Business folds under antiquated control

Under a microscope a Chinese State-run company looks something like a diamond. Complex connections overlap each other in countless directions forming a rigid hierarchy that holds itself together through a Chinese constant we are all aware of, guanxi, or connections.

Like every stone of market interest, producing something of value means polishing off the irregularities. This is where the metaphor ends.

As a foreigner until recently employed as part of such a company in Beijing, I observed how ability was sidelined for "relationship" in a series of fatal managerial moves that ultimately killed a product that was once the leader in its industry.