Cultural value for young generation employees and implications in management style in the Chinese information technology industry

Li, Jiawei (2009) Cultural value for young generation employees and implications in management style in the Chinese information technology industry. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

Confucian value, as the China traditional value, has been extensively researched in Chinese management, since the culture value is the essence for studying management. These existing studies ignore a critical issue that is the generational value change. As the direct result of China fast developed economy and 'opening' policy, much international companies entry into China, which bring the Western production and ideology to Chinese. The value and lifestyle of Chinese people have dramatically changed, especially for those young generations. This generation is in the value verge stage, which they are more individualistic and less Confucianism. The existing Chinese management theory is inappropriate since it considers all Chinese hold a same value, the study focused on Chinese young generation employee and identifying a young generation employees suited management style is little and undeveloped, which is forms the distinctiveness of this research. The aim is to explore, illuminate and gain the deep understanding of Chinese young generation employees' perceptions of value and impact of their behaviour, further to propose effective management style including the effective management approaches, to potentially contribute Chinese local managers and Western managers in their global employee management. The concepts in the Confucianism, Individualism serve as the theoretical framework for this research. Also, the knowledge of management effectiveness, management style and management approaches ground the further analysis in this research. With its characteristic, this research selects China Information Technology industry to deeply study Chinese young generation employees' value and managers' first hand experiences, It employs social constructionism followed by qualitative methodology to understand participants' perceptions. Semi-structured interview is a method to gain the participants' thoughts and stories which later to be analysed by narrative analysis followed by thematic approach. An analysis of data revealed that Chinese young generation employees different to elder employee. Four distinctive perceived values have been discovered: practicality; self centered; performance orientated and anti-traditions. To respond young generation employees' value change, the analysis revealed a management style, entitled 'Elder- brother'. Heading this management, seven effective management approaches are explored: benevolence; equal and learning supervision style; open decision making style; direct communication style; performance based evaluation; flexible staff management and encouragement for young enployees' creations. At the same time, the analysis also provides an image for the qualified manager, who is self discipline; skilled and knowledge; competence in managing and having nice personal traits. Above all, they have not been discovered by past studies. They have offered new insights and raised awareness of the Chinese young employees' value, and corresponded managerial thought and behaviour. The contributions of this research are: 1) it extends the current literature of Chinese management theory, which was never concerned in past research, with the specific interest on the Chinese young generation employees; 2) it develops a new and practice based framework for managing Chinese young generation employees in a contemporary environment, by addressing the management style, detailed management approaches and the image of the manager; 3) it provides timely information for other academics and practitioners understand the current value presence in Chinese young generation employees, as well as guides both China and expatriate managers adopt their management behaviour in the future.

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