Huawei Technologies, based in China, is the world's largest maker of telecommunications equipment and second-largest maker of cellphones. It builds fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks for sharing information and controlling Internet-connected products such as self-driving vehicles and robot-operated factories. Huawei cellphones are popular in Asia and Europe, but few Americans recognize the brand, largely because of the U.S. political environment. The federal government has cautioned that Huawei technology can invade privacy and has charged the company with stealing intellectual property from several U.S. companies.

The United States alleges that Huawei's products would enable it to fulfill requests from the Chinese government for information about users. This concern is based on a Chinese law requiring businesses and individuals to assist in intelligence gathering if requested to do so. If Huawei were to comply with such a request, China could obtain information about Internet use from Huawei's monitoring of networks using its equipment. This issue is not limited to the United States. In Africa, the Zambian telecommunications network was once found to be blocking certain websites, and its network allegedly included monitoring and blocking equipment from Huawei. Extending such capabilities to 5G would create potential to interfere with the operations of vehicles, power grids, and anything else connected to a network.

The U.S. government and businesses have also accused Huawei of stealing intellectual property such as patents. A criminal filing charged Huawei employees in China with pressuring U.S. colleagues to share information about a competitor's robot used for testing mobile phones. A different Huawei competitor has filed lawsuits for theft of intellectual property.

The United States, besides enforcing laws related to cybersecurity and intellectual property theft, has urged businesses and governments to avoid signing contracts with Huawei. In many countries, the customers for computer networks are those countries' governments. So far, the official response from other countries has been cautious. Many still work with Huawei on 5G networks, but some are limiting purchases to the least sensitive components. The U.S. Commerce Department recently banned the sale of U.S.-made products to Huawei unless makers can obtain a license showing they are exempt. Affected suppliers include Qualcomm and Intel (microchips) and Google (the Android operating system for cell phones). Google then announced it would not provide Android on future Huawei cell phone models.

Huawei's response to these threats has been firm. It denied charges of using its technology to spy and said it would sign sales agreements that ban spying. Although the ban on U.S. components poses a serious challenge, because half of Huawei's microchips come from U.S. suppliers, the company anticipated the ban and built up an inventory of parts to use while it prepares a way forward. Some U.S. suppliers have determined they can sell to Huawei, presumably because their products are made outside the country. Meanwhile, Huawei is asking its product developers in China to work around the clock to write software and design components it can make there, instead of importing. And because its U.S. research subsidiary, Futurewei Technologies, cannot supply it with research services under the ban, Huawei has announced layoffs at those facilities.

Huawei's domestic political environment, within China, is more favorable. On the same day the U.S. government banned sales to Huawei, China's government announced it would waive taxes for two years on local software and microchip companies, which would give them an edge in replacing U.S. suppliers. China also is expected to back Huawei by making the easing of restrictions on the company a topic of trade negotiations with the United States. China's support has been present since Huawei's start as a maker of switches. An analysis of Huawei's financial history found that government support has totaled $75 billion in tax waivers, loans, lines of credit, grants, and discounts on land purchases. China's banking system, controlled by the state, has ensured that loans are at favorable rates. Competitors, including U.S.-based Cisco Systems, Finland-based Nokia, and Sweden-based Ericsson, have received government support, too, but not on the same scale.

In this environment, Huawei has generated profit growth by offering a wide range of reliable, advanced products coupled with financing at favorable terms. In 5G, few competitors are as far along in the development of the technology. As of early 2019, Huawei had participated in the development of 10 countries' 5G networks and had plans to do so in 20 more by year-end. Low prices and financing are especially helpful for selling in high-growth developing markets such as Vietnam and Zambia. When the U.S. ban on selling components was announced, sales of cellphones dipped and then steadied. Huawei ended the year with record profits, despite growth slightly below expectations.

1. Briefly summarize the threats and opportunities you see for Huawei in its task environment. Consider suppliers, distributors, customers, and competitors, if applicable.

2. Briefly summarize the threats and opportunities you see for Huawei in its general environment. Consider economic, technological, sociocultural, demographic, and political/legal forces, if applicable.

3. In Hofstede's model of national culture, China has been found to score relatively high on collectivism and very high on long-term orientation. In light of what this chapter says about those dimensions, how would you predict that Huawei's Chinese managers and employees will deal with their opportunities and challenges?