Studies of business in China often focus on the People's Republic of China as it continues its slow progress towards becoming an economic superpower. But the 60 million Chinese who live outside of China have long been an economic powerhouse in their own right. They play major, often dominant, economic roles in many countries in South-East Asia, and led much of the rapid growth and industrialisation of the region in the 1980s and 1990s.This book sets out to describe these communities and the environment in which they live and work.  Managing in South-East Asia is not like managing anywhere else; it is not even like managing in China. This volume explores these cultural influences in depth, and the need for cultural understanding as a pre-requisite for business success is a major theme of this book.

Introduction * Nanyang: The Region and its People * The 'Tribute Bearers': Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Burma * Below the Wind: Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines * Language and culture: The Overseas Chinese * The Ancestral Country: The political, cultural and business links between the Overseas Chinese and the PRC * The Early Economy: The growth of the South East Asian economy * The South East Asian Economy * South East Asian Business and Managers * Managing in South-East Asia Today * The Future