ABSTRACT
Global MNC headquarters have seized upon the idea of ISO 9000 accreditation. ISO-type programs have armed them with an almost surefire way of gaining fuller knowledge and understanding of their farflung Asian business units. The main criticism of existing local procedures stems from the perception that without the global systems in place to prevent procedural corruption, there would never be a way around the “might is right” fiefdom style of the Asian local bosses. Of particular concern has been the way indigenous Chinese-bred directors still seek to run the domestic offices of a large multinational corporation in the same way they would a corner grocery store – with every tiny decision needing chief-of-staff approval.
