1. Work Design

2. China has a large and diverse workforce Many sectors Examples: High Tech Internet Industrial Manufacturing Industrial and manufacturing are prominent: > 44% of China’s GDP > 120 Million migrant workers Traditional structure and hierarchy Narrow Tasks Unskilled labor Fordism

3. Work Design Before look at the work design, need to understand: Hierarchy and interpersonal relationships entrenched in culture Wu Lun – 5 relationship principles outlined in Confucianism Emperor-Subject Father-Son Husband-Wife Elder-Younger Friend-Friend Workplace relationships in today’s workforce are defined by job roles and titles “Knowing your place” Harmonious relationships between roles

4. Work Design Chinese white collar jobs Guanxi Workers form close relationships with each other Important in how they treat co-workers But… remember Wu Lun? Relationships are defined and sub-ordinate to roles/titles Traditionally “Hierarchal” system Top-level managers exercise most decision making control Analogous to the emperor-subject relationship Senior managers may attempt to get on boss’ “good side” Personal relationship tied very closely with work life and vice versa

5. Work Design But things are changing… Younger generation of workers Better educated Less willing to adhere to old hierarchy tradition Friction with old-school managers Separate work and personal relationships Take the emotion out of work context “it’s just business” In short… resembling western workplaces

6. Work Design Manufacturing Factory production Assembly line production Menial work Low wages Long hours Poor working conditions Unenforced labor standards Unskilled labor Many uneducated migrant or rural workers

7. Work Design Let’s visit Foxconn, a Chinese electronics manufacturing factory: 8 am – 5 pm officially, overtime from 6 pm – 8 pm (or when production quota reached) 1 – 4 “off” days a month Work training = indoctrination Company culture, obedience demanded, “cogs in a machine” Many people, but work is solitary No talking, must have permission to leave post

8. Work Design Routine and mundane tasks E.g. connecting wires, inserting screws Overtime and overwork Cases of insufficient pay or above 36 hrs/month limit Unpaid ½ hour at beginning of workday Little compensation Entry-level wage equates to roughly $ 0.86 USD / day Workers insulted and possibly abused by supervisors Employees fined if they don’t finish eating lunch

9. Work Design But… Government initiatives to improve the education and skill base for workers Increasing availability of of primary and middle school education Development of adult education opportunities Vocational training programs Increasing labor skills training and apprenticeship Pre- employment training Work specific training programs

10. References http://www.chinatechnews.com/2006/02/21/3447-279-chinese-high-tech-companies-exported-over-us100-million http://www.jstor.org/stable/30034727 http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/ http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_40/b3701119.htm http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_48/b4011001.htm http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/26/content_326356.htm http://www.chinasmack.com/stories/beijing-life-tile-worker-pictures/ http://www.businessinsider.com/life-inside-a-chinese-gadget-factory-2009-7 http://daltonstate.academia.edu/BaogangGuo/Papers/74184/China’s-Labor-Standards---Myths-and-Realities- http://www.emsnow.com/npps/story.cfm?id=31932 Starmass http://www.starmass.com/china_review/economy_overview/china_gdp_by_industry.htm China Daily http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-09/21/content_479492.htm Asia Sentinel http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1077&Itemid=158 Business week: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2010/gb20100216_566561.htm