Reconciling Entrepreneurial Dilemmas - A Case Study of a Huaqiao Entrepreneur in China.

Abstract

This paper is concerned with entrepreneurship explored through the lens of dilemma theory as developed by Charles Hampden-Turner (Hampden-Turner, 1990a; Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars, 1997, 2000). Specifically, it uses dilemma theory to examine, in detail, the experiences of a huaqiao (华侨) or Overseas Chinese entrepreneur who has attempted to create new ventures in mainland China. The study builds on the conceptual framework of understanding entrepreneurial phenomena through a paradoxical or dilemma-based perspective (Hampden-Turner & Tan, 2002; Seet & Hampden-Turner, 2005). Using a single case study incorporating in-depth interviews, the research finds that there are two key dilemmas for huaqiao entrepreneurs. Firstly, in engaging the local markets and authorities, they encounter the dilemma of Cheap Universal Government Provision of Common Goods versus the Costly allocation of Resources by Free Markets. And secondly, when they attempt to sell goods and services made in China in overseas markets, they encounter the dilemma of the Social Benefits of the Product versus the Purity of the Product. The research shows that dilemma theory can be an effective means to map failures in the entrepreneurial process thereby contributing to the development of both entrepreneurship and dilemma theory.