Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T06:17:48.052Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Taoist Spirit of Haier: The Metaphor of Sea Based on the Symbolism of Water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 December 2016

Peter Ping Li
Affiliation:
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China
Steven Shijin Zhou
Affiliation:
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China
Abby Jingzi Zhou
Affiliation:
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China

Extract

It is unusual for any speech to maintain strong influence over the general strategies of an organization and the behavior of its employees over time. ‘Haier Is a Sea’, presented by Zhang Ruimin, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Haier, more than twenty years ago, is an exception. This commentary identifies the core features of sea as a metaphor, explores the philosophical roots of this metaphor, and discusses the implications.

Type
Dialogue, Debate, and Discussion
Copyright
Copyright © The International Association for Chinese Management Research 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Cohen, W. M., & Levinthal, D. A. 1990. Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on learning and innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35 (1): 128152.Google Scholar
Lewin, A. Y., Massini, S., & Peeters, C. 2011. Microfoundations of internal and external absorptive capacity routines. Organization Science, 22 (1): 8198.Google Scholar
Lin, Y. 1948. The wisdom of Laotse. London: Random House.Google Scholar
Liu, H., & Li, K. 2002. Strategic implications of emerging Chinese multinationals: The Haier case study, European Management Journal, 20 (6): 699706.Google Scholar
Teece, D. J. 2007. Explicating dynamic capabilities: The nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28 (13), 13191350.Google Scholar
Waley, A. 2013. The way and its power: A study of the Tao Te Ching and its place in Chinese thought. London: Routledge.Google Scholar