International Business

Many cultures in Asia are in the midst of an identity crisis. In effect, they are being torn between two worlds. Pulling in one direction is a traditional value system derived from agriculture-based communities and extended families-that is, elements of a culture in which relatives take care of one another and state-run welfare systems are unnecessary. Pulling from the opposite direction is a new set of values emerging from manufacturing and finance-based economies-elements of a culture in which workers must often move to faraway cities to find work, sometimes leaving family members to fend for themselves.

Banyak budaya di Asia di tengah-tengah krisis identiti.Pada hakikatnya, mereka sedangkoyak antara dua dunia.Menarik dalam satu arah sistem nilai tradisional yang berasal darimasyarakat berasaskan pertanian dan diperluaskan keluarga yang, unsur-unsur budayayang saudara menjaga antara satu sama lain dan sistem kebajikan yang dikendalikan olehnegeri yang tidak perlu.Menarik dari arah bertentangan adalah satu set nilai-nilai yangmuncul dari pembuatan dan kewangan-ekonomi berasaskan unsur-unsur budaya di manapekerja-pekerja sering mesti bergerak ke bandar-bandar yang jauh untuk mencari kerja, kadang-kadang meninggalkan ahli keluarga untuk menyara diri mereka sendiri.

For decades, Western multinationals set up factories across Southeast Asia to take advantage of relatively low-cost labor. Later, local companies sprang up and became competitive global players in their own right. Spectacular rates of economic growth in a few short decades elevated living standards beyond what was thought possible. Young people in Malaysia and Thailand felt the lure of "Western" brands. Gucci handbags, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and other global brands became common symbols of success. Many parents felt brand-consciousness among their teenage children signaled family-wide success.

Selama berdekad-dekad, syarikat multinasional Barat menubuhkan kilang-kilang di seluruh Asia...