• Develop specialised knowledge of the key tenets of business systems in the selected Asian economies; alternative theoretical perspective on the concept of national business systems; dynamics of Asian Business Systems in a global era; and interactions between the state, institutions and globalization and their impact on management and business practices.
• Demonstrate the cognitive skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise relevant literature on Asian business systems and understand recent developments in these systems; compare and contrast the business systems and reforms therein; and offer critique on the tenets of the theoretical framework through exploratory analysis
• Apply knowledge and skills to identify opportunities and threats offered by the different Asian business systems; and analyse the business systems in other countries or regions using the knowledge and skills acquired through this course

It begins by introducing them the literature on variety of capitalism to students and explains the theoretical perspectives on business systems as evolved over time starting from the pioneering works of Richard Whitley. It offers an insight on the broad framework of macroeconomics with a focus on macroeconomic actors and their interrelationships and explains how the state, social and cultural institutions, and the global economic forces interact within that framework to determine the structure and dynamics of national business systems. It highlights how Asian business systems are distinctly different from those in the West and, as a consequence, cannot be understood through categories identified in the West. The key focus of this course is on in-depth analysis of business systems and management styles and their dynamics in response to globalization, in four major economies of Asia: Japan, S. Korea, China and India. The comparison is structured around the key dimensions as suggested in the literature. It will also analyse the major features and evolution of business management in South East Asian economies of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines in a comparative analytical framework. Broadly it is  structured as follows:

1. Understanding the concept of Business Systems: What constitutes a business system? What are different varieties of business systems? How national are the business systems? How are business systems linked with the political economy? How do national and international factors interact to shape business systems? What are different theoretical perspectives on national business systems? Why is the understanding of business systems important for managers?
2. Introduction to Asian Business systems: How do the Asian business systems differ from those in the Western developed countries? What have been the historical contexts of national business systems in Asia? What are the challenges that these systems have been facing in this era of globalization? How have the forces of globalization affected them? What has been the role of the state in their reforms?   
3. Basic Characteristics of the business systems in selected Asian countries: Japan, China, South Korea, India, and selected south East countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philipines)
4. Globalisation and Asian Business systems: Are the business systems converging or diverging in the global era?

Main Reading

M.A. Witt & G. Redding (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Asian Business Systems. Oxford, Oxford University Press

Supplementary readings

Asian Business and Management: Theory, Practice and Perspectives Edited by Harukiyo Hasegawa, Carlos Noronha, Palgrave Mcmillan

The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Institutional Analysis Edited by Glenn Morgan, John L. Campbell, Colin Crouch, Ove Kaj Pedersen, and Richard Whitley

Any other reading as suggested by the instructor in the class