minguo shiqi lingdao qingying [Leadership Elites in Republican China], edited by Lu Fang-shang, 22–32. Hong Kong: Commercial Press, 2009. (ISBN: 978-962-07-6426-4.)
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Chapter
| Archives, Documentation and Institutions of Socal Memory
| 2006
Archives and Histories in Twentieth-Century China
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
Information Management;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Archives and Histories in Twentieth-Century China." In Archives, Documentation and Institutions of Socal Memory, edited by Francis X. Blouin Jr., and William G. Rosenberg. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2006.
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Chapter
| The Teleology of the Modern Nation-State
| 2005
When Did China Become China? Thoughts on the Twentieth Century
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
Government and Politics;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "When Did China Become China? Thoughts on the Twentieth Century." In The Teleology of the Modern Nation-State, edited by Joshua A. Fogel, 105–114. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005.
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Introduction
| Realms of Freedom in Modern China
| 2004
Introduction
William C. Kirby
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Introduction." Introduction to Realms of Freedom in Modern China. Vol. 15, edited by William C. Kirby, 1–17. Making of Modern Freedom. Stanford University Press, 2004.
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Chapter
| Realms of Freedom in Modern China
| 2004
The Chinese Party-State under Democracy and Dictatorship on the Mainland and Taiwan
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Government and Politics;
China;
Taiwan;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "The Chinese Party-State under Democracy and Dictatorship on the Mainland and Taiwan." In Realms of Freedom in Modern China. Vol. 15, edited by William C. Kirby, 113–138. Making of Modern Freedom. Stanford University Press, 2004.
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Chapter
| Fascism Outside Europe: The European Impulse Against Domestic Conditions In The Diffusion Of Global Fascism
| 2001
Images and Realities of Chinese Fascism
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
Government and Politics;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Images and Realities of Chinese Fascism." In Fascism Outside Europe: The European Impulse Against Domestic Conditions In The Diffusion Of Global Fascism, edited by Stein Ugelvik Larsen, 233–268. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001.
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Chapter
| Re-examining the Cold War: U.S. China Diplomacy, 1954-1973
| 2001
The Two Chinas in the Global Setting: Sino-Soviet and Sino-American Cooperation in the 1950s
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
International Relations;
China;
Taiwan;
United States;
Soviet Union;
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Chapter
| Historical Perspectives on Contemporary East Asia
| 2000
The Nationalist Regime and the Chinese Party-State
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
Government and Politics;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "The Nationalist Regime and the Chinese Party-State." In Historical Perspectives on Contemporary East Asia, edited by Merle Goldman, and Andrew Gordon, 211–237. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000.
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Chapter
| Becoming Chinese
| 2000
Engineering China: The Origins of the Chinese Developmental State
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies;
Government and Politics;
Policy;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Engineering China: The Origins of the Chinese Developmental State." In Becoming Chinese, edited by Wen-hsin Yeh, 137–160. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.
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Chapter
| China's Quest for Modernization: A Historical Perspective
| 1997
Intercultural Connections and Chinese Development: External and Internal Spheres of Modern China's Foreign Relations
William C. Kirby
Keywords: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues;
International Relations;
Developing Countries and Economies;
Globalized Economies and Regions;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Intercultural Connections and Chinese Development: External and Internal Spheres of Modern China's Foreign Relations." In China's Quest for Modernization: A Historical Perspective, edited by Frederic Wakeman, and Wang Xi, 219–248. Berkeley: University of California, Berkeley, Institute of East Asian Studies, 1997. (published first in Zhongguo xiandaihua wenti [Issues of Chinese modernization] (Shanghai: Fudan daxue chubanshe, 1994))
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Chapter
| Politik, Wirtschaft, Kulter: Studien zu den Deutsch-Chinesischen Beziehungen
| 1996
The Study of Modern China's Foreign Relations: Trends and Research Agendas
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
International Relations;
Trends;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "The Study of Modern China's Foreign Relations: Trends and Research Agendas." In Politik, Wirtschaft, Kulter: Studien zu den Deutsch-Chinesischen Beziehungen, edited by Mechthild Leutner, 385–406. Munster: Lit Verlag, 1996.
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Chapter
| Pacific Passage: The Study of American East-Asian Relations on the Eve of the Twenty-First Century
| 1996
Chinese-American Relations in Comparative Perspective, 1900-1949
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
International Relations;
China;
United States;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Chinese-American Relations in Comparative Perspective, 1900-1949." In Pacific Passage: The Study of American East-Asian Relations on the Eve of the Twenty-First Century, edited by Warren Cohen, and Akira Iriye, 163–190. New York: Columbia University Press, 1996.
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Chapter
| Ideas and Interpretations in Chinese Foreign Policy
| 1994
Traditions of Centrality, Authority and Management in Modern China's Foreign Relations
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
Governance Controls;
International Relations;
Policy;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Traditions of Centrality, Authority and Management in Modern China's Foreign Relations." In Ideas and Interpretations in Chinese Foreign Policy, edited by David Shambaugh, and Thomas Robinson, 13–30. New York and London: Oxford University Press, 1994.
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Chapter
| Deutschland und China
| 1994
Intercultural Contacts and International Relations: China's Relations with Germany, the Soviet Union and the United States, 1927-1944
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
International Relations;
Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues;
Germany;
China;
United States;
Soviet Union;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Intercultural Contacts and International Relations: China's Relations with Germany, the Soviet Union and the United States, 1927-1944." In Deutschland und China, edited by Kuo Heng-yü, and Mechthild Leutner, 225–252. Munich: Minerva Publikation, 1994.
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Chapter
| China's Bitter Victory: The War With Japan, 1937-1945
| 1992
The Chinese War Economy: Mobilization, Control, and Planning in Nationalist China
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
War;
Policy;
Government and Politics;
Planning;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "The Chinese War Economy: Mobilization, Control, and Planning in Nationalist China." In China's Bitter Victory: The War With Japan, 1937-1945, edited by Steven I. Levine, and James C. Hsiung, 185–213. New York: M.E. Sharpe, 1992.
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Chapter
| Minguo dang'an yu minguo shi xueshu taolunhui lunwenji [Proceedings of the Conference on the Archives and History of Republican China]
| 1989
Minguo shiqi Zhongwai jingji jishu hezuo: Meigo zhanshi shengchan quwentuan huan Hua, 1944-1946 [Sino-foreign Economic and Technical Cooporation in Republican China: The U.S. War Production Mission to China, 1944-46]
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
International Finance;
International Relations;
Cooperation;
Developing Countries and Economies;
China;
United States;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Minguo shiqi Zhongwai jingji jishu hezuo: Meigo zhanshi shengchan quwentuan huan Hua, 1944-1946 [Sino-foreign Economic and Technical Cooporation in Republican China: The U.S. War Production Mission to China, 1944-46]." In Minguo dang'an yu minguo shi xueshu taolunhui lunwenji [Proceedings of the Conference on the Archives and History of Republican China], edited by Zhang Xianwen, et al.. Beijing: Dang'an chubanshe [Archives Press], 1989.
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Chapter
| Science and Technology in Post-Mao China
| 1989
Technocratic Organization and Technological Development in China, 1928-1953
William C. Kirby
Keywords: History;
Technology;
Technological Innovation;
Organizational Design;
Developing Countries and Economies;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C. "Technocratic Organization and Technological Development in China, 1928-1953." In Science and Technology in Post-Mao China, edited by Denis Fred Simon, and Merle Goldman, 23–44. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989.
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy (B)
William C. Kirby, Nancy Hua Dai and Erica M. Zendell
Supplements the A Case 308-058. With an almost forty-year history as a business in China, the Wanxiang Group has navigated through the significantly different political and economic changes in China to succeed as a global leader in the auto parts industry, and to develop into a broad business conglomerate. Beginning in 1994, when it first began its operations in the United States, Wanxiang started to expand its role as a parts supplier into a discerning acquirer of distressed companies in the U.S. While it saw acquisition as an exciting means for growth, company strategy at its Hangzhou, China headquarters also included vertical integration with a goal of developing a full-on electric car. Were these two goals divergent or complementary: mutually supportive or exclusive?
Keywords: Business History;
Global Strategy;
Business Conglomerates;
Vertical Integration;
Goals and Objectives;
Mergers and Acquisitions;
Auto Industry;
China;
United States;
Citation: Kirby, William C., Nancy Hua Dai, and Erica M. Zendell. "Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 313-096, January 2013.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
(Revised from original 2013 version)
Kunshan, Incorporated: The Making of China's Richest Town
William C. Kirby, Nora Bynum, Tracy Yuen Manty and Erica M. Zendell
In 1980, the city of Kunshan was mere countryside, registering neither on the Chinese government's nor the international business community's radar. By 2010, Kunshan had become the richest city per capita in China and a global technology powerhouse, home to companies such as Foxconn, Compal Electronics, and Wistron. Kunshan's entrepreneurial, self-starting development combined with strategic location and high levels of local government support had been responsible for Kunshan's tremendous growth and success. How could it continue to grow at a rate to maintain its leadership among Chinese entrepreneurial cities? And would the founding of an international, joint-venture campus with Duke and Wuhan University keep the city of Kunshan innovative and ahead of the curve?
Keywords: foreign investment;
entrepreneurship;
competition;
emerging markets;
FDI;
Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues;
Innovation Leadership;
Technology Industry;
China;
Taiwan Strait;
Citation: Kirby, William C., Nora Bynum, Tracy Yuen Manty, and Erica M. Zendell. "Kunshan, Incorporated: The Making of China's Richest Town." Harvard Business School Case 313-103, May 2013. (Revised from original January 2013 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
The China Entrepreneurs Forum
William C. Kirby, G.A. Donovan and Tracy Yuen Manty
Keywords: Entrepreneurship;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C., G.A. Donovan, and Tracy Yuen Manty. " The China Entrepreneurs Forum." Harvard Business School Case 312-095, May 2012. (Revised from original February 2012 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
Taikang Insurance: Standing Out In China's Crowded Insurance Market
William C. Kirby and Tracy Yuen Manty
As a joint-stock insurance company in China, with both state-owned enterprises and foreign firms as investors, Taikang Insurance was becoming a force in the industry. It not only competed with well-entrenched state-owned rivals, but it was also seen as an entrepreneurial upstart. With the insurance landscape in China growing increasingly competitive, Taikang has had to be innovative and strategic in its ability to maintain its place as the fourth largest insurer in China. Chairman Chen Dongsheng laid a strong foundation when he launched Taikang in 2006; what will he do going forward to enable Taikang to continue to stand out in a crowded field?
Keywords: Insurance;
Industry Structures;
Insurance Industry;
China;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Boardroom Battle Behind Bars: Gome Electrical Appliances Holdings—A Corporate Governance Drama
William C. Kirby and Tracy Yuen Manty
Despite widespread news of the incarceration of Gome Electronics' CEO, Huang Guangyu, Bain Capital felt they carefully undertook due diligence before making a significant investment in the company. The venture capital firm was confident that it and the current management could work together to revamp the fortunes of China's leading electronic retailer. However, it did not anticipate the power Huang had behind bars. As the majority shareholder, Huang managed to manipulate shareholder meetings and current management decisions and structure. Was this typical of an investment in China or did Bain Capital just find itself in a unique situation? What can future managers learn from this situation about corporate governance and ethical rules of business in China?
Keywords: China;
corporate governance;
legal aspects of business;
corruption;
venture capital;
risk;
Corporate Governance;
Crime and Corruption;
Power and Influence;
Risk Management;
Business and Shareholder Relations;
Venture Capital;
Ethics;
Governing and Advisory Boards;
Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms;
Values and Beliefs;
Private Equity;
China;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2011
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Inner Mongolia Yili Group: China's Pioneering Dairy Brand
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Tracy Yuen Manty
Setting up the goal to become one of the top 20 enterprises in the world dairy industry by 2010, the Inner Mongolia Yili Group had ambitious plans. As one of China's biggest national dairy companies, its main challenge was competing as a local company against joint-venture rivals who benefited from perks granted to "foreign" companies. To set itself apart, Yili focused on research and development and innovative ways to improve the industry. Proving that it could shift industry standards and lead a country not accustomed to dairy consumption, to a point where demand is outpacing supply, the Yili Group is making its mark to go global. As an Official Sponsor of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the Official dairy supplier of the games, it is betting that the brand can go further beyond China. Will the day that tykes from Topeka have a bottle of Yili milk in their hands be coming soon?
Keywords: Global Strategy;
Globalized Markets and Industries;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Brands and Branding;
Competition;
Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry;
China;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2011
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Sealed Air China
Regina Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Tracy Yuen Manty
With a 10-year history of doing business in China, Sealed Air was now betting on the country to help propel its growth as a global company. The company identified China as one of the initial investments in the company's Global Manufacturing Strategy that aimed to create efficiencies in its operations across the globe. As Sealed Air's new Shanghai plant starts production in 2008, will its almost $50 million investment pay off? Is 10 years of experience in China enough to know how China works?
Keywords: Investment Return;
Multinational Firms and Management;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Production;
Manufacturing Industry;
Shanghai;
Citation: Abrami, Regina, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, and Tracy Yuen Manty. " Sealed Air China." Harvard Business School Case 308-051, December 2011. (Revised from original February 2008 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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2013
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Appellation Shanxi: Grace Vineyard
William C. Kirby, Michael Shih-ta Chen and Keith Chi-ho Wong
Grace Vineyard was a rare family-owned, private winery in China that was set on establishing itself as a world-renowned, quality vintner. Judy Leissner, the second-generation company leader, was at a crossroads in how she wanted to grow the business that her father founded in 1997. Their wines were rapidly growing a strong following and had won international awards. How could the company capitalize on this success? Should Grace expand its operations to multiple Chinese provinces? Should Grace continue as a premium boutique winery serving a growing but ultimately limited niche market in China, or should it seek to make a mark internationally? Or should Grace respond to buy-out offers?
Keywords: Family Business;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Family Ownership;
State Ownership;
Expansion;
Food and Beverage Industry;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C., Michael Shih-ta Chen, and Keith Chi-ho Wong. "Appellation Shanxi: Grace Vineyard." Harvard Business School Case 309-075, February 2013. (Revised from original January 2009 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2011
(Revised from original 2010 version)
Jiamei Dental: Private Health Care in China
William C. Kirby and G.A. Donovan
With the recent announcement from the Chinese government that the country's healthcare system was going to undergo reform, Jiamei Dental Chairman Liu Jia wondered what that meant for his 15 year-old dental clinic business. Founded in 1993, Jiamei Dental Medical Management Group ("Jiamei") rode the wave of China's rapid economic development and had become China's largest private dental chain with 84 clinics in Beijing and seven other major cities. But China was changing fast, and Liu acknowledged that Jiamei's ongoing expansion depended on many factors beyond its control, notwithstanding government reform, Jiamei was also faced with pressures from its private equity general partners. The year 2009 was shaping up to be a pivotal one for Jiamei. It had planned to open dozens more clinics during the year. At the same time, Liu was facing stiff competition from regional and international private dental clinic competitors, high-end private hospitals, and now possibly the government. These factors offered new complexities into the expansion plans of this entrepreneurial firm.
Keywords: Private Sector;
Economic Slowdown and Stagnation;
Entrepreneurship;
Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms;
Policy;
Health Care and Treatment;
Private Ownership;
Partners and Partnerships;
Competition;
Expansion;
Health Industry;
China;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2011
(Revised from original 2007 version)
Esquel Group: Integrating Business Strategy and Corporate Social Responsibility
F. Warren McFarlan, William C. Kirby and Tracy Manty
Focuses on the experience of China's largest shirt manufacturer in managing various aspects of government relations in China. Identifies a wide variety of social initiatives it has undertaken.
Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Business and Government Relations;
Apparel and Accessories Industry;
Manufacturing Industry;
China;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2011
(Revised from original 2010 version)
International Agribusiness in China: Charoen Pokphand Group
William C. Kirby, Michael Shih-ta Chen, Tracy Manty and Yi Kwan Chu
The world's leading Thai agribusiness corporation and largest agribusiness investor in China, CP Group, is facing another crossroads in China as the country starts to undergo rural reform. The issues at hand for Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont is how CP can balance its place as a key investor in China's burgeoning agriculture market with its unstated obligation to also provide guidance and expertise in food safety, technology, as well as jobs for rural farmers while still competing against the growing cadre of international and domestic companies vying to grab share from its operations in China. Was rural reform going to help or hinder CP's position in China and was CP doing all it could to take advantage of these changes?
Keywords: Business or Company Management;
SWOT Analysis;
Adaptation;
Business Strategy;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Competitive Strategy;
Problems and Challenges;
Rural Scope;
Agribusiness;
Change;
Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry;
China;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2011
(Revised from original 2011 version)
CP Group: Balancing the Needs of a Family Business with the Needs of a Family of Businesses
William C. Kirby and Tracy Yuen Manty
As a second generation business leader, Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont took over the family agribusiness company and built it to become a major diversified conglomerate in Thailand and expanded the business in SE Asia and China. While growing the business, he and his brothers created a holding company to both maintain and separate the interests of the family with the growing business units. As a third and possibly fourth generation of Chearavanonts enter the company, how has Chairman Dhanin created a business culture that maintains the closeness of a family business with the strategic vision, innovations, and transparency of a professionally run company -- especially given the fact that many business units are public companies? This case seeks to outline the balance of a family business with the needs of a growing and competitive international conglomerate.
Keywords: Agribusiness;
Plant-Based Agribusiness;
Family Business;
Business Growth and Maturation;
Business Conglomerates;
Family Ownership;
Growth and Development;
Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry;
Thailand;
China;
Southeast Asia;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2011
(Revised from original 2009 version)
China Mobile's Rural Communications Strategy
William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, G.A. Donovan and Tracy Manty
China Mobile was the world's leading mobile communications service provider with over 400 million customers. In some cities, its penetration rate was over 100%. With such huge successes, Chairman Wang Jianzhou was exploring ways to expand its customer base. Nearly saturated in the cities, China Mobile needed to broaden its base of subscribers. Wang believed that further investment in China's rural villages was a key strategy that would help the fuel growth for the future. Already deeply invested in the rural areas based on the company's participation in the government-mandated "Connect Every Village" project, China Mobile took advantage of this foundation and created new products and value-added services in order to make its mobile phone network more valuable to the lifestyles of China's rural population. However, the cost of connecting remote locations was high and was often not offset by subscriber fees or usage rates of these populations. Would this investment be relegated to a socially responsible project or would it pay off for China Mobile in the future?
Keywords: Communication Technology;
Investment;
Rural Scope;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Service Operations;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Business and Government Relations;
Telecommunications Industry;
China;
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Teaching Note
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2010
China Mobile's Rural Communications Strategy (TN)
William C. Kirby and F. Warren McFarlan
Teaching Note for 309034.
Keywords: Rural Scope;
Investment;
Communication Strategy;
Information Management;
Government and Politics;
Governance Controls;
China;
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Background Note
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2010
(Revised from original 2009 version)
A Strait of Uncertainty: Taiwan's Development in the Shadow of China
William C. Kirby, J. Megan Greene and Tracy Manty
The "Taiwan Question" has been at the heart of politics in East Asia since 1950, when the Americans intervened in the Chinese civil war; or perhaps even since 1895, when Taiwan became part of the Japanese empire. It is a contested place that has played an important role in the story of modern China and modern Asia. Today, relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Chinese mainland, and the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan, are improving rapidly. Taiwan investment in the mainland has played a major role in China's economic boom in recent decades. Investments, partnerships, study, travel, and marriage across the Strait point to a future of ever-greater interaction between two parties that brought Asia to the brink of war three times in the last half-century (1954, 1958, 1996). But what does the future hold? Will Taiwan thrive and yet maintain its autonomy as part of the broader economy of "Greater China"? Will economic integration lead, inexorably, to Taiwan's incorporation into the People's Republic of China? How might the global economic crisis affect any of this? To gain perspective on modern Taiwan, let us look first to its history.
Keywords: History;
Development Economics;
Investment;
Economic Growth;
Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues;
Financial Crisis;
China;
Taiwan;
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Teaching Note
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2010
China Netcom: Corporate Governance in China (A) and (B)
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby and F. Warren McFarlan
Teaching Note for 308027 and 308091.
Keywords: Telecommunications Industry;
China;
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Background Note
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2010
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Political and Economic History of the People's Republic of China: An Annotated Timeline
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, Elisabeth Koll and F. Warren McFarlan
Brief political, economic, and social timeline of China from 1949 to present to give context on and provide overview of modern Chinese history.
Keywords: Economics;
Government and Politics;
History;
Society;
China;
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Teaching Note
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2010
Sealed Air China (TN)
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby and F. Warren McFarlan
Teaching Note for [308051].
Keywords: Globalization;
Investment;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Experience and Expertise;
Market Entry and Exit;
Production;
Performance Efficiency;
Factories, Labs, and Plants;
Service Industry;
China;
Shanghai;
Citation: Abrami, Regina M., William C. Kirby, and F. Warren McFarlan. " Sealed Air China (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 310-088, February 2010.
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Teaching Note
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2010
Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy (TN)
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Keith Chi-ho Wong
Teaching Note for [308058].
Keywords: Business History;
Global Strategy;
Business Conglomerates;
Vertical Integration;
Goals and Objectives;
Mergers and Acquisitions;
Auto Industry;
China;
United States;
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Case
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2009
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited: A Global Company's China Strategy
William C. Kirby, Michael Shih-Ta Chen and Keith Wong
After fifty-five years in the semiconductor industry, Morris Chang, founder and Chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), was seeing a change. After four decades of regular double-digit growth the industry was still growing-but now at a much slower pace. In 2004, TSMC entered the China market, the world's second largest for semiconductors, by building a fabrication plant in Shanghai. Was China the market opportunity in which TSMC could bet on for expansion, or should its strategy be to focus on new product development and innovation?
Keywords: Investment;
Globalized Firms and Management;
Market Entry and Exit;
Business and Government Relations;
Expansion;
Semiconductor Industry;
Shanghai;
Taiwan;
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Case
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2009
(Revised from original 2009 version)
A Chinese Start-up's Midlife Crisis: 99Sushe.com
William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Tracy Manty
Now into their third year at the helm of an Internet start-up in China, Ken Pao and Bill Li were managing a totally different company (with a new name) from the one they first founded in 2006. Having changed their business model from a social networking site to an online gaming business came with new challenges. They hired almost an entirely new staff, cultivated new partnerships, and most urgently sought new funding. However, with three years of experience, they were no longer a "start-up" and now faced the ramifications of mid-life. What would it take to remain a viable competitor in China in a new industry?
Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation;
Business Model;
Games, Gaming, and Gambling;
Entrepreneurship;
Venture Capital;
Investment Funds;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
China;
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Background Note
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2009
(Revised from original 2007 version)
Myths and Lessons of Modern Chinese History
William C. Kirby and Brittany Crow
China is an ancient civilization, but it is really a very young country. How we understand modern China is rooted in our understanding of history. Thus, the authors examine several myths surrounding important historical themes, including unity, economic and political isolation, the growth and development of capitalism, internationalization, and governance. Following the dispelling of these myths, the authors then examine several lessons of more recent Chinese history, exploring where this young country has been in its first century.
Keywords: Economic Systems;
Globalization;
Government and Politics;
History;
China;
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Case
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2009
Xi'an International University: The Growth of Private Universities in China
William C. Kirby, Michael Shih-ta Chen, Keith Chi-ho Wong and Tracy Manty
Huang Teng founded Xi'an International University (XAIU) as a private institute of higher education in 1992. Throughout its ensuing years, the school filled a niche and met the demand of students who did not test into one of China's public institutions. In 2008, it was seeking to grow by aggressively pursuing opportunities in other provinces and municipalities. Huang's plan was to franchise his university throughout China. However, in pursuing this strategy in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, China's largest cities, Huang was not receiving warm responses. Local officials feared XAIU would jeopardize the survival of locally run private universities, and competition among private universities was heating up as institutions from the United Kingdom and Hong Kong partnered with public universities to form joint-ventured "independent colleges." Buoyed by the success of XAIU, Huang was confident that despite these setbacks, his franchise model would work. But was an alternative plan of expanding into second- or third-tier cities compromising too much of the groundwork that had already been laid, would it jeopardize XAIU's funding opportunities, and finally, would it hurt the academic quality and integrity XAIU had built up at home?
Keywords: Higher Education;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Private Ownership;
Expansion;
Education Industry;
China;
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Case
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2008
(Revised from original 2007 version)
The Challenges of Launching a Start-Up in China: Dorm99.com
William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Tracy Manty
After graduating from Harvard Business School in June 2006, Ken Pao and Bill Li were ready to fully commit to the Internet start-up they had been working on since they first stepped foot on the business school campus. They moved to Beijing, rounded out their management team, received venture capital investment, developed joint-venture partnerships, and set key milestones to create a full-impact product launch for their social networking Web site catering to the college market. On the day of their launch, they faced a setback from China's Ministry of Education and were forced back to square one. Discusses the pluses and minuses of partnering with China's government ministries, the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and the numerous opportunities available to entrepreneurship in China today.
Keywords: Business Startups;
Joint Ventures;
Entrepreneurship;
Product Launch;
Business and Government Relations;
Internet;
China;
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Case
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2008
(Revised from original 2007 version)
China Netcom: Corporate Governance in China (A)
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Ning Xiangdong and Tracy Manty
With its dual listings on the Hong Kong stock market and New York Stock Exchange, state-owned enterprise, China Netcom was mandated to meet the listing requirements of these exchanges. From this initial step, China Netcom's Chairman, Zhang Chunjiang, began a program that sought to further develop the company's corporate governance practices to meet international corporate governance standards. The company hoped that its commitment in developing a globally-accepted governance structure would help the capital markets and potential investors understand that the company was a true, modern corporation, even with the state as a majority owner.
Keywords: Corporate Governance;
State Ownership;
Public Ownership;
Financial Markets;
Capital Markets;
Telecommunications Industry;
China;
Citation: Abrami, Regina M., William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Ning Xiangdong, and Tracy Manty. " China Netcom: Corporate Governance in China (A)." Harvard Business School Case 308-027, December 2008. (Revised from original December 2007 version.)
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Case
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2008
HNA Group: Moving China's Air Transport Industry in a New Direction
William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Tracy Manty
HNA Group, the parent company of Hainan Airlines, was positioning itself to go global and make a mark for itself as the largest private airline in China. Positioned squarely behind the "Big Three" state-owned carriers, Hainan Airlines sought to create a world-class business. Following modern management practices, keeping sharp attention to cost control and capital operations, making aggressive entries into international markets, and maintaining a special corporate culture, Chairman Chen Feng was confident these factors were the engine that would drive HNA's continued growth.
Keywords: Global Strategy;
Management Practices and Processes;
Private Ownership;
Competitive Advantage;
Air Transportation Industry;
China;
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Case
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2008
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Keith Chi-ho Wong and Tracy Manty
With an almost forty-year history as a business in China, the Wanxiang Group has navigated through the significantly different political and economic changes in China to succeed as a global leader in the auto parts industry and to develop into a broad business conglomerate. Beginning in 1994, when it first began its operations in the United States, Wanxiang started to expand its role as a parts supplier into a discerning acquirer of distressed companies in the U.S. While it saw acquisition as an exciting means for growth, company strategy at its Hangzhou, China headquarters also included vertical integration with a goal of developing a full-on electric car. Were these two goals divergent or complementary: mutually supportive or exclusive?
Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions;
Business Conglomerates;
Global Strategy;
Business History;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Vertical Integration;
Auto Industry;
Hangzhou;
United States;
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Supplement
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2008
(Revised from original 2008 version)
China Netcom: Corporate Governance in China (B)
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Tracy Yuen Manty
Supplements the A case [308027]. With its dual listings on the Hong Kong stock market and New York stock Exchange, state-owned enterprise, China Netcom was mandated to meet the listing requirements of these exchanges. From this initial step, China Netcom's Chairman, Zhang Chunjiang, began a program that sought to further develop the company's corporate governance practices to meet international corporate governance standards. The company hoped that its commitment in developing a globally-accepted governance structure would help the capital markets and potential investors understand that the company was true, modern corporation, even with the state as a majority owner.
Keywords: Management Teams;
Corporate Governance;
State Ownership;
Standards;
Globalized Markets and Industries;
Telecommunications Industry;
China;
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Background Note
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2008
(Revised from original 2008 version)
China's Environmental Challenge
William C. Kirby and Brittany Crow
China faces enormous environmental challenges. This background note looks at the historical, economic and political origins of the environmental crisis that faces the world's fastest-growing economy.
Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies;
Globalized Economies and Regions;
History;
Crisis Management;
Environmental Sustainability;
China;
Citation: Kirby, William C., and Brittany Crow. " China's Environmental Challenge." Harvard Business School Background Note 308-100, May 2008. (Revised from original March 2008 version.)
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Case
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2008
(Revised from original 2007 version)
Fiyta - The Case of a Chinese Watch Company
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Luc R. Wathieu, Gao Wang, Fei Li and Tracy Manty
Fiyta had long been on of China's foremost watch brands. However, as China's economy began to improve and the livelihood of many Chinese rose with it, their tastes began to change. Exposed to more luxurious foreign brands, many Chinese strived to purchase a Swiss or Japanese watch. How could Fiyta build up its brand image to a more sophisticated Chinese consumer? What marketing activities should it undertake to reinvigorate its brand? Is it meeting the needs of all segments of Chinese consumers? Should it?
Keywords: Brands and Branding;
Product Marketing;
Product Positioning;
Demand and Consumers;
Consumer Behavior;
Consumer Products Industry;
Electronics Industry;
China;
Citation: Abrami, Regina M., William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Luc R. Wathieu, Gao Wang, Fei Li, and Tracy Manty. " Fiyta - The Case of a Chinese Watch Company." Harvard Business School Case 308-025, March 2008. (Revised from original August 2007 version.)
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Case
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2008
(Revised from original 2007 version)
Gome Electronics: Evolving the Business Model
Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Gao Wang, Fei Li, Tracy Manty and Waishun Lo
After 20 years of expansion, Gome Electronics has become China's largest consumer electronics retailer. It has opened stores in almost every province in China, acquired some of its competitors, and went public in Hong Kong. However, it has begun to experience a slowdown in growth as sales per-square-meter have declined. The company is now being challenged to develop new ideas for growth, including experimenting with its product mix, renegotiating its relationships with suppliers, and developing new business models to maximize profitability.
Keywords: Business Model;
Distribution Channels;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Technology;
Industry Growth;
Marketing Strategy;
Business Growth and Maturation;
Product;
Electronics Industry;
Retail Industry;
China;
Citation: Abrami, Regina M., William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan, Gao Wang, Fei Li, Tracy Manty, and Waishun Lo. " Gome Electronics: Evolving the Business Model." Harvard Business School Case 308-026, February 2008. (Revised from original August 2007 version.)
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Case
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2007
(Revised from original 2007 version)
Li & Fung 2006
F. Warren McFarlan, William C. Kirby and Tracy Manty
Describes the opportunities and strategy facing one of the most innovative global supply-chain companies, and the strategy it has chosen to deal with the expanding demand for its services. Li & Fung links thousands of factories in India, China, and elsewhere to nearly a thousand large retailers, primarily in the U.S. and Europe. It basically does the supply-chain job faster and more accurately with the aid of a sophisticated information system than anyone else.
Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain;
Supply Chain Management;
Distribution Channels;
Global Range;
Strategy;
Information Technology;
Service Industry;
Distribution Industry;
China;
India;
United States;
Europe;
Citation: McFarlan, F. Warren, William C. Kirby, and Tracy Manty. " Li & Fung 2006." Harvard Business School Case 307-077, May 2007. (Revised from original February 2007 version.)
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