In today’s fast-paced, high-tech environment, it is easy to become enamored with the scientific, technical, and financial aspects of business. Few people have either the time or the inclination to consider the art of doing business. For most, there is the world of business which operates separately from the world of art, history, and culture.
Such is not the case for Shack. He sees not only the art of producing fine equipment that produces fine prints, but how art, culture, history and literature have shaped and continue to drive the success of Chinese business. I recently attended one of his lectures where he was to talk about cutting edge technology. I was delighted to learn that he was able to show his audience not just the latest and greatest new gadgets, but the cutting edge technologies produced by Chinese artisans, scholars, thinkers, and business people over the last five millennia.
Indeed, Chinese culture has a 5000 year history of innovation. While there have been times when lagged the West in terms of technology, there were epochs where Chinese ingenuity led the world. Thus, Taiwan’s ascension to the ranks of powerful global players over recent decades, and the present unparalleled economic and technological development of should come as no surprise. It has happened before and will happen again. The key to understanding and learning from Chinese people requires that we look beneath the surface of this modern society to its art, history, language, philosophy, and culture. A central theme of his talk was the relationship between culture and innovation. This is a central theme of my own academic research. As we have since discussed on numerous occasions, culture not only shapes innovation, but is shaped by innovation. If you want to learn about the present and future role of in the global marketplace, you must understand its long history of innovation, art, language, social structure, and philosophy. Many hints to the things that perplex westerners about modern can be studied by taking the time to look at paintings of Chinese life from hundreds of years ago. If you take the time to look closely, you will see the underlying themes and structures of yesterday can be identified in today’s ultra-modern Chinese society. Shack will be happy to show you.
If you want to learn about succeeding in doing business in there are few people better equipped to teach you than Shack. Still young, but long river runs deep. Shack has the credibility of a long and successful business career with an industry leader coupled with deep and rich understanding of the essence of Chinese culture. I know you will be as fascinated by what he says as I am.
Glen Brodowsky
I sat through Shack’s lecture for two hours. It was all in Chinese, but as Westerner who speaks some Chinese, I was able to understand much of what he said. As a teacher with nearly twenty years experience, I am usually as sensitive to quality of the presentation style of a lecture as I am to its content. There are few things I enjoy listening to in my native tongue for two hours, let alone in my second language. I must say that not only was I riveted by what Shack’s set, but by his engaging presentation style as well. He was at once authoritative yet unassuming, serious but entertaining.
Associate Professor of Marketing
College of Business Administration
California State University San Marcos
San Marcos California USA
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