Acquisition and assimilation of management skills by Chinese light industrial firms: Soft technology transfer to a transitional economy

The problem. The purpose of this study was to examine the successful transfer of management skills to support the post-Communist participation of Chinese light industrial firms in the free market. This study focuses on the relationship of the Chinese firm to the transfer agent in the accomplishment of the successful transfer.;The method. A dual research approach was chosen for this study. Quantitative resting of sixteen research hypothesis was done based on data collected through the conduct of 93 focus groups. These focus groups were structured by the use of a questionnaire that contained Likert scaled questions as well as multiple choice and dichotomous questions. Open-ended questions were used to develop qualitative data.;The primary researcher was assisted by two bilingual, indigenous Chinese assistants. Following the focus group discussions, the researchers each individually assigned numerical values for the variables based on their perception of the group responses to the questions pertinent in composite to the individual variables. The average of the scores established by the researchers was assigned as the numerical value of the variable for a particular focus group. Interrater reliability was tested.;Results. Sixteen research hypotheses were put forth in this study: an aggregate hypotheses and fifteen hypotheses which dealt with the actors, dynamics and of the business environment. Both in aggregate and on an individual basis, the interpersonal dynamics of the relationship between the Chinese firm and the transfer agent indicated the strongest and closest association with the dependent variable, success of the transfer. These dynamics are explored through the variables trust, commitment, length and intensity of in-country presence. None of the perception variables proved to have a significant association with the success of the transfer of soft technology. Tests of the hypotheses involving the association of the actors to the success of the transfer offered mixed results. Additional findings included: (a) The province in which a firm is located influenced both nominal and perceptual variables. (b) The most sought after free market skills were: Capital Budgeting, Financial Organization, Management and Human Resources Development, and Marketing.