The Inapplicability of Western Models to Information Technology Development in Chinese Companies - The Case of the Hong Kong Newspaper Industry

The paper presents the findings from a survey of information technology planning in the Chinese language newspaper industry in Hong Kong. The research attempted to apply well known Western models of strategy, corporate structure, corporate culture and states of growth to this industry. It was found that the categorisation in these models did not always apply to the companies surveyed and where they did apply they had little explanatory power. The authors argue that a different approach to modelling, incorporating Action Research, may be required in order to develop models relevant in a non-Western cultural environment.