Chinese business principles from the eastern Zhou dynasty (770‐221 BC): are they still relevant today?

Abstract

This paper suggests that ancient Chinese business principles introduced by Tao Zhugong during the eastern Zhou dynasty (770‐221 BC) are still relevant for modern‐day business and management practices at the individual, company and country level. The 24 business principles extracted from Tao Zhugong’s original 18 principles are presented in the paper with supporting real life cases drawn from the modern‐day business setting. The match between Tao Zhugong’s business principles and anecdotal cases suggests that these principles are relevant and are still practised today. The paper concludes by urging Western leaders, managers and businessmen to draw lessons for their own operations, especially if they have business dealings in China and with the Chinese in other parts of the world.

Citation

Pheng Low, S. (2001), "Chinese business principles from the eastern Zhou dynasty (770‐221 BC): are they still relevant today?", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 200-208. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500110391744