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ADVANCED
MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
VOLUME 64
NUMBER 1 WINTER 1999
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to AMJ Contents
Are Joint Ventures Losing Their Appeal in China?
Joint ventures were the entry device of choice for many
foreign companies eager to participate in new opportunities in China. Although in theory
having a domestic partner would counter many of the obstacles and disadvantages of trying
to operate in a very foreign environment, in fact, many if not most joint ventures have
been disappointing. A major reason is that the objective of the foreign partner is usually
very different from that of the domestic partner. Following certain guidelines can help
the chance of success, however, and signs of change in China's business and political
environment may make joint ventures less necessary in the future.
Yim Yu Wong, Thomas E. Maher, Richard A. Jenner,
Allen L. Appell and Len G. Hebert
Offshore Trusts for Asset Protection
In this day of omnipresent computers and data banks,
protecting the privacy of your financial asset information becomes increasingly difficult.
Maintaining privacy can be crucial in the event of lawsuits seeking financial redress. One
avenue to explore is establishing an offshore asset protection trust, which is sometimes
combined with a limited partnership. However, it is crucial that you secure expert advice
from a lawyer knowledgeable about foreign laws and customs and that the trust is drawn up
correctly. Two states, Delaware and Alaska, now permit a type of asset protection trust,
but they may not ensure as high a degree of privacy as an Off shore trust.
Cheryl Hein
Casual Dress at Work
Miss Manners notwithstanding, casual dress took the workplace
by storm in the 1990s. With a more egalitarian atmosphere and increased flexibility in
many workplaces, permission to dress in "business casual" has increasingly been
forthcoming. The initial evidence is that work does not suffer, in fact, it seems to
improve morale and encourage openness. The degree of client contact often determines
whether a person or business can go casual, and abuse of the privilege cause it to be
revoked.
Elisa Biecher, Paul N. Keaton, and A. William Pollman
Beyond Teams and Empowerment: A Counterpoint to Two Common
Precepts in TQM
It has seemingly been an article of faith that total quality
management required the use of teams and the empowerment of employees. But was this based
on empirical evidence? A literature review plus case studies of companies adopting TQM
suggest not. Indeed, it can be argued that teams and individual empowerment are
antithetical, and that neither is crucial to the successful implementation of
TQM.
Companies thinking of adopting TQM, which has many successes, should take afresh look at
the underlying assumptions and the many reasons why it does not, in fact, always succeed.
Appa Rao Korukonda, John G. Watson, and T. M.
Rajkumar
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Quality Implementation in Small Business: Perspectives From
the Baldrige Award Winners
Created by Congress in 1987 to spur the overall
competitiveness of U.S. industries, the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award program applies to
small business as well as large. Profiles of some small business award winners and a
discussion of key areas of quality effort can help guide managers toward quality
improvement and, perhaps, an award. The key areas are top management involvement, focus on
customer needs, employee training, empowerment of employees, and the generation of new
ideas.
Richard M. Hodgetts, Donald F. Kuratko, and Jeffrey
S. Hornsby
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