| The objective of this research is to use Professor Clayton M. Christensen's models on innovation to explain how Chinese suppliers of telecommunications equipment became serious global competitors in a relative short time. A chronology of the key events in the history of four Chinese suppliers of stored program control switches was used to identify two competitive regimes: (i) a competitive isolation regime from 1985 to 1994 and (ii) a competitive convergence regime from 1995 to 2003. For each competitive regime, nine constructs emphasized by the innovation disruption and resources, processes and values models of innovation were used to compare Chinese and foreign equipment suppliers. Prior to 1985 there were no Chinese suppliers of telecommunications equipment. Today there are four that aggressively compete in China against joint ventures with foreign partners and foreign suppliers. One has moved to become a leading global supplier of telecommunications equipment in six product markets, another leads in one product market. The research is important because this phenomenon has received little attention in the literature. |
