Comical way of learning to do business in Asia

By Rita A. Widiadana

Asia Comic; Thomas Brandt; Drawings by Hendry Hendrayaddy; Goasia Verlag, Germany, l998; 148 pp.

JAKARTA (JP): Asia's economic success really was a miracle, at least until two years ago, when a serious financial and political crisis hit the region hard.

Until l996, Asia was the world's fastest growing region, enjoying average annual economic growth of 8.5 percent. John Naisbitt's Megatrends perfected the picture by predicting the next century would be the Asian century.

Equipped with rich natural and human resources as well as a huge market potential, Asia was growing into one of the most dynamic regions in the world. It had the ideal environment for doing business.

The old tigers -- Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China and Singapore -- were joined by emerging Southeast Asian nations like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, and together they prospered from plentiful exports.

Any corporation wanting to maintain its status as one of the world's major players had to have a strong foothold in Asia.

It is no small wonder that a lot of large-scale multinationals have had a presence in Asia for years. In recent years, the "locate in Asia" campaigns have been ringing loudly in the ears of Western entrepreneurs.

Unfortunately, a large number of managers and executives, particularly those from small and medium-sized firms, have an inadequate knowledge of Asia's unique society, culture and corporate values.

Often smaller players' dreams of large profits and robust market shares are thwarted by their ignorance of the above factors.

Such is the world described by German economist and market- researcher Thomas Brandt in a 148-page book entitled Asia Comic published by German publisher Goasia Verlag last year.

The author works at the German-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Ekonid) in Jakarta, and as the title suggests, this book is not filled with farfetched theories of doing business in Asia, rather it is a practical guide to the Asian business environment helped along by witty and appealing comic illustrations provided by amateur Indonesian artist Hendry Hendrayyadi.

Brandt writes that his Asia Comic deals only with strategic thinking on Asia, including cross-cultural matters and day-to-day business operations, marketing pitfalls and relations between expatriate managers and their parent companies.

The 32-year old Brandt has a very modest objective for his book: to revolutionize the executive world, Western expatriate executives and managers.

Having worked for Ekonid for many years, the writer has a wealth of experience of expatriate managers to draw on, and was no doubt well aware of the problems caused by the awkward attitudes toward Asia held by many of those within their ranks.

Brandt looks into the way Western executives view Asia. For many executives, particularly those working for small and medium-sized companies, Asia is a blank sheet of paper.

Many of them have little knowledge of Asia and fail to realize that it consists of many different countries, a continent.

A.S.I.A.? What a strange name for a country, but it is far away after all. WOW! He can't help but shout in awe and surprise, writes Brandt about one oblivious manager when he looked up a world map.

"Oops. It's not just one country!, the astonished manager said. Many people perceive Asia to be the same exotic place which drew Marco Polo and more contemporary British and Dutch colonists in search of silk and spices!

For many an entrepreneur, moving to Asia means having to start from scratch. That's why before moving to Asia, managers often participate in a series of cross-cultural orientations to prevent serious cultural shock from setting in upon arrival.

Despite these efforts, in only a few cases are expatriates properly prepared for their assignments. Most companies fail to realize that success in Asia requires extensive preparation.

In this book, Brandt also tries to unravel the habits of many companies jostling for business in Asia.

In the past, managers sent out to Asia from Europe or other Western countries were often people who no longer had a job at home or were unwanted at Headquarters.

Fortunately, lessons have been drawn from past mistakes and an awareness has developed that managers approaching retirement age are usually unable to perform pioneering work in exotic destinations, or pull out all the stops to secure contracts.

"Please, no more out of date managers for Asia," This is a recommendation commonplace among experienced Asian and Western hands.

He also warns that Asian business partners are becoming increasingly younger. Instead of coming face-to face with aging Asian bureaucrats and businessmen, Western expatriates are more likely to meet brainy and assertive decision makers, most of whom hold degrees from leading universities and prestigious business schools in the West.

"The era of bossy Western managers with a superiority complex has gone," Brandt writes, pointing out that many executives from smaller Western companies have not received tertiary education.

The book also shows the best recipe for business success in Asia -- good knowledge of local culture, strong business and personal connections, and a familiarity with Asian business methods.

Asia Comic illustrates and mocks the poorly prepared small and medium-sized firms that have so far slept through the Asian boom, the local partners with their ever-present smile, the smart and pushy consultants, the foreign aid workers hungry for projects, and the much maligned staff in charge of Asia desks in Head Offices.

This book is recommended for executives and managers who are posted in Asian countries, board members in parent companies and their Asian counterparts alike.

Now that Asia's economy is collapsing, it will be hard for most Western companies to maintain their Asian offices. They will have to retreat back to their Headquarters. But, when it once again becomes fashionable to sally forth to the East in search of rich pickings, what better guide to have in your pocket than Asia Comic?