The changing face of multinationals in South East Asia

This book examines how and why corporate strategy, structure and culture is continuing to change markedly in South East Asia. Among the issues that have forced widespread changes in the region are the economic meltdown, the growth in electronic technology, regional market integration, changing levels of education, business process standardisation and transparency measures, the rise in 'corporate governance' and political developments among the targeted countries. Specifically, this book discusses the changing nature of MNC business culture, strategy and practice in the ASEAN regional trading bloc. This comprises Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. This book provides a rich and detailed account of how and why these organisations are evolving and restructuring in the post-economic crisis era. Multiple, in-depth case-studies are incorporated from the point of view of participants.

Author Notes

Tim G. Andrews is Senior Lecturer in International Marketing, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England
Nartnalin Chompusri is Marketing Officer at the Bristol Business School, University of the West of England
Bryan J. Baldwin OBE is Chairman of Trafalgar International, Global Investments Ltd, Evergreen Comware and Director of PCI International

Acknowledgments	p. x
Introduction	p. 1
Aims and rationale	p. 3
Focus "roots"	p. 4
Perspective	p. 6
Scope	p. 8
Method	p. 10
Style and content	p. 11
Structure	p. 12
Part I The Southeast Asia regional bloc: salient features	p. 15
1 ASEAN business context	p. 17
Overview	p. 17
Crisis	p. 18
Cultural foundations	p. 19
Opening up	p. 24
2 Rise of the multinational	p. 28
History and current operations	p. 28
Moving in	p. 32
Part II Organizational change	p. 53
3 Organizational downsizing	p. 55
Cost control: initial measures	p. 56
The onset of layoffs: rationale for change	p. 60
First-wave implementation	p. 65
Longer-term measures	p. 72
4 Corporate consolidation	p. 79
Status quo: the precrisis years	p. 81
Postcrisis consolidation	p. 82
Implementation: culture's consequences	p. 89
Implementation "cross-vergence"	p. 99
5 Human resources management	p. 103
Recruitment	p. 106
Where the twain meet: expatriates v. local recruits	p. 109
Managerial rotation	p. 115
The rise of the "younger" executive	p. 118
Reward structure	p. 120
Appraisals	p. 125
Training	p. 130
Language	p. 140
6 Electronic technology	p. 143
Local challenges	p. 147
Culture factors	p. 151
Security	p. 155
Response of the multinationals	p. 157
Concluding thoughts	p. 160
7 Information tracking	p. 161
ISO certification in Southeast Asia	p. 163
Rationale for accreditation	p. 164
General critiques	p. 168
Implementation within ASEAN	p. 170
Culture-based resistance	p. 179
Tentative resolutions	p. 183
Part III Marketing	p. 187
8 The marketing function	p. 191
The traditional marketing function	p. 191
The rise of Western marketing methodology	p. 193
Indigenous resistance	p. 198
"Cross-verging" market practice: hybrid working methods	p. 209
Localization: general pointers	p. 212
Strategic planning	p. 215
9 Product, brand and pricing strategy	p. 226
Traditional practice	p. 229
Multinational brand repositioning strategies	p. 232
The underflow: forces for adaptation	p. 239
"Cross-verging" brand perspectives	p. 249
10 Advertising and promotion	p. 256
The traditional dilemma	p. 257
Corporate advertising and promotion retrenchment	p. 262
Indigenous resistance	p. 267
Intra-ASEAN promotion strategy	p. 269
Advertising and promotion strategy "cross-vergence"	p. 277
11 Distribution	p. 280
Traditional ASEAN distribution	p. 282
Distribution chain subversion: global corporate fightbacks	p. 288
"Cross-verging" distribution practice	p. 296
Conclusions	p. 307
The dialectic of "cross-vergence": closing summary	p. 309
Globalization: toward an integrated redefinition	p. 314
Facing the future	p. 316
References	p. 320
Index	p. 326

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Table of Contents