評論
打印
GE and Alstom
通用電氣和阿爾斯通
Soft power
軟實力
How to open doors and influence people in France
如何打開法國的大門并進一步影響法國人
Indispensable for Immelt
對伊梅爾特不可或缺
THERE is a lull before the renewed storm in the battle for Alstom, a French group whose turbines power generators around the world and whose high-speed trains sprint across the countryside. Too small to compete in a tough global market, Alstom had all but agreed to sell its energy operations to General Electric, an American conglomerate with complementary interests. Fearing a loss of jobs, France's government encouraged Siemens, a German firm, to take a different tack, offering to swap its transport activities for Alstom's energy operations and turning the rivals into a pair of European champions. Siemens says it may see its way to making a firm offer by June 16th. Meanwhile GE is in and out of the Elysee palace, chatting with President Franois Hollande and his aides, improving its offer in the light of their concerns and, it seems, winning supporters.
這是阿爾斯通爭奪戰的風暴卷土重來前的寧靜。阿爾斯通作為一家法國集團，它的渦輪機組為全球的發電機提供電力，而它生產的高鐵也疾馳在鄉間。在殘酷的全球市場下太過于微不足道，阿爾斯通除了把它的能源運營部分出售給美國綜合性集團通用電氣之外別無選擇。擔心失業，法國政府鼓勵德國企業西門子采取一項不同的措施—提出用西門子的交通活動來交換阿爾斯通的能源經營部分以此將對手分成一對歐洲的盟友。西門子稱其會在6月16號根據具體情況發出實盤。同時通用電氣也在積極與愛麗舍宮方面聯系，通過與法國總統奧朗德以及其助手溝通,根據他們關心的方面進行發盤的改進，這好像是在贏取支持者。
All this says something about how France operates and how foreign firms must adapt to it. Political support for the acquisition is important, for Alstom is seen as one of France's industrial crown jewels. Even if the government hesitates to invoke the powers it conferred on itself in May to block such a deal in defence of its strategic interests, the public sector is still Alstom's main customer in France. So communication and building trust are vital.
這些都反映了法國是如何運作的并且國外企業必須適應這樣的情況。收購的政治支持是非常重要的，因為阿爾斯通被視作法國工業桂冠上的明珠之一。即使政府猶豫五月份調用它的自己授予的能量阻止交易以保護它的戰略性利益，在法國國營部門經濟仍然是阿爾斯通的主要客戶。因此溝通和信任的構建是至關重要的。
GE understands the importance of soft power. It should: it has been in France for more than 40 years, and its joint venture with France's Safran making jet engines has worked smoothly for almost as long.
通用電氣理解軟實力的重要性。它應該了解：它已經在法國經營了超過40年，它和法國的賽峰集團的聯合風投使得飛機引擎產業平穩運行了很多年。
Accompanying Jeffrey Immelt, GE's boss, on his rounds in Paris is Clara Gaymard, an author and mother of nine with a quick wit, several languages and the fattest address book in town. The president of GE in France since 2006, she does not make big operational decisions. But as ambassador for the firm she is important, for she brings to the job her membership of three networks.
在其巴黎行程中陪伴著通用電氣老總杰弗瑞·伊梅爾特的是克拉拉·蓋馬爾，她是一名作者同時也是九歲孩子的母親，有急智、掌握多門語言、并且十分了解當地情況。自06年起擔任法國通用總裁，她并沒有做大的運營決定。但是作為這家公司的大使，她是很重要的，因為她為這項工作帶來她的三個關系網絡。
The first is that bedrock of the French meritocratic establishment, the Ecole Nationale d'Administration. It churns out presidents and prime ministers along with company bosses and senior public administrators, and they are only a telephone call away from each other. Mrs Gaymard married a fellow enarque, who was briefly economy minister under Jacques Chirac until a housing scandal felled him. Mrs Gaymard's career has included a prestigious job at the Cour des Comptes, the national auditor's office, followed by a series of senior administrative posts.
第一個是法國精英建立的基石—國家行政學院。該校培養出了總統、總理還有公司老總以及高級公共行政人員。他們之間經常能互相聯系。蓋馬爾女士曾經嫁給一位國家行政學院的成員，他曾經短暫擔任雅克·希拉克時期的財政部長直到因為房地產丑聞下臺。蓋馬爾女士曾在法國審計署、國家審計辦公室擔任要職，有一系列高級行政職位。
Mrs Gaymard's three years at the head of the Invest in France agency produced her second network, consisting of many of the world's top businessmen. From 2003 to 2006 she travelled the globe, often in the company of the heads of big French companies, trying to sell the likes of Warren Buffett and Apple's Steve Jobs on France as an investment destination.
蓋馬爾女士在法國政府投資部擔任領導3年的經歷帶來了她的第二個關系網絡，連接著世界上許多的頂尖商人。從2003年到2006年，她全球旅行，經常有法國大公司的領導同行，她試圖勸說沃倫·巴菲特和蘋果的喬布斯這類人將法國作為投資地
Her third network includes some of the relatively few women who are powerful in French business. Mrs Gaymard is a leading light in the Women's Forum at Deauville, an annual gathering often called “Davos for women”. So are Christine Lagarde, currently head of the International Monetary Fund, Laurence Parisot, recently retired as head of Medef, the employers' lobby, and others. The old girls' network is not as strong as the bond amongenarques but there is, as an observer puts it, “respect, and a certain solidarity”.
她的第三個網絡包括一些法國商界相對較少的女強人。蓋馬爾女士是多維爾女性論壇的領袖性人物，該年度聚會也被稱為“女性達沃斯”。 現任國際貨幣基金組織總裁克里斯蒂娜·拉加德、最近退休的雇主游說團體法國雇主協會會長勞倫斯·派瑞索女士以及其他的都是這個組織的成員。這些老女孩的網絡并不像國家行政學院那樣的堅實，就像一個觀察員所說的，“尊重，以及一定的穩固性”。
What does all this add up to in practice? GE does not always get what it wants: in 2009, for example, it lost an attempt to take over state-owned Areva's power-transmission and distribution business to home-grown Schneider Electric and Alstom. And Mrs Gaymard is not GE's only emissary in its bid to win approval to buy Alstom.
這些全部運用到實踐中怎么樣呢？通用并不是總能得到它想要的：例如2009年，它輸給了本土的施耐德電氣以及阿爾斯通，失去了接管國有的阿海琺輸電和配電業務的機會。并且蓋馬爾女士并不是通用投標購買阿爾斯通許可行動中的唯一特使。
Yet she may, with her insider's knowledge of how to play the game, have earned GE a slightly more sympathetic hearing in the corridors of power. While Alstom stayed mum about the talks until the news broke in April, incurring ministerial ire, Mrs Gaymard tipped off the government in February that GE was interested, a gesture that was later appreciated. Although GE's chances look good, its bid may still fail. If it does, it will not be because the firm lacked the opportunity to make its case.
但是她可能已經用她對于如何進行操作內情的熟悉，幫助通用在高層贏得了一些的同情的聲音。但是阿爾斯通知道媒體四月份曝光之前始終保持沉默，招致了內閣的憤怒，蓋馬爾女士安撫政府稱通用對于這個項目有興趣，這是一個在后來被贊揚的信號。盡管通用電氣看起來機會不錯，它的投標仍然可能失敗。如果失敗了，這不會是因為企業缺少機會導致的。
