2012
Successful Entrepreneurship and Innovative Strategies in China: The Experience of BYD
Jane P. Wu, Professor, HSBC Business School, Ya-Ting Kuo,
Peking University National
Ph.D. Candidate, Dep. of Business Administration, Taiwan University
Abstract
BYD Company Limited (BYD for short), a Chinese IT and Auto corporation, drew global attention due to being the second largest mobile energy supplier in the world and a leading rechargeable battery manufacturer as well as auto maker. Its legendary founder and CEO, Wang Chuanfu, is appraised by Fortune as ‘a combination of Thomas Edison & Jack Welch’ and a typical miniature of the Chinese entrepreneurs for the past 30 years. This article aims to analyze what BYD’s success comes from. On one hand, the innovative R&D and production modules have created its competitive advantage with a solid core competence in the market. On the other hand, its internationalization strategy has facilitated a swift expansion capturing a large market share in a short period of time. By analyzing and integrating the results of case study, we find the importance of success factors for manufacturing industry in BYD. The main conclusions of this study are as the following: 1. The importance of successful entrepreneurship of the founder of BYD. 2. The importance of successful innovative strategies focused on "hardly imitative technology", "difficultly substitute product", and "more flexible organization".
Keywords: entrepreneurship; innovative strategies;
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International e‐Journal of Business & Technology Leadership
2012
1. Introduction In a world of ever increasing global economy, the idea of entrepreneurial leadership has become a crucial theme that leaders and managers need not only be aware of conceptually but also understand in order to be able to strategize and position for organizational viability. In order to succeed and make a