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Smashed Fridges and Catfish: The Story of Haier

How Zhang Ruimin transformed a failing fridge manufacturer into one of the largest white goods companies in the world.

In 1984 Zhang Ruimin went into a failing factory making fridges and smashed them all with a sledgehammer. 鈥淲ork started at 8.00am鈥, Mr Zhang tells Peter Day, 鈥渂ut if you went in there at 9.00am and threw a grenade nobody would die because they had all gone home鈥. This factory has now become Haier, one of the largest white goods manufacturers in the world. Zhang Ruimin tells Peter Day how he transformed the company and how he developed his own style of management. Managers at Haier, for example, have their own 鈥榗atfish鈥 who always shadows them in order to stir things up when they are not performing at their best.

(Picture: Zhang Ruimin, Credit: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images)

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Wed 13 Nov 2013 15:32GMT

Contributors to this programme:

Zhang Ruimin

Chairman and Chief Executive of Haier Group.

Lei Yongfeng

Director, Haier Air Conditioner General Corporation Ltd.

Broadcasts

  • Sat 9 Nov 2013 12:32GMT
  • Sun 10 Nov 2013 09:32GMT
  • Wed 13 Nov 2013 00:32GMT
  • Wed 13 Nov 2013 04:32GMT
  • Wed 13 Nov 2013 15:32GMT

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