China: The Next Cultural Evolution June 11, 2007
I just came across this month’s FastCompany magazine and was stoked by the well written, yet a bit too sensational, cover story: “China: The Next Cultural Revolution“. Author Aric Chen foresees that an emerging creative class will reinvent how China thinks and works, making it a creative Superpower in the next 20 years.
Having worked with many Chinese manufacturers in the last five years, I agree to a large part with the author that China will eventually get its creative Mojo and maybe even become an innovation powerhouse. However, I believe that it won’t be happening in our life (and I’m only 29). The social changes required will be rather evolutionary than revolutionary.
China has experienced phenomenal double digit growth in the last couple decades, has a deep pool of brain power and the government is willing to invest Billions of dollars in science and technology. But the resources are not the issue here; China lacks the culture, systems and processes to foster creativity and support innovation.
Most people in China belong to one large, all-embracing unit such as a factory, government office, or village. The unit is run by party branches, operates under common administrative rules and procedures, and reflects the current policies of the party. The consequence has been that most aspects of social differentiation, mobility, and tensions are now played out within an institutional framework. Most of the questions about any individual life and prospects can be answered by specifying the unit — the social cell — with which that individual is associated.
The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.
The education system teaches children to memorize facts, rather than questioning them. It’s a curriculum that’s good for a manufacturing environment where workers must follow procedures, but it doesn’t foster the creative thinking needed for innovation.
In the end, innovation capability depends on economic flexibility. The U.S. with its entrepreneurial culture, relaxed labor markets, and free capital flows, continues to be the most innovative economy in the world. China needs such an environment to bridge the growth and productivity gap to truly transform itself into an innovative, energetic economy.
For all of us living on the other side of the Pacific, China is the world’s largest consumer market which represents significant opportunities to innovative global brand owners who can develop products and services appropriate for its diverse market.
Hi Mario,
Interesting piece. With the advent of the internet in China, younger users are starting to use the net to question teachers more (saw a recent article on it).I do think that the changes will be much more rapid than we think.
Hi Damon,
Thanks for stopping by. Actually this post was written by my friend while I’m on break.
I think the Internet is one of those radical change agents, that will be profoundly affecting youth and their viewpoints on the world and their willingness to go against the grain.
That and punk rock. Viva la revolucion!
This is so interesting. Sounds like you have done your research.
Jalal,
Your post is interesting and well written but I would argue that the educational system in the USA—based by Horace Mann on the Prussian Education System—stunts individuality and creative thinking and pounds down a good number of nails of its own. Being based on the Prussian System, the US Education System was specifically designed to create human cogs for the Industrial Revolution and, as no major philosophical shifts to the system have occurred post-Mann, Entrepreneurial thinking tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
Z
Jalal and Mario:
We need you to report more on business in China. As one who was raised and once worked in political environments and have for 30 plus years worked in the business world, China scares me to death. They seem poised to rule the world, and I’m not sure that would make for a pretty picture.
Please keep sharing.
jalal:
an interesting article about the core of the red dragon and how it works inside. you have mentionned that education in china try to learn them to retain and memorize the facts not to pose questions. you have touched the purpose but this policy has a negative result in long term as the economy grows high. i appreciate that at the end of the article you have made a comparison between USA and china in the flexibility in economy and that china needs it to move further in economy.
thanks again, rich article and keep writing
Hi Mario,
Having been to China, I will say that it is an exciting place to be right now. Just as there is a “hierarchy” for human needs (Maslow), I think economies need to go through similar phases to become an innovation culture (farming-manufacturing-creating/innovating). I am not sure if China will get to the “creative” phase as long as it is socialist, largely because capitalism and socialism really don’t go together.
P.S. Thanks for putting one of my photos on your desktop:)