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Haier Is a Sea (Zhang Ruimin's letter in 1994)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 December 2016

Ying Zhang*
Affiliation:
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, The Netherlands

Extract

In his letter, Zhang Ruimin symbolized Haier as a sea to signify the firm's openness and boundlessness. Using the metaphor of ‘Haier Is a Sea’, Zhang illustrated a number of cohesive, collaborative relationships between Haier employees and nature and the environment as well as the importance of an evolving corporate culture in a rapidly changing world. This letter was addressed to Haier employees, but it was also framed as a ‘communiqué to the public’ to explain who Haier was and what the company represented. This letter has been, and will likely continue to be, a model for inspiring Haier employees to believe that anything is possible.

Type
Dialogue, Debate, and Discussion
Copyright
Copyright © The International Association for Chinese Management Research 2016 

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