Work Design

Work Design• China has a large and diverse workforce• Many sectors

Examples: • High Tech• Internet• Industrial• Manufacturing

• Industrial and manufacturing are prominent:• Traditional structure and hierarchy

• Guanxi• Narrow Tasks• Unskilled labor• Fordism

Work DesignBefore look at the work design, need to understand:Hierarchy and interpersonal relationships entrenched in cultureWu Lun – 5 relationship principles outlined in Confucianism• Emperor-Subject• Father-Son• Husband-Wife• Elder-Younger• Friend-Friend

• Importance of roles and the types of relationships that are defined by those roles

“Knowing your place” Harmonious relationships between roles

Work DesignManufacturing 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

Work DesignLet’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

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 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

Work DesignBut…• 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

Referenceshttp://www.chinatechnews.com/2006/02/21/3447-279-chinese-high-tech-companies-exported-over-us100-millionhttp://www.jstor.org/stable/30034727http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_40/b3701119.htmhttp://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_48/b4011001.htmhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/26/content_326356.htmhttp://www.chinasmack.com/stories/beijing-life-tile-worker-pictures/http://www.businessinsider.com/life-inside-a-chinese-gadget-factory-2009-7http://daltonstate.academia.edu/BaogangGuo/Papers/74184/China’s-Labor-Standards---Myths-and-Realities-http://www.emsnow.com/npps/story.cfm?id=31932