Imagine working night and day to achieve a goal of owning your own business. The days seem to run together and there is never enough time for yourself. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The long hours that you have put in are starting to produce benefits. The most important thing is that this business that you have will include everyone around you to become financially sound. This is like what China has been doing over the last couple of decades and it is nothing less than amazing. There are many rewards to their economic system, including uplifting the poor. The people here are known for being entrepreneurs (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 415).
Here is a place where everyone can be successful. Wong Kwong Wu and his brother started off poor and working at a young age to help their family. They continued to progress by starting their own business one in retail and the other in real estate. Wong states that he and his family even though they are wealthy live a simple life (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 415). His continued success comes from his hard work and long hours that he puts in. The company that they originally started is called Gome, currently there are 437 stores in 132 cities (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). They are billionaires that are putting into the economy. By creating jobs that will stimulate the economy.
China started putting into the economy by “letting some people get rich first” this was a statement by Deng Xiaoping’s (Zitelman, 2014). This way of business is not by no means taking away from the poor but enhancing the opportunities for them. With business being on the rise they are also are providing services for their community. Due to their business methods they have been able to reduce the poor that are under the poverty line. Since 1990 there has been over 800 million that are out of poverty (China Lifting 800 million people out of poverty is historic: World Bank, 2017).
China continues to advance and making changes one step at a time. They look for ways to improve and put back into their economy by creating positions that will employ others. This helps to stimulate the economy’s continued growth. They continue to learn by doing instead of waiting on an opportunity to be given to them (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 416).
References
China Lifting 800 million people out of poverty is historic: World Bank. (2017, October 13). Business Standard. Retrieved from https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/china-lifting-800-million-people-out-of-poverty-is-historic-world-bank-117101300027_1.html
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences . New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Zitelman, R. (2014, May 14). No, The Rich Don’t Get Rich at the Expense fo the Poor. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/rainerzitelmann/2019/05/14/no-the-rich-didnt-get-rich-at-the-expense-of-the-poor/#31d1309038ca
swn5169 says
Markeia,
Thank you for posting your blog. This was very informative to me and I enjoyed reading it. I have always been one to believe that hard work pays off. All too often though we seem to be constantly working and not get ahead. The part that we don’t get ahead could be due to living above our means at times. It is interesting in your case study mentioned the normal simple lives with such well established individuals. Just because an person is of wealth or successful doesn’t mean they live extravagant. I see this actually close to home with my sister. She is a very successful person and is VP of her company she works for. She has developed into this position by her hard work, so I can say hard work does pay off. I hope to take the lessons learned and apply them to my life development and continue to work hard.
Steve
jjh6387 says
Markeia,
This was a great read. China is certainly known for their dedication in emphasizing the “hard work pays off” saying. A thought that came to mind after reading this was a focus on the working conditions, such as lengthy hours, and poor pay rate that is offered to Chinese workers. While Deng Xiaoping’s statment of “letting some people get rich first” is a great method to get the ball rolling in any economy, I am looking forward to hear of what’s next? How can their economy propose a consistent and livable basis for the significantly under paid individuals. Often times, I feel that there is a significant imbalance with the rich and the poor, as their working measures surpass legalized conditions of the U.S. None the less, it’s enlightening to learn that Wong Kwong Wu was able to create his Chinese Dream- something not heard of so often, or that the media does not portray at least.
Madeline Blandford says
Markeia,
I enjoyed reading this blog post. I sometimes wish Americans had the same motivation and work ethic. While some of us do possess that same drive that Wong Kwong Wu and his brother have, there are many people who do not understand the concept “hard work pays off.” It find it particularly interesting that the “American Dream” is more popular than the “Chinese Dream.” Moran, Abramson, & Moran (2014) state, “…The Chinese people have shown themselves to be among the most entrepreneurial in the world. Even originally poor peasants have been able to achieve great economic success. The ‘American Dream’ that anyone could become successful through his/her own efforts has also become the Chinese Dream.” This is the first time I have read much about work ethic in China and I find it to be remarkable and inspiring.
Another interesting characteristic about work styles in China is the lack of creativity. Moran, Abramson, & Moran (2014) suggest that employees prefer not to think creatively and avoid taking responsibility for decisions. Why do you think this is? Is it because of strong emphasis the Chinese put on interpersonal interactions? Do they believe thinking creatively is selfish or goes against the grain? This is something I would like to research further.
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.