Corporal punishment or work ethics? Understanding corporate China

Africa has in recent years experienced vast technological advancements aimed at socio-economic development. A large share of this cake has gone to China - roads, railways, bridges, ports, skyscrapers, you name it. China’s workmanship and overall construction approaches are attractive to many African governments.

But there are two sides to a coin and the Chinese development story is not without its fair share of controversy. The Chinese recently came under fire for supposed mistreatment of Kenyan employees working for the Standard Gauge Railway. The dust had barely settled when a Chinese national was deported for making racist remarks against the President and people of Kenya.

Most of the issues raised by the media border on racism and discrimination practised by the Chinese. But it is important to note that the tough disciplinary measures and intense training that employees of Chinese firms are introduced to are actually borrowed from military training.

This is meant to instil a sense of discipline among staff - from morning drills and fitness exercises for those working in security and maintenance agencies, to basic behavioural conditioning.

However, instead of psychological conditioning techniques used in the army to influence the behaviour of recruits, the training carried out by Chinese firms is basically meant to make the employee more aware of hierarchy and emphasise the value of respect.

Executing tasks

Staff work under the careful guidance of assigned supervisors who in turn act under the instruction of top-level management. Chinese companies lay emphasis on following hierarchy in the execution of tasks - the senior’s word automatically carries the day. There is therefore limited or no interaction between top-tier managers and entry-level staff.

I have always believed in team effort. Having constant interactions among staff is a great way of breaking the ice and learning from each other, which goes a long way in promoting unity in an organisation. Once an employee is involved in the conceptualisation of a strategy, there is a sense of belonging and pride experienced once an objective is achieved in the long run. Building a successful company requires the effort of everyone on board, not just the management.

There is also the notion that Chinese companies established overseas overwork and underpay their employees. China, just like Kenya, has a number of unemployed nationals. This is due to the high population in China and competition in the skilled jobs market. All these wrong assumptions can be corrected once we get to understand properly the work ethic in China and what informs this kind of system.

One important aspect that has had a great impact on China’s economy as well as the overall job market is the Chinese Economic Reform of 1978 to 1993. This period was marked by significant changes in the economy. The reforms meant that individuals could start private businesses and produce goods for export, hence opening China to trade with the rest of the world.

Work harder

However, although the reforms acted as an incentive for Chinese nationals to work harder in their self-established businesses, the market economy also widened the gap between the rich and the poor. Because of this very stiff competition in the Chinese job market, most organisations had to find a niche.

In construction, a field China has perfected, professionalism and experience is quantified in terms of the time taken to complete a task. To ensure that projects are completed in record time, Chinese employers emphasise the value of time, making sure none is lost.

Work is done in shifts, with teams working day and night to accomplish the task at hand. Non-Chinese workers might find this a bit strenuous at first, but they soon adapt and come to appreciate the heightened pace of work.

It is true that the African region has been a great beneficiary of the innovation and investment that China has brought. However, the Chinese need to make sure that they incorporate cultural integration in the work environment to give enough room for learning and adaptation if these developments are to see the light of day.

Kenya is in itself already very diverse and accommodating of a variety of cultures, therefore understanding and adapting to select elements from a different culture should not be a daunting task.

 

Ms Ongiyo is a corporate communications and public affairs consultant based in Nairobi