ABSTRACT
To begin our empirical investigation into the hybridization of Chinese capitalism, it is logical to examine how key actors in Chinese capitalism are involved in globalization tendencies through their cross-border economic activities. This initial step helps us to understand not only why transformations in Chinese capitalism may occur, but also the origins of these transformations. As theorized in Chapter 2, significant transformations in Chinese capitalism are unlikely to occur in response to pressures from within Chinese business systems, but rather more in response to new learning, experience and knowledge accumulated through enrolment in actor-networks beyond the confines of Chinese capitalism. The internationalization of key actors in Chinese capitalism, particularly Chinese firms, is therefore a necessary precondition for subsequent changes, transformations and hybridization (Yeung, 1999c, 2000a, 2000e). It must be noted, however, that these firms are generally not the same firms as their predecessors a few decades ago. During their early existence in the twentieth century, Chinese firms in East and Southeast Asia focused predominantly on domestic operations. Their business strategies and management structures were very much influenced by traditional modes of social practices and economic organization transferred then from mainland China. This was the time when Chinese capitalism was mostly inward-looking and closely knit in predominantly family-based networks. Most studies of Chinese capitalism reviewed in Chapter 1 have confirmed the organizational capabilities and cultural specificities of these firms in establishing themselves in their domestic settings.
