The Digitization of Business in China (eBook)

Young-Chan Kim is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Greenwich, UK. Having intensely researched China and the Asia Pacific region, he has co-authored and edited six books including Chinese Global Production Networks in the ASEAN (Springer, 2016) and China and Africa (Palgrave, 2017). Young-Chan has also written several articles for academic journals. Pi-Chi Chen is a Lecturer at the University of Greenwich, UK. Her research interests include international business, strategy, multinational enterprises based in emerging markets, and regional innovation and development. She is co-author of US Firms’ Business Competence in the Taiwanese IT Industry (Springer, 2016).

Acknowledgement 6
Contents 7
Notes on Contributors 9
List of Figures 13
List of Tables 15
1: Introduction: Business-to-Business Marketing in China: Digital or Traditional? 16
1.1 Introduction 16
1.2 Literature Review 17
1.2.1 Major Internet B2B Marketing Issues 18
1.2.2 Internet in China: Penetration and Demographics 19
1.2.3 B2B Marketing Trends and Techniques 22
1.2.4 B2B American Marketing in China 23
Lessons from B2C: Marketing to Whom? 24
Lessons from B2C: Marketing Where? 24
Lessons from B2C: Marketing What? 27
Lessons from B2B Research: Marketing How and When? 28
Trust 30
The Cross-Cultural Power of Symbols 32
1.3 Literature Review Conclusions, Future Study, and Limitations 33
1.3.1 Conclusions 33
1.3.2 Future Research 34
1.4 B2B Empirical Analysis for Digital Marketing: Age, Education, Prior Buying Experience, Gender, and Cultural Differences 35
1.4.1 Job Function 36
1.4.2 Age 38
1.4.3 Education 39
1.4.4 Agents’ US Buying Experience 40
1.4.5 Gender 41
1.4.6 Cultural Differences 44
Nike & Toyota and the Power of Symbols
1.4.7 Marketing Solicitation Contact Attitudes 46
1.5 Conclusions 49
References 50
Part I: Digital Business as a Social Networking Tool 56
2: China’s Online Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Lending Platforms 57
2.1 Introduction: China and Information & Communication Technologies
2.2 China’s Online P2P Lending Industry 59
2.3 Borrowers of Online P2P Lending Platforms 64
2.4 Lenders (Investors) of Online P2P Lending Platforms 68
2.5 Problem Platforms 70
2.6 Financial Literacy of the Investors (Lenders) 75
2.7 Initiatives and Precautions for Self-regulation 76
2.8 Laws and Regulations 78
2.9 Conclusion 82
Reference 83
3: The Key to Non-Profit Crowdfunding Through Internet Social Media 89
3.1 Introduction 89
3.2 Literature Review 91
3.2.1 An Overview of Crowdfunding 91
3.2.2 Studies of Non-profit Crowdfunding in China 92
3.3 An Introduction to Non-profit Crowdfunding in China 96
3.3.1 The Characteristics of Non-profit Crowdfunding in China 97
Promising No Profits 97
Friends and Relative Circles Matter 98
Pocket Money Donations 99
3.3.2 The General Practice of Non-profit Crowdfunding on the Qingsongchou Platform 99
3.3.3 An Accident-Based Non-profit Crowdfunding Project in Qingsongchou Platform 101
Accident: Something Bad Happened 101
Application: Certificates and Records 102
Reality Check 102
Spread It Through Social Media 103
Close the Project and Get the Cash 103
Post-crowdfunding Issues 104
3.4 The Key Factors and Potential Risks Involved in Non-profit Crowdfunding Projects in the Qingsongchou Crowdfunding Platform 104
3.4.1 The Key Factors 105
3.4.2 The Potential Risks 107
3.5 Suggestions for the Healthy Development of Non-profit Crowdfunding in China 110
References 111
4: The Language of Luxury Hotel Websites in China 113
4.1 Introduction 113
4.2 Methodology 114
4.2.1 Theoretical Framework 114
4.2.2 Attitude 115
4.2.3 Graduation 115
4.2.4 Engagement 116
4.3 Data 117
4.4 Analysis 117
4.4.1 Appreciation 118
4.4.2 Judgment 121
4.4.3 Affect 121
4.4.4 Graduation 122
Graduation as a Force 122
Intensification: Superlatives 124
Intensification: Maximization 127
Intensification: Metaphor 128
Intensification: Comparative 129
Intensifying Processes Attitudinally 129
Quantification of Experiential Meanings 130
Graduation as a Focus 133
4.5 Engagement 134
4.6 Conclusion 136
References 138
5: The Development Path of WeChat: Social, Political and Ethical Challenges 140
5.1 Introduction 140
5.2 Development of Social Media Around the World and in China 142
5.3 WeChat 145
5.4 Social Media and Ethical Issues 149
5.5 Social Media Policy Approaches 153
5.6 Social Media in China: Main Differences with Western Countries 156
5.7 Conclusion and Way Forward 160
References 160
Part II: Digital Business as an Operating Platform 166
6: Digital Business and Chinese Consumers’ Purchase Intentions in Indonesia 167
6.1 Introduction 167
6.2 Literature Review 168
6.2.1 Online Consumer Review 168
Valence of Consumers’ Online Review 169
Sponsored Product Review 170
6.2.2 Product Type 171
6.2.3 Product Involvement 172
6.2.4 Attitude Toward Product Review 172
6.2.5 Purchase Intention 173
6.2.6 Summary 173
6.3 Conceptual Framework and Hypotheses Development 174
6.4 Methodology 176
6.4.1 Research Design and Measures 176
6.4.2 Data Collection 177
6.5 Result 179
6.5.1 Descriptive and Reliability Results 179
6.5.2 Manipulation Check 180
6.5.3 Hypotheses Testing 181
6.6 Conclusions and Implications 183
6.6.1 Theoretical Contributions 183
6.6.2 Managerial Implications 184
6.6.3 Limitations and Future Works 185
References 185
7: Enhancing Brand Image and Brand Trust in the Vietnamese Tourism Industry Via e-Word of Mouth 190
7.1 Introduction 190
7.2 Theory and Research Hypotheses 191
7.2.1 e-WoM 191
7.2.2 Information Adoption 192
7.2.3 Brand Image 194
7.2.4 Brand Trust 194
7.2.5 The Links Among Adoption of e-WoM Information and Brand Image and Brand Trust 195
7.3 Research Methodology 196
7.4 Research Result 196
7.4.1 Sample Description 196
7.4.2 Measurement Scale 197
7.4.3 Research Model Testing 202
7.4.4 Discussion 203
7.5 Conclusion and Implication 204
7.5.1 Increasing Quality of Information Exchange 205
7.5.2 Promoting e-WoM Via the Social Community Network 205
7.5.3 Using e-WoM to Enhance Brand in the Short Term 206
7.5.4 Limitation and Further Research 206
References 207
8: Digitalisation in Dentistry: Development and Practices 210
8.1 Introduction 210
8.2 Digital Impression 212
8.3 CAD for Prosthetic Restorations 215
8.4 CAM Using CNC Milling Machine 216
8.5 CAM Using 3D Printing 218
8.6 CBCT and Implant Planning Software 221
8.7 Discussion: Impacts of Digital Dentistry on Dentists and Dental Technicians 223
8.7.1 Impacts of Digital Dentistry on Dentists 223
8.7.2 Impacts of Digital Dentistry on Dental Technicians 224
8.8 Conclusion and the Future of Digital Dentistry 225
References 227
9: Alibaba: Jack Ma’s Unique Growth Strategy and the Future of Its Global Development in the Chinese Digital Business Industry 229
9.1 Introduction 229
9.2 Alibaba’s Interpretation of the Traditional Chinese Ways of Doing Business 231
9.2.1 Four Transactional Phases Adopted by Alibaba 232
9.2.2 Alibaba’s Information Phase 232
9.2.3 The Negotiation Phase 234
‘TrustPass’ Membership 234
Taobao 237
9.2.4 The Payment Phase 239
9.2.5 Alibaba’s Delivery Phase 240
9.3 Alibaba and the Government: A Long-­Lasting Relationship? 241
9.3.1 Trust 241
9.3.2 Face (mianzi) 245
9.4 Ma, Alibaba and His ‘Animal Spirit’ 247
9.5 Conclusion 251
References 253
10: Conclusion: The Sino Digital Economy: Development History, Current Status, and Challenges Going Forward 258
10.1 Introduction 258
10.2 China’s E-commerce: A Brief History of the Development 260
10.2.1 The Initial Stage (1996–2000) 260
10.2.2 The Accelerated Development Stage (2001–2007) 261
10.2.3 The Standardisation Stage (2008–2014) 261
10.2.4 The Globalisation Stage (2015–) 263
10.3 Current Trends in China’s E-commerce and Cross-Border E-commerce 264
10.4 Challenges Ahead for China’s Cross-Border E-commerce 266
10.5 The Case of Taiwan: Well-Established Digital Foundation 268
10.5.1 Vibrant Domestic E-commerce in Taiwan 268
10.5.2 Unfledged Cross-Border E-commerce in Taiwan 269
10.5.3 Challenges Faced by Taiwan’s SMEs for Cross-Border E-commerce 270
10.6 Concluding Remarks 272
References 273
Index 275