The Long March of Huawei Technologies

As a leading global supplier of network and communication equipment, Huawei Technology Co. Ltd. saw a great growth in revenue in 2004. However, the company’s CEO, Ren Zhengfei, did not think it worth bragging about. He even warned his employees that Huawei’s winter would come sooner or later, and internationalization would be a necessity. Founded in 1988 in China, the company was regarded by Cisco as its only global competitor. And yet Ren’s precautions were quite reasonable, because what had made Huawei successful in the past could also restrict its future development, and to become a truly world-class enterprise, Huawei would continue to face many challenges. This case examines Huawei from the perspective of its corporate culture, its technological advantages, its management characteristics, its leader, and its globalization initiatives. It is applicable to MBA or EMBA courses on globalization, organizational behavior, etc., and allows students to learn more about global competitors in emerging markets.