COMPLEXITY, AUTONOMOUS FIELDS, AND CONJECTURAL KNOWLEDGE AS ILLUMINANTS OF CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOR IN A SINOFRENCH IJV IN CHINA

摘要

Our work applies the theories of autonomous fields (Bourdieu), complexity modeling (Boisot and Child), conjectural knowledge (Baumard), and information economics (Stiglitz) to understand managerial behavior in a Sino-French automobile manufacturing joint venture. This analysis is based on sixty interviews conducted with both Chinese and French managers in China. Differences in the distribution and management of knowledge are explored in three areas: choice of approach for forecasting demand, information collection for strategic planning purposes, and attitude toward the use of competition among suppliers to control costs. These observed differences are then linked to the theoretical bases underlying the research.