On November 25th, The Fifth SISU MBA Concentration-oriented Forum came to a successful conclusion. The theme of this forum was World Management and the Future of Management, focusing on the SISU MBA program's concentration of Borderless Management. We invited Professor Fan Zheng from the SISU School of Business and Management(SBM), Ms. Yu Zhihong, the Asia-Pacific HR Director at Cabot Global R&D, and Mr. Dong Linfu, a senior consultant and executive coach at Shanghai Wenqiao. They shared their insights online on topics such as world management, virtual teams, national talent development, and the selection of expatriate personnel. This brought about a collision of thoughts between academia and industry for the students. Associate Professor Wang Xin, the Director of the MBA Center at the SISU School of International Business Administration, delivered the opening speech, and the forum was hosted by Zhang Wu, an MBA student from the SBM class of 2022.
I. Opening Speech
Associate Professor Wang Xin, Director of the SISU MBA Center , expressed in her opening speech that SISU MBA has always been committed to cultivating BORDERLESS MANAGEMENT elites to create value for the world.The Global Comprehensive Management program is based on SISU's advantages in cross-border business operations and management talents cultivated over the years. By integrating international cutting-edge cross-cultural management knowledge and skills into the students' development process, the program aims to meet the talent needs of multinational enterprises in business management. Its goal is to cultivate students' abilities in cross-cultural communication, collaboration, and execution. Professor Wang emphasized that this forum brings together industry research experts to share their experiences in global management and Chinese management accumulated through academic and corporate management practices. It is believed that this forum will inspire alumni and online viewers with new thoughts. Finally, she wished the forum a complete success.
II. 10 Eras of World Management
Professor Fan Zheng from the School of International Business Administration at Shanghai International Studies University delivered a presentation on the topic of Ten Eras of Global Management. Professor Fan pointed out that throughout the ten eras of global management, starting from Yin-Yang Management to Professional Management, Scientific Management, Behavioral Management, Management Science, Strategic Management, Cultural Management, Cross-Cultural Management, and then to Knowledge Management, Intelligent/Wisdom Management, and Ecological Management. The focus shifted from China to Europe, to the Americas, to East Asia, and back to China. The focus evolved from Heaven-Earth-Man, to internal work, to internal employee needs, to external customer needs, to user value, to social ecological symbiosis, completing a process of positive-negative-core. Now, it has returned to Eastern management-Western management-Eastern management, from Chinese management-Foreign management-Chinese management, achieving a positive-negative-harmony reconciliation. Professor Fan concluded that this analysis of the eras of world management provides us with a historical framework of great significance. This is the best era and will be a great era, requiring the emergence of great new management concepts and ideas based on Chinese civilization. We look forward to it!
III, The future of work, the work of the future
Director Yu pointed out that 2020 was the year of remote work, and hybrid work models have faced unprecedented challenges. The first challenge is the transition from unity to questioning efficiency in daily work. The second challenge is the increase in communication costs and the difficulty of team collaboration. The third is the tension between the striving culture. And the last challenge is the possibility of new inequalities arising. Director Yu provided some insights on balancing iterative and sustainable mechanisms between organizations and employees. First, she emphasized the importance of company culture and values, including concerns for employee well-being, as the foundation for introducing flexible work models. Second, prioritizing business objectives ensures that flexible work models provide choices for employees while deepening their understanding of the organization and its goals to foster team cohesion. Third, both employees and team leaders should assume responsibilities to create effective management under the new model. Lastly, clear definitions of applicable positions based on job content can accelerate employee learning cycles and facilitate management. In conclusion, she summarized that the future of work and the work of the future are undergoing changes, and in this process, practitioners should pay more attention to employee growth, creating shared value and mission.
IV. Perspectives on the Current Practices of Overseas Deployment and Management of Chinese Companies:
Mr. Dong shared his views on international talent recognition, international talent development, training and management of expatriates, lagging work in the domestic management academia, and efforts and expectations. Mr. Dong pointed out that regardless of the nature of work or position, qualified international talents must possess three abilities: international thinking and decision-making, efficient communication and collaboration with people and organizations from different cultural backgrounds, and excellent professional knowledge and skills. He illustrated how Chinese companies cultivate international talents through two classic cases. Currently, the management of international human resources in many Chinese companies, such as Huawei, is already very standardized, but the overall systematization is still lacking in the majority of companies. Most Chinese companies select overseas personnel based on domestic performance/ability + foreign language skills, with the aim of enhancing their cross-cultural competency through related training and coaching still being in the cognition and acceptance stage. Finally, Mr. Dong also discussed his own efforts and expectations.
So far, the fifth issue of SISU MBA Concentration-oriented Forum-World Management and the Future of Management has achieved a complete success.
