What is 'CEO'?

"CEO" is a polysemous word, recorded in the dictionary around the end of the 19th century. In the past, "CEO" was often understood as a scholar, not a businessman.

"Zongcai" (總栽) is a word of Chinese origin, first appearing in the Song Dynasty history. In the biography of Lü Mengzheng , it means "deciding on all matters," a concept referring to Mengzheng's assumption of office in Luoyang, where he maintained a tolerant and calm government, handling most issues through a process known as "Zongcai."

In China, during the Yuan Dynasty, the head of the editorial board for the Song-Liao-Jin trilogy was called the "Chief Editor." During the Qing Dynasty, the National Historical Museum also had a Chief Editor, responsible for compiling national historical records. In the Qing Dynasty's * Three Heroes and Five Righteous Men* (chapter four), there is a sentence: "Because the Spring Examination was approaching, the Emperor issued an edict appointing Grand Tutor Pang Ji as Chief Editor."

In Japan, during the late Edo period, the title of "chōsai" (総裁, そうさい) was a position within the Tokugawa Shogunate, later used to refer to the head of the new government during the Meiji period. Today, the title of "chōsai" represents a position with ultimate decision-making authority in government agencies, political parties, state-owned companies, and other organizations.

In Vietnam, during the Nguyen Dynasty, the Chief Minister was the head of the National Historical Institute, known as the "Chief Minister of the Historical Institute" (Dai Nam Thuc Luc Chinh Bien, Volume 1, 1973, p. 45). This is further evidenced by the sentence: "The Chief Minister of the National Historical Institute was Cao Xuan Duc (1842-1923)" - Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, Luc Tinh Nam Viet, translated by Nguyen Tao ( Volume 1 , 1973, p. 11).

In addition, General also means "chief editor" ("Un General, contrôleur général de la rédaction") in the book Les annales impériales de l'Annam by Abel des Michels (vol. 1, 1894, p. 110).

Today, the term " CEO" has acquired a new meaning, starting with the romantic novel "Heart of a Thousand Knots" (1973) by Qiong Yao (Taiwan), translated into Vietnamese as "Who Can I Confide In ?" by Liao Guo Er. The story revolves around the love affair between nurse Jiang Yu Wei and wealthy patient Ding Ke Yi. However, it wasn't until the 1990s that a series of romance novels by Xi Quan (Taiwan) clearly defined the "CEO," depicting love stories between powerful young businessmen and women from lower social classes. This gave rise to the term "domineering CEO," referring to a talented, strong-willed, and possessive protagonist. They could be young entrepreneurs, emperors, princes, or simply village chiefs…

"Overbearing CEO" is a genre of online novels, known in Chinese-speaking countries and regions as "Overbearing CEO novels," "CEO novels," or "Overbearing CEO stories." This genre originated in Taiwan and spread to mainland China, where it has been adapted into films and television series, attracting attention in Vietnam, South Korea, and other countries, demonstrating the influence of what is called "Hua Feng" (華風), the dissemination of Chinese culture.

Today, in China and Japan, "CEO" means the head of a company, enterprise, political party, or social organization, equivalent to English terms such as President, General Manager, Director-General, or CEO.

In Vietnam, the popular concept of "CEO" is young, rich, powerful, domineering, even arrogant and brutal (like "Domineering CEO"). Sometimes the term "female CEO" or "strong woman" also appears, used to refer to successful female entrepreneurs.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/the-nao-la-tong-tai-185251024220452706.htm