THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1979
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MR. PORTER SAID THAT HONG KONG IS NOW EDUCATING AND TRAINING GOOD YOUNG ENGINEERS, TECHNICIANS AND MANAGERS, AND THAT THE OLDER MANAGERS MUST BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW THEM TO PUT THE IR TRAINING TO GOOD EFFECT.
+THE TRADITIONAL, THIN MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES BASED UPON THE FAMILY HAVE STOOD HONG KONG COMPANIES IN GOOD STEAD, FOR THEY ENABLE QUICK DECISION-MAKING AND INVOLVE LOW OVERHEADS, BUT THEY ARE TOO UNSOPHISTICATED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN TODAY'S CIRCUMSTANCES.
+IN MANY CASES I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE WRONG TO SIMPLY IMPORT MANAGEMENT THEORIES AND SYSTEMS FROM THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SOME OF THE NEW TECHNIQUES MUST BE ADOPTED, HE SAID.
+THERE IS A NEED FOR A HONG KONG MANAGEMENT STYLE WHICH IS AN AMALGAM OF THE TWO APPROACHES, RETAINING THE BEST FEATURES OF THE OLD HONG KONG STYLE AND SUPER-IMPOSING UPON IT THE MOST SENSIBLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE FEATURES OF THE NEW TECHNIQUES.
+1 BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT FOR SERIOUS STUDY BY, SAY, THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, THE UNIVERSITIES OR THE POLYTECHNIC. IF WE CAN SUCCESSFULLY DEVISE SUCH AN APPROACH WE WILL TEACH THE WORLD A FEW NEW TRICKS, SAID MR. PORTER.
TO CONTINUE THE IR SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT HONG KONG COMPANIES ALSO NEEDED TO ADOPT A NEW APPROACH TO MARKETING.
+
+ IN THE PAST, AND TO A VERY LARGE DEGREE STILL AT PRESENT, MOST HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS PLACE A FEW ADVERTISEMENTS, ATTEND A FEW TRADE FAIRS, MAKE A NUMBER OF CONTACTS AND THEN WAIT FOR THE ORDERS TO ARRIVE. THERE IS INSUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPETITION, OR OF WHAT THE END USERS OF THE PRODUCTS REALLY WANT. THERE IS NO PROPER PROMOTION OF THE PRODUCTS, AND THERE IS NO MARKETING PLAN UPON WHICH TO BASE A PRODUCTION SCHEDULE, HE SAID.
+THIS MEANS NOT ONLY THAT SALES ARE LOWER THAN THEY NEED BE, BUT ALSO THAT PROFITS ARE LOWER THAN THEY SHOULD BE, FOR IT IS AN OBVIOUS FACT THAT NO SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT WAS EVER SOLD AT TOO HIGH A PRICE, WHILE A GREAT MANY ARE SOLD AT TOO LOW A PRICE. INVESTMENT IN PROFESSIONAL MARKETING IS NOW EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS IN PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION, HE ADDED.
MR. PORTER SAID THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL DEVELOP THE NEW SKILLS, THE NEW MARKETS AND THE NEW PRODUCTS WHICH THEY WILL NEED NOT ONLY TO SURVIVE, BUT TO CONTINUE THE DRAMATIC GROWTH THAT HE HAD WITNESSED OVER THE LAST 23 YEARS.
+ THE FUTURE WILL BE AS EXCITING, AS DIFFICULT, AS DRAMATIC AND AS PROFITABLE FOR HONG KONG AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST,+ HE SAID.
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