The Future of Chinese Manufacturing: Employment and Labour Challenges

ISBN-13: 9780081011089 / Angielski / Twarda / 2018 / 256 str.

Corinna Chin; Chris Rowley

Opis

The Future of Chinese Manufacturing gives context and analysis on employment and labour issues in contemporary China, specifically relating to manufacturing industries.With one fifth of the world's workforce, China has taken advantage of its cheap labour to serve as the world's factory achieving stunning growth for two decades. However, in recent years, the appreciation of RMB, constant increases in minimum wage and shortages of skilled workers have diminished the original cost advantages in its labour-intensive manufacturing sector. Many large multinational corporations (MNCs), such as Nike, Panasonic and Adidas, feel tremendous pressure to keep costs down, thus shutting down factories in China and shifting their main production bases to other developing countries with lower wage rates, such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico and India. Under such a tough situation, coupled with the global economic slowdown, manufacturing employment in China confronts severe labour-related challenges such as high turnover rates, recruitment difficulties for workers, and a series of high profile labour strikes and publicity concerning working conditions. The conflicts between production employees and management have become one of the major concerns in Chinese manufacturing. Despite a vital need for in-depth sources to better deal with relevant issues, the root causes as well as effective handling strategies of the escalating labour crunch in China have not been fully understood or addressed.

• Integrates human capital and cultural theories
• Analyzes looming labour unrest and related workforce issues in China through a unique context-specific lens
• Explores the roles that Chinese institutions and culture play in resolving problems related to these issues

Spis treści

1. Globalization and the Development of Chinese Manufacturing
2. Contemporary Labour-related Challenges in GVCs
3. History of the Development of Labour-Capital Relations in China
4. Chinese Culture and Its Impact on Labour Relation Management
5. Resolving Labour Conflicts in Chinese Manufacturing
6. Conclusion Remarks

O autorze

With more than 10 years' experience as Chief HR Officer for foreign multinational manufacturers in China, Corinna is a part-time HR/CSR consultant for several Taiwan-invested manufacturers. From 2013 to 2014, she conducted a large business research project (funds RMB 667,800) with Academician Prof. Liu, in which our research team had been acting as a professional HR & CSR consultancy helping seven first-tier OEM suppliers in three different industries (footwear, apparels and golf clubs) in China to reduce high turnover rate among production workers and related labour shortage issues for China's OEM Suppliers of the adidas Group. He is Editor of the leading journal Asia Pacific Business Review, Series Editor of the Working in Asia and Asian Studies book series. He has given a range of talks and lectures to universities and companies internationally with research and consultancy experience with unions, business and government. Professor Rowley has published widely in the area of HRM and Asian business, with over 500 articles, books and chapters and practitioner pieces.