Research On Four Big Companies And Business Culture Of Shanghai

During the period of the Republic of China, businesses in Shanghai grew rapidly. Four big department stores --- the Sincere & Co. Ltd., the Wing On Co. (Shanghai) Ltd., the Sun Sun Co. Ltd. and the Da Sun Co. Ltd. were founded. The investors and managers of the Four big companies were mostly from Guangdong Province. First they all had experienced the phase of accumulating the wealth in Australia. The Four big companies were located at Nanjing Road at that time which was the most prosperous road in Shanghai, and they also had built their own magnificent business buildings. These companies had a wide operating range, whose main operations were selling international commodities as well as promoting China's special local products. Besides the primary general merchandise sale, they were also involved in many industries such as restaurant, entertainment, hospitality, finance and insurance industry.This article takes Four big companies and business culture of Shanghai as the object of study, uses the rich primitive file in Shanghai Municipal Archives, by means of the theories of knowledge, such as history, management and sociology, tries to analyze the interaction between the Four big company and the business culture of Shanghai, discusses the cultivation issues of the modern business culture of Shanghai, and summarizes the successful experience and beneficial procedure, expects to provide reference for the construction and development of the present department industry associations.Every city has inevitably developed its unique business culture in its growing process. Business culture is not only a token of a city's features, but also an embodiment of a city's personality. The four big department stores were built and developing in the urbanization process of Shanghai in modern times, therefore the culture must be embodied by them. At the same time, the four big department stores had a significant influence on the formation and development of Shanghai's business culture.Diversified operation and satisfying service of the four companies have publicized the company's culture, as well as spread the philosophy of commercial culture, displayed the colorful commodity culture, transferred the new consumption trend, to some extend, which have not only innovated the traditional department store industry in China, but also re-shaped the customer's consumption concept. All these have shown the idea of Shanghai's business culture in modem times. By their unique business culture, the four big companies have provided a different atmosphere for Shanghai's development, and promoted the prosperity of Shanghai's business culture in modern times.