Doing Business in ASEAN Markets Leadership Challenges and Governance Solutions across Asian Borders

The authors of this important book analyse the pitfalls and risks of doing business in ASEAN countries that are mostly absent in Western markets, covering various strategic, external, operational, and legal-cultural challenges for international companies. Doing Business in ASEAN Emerging Markets crucially addresses how to resolve those barriers. Encompassing issues of governance and leadership standards, the authors present case studies and practical solutions underpinned by academic research. Helping executives learn how to implement high international standards and maintain sensitivity to socio-cultural and political Asian contexts, the book highlights the need to create an international diverse and unified leadership team that will take better decisions and effectively deal with risks, and apply best corporate governance practices within an Asian context.

Preface: Prospect of good governance in ASEAN (Sri Mulyani).- Introduction: Doing business in ASEAN markets: what is do different? (Peter Verhezen, Ian Williamson, Mark Crosby & Natalia Soebagjo).- Section 1: Economic Outlook and Institutional Voids.- Chapter 1: Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia and its immense business opportunities (Marc Crosby).- Chapter 2: Negotiating better Governance. Jurisdictional Arbitrage within ASEAN (Howard Dick).- Chapter 3: Indonesia’s Bank Governance Trend post-1998 crisis (Manggi Habir).- Chapter 4: China’s rise and its effect on ASEAN businesses (Mark Crosby).- Chapter 5: From Cross Derbarment to Integrity Compliance: promoting Corporate Governance in Development across ASEAN (Merly Khouw).- Section 2: Company specific challenges.- Chapter 6: Corporate Governance affecting performance in some Indonesian-Malaysian companies (Peter Chambers and Peter Verhezen).- Chapter 7: How to reduce Crony Capitalism, promote good Public Governance to install good Corporate Governance in Indonesia (Peter Verhezen, Natalia Soebagjo and Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas).- Chapter 8: A board that governs and leads at State owned Enterprises in Indonesia (Peter Verhezen and Tanri Abeng).- Chapter 9: How corporate narratives can affect business across borders (Warren Weeks and Peter Verhezen).- Chapter 10: Global Leaders in ASEAN: lessons from the region (Ernie Antoine).- Afterword: Nestle’s operational and strategic decisions within ASEAN Interview of Managing Director Nestle KL, Aloise Hauseborger, (Ernie Antoine).- Concluding Remarks:  Leadership Challenges and Governance Solutions across borders (Peter Verhezen).

Peter Verhezen is Adjunct Professor of Global Corporate Governance, Ethical Leadership and Business in Asia at the Melbourne Business School, Australia, and a Visiting Professor of Strategy and Business in Emerging Markets at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. He is also a senior consultant at IFC - World Bank in Asia-Pacific for Corporate Governance, and Principal of Verhezen & Associates Ltd, for which he advises boards on risk management, ethical leadership and governance.

Mark Crosby is Associate Professor of Economics at Melbourne Business School, Australia. Mark’s academic interests are in international macroeconomics with particular interest in policy issues in the Australian and Asian regions. His published research has covered topics such as the role of exchange rates in affecting macroeconomic fluctuations, the impact of macroeconomic factors on election outcomes, and the properties of business cycles. Mark also consults widely to business and government both in Australia and overseas.

Natalia Soebagjo is Chair of the Executive Board of Transparency International Indonesia (TII) and a Board Member of Transparency International based in Berlin, Germany. She also is a senior advisor to the Executive Center of Governance and Public Report at the University of Indonesia where she lectures on international relationships and Chinese society, political and economic international affairs. In addition, Natalia sits on the boards of a number of private companies as a commissioner.

Ian Williamson is the Helen Macpherson Smith Chair of Leadership for Social Impact at the Melbourne Business School, Australia. He currently serves as the Associate Dean of International Relations at MBS and is also the Director of the Asia Pacific Social Impact Leadership Centre. His research focuses on how the development of effective “talent pipelines” can enhance organizational outcomes, specifically how organizations recruit, select, and retain knowledge workers, talent management in the context of small businesses, the management of diverse workforces and the role of human resource practices in driving firm innovation.