The World Bank estimates that up to 77% of jobs in China could be made redundant by machines in the long term. Investing in robots will become more attractive for manufacturers. The Chinese government also pledges to make China a “world factory” of robots. But real changes are much slower. Reports say that large numbers of workers are still used on production lines doing repetitive tasks such as scrubbing speaker systems with toothbrushes. Despite the fact that China’s labor costs are six times higher than 10 years ago, workers are often still cheaper than robots in short term.
Fairphone Takes a Crack at Fair Trade in Mobile Phones
Are you among those who worry about where their products come from? So you prefer to shell out an extra buck for fair trade coffee instead of a regular cup of joe. You look for the Fairtrade certification when you buy clothes. But what about your phone? Fairphone, an Amsterdam-headquartered company, is selling phones on the premise that they are made from conflict-free minerals. Is that a compelling proposition for customers? Will they pick an ethically produced phone over an iPhone which has greater functionality, more aspiration value and a style quotient?
Creating Customer Value is Not Enough
The price you are able to command for your services doesn’t just depend on how much customer value you create.
Innovating in the Networked Organization
The networked organization has changed how business innovates—but will the new system last?
China Plus One: Does it Add Up?
As China changes, companies are being forced to adopt China Plus One strategies and look at other countries for manufacturing.
Robots in China: The Bot Connection
How the growing use of robots in China will impact different sectors of the economy, as well as the country’s robot makers.
China Roundup: The Chinese economy and structural changes; Baidu Eye; and Apple’s New Problem
This week, figures from the HSBC/Markit PMI implied that the Chinese economy might finally be on the path to the much-need structural change; local government financing got a new breather; and Baidu launched its Google Glass competitor, Baidu Eye. The Broader Picture Last week, a flash Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) reading from HSBC and Markit […]
The Business of Urbanization in China
The government is preparing to throw billions into urbanization in China, but has it thought through the hardware challenges? Perhaps the most striking way to take in China’s startling urbanization is to sit in front of a computer and click through to Google’s Earth Engine. A search for Shanghai on the website brings up time-lapsed images […]
A New Leaf for the Chinese Economy
The state of the Chinese economy: the latest CKGSB Business Conditions Index shows that business are gearing up for growth Business sentiments seen to be warming thanks to better-than-expected economic data released in October and November, and optimism surrounding the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee. Each month CKGSB’s Case […]
Bolshie in Beijing: Soaring Labor Costs in a Slowing Economy
China’s labor costs are soaring even as the economy slows. How are companies responding? It was a tactic designed to grab headlines, and it succeeded. In late June, workers at a medical parts factory in Beijing held hostage Chip Starnes, a visiting American executive, demanding that he provide better compensation. The company’s employees guarded exits, […]
Follow us