CHINESE IT enterprises'lack of an international mindset in management hinders their ability to turn their dreams into reality, Ma Yun, chairman and CEO of Alibaba, China's top e-business enterprise, said at yesterday's China IT Summit in Shenzhen.

 
An annual event in the city, this year's summit attracted more than 800 participants, including businesspeople, investors, scholars and officials. The summit's theme was: "Innovations in information technology promote mankind's progress."

"Chinese IT enterprises always like talking about macro-environments and are never short of ideas. However, many of them still compete with each other by offering lower prices and employ old-fashioned management means,"said Ma, who wore a yellow pullover and spoke in a casual, humorous manner.

"International management refers to the internationalization of an enterprise's strategies, systems, human resources and culture. Getting involved in business with foreign partners doesn't mean international management. An international enterprise should be open, transparent, and willing to share and assume social responsibility,' added Ma, who plans to quit his role as Alibaba's CEO in May to spend more time on other pursuits.

Ma added that enterprises should not become money-making machines. Instead, they should be developed as 'human beings,' with emotions and friends.

Li Yanhong, CEO of Baidu, China's top search engine, threw a question at Ma following his speech. 'How can an entrepreneur, who has no teaching experience, manage an enterprise well?'Li asked.

Ma, an English teacher before entering the IT industry, answered from personal experience.

(Source:Shenzhen Daily)