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'Asian values' are the future

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It's a concept that is so last century that the young may be forgiven for confusing it with the great seasonal sales in Singapore or Hong Kong. Yet, not so long ago, the debate over 'Asian values' and its derivatives was an ideological ground zero.

However, with the 'victory' of capitalism and democracy, and the economic surge of the East in relation to the West, the Asian-values debate went into some kind of deep freeze.

Now, a thaw may be happening, thanks to research jointly organised by the London-based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM).

The research is based on 27 case studies across Asia, covering such firms as Standard Chartered Bank, Shui On Construction, China Mobile, MTR Corporation and the Founder Group.

'One of the key messages from our research is that there is a distinctly Asian take on what the future of HR will look like - and that to allow established Western HR orthodoxies to push out innovation and Asian values would risk putting a brake on growth, whereas the distinctly Asian approach offers the opportunity to turbocharge it,' says CIPD CEO Jackie Orme.

The research defines an Asian approach to HR as having four core characteristics: tackling individual underperformance despite a sprawling and rapidly expanding business, relying on a sense of community to promote unity and respect within the company, inculcating a higher sense of purpose among workers, and understanding the complex dynamics between corporate culture and commercial success.

The research notes a tension between the traditional Asian style of running a business and the expectations of a younger generation, particularly for greater openness and a sense of fairness. However, Orme says the most impressive HR leaders covered by the research have cleverly combined these conflicting factors.

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