经济学人280:海尔海阔天空

　　Business
商业报道
Chinese industry
中国工业
Haier and higher
海尔海阔天空
The radical¹ boss of Haier wants to transform the world's biggest appliance-maker into a nimble internet-age firm
与众不同的海尔老总想将世界上最大的家电制造商改造成一家矫捷的互联网时代的公司
NO URINATION or defecation in the working area. That admonition was among 13 rules that managers felt necessary to post on the walls of a shambolic fridge factory in Qingdao in the early 1980s.
上世纪八十年代早期，一家位于青岛的冰箱制造厂车间赫然写着：不许在车间大小便，厂长认为这对于已经陷入混乱的工厂来说很有必要。
After several senior managers failed to turn it around, in 1984 the municipal government of the Chinese city appointed a young employee, Zhang Ruimin, as the firm's boss.
在一年几度换帅却无法扭转颓势的情况下，年轻的张瑞敏临危受命出任厂长。
2_副本.jpgThe gamble worked. Since then a lousy local firm has turned into the world's biggest appliance-maker.
青岛市政府的这次豪赌收到了成效，随后这家濒临倒闭的工厂一跃成为世界上最大的家电制造商。
Most think of Chinese companies as peddlers of cheap, undifferentiated kit² or mere³ copycats.
印象中，中国公司即廉价产品、低端元件、或山寨产品的代名词。
In contrast, Haier is recognised globally for reliability⁴ and marketing⁵ know-how⁶.
相比之下，海尔已赢得全球顾客的信赖，并且精通市场运作。
Mr Zhang had spent time in quality-obsessedGermany, where he observed that even manhole covers were precisely⁸ made and numbered.
张瑞敏曾到以品质著称的德国考察，他注意到在那里即便只是一个普通的井盖都是精密制造的，还编上了序号，
It made a deep impression.
这在他脑海里留下了深刻的印象。
Incensed⁹ that a fifth of the products his plant turned out were defective¹⁰, in 1985 he handed out sledgehammers and joined employees in smashing 76 faulty fridges in public view.
随后，工厂生产的产品不合格率高达20%令他震怒；1985年，他让生产出那些不合格产品的员工当众砸毁了76台冰箱。
That won him national celebrity¹¹ and was the start of the firm's transformation¹².
这让他在全国开始小有名气，工厂的转型也由此拉开了序幕。
Now comes Mr Zhang's latest radical notion: eliminating the firm's entire middle management.
如今，张瑞敏最新的理念是：去掉公司所有中层管理人员。
But surely it is barmy to tinker with a successful business model?
但是，但是如此巨大地改动成功的商业模式是不是疯了？
A close inspection¹³ of the firm's rise reveals that Mr Zhang has never adhered to conventional wisdom.
进一步审视海尔的崛起之路不难发现，张瑞敏从不会受制于传统观念。
Haier became China's biggest fridge-maker in 1999 in part by acquiring lots of lossmaking local rivals.
1999年，海尔成为中国最大的冰箱制造厂，一个原因是他不断兼并国内日益亏损的竞争对手。
Mr Zhang looked for firms with strong products and markets but inept¹⁴ leadership—stunned fish, he calls them—that could be turned around by superior management.
张瑞敏注意到的是那些产品质量过硬、有一定市场份额而管理不善的公司—他称之为休克鱼—这些公司能够通过先进的管理扭转格局。
His un-Chinese obsession¹⁵ with quality and branding helped, earning his products a premium¹⁶ even during periodic price wars.
他对产品质量、品牌的非中国特色式痴迷，让他在周期性的价格战中为其产品赢得了一项荣誉。
He also emphasised top-flight service, rare in China, promising¹⁷ that machines would be free if not delivered within 24 hours.
同时，他还注重一流的服务理念，这在中国也实属罕见。他向顾客许诺如果海尔产品如果未能在下单后24小时送达，该订单即可免费。
Mr Zhang also defied Chinese notions of how to expand overseas.
此外，张瑞敏摒弃了中国传统的海外扩张思想。
Rather than go first to less competitive regions like South-East Asia and Africa, Haier long ago pushed into America and Europe.
很久以前，海尔首先打入美国、欧洲市场，而非首先向竞争力薄弱的东南亚、非洲扩展。
Mr Zhang wanted the firm to learn how to meet the demands of the world's most sophisticated consumers.
张瑞敏希望公司能够学校如何满足世界上最挑剔客户的需求，
Haier's quality exceeded norms set even byJapan's exacting¹⁸ standards bodies.
海尔的质量甚至高于日本严格的产品标准。
By listening closely to demanding consumers, his firm's fast and frugal¹⁹ engineers came up with clever products like mini-fridges built into computer tables, freezers with a slightly warmer compartment²⁰ and horizontal deep freezers with two tiers of drawers.
通过仔细聆听用户需求，海尔敏捷的工程师设计出的智能产品，如内置于电脑桌中的小冰箱，冷冻机上带有一个小暖室，还有一个带有两层抽屉的水平冷藏器。
Haier also developed new niches²¹, such as affordable²² wine fridges, ignored by Western rivals obsessed⁷ with economies of scale.
海尔还设计了新的壁龛式冰箱，如储酒冰箱，其西方竞争对手痴迷于规模化生产，不屑于这种小众化的产品。
It is now pioneering wireless²³ charging of appliances.
如今，海尔现在正走在家电无线控制技术的前列。
The results of Mr Zhang's unconventional strategy have been breathtaking.
张瑞敏非传统策略的成果令人震惊。
Haier's revenues have shot up fourfold since 2000, topping 160 billion yuan last year.
2000年后，海尔的销售收入增长了四倍，去年达到了1600亿元。
Pre-tax profits rose more than six fold over the same period.
同期，税前利润涨幅超过六倍。
It was judged the eighth most innovative²⁴ firm worldwide, ahead of Amazon among others, in a ranking drawn²⁵ up last year by the Boston Consulting Group. And now KKR, a private-equity giant, is investing in the firm.
去年，波士顿咨询公司发布的一项排名显示，海尔跻身全球第八大创新企业，领先与亚马逊等名企。现今，股权投资巨头科尔伯格-克拉维斯公司已向海尔投资。
It has stumped²⁶ up $500m for a 10% stake, if the rumours²⁷ are correct.
如果传言属实，KKR向海尔注资5000万美元，占其投资份额10%。
Most bosses would be satisfied with such a record, but not Mr Zhang.
如此骄人成绩换做任何老总都会很满意，但张瑞敏却不沾沾自喜。
Though in his 60s, he still works nearly every day and he rarely takes a holiday.
尽管已年过花甲，他仍然将近每天工作，基本不休假。
And far from resting on his laurels²⁸, he is occupied reinventing his business.
张瑞敏非但没有躺在过去的功劳簿上，现今还致力于公司重整。
The point of killing²⁹ middle management is to make the firm more responsive, he says: In the past, employees waited to hear from the boss; now, they listen to the customer.
去掉公司所有中层管理人员的意义在于让公司更加。他说：过去，员工等着老板发话；现在，他们得听顾客的。
Previously³⁰, the firm's 80,000 or so workers toiled³¹ in traditional and distinct areas like manufacturing, sales and so on.
先前，海尔近8万员工遵循传统，在诸如制造、销售等不同部门辛勤工作。
Now, they are organised into 2,000 zi zhu jing ying ti—self-managed teams that perform many different roles.
现今，他们每2000人组建一个自主经营体，实现团队自我管理，履行各种不同职能。
Each is responsible for profit and loss, and individuals are paid on performance.
经营体内每位成员都要对团队盈亏负责，个人报酬多少基于其表现好坏。
In the past, managers relied on internal support services for, say, research or marketing.
过去，像市场调查、营销这类工作，管理人员需要依靠内部的支援。
To encourage open innovation, the firm insists the new ZZJYTs must attract outside partners and resources.
为了鼓励开放式创新，海尔坚持自主经营体必须吸引外部合作伙伴及相应资源。
If ambitious employees spot an opportunity, they are free to propose an idea for a new product or service.
如果雄心勃勃的员工发现机遇，他们完全可以建议开发一款新产品或一项新服务。
A vote, which can include not just employees but suppliers and customers, decides which project goes ahead.
一种即包括员工，还兼顾供应商、顾客的投票机制，可以决定哪个项目先行实施。
The winner also becomes the project's leader.
同时，胜者将成为项目负责人。
He forms his team by recruiting from across the company; employees are free to join or leave ZZJYTs.
张瑞敏通过从整个公司挑选人才，搭建管理团队；员工自行选择是否加入自由经济体。
Mr Zhang says the goal is a free market in talent, so the cream rises.
他表示这样做的目的是人才自由市场，是金子便会发光。
He explains why such disruption is necessary: If we don't challenge ourselves, someone else will.
他解释道这样分化管理的必要性：如果我们不自己寻求挑战，总有人会向我们发起挑战。
If that sounds like talk straight out of Silicon³² Valley, in a sense it is.
这话听起来就像硅谷的理念，从某种意义上来说确实如此。
He is convinced that if Haier is to flourish in the internet age, it must become a services company.
张瑞敏相信如果公司想在当今的互联网时代站稳脚跟，那么海尔就要成为一家服务型公司。
He even thinks it can mine user information to become a big data firm, to serve customers even better.
他甚至认为海尔可以开发用户信息而成为一家大型数据公司，如此才能更好的为顾客服务。
How exactly does Mr Zhang intend to strike a balance between the chaotic³³ entrepreneurial energy released by the ZZJYTs and the need for corporate³⁴ control at the top?
既然如此，那么张瑞敏又如何做到平衡混乱自由经济体的创造力和公司高层对整个企业的管理呢？
We don't need to balance!, he says with a smile. An unsteady and dynamic environment is the best way to keep everyone flexible.
对此，他坦然一笑，并说道：我们不需要去平衡，一个不稳定的动态环境是让每个人都灵活工作的最佳途径。
If you doubt his seriousness, just consider the catfish³⁵.
如果你怀疑他的决心，想想鲶鱼效应的作用。
Yang Lin, who started at the firm 12 years ago as a technician, won the contest to become the head of the team for automatic top-loading washing machines.
12年前，杨林开始了自己在海尔的技术员工作。如今，他已成为海尔洗衣机全自动型号经营体长。
He works extremely hard, he says, not only to earn his bonus but also to stay ahead of the catfish.
他说自己工作努力，不仅可以分得公司红利，还在诸多鲶鱼中处于领先位置。
That is what the firm calls the person with a rival idea who came second in the voting. He works on the victor's team but watches for any chance to unseat him.
这便是海尔号召竞职选举中得票第二的人要有竞争意识的结果，他为第一工作，却时刻想着取代第一。
Does this upset Mr Yang?
这让杨林感到困扰吗？
I can't run things like an emperor, he reflects, but I don't mind.
他反省道：我无法像一个皇帝统揽大权，但我并不介意。
In fact, I'm a catfish to other teams myself.
事实上，对于其他团队而言我同样也是只很具竞争力的鲶鱼。
It's fish-eat-fish at the heart of the world's most successful white-goods firm.
这种鱼吃鱼的理念已经深入这家世界上最成功的家电公司。
1.transform into 把…转变成…
Did pinocchio transform into a donkey? Why?
皮诺曹变成一头驴了吗？为什么？
Particular crimes of theft, swindling and forcible seizure³⁶ involving property could transform into the crime of robbery.
具有财产性质的特殊盗窃、诈骗、抢夺罪可以转化为抢劫罪。
2.working area 工作区；作业面积
Gets the working area of the display.
获取显示器的工作区。
To be responsible for the cleanliness in working area.
负责维护工作区域内的卫生环境。
3.turn into 变成；译成；成为
Could all of this really turn into a full-fledged crisis?
所有这一切真的会变成一场完全的危机？
Could 2010 turn into 1994 or 2004 for the markets?
2010年的市场会变成1994或2004年的市场吗？
4.hand out 分发；拿出
They said that excellent companies actively³⁷ look for excuses to hand out rewards.
他们在书中说道卓越公司积极寻找理由去分发奖金。
Plans were under way at his center to hand out maps so people would understand which areas were at risk.
他所在的研究中心当时也开始制定向民众分发地图的计划，好让人们知道哪些地区存在风险。

1 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

2 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

3 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

4 reliability   

n.可靠性，确实性

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• I can assure you of the reliability of the information.我向你保证这消息可靠。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 know-how   

n.知识；技术；诀窍

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the know-how to run a farm.他没有经营农场的专业知识。
• I don't have much know-how about engines.发动机方面的技术知识我知之甚少。

7 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

8 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

9 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

10 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

11 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

12 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

13 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

14 inept   

adj.不恰当的，荒谬的，拙劣的

参考例句：

• Whan an inept remark to make on such a formal occasion.在如此正式的场合，怎么说这样不恰当的话。
• He's quite inept at tennis.他打网球太笨。

15 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

16 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

17 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

18 exacting   

adj.苛求的，要求严格的

参考例句：

• He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。
• The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。

19 frugal   

adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的

参考例句：

• He was a VIP,but he had a frugal life.他是位要人，但生活俭朴。
• The old woman is frugal to the extreme.那老妇人节约到了极点。

20 compartment   

n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间

参考例句：

• We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
• The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。

21 niches   

壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位）

参考例句：

• Some larvae extend the galleries to form niches. 许多幼虫将坑道延伸扩大成壁龛。
• In his view differences in adaptation are insufficient to create niches commensurate in number and kind. 按照他的观点，适应的差异不足以在数量上和种类上形成同量的小生境。

22 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

23 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

24 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

25 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

26 stumped   

僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说

参考例句：

• Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活，然后很艰难地走出房间。
• He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌，半天说不出话来。

27 rumours   

n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传

参考例句：

• The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

28 laurels   

n.桂冠，荣誉

参考例句：

• The path was lined with laurels.小路两旁都种有月桂树。
• He reaped the laurels in the finals.他在决赛中荣膺冠军。

29 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

30 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

31 toiled   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
• He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。

32 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

33 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

34 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

35 catfish   

n.鲶鱼

参考例句：

• Huge catfish are skinned and dressed by hand.用手剥去巨鲇的皮并剖洗干净。
• We gigged for catfish off the pier.我们在码头以鱼叉叉鲶鱼。

36 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

37 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。