Human Resource Management

Did the Chinese expat employees and local U.S. employees get along with each other? What type of conflicts and problems have been observed in the documentary? Did these problems get resolved eventually and how?

"The point of living is to work." I am unsure if this is a motto of the Chinese people or just propaganda from a billionaire who wants to get more output out of his employees. It is easy to see a parallel to the German phrase "Arbeit macht frei," i.e., "Work will set you free." This phrase, famously, appeared at the entrance of the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.

I digress. While viewing the documentary, it was evident that there was a cultural difference within work cultures- whether innate within the Chinese people or propagated by wealthy business owners. During the week, Chinese employees will work more days and hours per day than their American counterparts. A larger theme I viewed was that the Chinese were more dedicated to the organization than the Americans. We could see this in what the Chinese were willing to give up to have a job (family and vacation). It shows that Americans are accustomed to a different work-life balance standard than their Chinese counterparts. These differences caused conflicts in the workplace that weren't resolved. There appeared to be a lack of mutual respect due to cultural differences and expectations.

Comparing the safety conditions and standards in the U.S. and Chinese factories of Fuyao, what’s your thought? Is it hopeful that the expatriate Chinese employees can take home American values and improve work environment at home?

The U.S.'s safety standards are vastly more developed than those found in Chinese factories. American employees are accustomed to having safety in mind when completing certain tasks and protocols set in place. That was not a mirrored system within a Chinese factory. Further, the factory owner would even criticize Americans for following these safety guidelines. It is not hopeful that expatriate Chinese employees will bring back American values to China. The Chinese viewed the Americans as lazy employees that were too concerned about safety.