A study of Hong Kong Businessmen's perceptions of the role “Guanxi” in the People's Republic of China

Guanxi is perceived as a major determinant for successful business in China. This research paper investigates the importance of Guanxi from the Hong Kong Businessmen's viewpoint. It confirms previous findings in this area and adds on new dimensions. Therefore, practitioners and academics may further refine their knowledge in this subject.Leung, T. K. P. is an Assistant Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He specializes in industrial marketing and marketing in China. His current research interests include issues in Guanxi, networking in China, and Chinese negotiation. He has published in referred journals related to the PRC market.Wong, Y. H. is an Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He teaches courses in sales management and international marketing. His current research focuses on issues of relationship marketing and Guanxi model. His recent publications include articles in preferred journal and books.Wong, Syson was a lecturer of Hong Kong Polytechnic University and is now a business consultant. She specializes in quantitative methods and China business. Her current consultancy works include a big project in China.     

Health care fraud control: understanding the challenge

The study summarized here examined the fraud-control apparatus currently used within the health care industry, and assessed the assumptions, policies, and systems that constitute the industry's current approaches to fraud control. The objective was to develop a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of existing approaches. Since 1992, with Health Care Reform under debate, the issue of health care fraud has received unprecedented legislative and administrative attention. Nevertheless disturbing and somewhat surprising lapses in control persist. The fraud problem shows no sign of abatement. Background knowledge of the health care fraud issue was derived from literature searches and from four years of interaction with concerned public and private organizations. Fraud control systems, policies and procedures were examined in detail at eight field sites, representing a cross section of private, not-for-profit, and public programs. The National Institute of Justice funded the study under grant number #94-IJ-CX-K004. This study finds the science of fraud control scarcely developed and little understood by industry practitioners. Academia has paid little attention to the problem. Within the health care industry, the task of fraud control is complicated by the social acceptability of insurers as targets, the invisible nature of most fraud schemes, the separation between administrative budgets and "funds", the respectability of the health care profession, and the absence of clear distinctions between criminal fraud and other forms of abuse. Existing approaches to control are more effective in controlling billing errors, overutilization, medical unorthodoxy, and other forms of abuse than in dealing with criminal fraud. The complexity of the fraud control challenge is seriously underestimated by the health care industry Existing control systems are not targeted on criminal fraud and cannot be expected to control it. Scientific measurement of the fraud problem is a prerequisite effective control.     

When an executive defects

The news that one of the company's senior managers is leaving comes as a complete surprise to Paul Simmonds, CEO of Kinsington Textiles, Inc. Ned Carpenter, KTI's vice president of operations for three years, writes in his resignation letter than he is leaving for a better opportunity. Simmonds soon learns that Carpenter's new job is at Daltex, one of KTI's main rivals in the intensely competitive carpet industry. Hiring Carpenter had helped Simmonds establish his reputation as a topnotch manager. Carpenter came to KTI with lots of ideas and put his enthusiasm to good use. Three years into a five-year change program, Carpenter had turned KTI's operations from one of the worst in the industry to one of the best. He also had helped develop and plan the upcoming launch of a new fiber coating--KTI's first breakthrough in years. In this fictitious case study, Simmonds, along with the company's counsel and vice president of human resources, must figure out how much and what sort of damage control they need. What are they going to tell the company's employees and the media? Should they immediately replace Carpenter with John Brady, the second-in-command of operations? What if Carpenter is taking KTI employees--and strategic information--with him to Daltex? Should Simmonds ask all his managers to sign noncompete agreements-something Carpenter was never asked to do? Should KTI sue Carpenter? Five experts offer advice about communicating with KTI's employees, the media, and Carpenter himself, and about protecting the company's confidential information.     

The ABCs of effective communication

Communication is affected by the aim of the communicators, their bias, and the climate in which they are communicating. It is also affected by their attitudes, their behaviors, and their self-concepts. Finally, before communicating, they should assess the communication situation, create a blueprint for the communication, and choose a communication style. In other words, they should practice the ABCs of communication.     

Doctors on the move

We surveyed your colleagues to find out how they're responding to health-care turmoil. Our comprehensive findings show them selling, merging, relocating, or joining up.