Introduction
In the modern world, countries are usually divided into developed and developing ones, depending on a variety of factors, including the level of capita incomes and their industrialisation processes. Despite their recent achievements and contributions to world trade and the global economy, many nations remain developing. Such countries as China demonstrate good results in converting power resources into the necessary outcomes, but their per capita incomes do not reach high levels (Jing, 2019). Therefore, many world organisations consider China as one of the most successfully developing countries.
According to Jing (2019), Chinese people are hardworking and smart, and their results in the technological, electronic, or mobile industries are impressive. Xiaomi is the name of the company that has already been recognised globally. This organisation has gained success and become famous due to its smartphones production in both developed and developing countries. Among a variety of products offered by Xiaomi, smartphones are frequently demanded by consumers from different parts of the world.
Xiaomi is chosen for analysis in this paper because it is one of the recent and most successful innovations in the consumer electronics industry. Being founded in 2010, Xiaomi has already gained global recognition and offered its products and services to millions of people. This company is a strong competitor for other organisations in this field, which makes the industry a crucial topic for analysis. While its home country, China, is in the list of the best developing country, one of its host countries-owners, the United States, influences its culture, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and foreign exchange strategies.
In this paper, the evaluation of Xiaomi home and host country culture and institutions through its recent annual report will contribute to a better understanding of the company’s organisational structure, internationalisation strategies, and risk management. Xiaomi mission, vision, and goals create a significant challenge for many international organisations. This company has broken the standards and proved the possibility of low prices for high-quality products for all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, and social income.
Xiaomi Background
Nowadays, it is easy to find millions of people using their phones with the Mi label. Although it is frequently used, many users do not actually understand what this Mi means. In fact, the developers of Xiaomi products may interpret the chosen logo in a variety of ways. They explained it as the two final letters of the company’s name, “Mobile Internet” or even “Mission Impossible”, regarding the challenges and tasks the team has set and already achieved (Xiaomi, no date, a).
Compared to other electronic and technological giants like Samsung or Apple, with a long history and significant international impact, Xiaomi Corporation is a relatively young company founded in 2010 in Hong Kong (Xiaomi, no date, a). Continuous innovation is its core feature and one of the major motivational factors. The company focuses on the development of smartphones and other smart hardware that is able to connect people via its unique platform. At this moment, the name of Xiaomi is among the first five world’s largest smartphone brands.
As well as any organisation, Xiaomi has to enter the international market with a properly defined mission and vision. It is not enough to demonstrate to customers the potential benefits of cooperation with Xiaomi. It is more important to encourage every client and employee and harmonise the interests of all stakeholders. Xiaomi works according to its mission statement to provide “amazing products with honest prices” (Xiaomi, 2018).
The company shows that all people may have access to a better life with the offered innovative technologies. Excluding smartphones and laptops, Xiaomi developed more than 210 million smart devices during the last several years and introduced them in more than 90 countries (Xiaomi, no date, a). The success of this organisation is predetermined by multiple factors, but its main concept is to choose the right people and promote cooperation. Therefore, the analysis of its international business environment should include the evaluation of its CSR, structure, and foreign policies in both host and home countries. Institutional and cultural analyses of Xiaomi enhance an understanding of home and host countries’ development.
Each year brought more people to the company, either as regular customers or as employees. According to Lei Jun, the leader of Xiaomi, in December 2017, the number of users reached 300 million globally, and the number of full-time employees was about 14,500 people (Ortega, 2018). The offered statistics continues growing, which proves the correctness of the chosen strategies and the demonstration of good results in the industry.
Xiaomi team admits that the growth of employees is beneficial because it is a great chance to reach more clients (Ortega, 2018). In the beginning, there were eight brilliant developers who made contributions to different areas of the company. Nowadays, the company has six founders only because two of them made a decision to go their own independent ways (Ortega, 2018). However, this change did not influence the relationships between people, and they stay good friends even today. Therefore, cultural and institutional basics play a crucial role in the company, as well as for the industry in total.
Porter’s Diamond for the Electronics Industry
Porter’s diamond model is one of the common tools to investigate national competitive advantage and understand what benefits and shortage each company possesses. At this moment, the competitiveness theory is a strong framework to clarify organisational differences at national levels (Fainshmidt, Smith and Judge, 2016). According to Porter (as cited in Fainshmidt, Smith and Judge, 2016, p. 85), any country possesses a competitive advantage that is relative to the worldwide competition through the combination of “industry- and country-level arguments”. Xiaomi is a Chinese company with its work in the electronics industry. For that reason, Porter’s diamond model will be based on the main characteristics of the electronics area from the point of view of Chinese possibilities (Figure 1).
There are four main aspects of national competitiveness at home for the electronics industry. First, the demand conditions remain stable and promising for many Chinese organisations in the market. Chinese people are interested in a variety of electronic devices that they can regularly use either at home or at work. They want to implement their innovative ideas in different ways, and the electronics industry is the door to new discoveries and achievements.
It is expected of companies to stay sensitive for their nearest customers and create opportunities. The growth of the Chinese population is evident, which influences consumer goods’ demand and control (Ng, 2019). Secondly, the Chinese electronics industry is characterised by certain factor endowments. There are many talented people who want to join companies and demonstrate their visions and abilities.
In China, a properly developed communication infrastructure has already been introduced. The government and many non-governmental organisations continue supporting the research intentions of the population to discover additional alternatives and innovations due to rapid technological growth by means of promoted scientific research (Canales and McNaughton, 2019). China turns out to be a perfect country for the electronics industry development.
Another important aspect of the model is the presence of related and supporting industries and suppliers. In China, suppliers usually come from Taiwan and the geographically nearest countries. Regular investments promote trustful relationships between companies, so it becomes easier to establish contacts and enhance development. Global outsourcing is based on decision rights and trust promotion in China (Ma and Huang, 2016).
Finally, taking into consideration all the above-mentioned factors and contributions, the rivalry of the Chinese electronics industry at the international market can be possible due to the properly chosen strategies and structures. The development of a brand image, attention to existing and possible competitors, and the choice of the best employees have to be recognised in the country. Many organisations have their headquarters in China (Beijing in particular), but the progress in host countries cannot be ignored because there are many Chinese-originated organisations in such countries as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, etc. The example of Xiaomi and its spread throughout the whole world (the United States in particular) is chosen for analysis.
Institutional Analysis
Theoretical Perspective
There are many reasons for people to choose institutional theory as a common tool for analysing a company’s success, failures, development, and opportunities. The case of Xiaomi is not an exception, and its leaders have already demonstrated what can be done in a short period of time if correct goals are set and appropriate resources are chosen. The assessment of social innovations from an institutional theory perspective focuses on the discussion of current social, economic, and environmental problems and their solutions (van Wijk, J. et al., 2019).
Social structure defines the future possibilities of companies and their rules and norms that become behavioural guidelines. The point is that countries may vary in their political and economic systems, and the progress of the same company may distinguish due to such geographical and social risks or benefits.
Xiaomi at Home
Being a well-known global company, one should admit that Xiaomi has its Chinese roots that influence its development and improvements. The work of the company in China is based on several political, economic, and legal concepts in terms of which people regulate their relationships. According to Hofstede Insights (no date), China remains a highly collectivist culture with the intention to meet the interests of the population but not a company itself.
However, Xiaomi is one of the brightest contradictions to this well-proved fact because the company is able to combine the interests of people, as well as their own demands and plans. The belief of the staff is to create services and products “just for fans” (Xiaomi, no date, a). Besides, the leaders want to hire people who are first Mi fans and ready to devote their professionalism to continuous improvement. Instead of restricting private freedoms, Xiaomi expands the idea of human rights and breaks all the boundaries and conventionalities in the field of innovative technology (Ortiz et al., 2019). Despite the expectation that such an independent organisation like Xiaomi could not exist in China, its recent achievements impress.
Xiaomi in the United States
In the United States, the situation seems to be a little bit different due to the existing political and social norms. Hofstede Insights (no date) prove Americans to be a high individualist and long-term oriented nation. The idea that everyone should be unique but follow some common traditional norms and beliefs strengthens the ideas offered by Xiaomi. This company challenges American manufactures, and some authors call its penetration a technological cold war (Morell & Kris, 2018).
The U.S. government underlines multiple concerns and national security risks when Chinese original equipment manufacturers enter the U.S. or European market, but it becomes impossible to control the sales of handsets with attractive prices. At the same time, existing democratic freedoms and commercial decisions of the population supports the idea of Xiaomi in the United States.
Business Implications
Taking into consideration the results of the institutional analysis, the work of Xiaomi managers remains remarkable in the global market, including its host and home countries. In 2018, Xiaomi enlarged the number of registered users by 130 million and regular employees by 16,000 in 44 countries (Xiaomi, 2018). Some researchers admit that the relationships between China and the United States continue to worsen, but Chinese manufacturers never give up on the American Dream and officially enter the U.S. soon (Sohail, 2019). At this moment, Americans have access to Xiaomi products via third-party sellers, proving the individualistic intentions of the U.S. nation and collectivistic approaches of China.
Cultural Analysis
Theoretical Perspective
Cultural difference is another significant factor that determines the development of international business. On the one hand, this diversity challenges the relationships between a company and its host countries. On the other hand, there are many supportive factors to understand and adopt native and local cultural preferences. Cross-cultural literacy enhances the required level of knowledge, and Hofstede’s work about cultural dimensions provides a guide for potential business developers (Beugelsdijk, Kostova and Roth, 2017).
However, there are situations when business managers are not able to clarify what steps should be taken or what decisions must be made to succeed in their business. Xie, Li and Xie (2016) identify five main challenges, including poor strategic management, the lack of cultural representation, weak organisational norms, unclear management mechanisms, and execution. The concept of culture contains a number of characteristics, including beliefs, norms, roles, and attitudes. As soon as culture is formed, it may change and improved with time, and it is a responsibility of a company to promote effective performance.
Chinese Xiaomi
In Xiaomi, much attention is paid to cultural differences and respect in relationships. According to the results of the annual report, a new Board diversity policy was adopted to consider but never limit gender, age, and cultural background and qualifications (Xiaomi, 2017).
In China, the organisation under analysis aims at building an honest corporate culture and supporting a raised awareness campaign (Xiaomi, 2018). Anti-fraud ideals serve as the basis for economic philosophy, and political philosophy includes such issues as free will, integrity, and equality (Xiaomi, 2018). In China, Xiaomi uses a collaboration-centric concept for its business model (Kuo, Luarn and Chen, 2018). Opinions of the team are taken into consideration to make sure that different aspects of the same issue are recognised, explained, and utilised in case of their appropriateness to the case.
American Xiaomi
In the United States, Chinese culture is frequently practised, and many immigrants share their values according to the principle of democratic freedoms and human rights. Mu et al. (2015) state that China is a country with strong social norms and a lack of tolerance, and the United States remains a loose nation with less tolerance and cultural variety. However, the example of Xiaomi proves that although Americans are ready to accept and respect people of different nationalities and ethnicities, there is a portion of pride and self-esteem.
In other words, it is hard for the government to allow international companies to penetrate their local markets and attract the attention of citizens at the expense of personal local benefits. Despite its tolerant nature, today, America is not ready to accept competitors and welcome them with all their cultural norms and beliefs. Xiaomi has already been recognised in the international market, but the United States tries to control the growth of its impact. As a result, the relationships of Xiaomi in the host and home countries vary due to the necessity to protect personal principles and investigate international threats.
Business Implications
Cultural literacy plays a significant role in business development, and managers, as well as other employees in a company, must be well-informed about the preferences of other countries where they start their business. The differences between China and the United States are impressive, buts their national competitive advantage is remarkable. On the one hand, China strives to offer viable efficiency in a host country and focuses on freedoms and individual demands.
On the other hand, the United States possesses high-level economies established by its local companies. Any Chinese electronics company is a serious threat to American manufacturers. Xiaomi breaks the rules and calls itself fearless in the intention to test new ideas, introduce attractive price policies, and work with fans rather than employees (Xiaomi, 2018). The U.S.-Chinese relationships continue developing regardless of their cultural and institutional distinctions, and Xiaomi seems to be one of the first organisations that could enter the U.S. market quickly.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Definition
International business depends on several critical concepts, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of them. Many authors develop their projects to explain the essence of CSR and its influence on organisational development. Wang et al. (2016) identify it as an idea of bearing responsibility by a company to society. As a rule, CSR is a self-regulated contribution to social goals that include volunteering, ethical practices, and other charitable activities. Örtenblad (2016) recommends viewing CSR through the prism of different contexts because it is promoted for environmental, social, and economic changes that are based on cooperation between organisations and society.
Some companies believe that CSR is fashionable and use it as a means to demonstrate their intentions and be recognised in a business arena. In China, CSR practices are poorly managed, and people believe that improvements and competence may be required (Hsu, 2016). Modern companies need to believe that their activities could make the world better and reduce the negative impact of their footprints on the environment. CSR programs are used to attract new customers, regulate public relations, and find reliable stakeholders.
CSR in China
The attitudes toward CSR in China and the United States vary, depending on current business practices and management decisions. CSR is a concept that is closely related to such issues as sustainability, development, high-level performance, and productivity (Li, Khalili and Cheng, 2019). About ten years ago, many Chinese companies recognised CSR as nothing but a part of their economic performance that may or may not is applied to their work (Monti, 2016). For example, at the beginning of the 2000s, only nine Chinese organisations succeeded in promoting CSR practices, and today, the number reaches 95 (Monti, 2016).
The reasons for changing the decision include the necessity to meet international standards, introduce effective practices, and enhance organisational cultures. Now, the Chinese government and local companies pay more attention to the frequency of natural disasters and the impact of human activities. Therefore, CSR turns out to be an emerging topic for discussion, and Xiaomi demonstrates its positive intentions and interests.
Xiaomi CSR at Home and Host Countries
At this moment, Xiaomi is a well-known Chinese company that offers its products and services around the globe. In its home country, its achievements and management methods are properly organised and promoted in accordance with local standards and social expectations. As well as many modern organisations in China, Xiaomi tries to take several steps and contributes to the promotion of CSR practices. For example, its commitment to “ensure a greener tomorrow” has already been recognised in the country and its closest sale partner, India (Xiaomi, no date, b, para. 1).
There is a list of e-waste management rules according to which the companies give their guarantees to recycle various electronic items, including speakers, headphones, and mobiles (Xiaomi, no date, b). Clients should not make payments if they want to recycle their Mi subjects, which underlines the care of Xiaomi for its regular customers.
At the same time, similar initiatives are not frequent in the company today. It is hard to find credible information and annual reports about its CSR programs because Xiaomi leaders do not find it necessary to spend their time and efforts and give details (Dudovskiy, 2018). In fact, no one should judge the company due to the lack of CSR data because their results and profits remain significant for the team and the country in total. Green Peace (2017) gives poor grades to the Xiaomi CSR programs, underlying limited environmental information, the lack of sustainability strategies, no chemical management, and no evidence of advocacy.
There are also many other CSR aspects that poorly discussed within the Xiaomi report, including the importance of educating and empowering employees or supporting local communities. However, in one of the magazine’s articles, Einhorn and Chen (2018) say about the possibility of discrimination by gender and other demographic factors because Xiaomi leaders hire “yanzhi” (beautiful) women. It means that despite the intention to ensure equality within the company, male employees make their choices, basing on the appearance of their female colleagues.
In the United States, no clear CSR initiatives were identified because the U.S. government does not allow the Chinese company to penetrate its market officially. Third-party sellers who work with Xiaomi products say nothing about the existing discrimination or other challenges in cooperation. Still, regarding the fact that U.S. CSR initiatives are promoted by various governmental and non-governmental organisations, sustainability and development are properly regulated in the country (Camilleri, 2016). At this moment, Xiaomi does not meet the CSR standards and requirements to existing in the chosen host country successfully.
However, China continues changing its landscapes, as well as minds, and its CSR may introduce a new future for its local companies and international competitors (Li et al., 2017; Monti, 2016). Due to the existing discourses and concerns, Chinese and US companies try to find a consensus and strengthen an all-inclusive CSR communication approach (Tang, Gallagher and Bie, 2015). Time and additional research are critical elements that cannot be ignored in assessing Chinese opportunities and impact.
Organisational Structure
Definition and Types
An understanding of an organisational structure is an integral task in business development. It is not only a system of values or responsibilities according to which people should work. It is a guideline for employees to introduce their activities and clarify how to work under specific conditions. There are many rules and norms according to which cooperation, and information exchange is enhanced. According to Ahmady, Mehrpour, and Nikooravesh (2016, p. 455), an organisational structure is a “framework of the relations on jobs, systems, operating process, people and groups making efforts to achieve the goals”.
Bustinza et al. (2015) add that an organisational structure depends on transformations, which, in their turn, are based on available service innovation. Taking these definitions and explanations into consideration, one should say that organisational structures play an important role in international business because it is a good opportunity to make sure that every employee performs his or her job and meets the system.
To facilitate decision-making processes, any company, either Chinese, American, or from another region, has to identify its type of organisational structure. There are seven types of social structure and about nine structural forms (Ahmady, Mehrpour and Nikooravesh, 2016). Each concept has its characteristics and obligations for every member of a team. For example, in simple organisational structures, flexible relationships and low complexity of tasks are promoted. Functional and multidivisional structures have increased complexity and multiple functions to manage daily operations (Ahmady, Mehrpour and Nikooravesh, 2016).
There are also matrix, hybrid, and network structures that are formed in organisations in regard to current changes, technological progress, and specialised markets. Sometimes, the foundation of machine bureaucracy is required when multiple services are introduced within the same organisation, and good supervision is expected (Ahmady, Mehrpour and Nikooravesh, 2016). There are no good or bad structures, and companies choose the one for which they are ready and have enough resources and experience.
Xiaomi Organisational Structure
A unique feature of Xiaomi is the continuous improvement of its organisational structure with time. When the company was found, it seemed that it had a simple, flat or horizontal structure with several management levels and one leader on its top. The name of Lei Jun is usually a synonym to Xiaomi because he is not only a founder but a current chairman and a great leader of the chosen international business team (Xiaomi, no date, a).
Like any start-up business, the founder had to identify the main departments and make sure employees are properly supervised and informed. Such a structure is characterised by high responsibility among employees, open communication, and effective coordination. Still, sometimes, it may happen that difficulties in outsourcing and delegating responsibilities occur. To remove such problems and concerns, Xiaomi demonstrated an example of how to change its organisational structure and obtain certain benefits.
Today, the way how Xiaomi team works resemble a matrix where employees cooperate and belong to different departments at the same time. There are several co-founders who also take the functions of Vice Presidents and perform the tasks of chairman in different departments (finance, organisation, technical committee, or brand management). For example, Hong Feng is a co-founder of Xiaomi who joined the team in 2010 and became the Chairman of Finance and CEO (Xiaomi, no date, a).
Such names as Lin Bin, Wang Xiang, and Liu De must be mentioned because the impact of these people on the growth of the company in China remains remarkable. Decentralisation of a decision-making system, flexible tasks, and collaboration are the signs of an organic structure that is inherent to Xiaomi (Ahmady, Mehrpour and Nikooravesh, 2016). Although the company has its offices around the world, there are not many layers of management, which does not prevent the development of a successful organisation.
Compared to the benefits of the matrix organisational structure in China, similar results can hardly be achieved in the United States. The latter country puts a number of social responsibilities and obligations on every company, and Xiaomi should be ready to expand its organisational structure to make sure enough people are able to learn the standards and meet them. However, Xiaomi will do anything to predict the progress of bureaucracy and avoid hierarchical differentiation and a prejudiced distribution of responsibilities.
Foreign Entry Strategy
Definitions
In international business, the choice of a foreign entry mode is an integral step in organisational development. Companies try to expand their national boundaries and penetrate a new market. It is not only an opportunity to find additional clients and gain better profits but to understand what cultural and structural changes may be available to an organisation. At the international level, entry modes are introduced in several ways, including exporting, importing, franchising, licensing, acquisition, or owned subsidiary (Shen, Puig and Paul, 2017).
Despite its type, foreign entry modes determine the way of how companies develop their business activities and make decisions to be engaged in a new market. Home and host environments must be thoroughly investigated to clarify what internal factors may influence potential investors (Shen, Puig and Paul, 2017). Cooperation between countries is a complex process, and companies have to deal with a variety of tasks, answer millions of questions, and always consider their own goals and intentions. Therefore, home and host institutions and cultures need to be underlined for understanding foreign market entry modes on the example of Xiaomi in China and the United States.
Modes
Each mode has its benefits and shortages, and the choice depends on such factors as time, initial goals, available resources, and the level of knowledge. For example, licensing, franchising, and exporting are characterised by low control abilities. Partnering, acquisition, and joint ventures are the modes with the highest costs, and firms should get ready to work hard and solve possible problems between different cultures and preferred institutions (Shen, Puig and Paul, 2017).
Exporting is one of the most common modes that does not require much time. Xiaomi may use this entry strategy because it is defined as the easiest way to enter an international market without even learning it thoroughly (Shen, Puig and Paul, 2017). Its idea lies in the necessity to transport services and products developed in a home country to the host one and distribute them in regards to customers’ demands. Partnering and acquisition are not appropriate for Xiaomi because the company’s goal is not to use some other organisations and introduce its products but share their culture and the chosen institutions and support customers in their desire to have high-quality products at an affordable price.
Institutions
To enter the U.S. market, Xiaomi has to pay close attention to the results of the institutional analysis. Americans prefer an individualistic style of life where companies focus on their values and introduce services and products in regards to their resources. Although Xiaomi was originated from a collectivistic country, its organisational culture has specific, individualistic traits. Therefore, it should not be a problem to enter the United States and prove the appropriateness of its products. Xiaomi electronics is unique and interesting for many users, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, and preferences.
The company possesses itself as a fearless organisation with the necessity to cooperate with fans, not just ordinary customers (Xiaomi, no date, a). They are exporting turns out to be a fast entry mode with low risks and promising results. Still, the Xiaomi team should be ready for a potentially negative environment due to the existing local companies and competitions. Many Americans demonstrate their devotion to the products offered by Apple or Samsung, and Xiaomi has to create informative advertisement campaigns.
Cultures
Chinese and American cultures vary, and the choice of an entry mode depends on how well the company investigates the host country. The United States supports the ideas of tolerance and respect for people with different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities (Mu et al., 2015).
It is a good chance for Xiaomi to enter the market and establish its provocative approaches. At this moment, the company says about the decision to postpone its officially entering the United States because of the necessity to re-establish its brand and develop a new pricing policy (Sohail, 2019). American individualism will be highly appreciated, along with a justified price strategy and the exporting mode. Xiaomi has to enhance its backup plans and underline its European and international success to prove that its products are worth American attention and recognition.
Conclusion
In general, the history and development of Xiaomi remain one of the most successful examples in international business. China has always been recognised as a strong and innovative country with a number of companies where unique ideas, cheap services, and high-quality products are introduced. The decision of Xiaomi to enter the U.S. market has already been discussed in media during the last two years. The presence of strong competitors like Apple or Samsung questions the success of the market’s penetration, but a properly chosen entry mode (exporting) with fewer changes in its institutions and culture should help to achieve good results.
Many people around the globe want to buy Xiaomi smartphones and other electronics products. In many countries, the company has gained success and approval from local governments. Chinese-American cooperation is challenged by different factors, including cultural variety, prices, and even the styles of life. However, at this moment, Xiaomi, being developed in China, has positive chances to enter the host (American) market, deliver unique apps, and introduce innovative strategies, following stable pricing policies and other international achievements.
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