IKEA in China

- How not to be shattered by cultural differences

Lecture by Dr. Tony Fang from Stockholm University (visiting professor at Asia Research Centre).

International firms have been routinely advised by management gurus as well as business consultants to “Think Globally and Act Locally”. But there are firms that do not seem to adapt their ways of doing business to local cultures, values, and traditions but still keep growing globally. IKEA seems to be one of these firms. A case study of IKEA in China will be presented and its implications for international cross-cultural management theory re-building discussed.