Managing a New China Workforce

Alexandra Harney, author of “The China Price” and a good friend, has done more work on understanding China’s workforce and labor conditions than anyone I know. She recently wrote an excellent article on the subject for Bloomberg, which I highly recommend that you read in its entirety.

Among other points, Alexandra makes a strong case for localizing management and promoting from within.

Taiwanese and Hong Kong manufacturers won’t fare well unless they promote from worker ranks, rather than bringing in managers from home. Manufacturers like Foxconn that think one-time wage hikes, suicide nets and pep rallies are the answer to workers’ concerns about the future don’t get it.

I couldn’t agree more.

Alexandra is a visiting scholar at the University of Hong Kong.