Abstract
The Chinese economic reform process has engendered significant changes in the structure and management of work organizations. Central to the process has been the 'corporatization' of the danwei, or state-owned enterprises (SOEs). This paper examines the progress made in the current round of state-enterprise corporate reform - based on the Modern Enterprise and Group Company systems - and extends this to discuss the major social consequences of such large-scale enterprise restructuring. Drawing on interview data from eight large SOEs in the steel industry, we assess the extent to which the aims of reducing government interference in the running of SOEs, developing a sense of enterprise, and achieving cost reductions and productivity improvements through large-scale workforce reductions can be achieved in the present reform-induced climate of labour unrest and incipient political instability.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1441-1455 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | International Journal of Human Resource Management |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2006 |
Keywords
- state-owned enterprises
- China
- restructuring
- steel industry
- labour unrest
Cite this
Downsizing the danwei: Chinese state-enterprise reform and the surplus labour question. / Hassard, J.; Morris, J.; Sheehan, J.; Xiao, Yuxin.
In: International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 17, No. 8, 2006, p. 1441-1455.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Downsizing the danwei: Chinese state-enterprise reform and the surplus labour question
AU - Hassard, J.
AU - Morris, J.
AU - Sheehan, J.
AU - Xiao, Yuxin
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - The Chinese economic reform process has engendered significant changes in the structure and management of work organizations. Central to the process has been the 'corporatization' of the danwei, or state-owned enterprises (SOEs). This paper examines the progress made in the current round of state-enterprise corporate reform - based on the Modern Enterprise and Group Company systems - and extends this to discuss the major social consequences of such large-scale enterprise restructuring. Drawing on interview data from eight large SOEs in the steel industry, we assess the extent to which the aims of reducing government interference in the running of SOEs, developing a sense of enterprise, and achieving cost reductions and productivity improvements through large-scale workforce reductions can be achieved in the present reform-induced climate of labour unrest and incipient political instability.
AB - The Chinese economic reform process has engendered significant changes in the structure and management of work organizations. Central to the process has been the 'corporatization' of the danwei, or state-owned enterprises (SOEs). This paper examines the progress made in the current round of state-enterprise corporate reform - based on the Modern Enterprise and Group Company systems - and extends this to discuss the major social consequences of such large-scale enterprise restructuring. Drawing on interview data from eight large SOEs in the steel industry, we assess the extent to which the aims of reducing government interference in the running of SOEs, developing a sense of enterprise, and achieving cost reductions and productivity improvements through large-scale workforce reductions can be achieved in the present reform-induced climate of labour unrest and incipient political instability.
KW - state-owned enterprises
KW - China
KW - restructuring
KW - steel industry
KW - labour unrest
U2 - 10.1080/09585190600804648
DO - 10.1080/09585190600804648
M3 - Article
VL - 17
SP - 1441
EP - 1455
JO - International Journal of Human Resource Management
JF - International Journal of Human Resource Management
SN - 0958-5192
IS - 8
ER -