Frederik Balfour and Tim Culpan, The Man Who Makes Your iPhone: Foxconn
founder Terry Gou might be regarded as Henry Ford reincarnated if only a
dozen of his workers hadn't killed themselves this year. An exclusive look
inside a postmodern industrial empire. Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Sept. 9, 2010.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_38/b4195058423479.htm
My comment:
(a) Last Week the cover story of Bloomberg BusinessWeek is Foxconn. On the
cover is "Inside Foxconn"--printed over the photo of two rows of women on a
factory floor.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/10_38/B4195magazine.htm
* tao (n; Chinese): "often not capitalized : the art or skill of doing
something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing <the Tao of
archery>"
www.m-w.com
(b) The interview pus a face on Foxconn--and humanizes Mr. Gou. There are a
few outbursts, which are extremely rare among America's CEOs. I do not know
if they are genuine (probably the one directed against Mr. Warren Buffett is
), or studied acts suggested by the PR firm. See the end of web page 1
("Finally, Gou's company hired the New York firm Burson-Marsteller to help
devise a formal public-relations strategy, its first in more than 35 years
of existence")
(c) Asians seem uncomfortable in the spotlight. See
Emily Parker, Japan: Lost In Translation; Why the world's third largest
economy has dropped out of the global conversation. Wall Street Journal,
Sept. 18, 2010.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703440604575495953989678326.html
(i) Jiji Press 時事通信社 (founded in 1945 qnd headquartered at Tokyo)
(ii) Press Club
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Club
(d) Sure, there are risks talking to reporters or even a friendly audience.
President Ron Reagan perfected the gmae of advanced planning and smoothing
out the kinks so that the president looked good in his appearances. All
American presidents have followed suit. So it is uncommon to see the
comments in a televised events where President Obama's supporters expressed
frustration.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Disappointed Supporters Question Obama. New York Times,
Sept. 21, 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/us/politics/21obama.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=cnbc%20obama&st=cse
I did not watch CNBC (because I am not a subscriber). But I saw snippets of
it at Today show at NBC the next morning. I was surprised. Still it (the
town hall meeting) is worth it, I think--for the same reason the interview
humanizes Mr. Gou.