Analysis of Citigroup's Adaptability in China
Introduction
There are different indicators of adaptability. A company is deemed adaptable if it is able and continues to be innovative and competitive in a challenging and foreign environment. Citigroup represents an excellent example of an entity that has displayed adaptability to its environment. In 2001, Citigroup decided to increase its presence in China, despite the potential changes in the Chinese environment as a result of their entering the World Trade Organization (WTO). Such a venture implied uncertainty in the country's economy and laws. As a learning team, we have analyzed the case "Citigroup in Post-WTO China". Sides were taken on whether Citigroup has shown adaptability in its attempt to expand its operations in China. The team found the case very challenging to analyze. However, it was an overwhelming consensus that Citigroup, in fact, displayed a tremendous level of adaptability. To this end, the arguments and the evidence for adaptability far outweighed those of whether Citigroup did not display adaptability in its attempt to expand operations in China. The salient arguments for each side of the debate are outlined below, with an agreement as to whether or not Citigroup displayed adaptability.
Arguments Supporting Citigroup's Adaptability
China is one of many Asian countries that have a highly competitive economic growth potential. In 2001, when China entered into the World Trade Organization, there was tremendous hope that the Chinese market would open up for foreign financial institutions.
Globalization has caused the world to change. Our country, China has been dramatically changed by globalization. Our people have moved to cities, and our industry has exploded. We have had huge advances in technology along with education improvement. Despite the fact that China has changed so much, there are still many issues that plague it. China faces serious environmental concerns. New diseases and viruses that are not indigenous to China can cause a wide range of sickness in the new area. Despite some of the the improvements in China that are a result of globalization, the negatives that globalization has brought to China are more than the benefits.
China has come a very long way in the past 25 years. China has grown at nearly 10 percent a year over the past 20 years. China's explosion on to the world investment, production and trade scene is the product of its size, growth and openness. This is leading to tremendous changes in the global economy.
In 1978, China was positioned 32nd on the planet in export volume, yet it had multiplied its reality exchange and got thirteenth biggest exporter in 1989. Between 1978 and 1990, the normal yearly rate of exchange extension was over 15 percent,[11] and a high rate of development proceeded for the one decade from now. In 1978 its exported on the in the world of the overall industry was insignificant, in 1998 regardless it had short of what 2%, however by 2010, it had a world piece of the overall industry of 10.4% as stated by the World Trade Organization (WTO), with stock fare offers of more than $1.5 trillion, the most astounding in the world.
China's economy is the second largest in the world, and is predicted to eventually pass US's economy. This makes China's market a prime hotspot for companies around the world to target to try to grasp some market share and profits. However, China's unique and heavy emphasis on culture and strong government practices make China's market place a very difficult for foreign firms to enter and do business successfully. One example of a US firm attempting to pry into the Chinese business world is Home Depot, but this firm wasn't able to sustain business in the country. Home Depot failed in its attempt to enter China and it's important to take a deeper look into why this happened. Foreign firms that enter China must first develop a business strategy that is catered to the specific target country, and if it doesn't work that is okay, but you must at least then be adaptable to change that strategy, but firms should always try to show respect and blend in to local culture.
WTO membership is also expected to attract more foreign investment, some of which would bring desired new technology or help enhance China’s own capabilities for technological development. The fact that China joined the Information Technology Agreement, which phases out all tariffs on information technology products by 2005, gives credence to this as one factor supporting membership (Prime, 2002).
Zeng discusses how China used the regional approach to trade liberalization by creating free trade agreements with their trading partners. This resulted in China experiencing greater influence in the Asia-pacific region. In addition, China’s choice to utilize FTAs created alternative bargaining over trade issues.
The impact of globalisation on the Chinese economy can be seen through the increase in economic performance. Over the last two decades, the Chinese economy has experienced significant economic growth due to globalisation. Globalisation is responsible for reducing the barriers to trade and increasing the integration between different countries and economies. The reduction of trade barriers as well as the increased integration between different countries and economies resulted in an increase in foreign investment and international trading which leads to economic growth. China has experienced significant increases in international trading and investment flows. This is supported by the world bank which states that in 2010, China contributed 13.6% to global growth and was responsible for approximately 9.4% of W...
Changing situations throughout the world affect all organizations in business today. Therefore, most organizations acknowledge the need to experience change and transformation in order to survive. The key challenges companies face are due to the advancements in technology, the social environment caused by globalization, the pace of competition, and the demands regarding customer expectations. It is difficult to overcome the obstacles involved with change despite all the articles, books, and publications devoted to the topic. People are naturally resistant to fundamental changes and often intimidated by the process; the old traditional patterns and methods are no longer effective.
With a population of 1.357 billion (2013)3, China is the most populated country in the world. Along with the huge population comes a market that is unmatched by any other country of the world. Both domestic companies and foreign companies want to tap into this large market that just recently embraced capitalism and entered into the World Trade Organization.
From the 1970s, there has been a wave of liberalization in China, which was introduced by Deng Xiaoping. This is one of the key reasons to the rise of China to be one of the economic giants in the world. In the last 25 years of the century, the Chinese economy has had massive economic growth, which has been 9.5 percent on a yearly basis. This has been of great significance of the country since it quadrupled the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country thus leading to saving of 400 million of their citizens from the threats of poverty. In the late 1970s, China was ranked twentieth in terms of trade volumes in the whole world as well as being predicted to be the world’s top nation concerning trading activities (Kaplan, 53). This further predicted the country to record the highest GDP growth in the whole world.
Gilpin discussed the MNC’s evolution through the lenses of a number of business economic theories. Using Raymond Vernon’s Product Cycle Theory, the overseas expansion of American companies until the 1960s was shown as a means of preempting foreign competition and preserving monopoly positions, which was possible then because of the wealth and technology gaps that existed between the US and the rest of the world (282-83). Following the closing of such gaps, Dunning and the Reading School’s Eclectic Theory explained the next stage of the MNC’s evolution as propelled by the great leaps made in technology and communication, which made internationalized management both possible and viable (283). Michael Porter’s Strategy Theory, meanwhile, asserted that the MNC is now in the era of strategic management, wherein activities and capabilities spanning borders allow it to “tap into the value chain” in the most advantageous positions (285-85). Gilpin made an interesting point, however, that MNCs are oftentimes the result of market imperfections and unique corporate situations. In many instances, the decision to expand a firm’s operations in another country was a means of circumventing protectionist measures and trade barriers, or simply to curry favor with governments, as practiced by IBM (280...
This summary provides a debate of the Citigroup Corporation. The main arguments, debated by Team E, discuss whether Citigroup has displayed adaptability on expanding its operations into China. The conclusion summarizes Team E agreement that Citigroup has displayed environmental adaptability in its attempt to expand operations in China.
China's development is praised by the whole world. Its developments are not only in the economic aspect, but also in its foreign affairs. Compared to other developed countries, China is a relatively young country. It began constructing itself in 1949. After 30 years of growth, company ownership has experienced unprecedented changes.
...st and stand in the world. It is predicted that China will one day be the largest economy growing country in world. They continually growing and rebalancing their world to be the best. The growth of economy will depend on the Chinese government comprehensive economic reforms that more quickly accelerate in China transition to a free market economy. The consumer demand, rather than exporting the main engine of economic growth; boost productivity and innovation; address growing income disparities; and enhance environmental. (Morrison, 2014,para2)
The rise in China from a poor, stagnant country to a major economic power within a time span of twenty-eight years is often described by analysts as one of the greatest success stories in these present times. With China receiving an increase in the amount of trade business from many countries around the world, they may soon be a major competitor to surpass the U.S. China became the second largest economy, last year, overtaking Japan which had held that position since 1968 (Gallup). China could become the world’s largest economy in decades.