The Developing Role of Unions in China's Foreign-Invested Enterprises

Andy W. Chan; Ed SNAPE; Michelle S. Luo; Yujuan Zhai

doi:10.1111/bjir.12218

The Developing Role of Unions in China's Foreign-Invested Enterprises

Andy W. Chan, Ed SNAPE, Michelle S. Luo, Yujuan Zhai

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This article evaluates the development of Chinese enterprise unions, drawing on case-study evidence from foreign-invested enterprises in the Pearl River Delta. Findings suggest that it was difficult for such employers to resist the establishment of an enterprise union. However, they generally sought to co-opt the union to meet organizational needs. Management strategy was critical in shaping the union's role, and our evidence suggests that this was influenced by factors such as home-country policies, the expectations of overseas customers, management ideology and pressures from the ACFTU and the Party-State to comply with the requirement for a union. The implications for the role of unions are evaluated.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	602-625
Number of pages	24
Journal	British Journal of Industrial Relations
Volume	55
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12218
Publication status	Published - Sept 2017

Scopus Subject Areas

Business, Management and Accounting(all)
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
Management of Technology and Innovation

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10.1111/bjir.12218

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title = "The Developing Role of Unions in China's Foreign-Invested Enterprises",

abstract = "This article evaluates the development of Chinese enterprise unions, drawing on case-study evidence from foreign-invested enterprises in the Pearl River Delta. Findings suggest that it was difficult for such employers to resist the establishment of an enterprise union. However, they generally sought to co-opt the union to meet organizational needs. Management strategy was critical in shaping the union's role, and our evidence suggests that this was influenced by factors such as home-country policies, the expectations of overseas customers, management ideology and pressures from the ACFTU and the Party-State to comply with the requirement for a union. The implications for the role of unions are evaluated.",

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note = "Funding Information: The authors thank the Hong Kong Research Grants Council for providing financial support under the General Research Fund (project number HKBU244210), and to Hong Kong Baptist University for financial support under a GRF Incentive Award. An earlier version of this article was presented at the 66th Annual Meeting of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA), 29 May?1 June 2014, Portland, Oregon.",

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N2 - This article evaluates the development of Chinese enterprise unions, drawing on case-study evidence from foreign-invested enterprises in the Pearl River Delta. Findings suggest that it was difficult for such employers to resist the establishment of an enterprise union. However, they generally sought to co-opt the union to meet organizational needs. Management strategy was critical in shaping the union's role, and our evidence suggests that this was influenced by factors such as home-country policies, the expectations of overseas customers, management ideology and pressures from the ACFTU and the Party-State to comply with the requirement for a union. The implications for the role of unions are evaluated.

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The Developing Role of Unions in China's Foreign-Invested Enterprises

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