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Integrating China into Your Global Supply Chain - Lessons Learned from Global Supply Chain Integrators

For too long, many companies have exhibited tunnel vision in their approach to doing business in emerging markets, such as China, India, Brazil, and Russia. Some have seen them purely as venues for low-cost sourcing; others have considered them rapidly expanding pools of customers who are attracted to imported goods. But a new breed of company that we call global supply chain integrators (GSCIs) has recognized that these markets are more than just low-cost source markets or the mega-growth markets of our age: At a minimum, they are both.

About six months ago I received an email from Jamie Carstairs, a Digitisation Assistant at the University of Bristol. The subject header was ‘Rare historical photos cast light on life in China’. Further enquiry revealed that the images in question are a remarkable collection of photographs of China in the late 19th and early 20th century brought together by researchers from the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Bristol, as part of their ongoing ‘Historical Photographs of China’ project.

On August 8, Beijing will host the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Summer Olympics. For two weeks, we will be treated to athletic performances that animate dreams and inspire the world, set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most ancient and celebrated civilizations. That, at least, is the way that Beijing would like to sell the Games.

For better or worse, they will mark a critical crossroads in China’s development as a responsible global player.

In a world that requires business leaders to address the concerns of all their stakeholders, we must reshape management education to be both practical and aspirational.