Presidential Speech

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Presidential Speech for Conference 2010

Presidential Address
Shuming Zhao, Nanjing University
June 16-20, 2010, Shanghai, China

Good Evening, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me a great pleasure to be with you this evening at the fourth biennial conference of IACMR, an event that has become one of the most anticipated gatherings on our calendar.

Time flies! It has been two years since we gathered for the third biennial conference in Guangzhou in 2008, the year the Beijing Olympic Games were held in China. This year our meeting in Shanghai is taking place as China hosts the World Expo. I hope all of you have enjoyed your stay in Shanghai! Shanghai is renowned not only for its internationally entrepreneurial spirits, but also for its vibrant business community, and cultural diversity. What an ideal location for this year’s conference theme on innovation and change. I am honored to have served as IACMR’s President in the past two years and honored to have this opportunity to share my views on our association’s accomplishments, current opportunities, and challenges.

As innovation and change align with China’s societal and organizational priorities, it is fitting that this biennial conference focuses attention on the theme of innovation and change in Chinese organizations. For the past few days, this conference has provided a forum for intellectual exchange, mutual learning, and collective pursuit of questions about firm behavior and individual behavior within organizations in this rapidly changing landscape. Through your participation and contributions, each of you has helped to bridge the links between scholars from around the globe who share an interest in management and organization research in the China context.

We have considered a variety of important research questions and shared our findings on the theme of innovation and change, including those related to all aspects and phases of the innovation process. Of the 556 submissions, including papers and symposia proposals, about 20% (more than 110 submissions) focus on the topics of innovation and change in Chinese organizations. This conference attracted over 950 people, from 20 countries or regions around the world. Taken together, our research contributions will advance significantly our knowledge of innovation and change in China.

The past two years were, without doubt, very unusual, if not unique, for our association. We have witnessed a rapid transition in the social and economic context around the world.

First of all, one of the key challenges facing us was the impact of the financial crisis that started in 2008, which rippled across the globe, prompting concerns about the growth of emerging markets, the future for developing countries, the need for enhanced regulation, and a new global financial architecture. The complex interrelationships among economic events, technological developments, monetary policy, social events, corporate strategy, population trends, and the regulatory environment have created the conditions for a global crisis of significant magnitude. However, while this crisis was definitely a problem, it was also an opportunity. This crisis, which represents an abnormality in practice, offers a significant opportunity to examine, update, and challenge existing theories, and even create new theories to understand the unusual and unexpected phenomena in financial and business failures that we have observed. During these challenging and uncertain times, the contributions of management practices and management research in businesses and organizations are paramount. For example, beyond using the literature to guide us in the selection of research questions, we have the great opportunity to contribute to both theory and practice by addressing the problems as they are unveiled in front of our eyes.

Second, harmonious labor relations become more crucial, particularly in China. Since China started its economic reform and opening to the outside world in 1978, the pace of industrialization and urbanization has been unprecedented. Ownership structures and management practices have become increasingly diversified and labor relations have undergone profound changes. Labor relations are the most basic of modern economic life; however, conflicts in labor relationships have become one of the major social conflicts since China embarked on the road to a market economy. Nevertheless, violation of workers’ rights in some enterprises is still a common occurrence. In some instances, the violations are running rampant, triggering mass incidents, including suicides. We desperately need research to understand these conditions and to find innovative solutions for organizations to balance different interests and appreciate the importance of this key challenge.

Third, government officials, scholars, and business executives around the world have been recently discussing the benefits and implications of a low carbon economy and green businesses following the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009. Focusing on more than just moving from fossil fuels to clean renewable resources, the green economy is becoming a fundamental economic catalyst of the 21st century. Initiatives are underway, led by U.S., China and others, to reconfigure policies and investments across industries and sectors in order to incorporate concerns for humans, natural resources, and economic considerations. The green economy seeks to engage a wide range of stakeholders to address the interdependence of human economic development with the health of the natural ecosystem. This model is fundamentally different from the traditional model that views natural resources as raw materials valued primarily for immediate economic gain. As a result, the new economy will be driven by businesses that are willing to incorporate the green mindset into the very DNA of the organization and to rethink business practices in both the short-term and the long-term. As management researchers, we can contribute to understanding the innovations that will be necessary at the organizational and societal levels to create and enact such change.

Fourth, work-life balance attracts more attention than before. Over the past decades, we have observed a substantial increase in work demands heightened, in part, by the proliferation of information technology and by an intense competitive work environment. In this age of an interconnected society, we are dedicating ourselves to our jobs, working long hours, and even checking in at work while on vacation. There is no personal time anymore for many people. As a result, many people are experiencing burnout due to overwork and increased stress. This condition exists in nearly all occupations including blue collar workers, white collar professionals, knowledge workers, and senior management. It is not uncommon for entrepreneurs, managers, professionals, and, yes, even academic scholars to feel the ever-increasing pressures and demands of work. The increase in work hours over the past two decades means that less time is available for family, friends, and the community. Likewise, less time is spent pursuing activities that one enjoys and taking the time to grow personally and spiritually. So, in a society filled with conflicting responsibilities and excessive commitments, work and life balance has become a predominant issue in the workplace. Again, research will be useful to understand how managers and employees can remain engaged and at the same time, balance healthy attention to their own well-being. While there is a lot of knowledge about this in the Western literature, how such balance can be achieved in Chinese organizations and in the Chinese culture require new research framework, methods, and theories.

Last but not least, social responsibility, has received growing attention in China during the transitional period. As we have seen, while pursuing short-term profits at all costs, some companies have deceived customers and disappointed the public by failing to maintain rigorous quality control and failing to abide by corporate citizenship codes of practice. Driven by a strong profit motive or a simple desire to survive in this highly competitive market, some companies, not only Chinese firms but also some Fortune 500 corporations, have adopted questionable HRM practices in order to gain cost competitiveness. In so doing, these companies fail in their obligations and responsibilities to stakeholders including employees and the community. We are reminded of the important role of integrity in management practices and adherence to ethical standards to ensure quality and rigor in our contributions.

How do we face and address these challenges? I would like to leave you with one simple answer to this question. It is learning and sharing while advancing knowledge. To understand and respect each other, to engage in coordinated efforts, requires learning from and about each other. Being open and receptive to learning from IACMR members from around the world, different countries and regions, can help us create new knowledge, help us understand each other, help us care for others, and, eventually, help us create a harmonious society. One of the core values of IACMR is that IACMR serves as a source for inspiration. With IACMR, we can extend beyond our own world by developing partnerships with universities, businesses, industry, government, and the broader community. With IACMR, we can help shape the business of tomorrow and train students in our universities who will be involved in the design and implementation of effective sustainable business models necessary for meeting the challenges of tomorrow.

With the support of our members and sponsors, our young IACMR organization has experienced rapid development over the past few years. IACMR has become one of the leading management professional organizations in the world and is continuing the efforts to realize IACMR’s mission “Advancing management research while solving real-world problems.” We have continued to work toward promoting scholarly studies and producing knowledge of organizations and management in the Chinese context. To paraphrase Charles Dickens, the well-known English novelist in the nineteenth century, “It is the best of times; it is the worst of times.” The period of today is full of challenges, but also of opportunities. I very much anticipate that everyone gathered here will welcome the opportunity to advance the development of management research capabilities in and about China, to help Chinese firms grow and innovate, and to explore management knowledge and wisdom that has not yet been revealed.

As I conclude my term as the President of IACMR, I will remember extraordinary generosity of many members in living up to the second core value of IACMR “spirit of service”. I will depart with great gratitude and admiration of their contributions. First of all, I would like to thank the program chairs, executive committee members, program review committee, and the local arrangements committee led by Dean Xiongwen Lu of Fudan University, along with the sponsoring universities, corporations and institutions for their hard work, and dedication that have led this conference to great success.

I would like to thank IACMR’s Founding President, Professor Anne Tsui, and past President, Professor Xiaoping Chen, for being on my side throughout the past two years. I would like to thank the incoming officers, Professor Jialin Xie and Profesor Jing Zhou, Senior Vice President, Professor Chao Chen, Treasurer, Professor Eva Xin Yao, and many others who gave me support that I often needed. Your unwavering help has made my job as President both rewarding and enjoyable.

I also wish to thank all our valued colleagues who have contributed to the success of our association including authors, session chairs, discussants, and local organizers. We have a global executive team with officers from all over the world. It is through all your efforts that we have created our successful conferences, workshops, the journal Management and Organization Review, newsletters, books, and research papers. Our biennial meeting could not take place without your contributions. It is through sustained global integration and collaboration that IACMR has become a vibrant and innovative organization.

In the end, I do recognize that there is still much work to be done in making our Association advance. I believe that our IACMR will have a bright future. I also believe that IACMR has become and will continue to be one of the leading management professional organizations in the world and that it will truly be an exemplar of continuing pursuit of excellence in all its activities.

Thank you!