There is one view of Taiwan which I don't think I've ever mentioned about Taiwan. Mainly because in my ineloquent way of picturing it, it seems quite unflattering. However that is not my intent, and after I explain why, you hopefully will understand. And especially see why in some ways it's a good thing.
When it comes to the way that most Taiwanese companies are run, I think of it as children pretending they are running a business. What I mean is that kids will see what their parents and other adults do and copy those actions. They don't necessarily know what those things mean, but they just copy them.
So after years of working in many different fields and companies here, I get this same feeling about the way business is done here. That people are just imitating the way that they think people do business, but without knowing exactly what the meaning is behind each action or why they should be done.
Yes on the hand this is terrible. There are years of practice, implementation, and study gone into how to run a successful business. While copying these methods can work, if you don't know the reasons behind them, you are seriously hampering your development. I think this causes many businesses to not just fail, but is why some find it so hard to compete on an international stage, while others are operating at well below the level they could be obtaining.
However this is completely understandable as for the most part Taiwan is very young country and has a young economy. And while my comment may have seemed like I was condemning Taiwan's business practices, that's not it at all. Cause yes there are some large flaws, but I think their way of doing business has also greatly benefited the country.
For example it has allowed many people to start their own companies and not just enter the market but successfully be able to compete with the larger companies. Taiwan is a place where anybody can start up a company and have a chance at success, not just those who have studied business extensively or even have a strong knack for business. As much as we have this belief of the "American dream" that anybody can rise from any beginning and be a success, I think many would agree that's not necessarily the case. However Taiwan seems to be one place where you can truly live the "American dream."
This freedom of the economy to run without the standard "rules and requirements" is also one reason why Taiwan's economy base was so easily and quickly able to move from making things for other countries and companies, to having it's own companies which make similar products and competing. However I do feel like they have reached a wall here, and while they may be able to be successful domestically, to really be able to compete internationally they have to learn really why the game is played the way it is, for better or worse.
So despite my poor representation of what the Taiwanese way of doing business is, I don't mean it as a bad thing. I just mean that the Taiwanese way of doing business is different, and with that comes it's own advantages and disadvantages.
Anyway, what's all this have to do with a menu? Well the picture is from a Taiwanese coffee shop chain. I think there is no better example of Taiwan's "copy" business style than when it comes to coffee shops and cafes. They just copy what they think a coffee shop should look like, and as for the menu they just keep adding whatever popular things are at other restaurants around town. All of which just makes them a soulless mess with no authenticity of their own. They are clearly painting by numbers without having any idea for the reason why each color goes where. Yes they have a coffee shop, but without knowing what a coffee shop really is.
