The Future of Chinese Manufacturing: Employment and Labour Challenges

The Future of Chinese Manufacturing: Employment and Labour Challenges gives context and analysis on employment and labor issues in contemporary China, specifically relating to manufacturing industries. With one fifth of the world’s workforce, China has taken advantage of its cheap labor to serve as the world’s factory, achieving stunning growth for two decades. This book covers the appreciation of RMB, constant increases in minimum wage, shortages of skilled workers in China's labor-intensive manufacturing sector, and the fact that many large multinational corporations (MNCs) must cut costs, and are thus shifting their main production bases to other developing countries.

Under such a tough situation, and coupled with the global economic slowdown, manufacturing employment in China confronts severe labor-related challenges, such as high turnover rates, recruitment difficulties for workers, and a series of high profile labor strikes and publicity concerning working conditions.

• Integrates human capital and cultural theories
• Analyzes looming labor 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

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.