Conclusions and Discussions

Abstract

As we have proposed and concluded in Chapter 6, there is probably more to say about further lines of research in management thinking than a normative theoretical conclusion. Writing this book, and the process the authors went through in doing so, brought out typical situations where ‘West meets East’. For example: (1) the Westerners in our team (See Chapter 1 Appendix) sought a general framework and, if possible, a well worked-out plan, whereas the Asians felt comfortable with a general guideline directing their attention towards a specific final objective but sometimes ambiguous sub-objectives; and, (2) therefore, process-based Asian thinking was seen as chaotic or lacking in purposefulness by the Westerners, and precision and the emphasis on planning and following models by the Westerners were viewed as rigid and inflexible. Deduction and induction did, however, provide creative tensions that served as catalysts for further examination.