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PAPERSUBMITTEDTOTheFourthAsiaAcademyofManagementConference16-18December2004,Shanghai,ChinaSTRATEGICRESPONSETOACHANGINGENVIRONMENT:ACASESTUDYOFCHINESETOWNSHIPANDVILLAGEENTERPRISESByDrHantangQiBusinessSchoolUniversityofGreenwichParkRow,GreenwichLondonSE109LSTel:02083319867,Fax:[phone],E-mail:[e-mail]GINGENVIRONMENT:ACASESTUDYOFCHINESETOWNSHIPANDVILLAGEENTERPRISESABSTRACTTheenvironment-strategyrelationshipisatthecenterofmanagementresearchbecauseofitsperformanceimplicationsfororganizations.However,ithasnotbeenexaminedinthecontextofChinesetownshipandvillageenterprises(TVEs),whichhavebeenamainengineforthegrowthoftheChineseeconomysincetheinceptionofthereforms.Usingacasestudyapproach,thisarticleassessesaChineseTVE’sstrategicresponsetoitschangingenvironmentfromitsbirthupuntilpresent,duringwhichperiodtheenvironmentpresentedtremendousthreatsandopportunities.Theresearchfindingsuggeststhattheconventionalenvironment-strategyconfigurationisnotapplicabletoChineseTVEs,whichpursuedaProspectorstrategyinaturbulentenvironment.Relevantpropositionsarederivedfromtheresearchfinding.Thelimitationsofthisstudyanddirectionsforfurtherresearcharediscussed.KeywordsStrategicresponse,Changingenvironment,Environment-strategyconfiguration,People’sRepublicofChina,Townshipandvillageenterprises(TVEs)11.INTRODUCTIONIfthereisonlyonewordtodescribetheenvironmentinwhichChinesetownshipandvillageenterprises(TVEs)surviveandthrive,thatwordhastobe“changing”.Inthischangingenvironment,theyhaveplayedasignificantroleincontemporaryChina’stransformationfromtheunderindustrializedinward-lookingcollectivizedpeasantsocietyoftheMaoistperiodthroughtotheindustrializedoutward-lookingmarketizedeconomyundertheleadershipofDengXiaopingandhissuccessors(Qi,2004).Rurallybasedandunderthepurviewoflocalgovernment(Qi,2000),thissectorisresponsibleforathirdofChineseexportsand30percentofthecountry’sGDP(GibbandLi,2003).Bytheendof2003,therewere21.33millionTVEsabsorbing132.87millionruralsurpluslabor(ChinaAgricultureYearbook,2004).ThehugesuccessachievedbyTVEsinthechangingenvironmenthasbeenseenasoneofthemostdistinctivefeaturesofChina’stransitiontoamarketeconomyasinnoothertransitionaleconomycanbewitnessedthisextraordinaryphenomenon(Luo,TanandShenkar,1998).ThesuccessofTVEshasattractedworldwideattentionandvariousinterpretationshavebeenofferedforit.Nee(1992)arguesthatlong-timecommunityresidentscreateformsofincome-sharingthatmaybeoptimalintheabsenceofanindependentlegalsystem.Naughton(1994)attributesthesuccessofTVEstotheflexibleinstitutionalform,whichisaneffectiveadaptationtoexternalconditions.Oi(1992,1995)believesthattheimpressiveTVEgrowthisaresultoflocalstatecorporatism,inwhichlocalgovernmentstreatTVEswithintheirpurviewasonecomponentofalargercorporatewhole.Analternativeyetcomplementaryviewcanbefoundfromstrategyliterature.Theenvironment-strategy-performanceparadigmenablesustoassertthattheremustbeanappropriatefitbetweenstrategymakingbehavior2andthenatureoftheenvironmenttoensuregoodperformanceofthefirm(MillerandFriesen,1983).GiventheastonishingperformanceofTVEsitseemsplausibletosuggestthattheenvironment-strategyfitinthecaseofTVEsisexistent.Thefitbetweenstrategyandenvironment,orthealignmentbetweenstrategicchoiceandenvironmentaldeterminism(HrebiniakandJoyce,1985),hasbeenacentralresearchtopictostrategicmanagement.Joiningthismainresearchstreamandusingthecontextofatransitionaleconomy,thisstudyexamines(a)thechangingenvironmentinwhichChineseTVEsoperateand(b)thestrategicresponsesofaparticularTVEtothechallengesposedbythechangingenvironment.Therearetwodifferenttypesofenvironmentinwhichfirmshavetointeractwith;theyarecompetitiveenvironmentandinstitutionalenvironment(Scott,1990).Thecompetitiveenvironmentinvolvesplayersthatexertadirecteffectonafocalfirm’scorebusinessactivities,suchassuppliers,customersandcompetitors.Theinstitutionalenvironmentdefinesasociety’snormsandrulesthatthefirmisexpectedtoabideby.Itcomprisesthepolitical,economic,socialandtechnological(PEST)aspectsoftheenvironmentinwhichafirmisestablished(DiMaggioandPowell,1983;ScottandMeyer,1994).Inthispaper,thechangingenvironmentforTVEswillbelookedatfromtheinstitutionalperspective,i.e.thePESTframework,asitisparticularlyrelevantandpowerfulwhentheenvironmentalanalysisisaimedfornotonlyasingleorganizationbutalsoanentiresector.Thecasefirm’sstrategicresponseswillbeanalyzedusingMilesandSnow’s(1978)typology,i.e.Defender,Prospector,AnalyzerandReactor.Themethodologyofcasestudyapproachwillbeexplained.Thisstudyaimstofurtherourunderstandingoftheenvironment-strategyrelationshipinaneworganizationalsettingandanewenvironmentalcontextbysuggestingsometheoreticalpropositions.Attheendofthepaper,limitationsofthisstudywillbediscussed.32.ENVIRONMENTALFACTORSANDSTRATEGICRESPONSESThissectiondiscussestheenvironmentalfactorsthathaveimpactedthedevelopmentofChineseTVEs.ThechronologicalapproachtothePESTanalysiswillmakethe“changing”featureoftheenvironmentsalient.Andthenposs