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Can ‘democratic management’ improve labour relations in market‐driven C hina?
Author(s) -
Huang Wei,
Li Yuhui,
Wang Shuo,
Weng Jingjing
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
asia pacific journal of human resources
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.825
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1744-7941
pISSN - 1038-4111
DOI - 10.1111/1744-7941.12100
Subject(s) - democracy , china , value (mathematics) , human resource management , business , social exchange theory , public relations , marketing , economics , political science , management , psychology , social psychology , law , politics , machine learning , computer science
Democratic management is a notion of worker democracy unique to C hina. It has been revived and extended legislatively to enterprises of all types in the past decade. Can democratic management bring about mutually beneficial labour relations in C hina? Drawing on social exchange theory, this study uses mixed methods to explore employees’ current experience and the outcomes of democratic management in C hinese coal‐mining firms. An employee survey reports a positive relationship between employees’ perceived efficacy of democratic management and wider organizational commitment. It suggests that democratic management has the potential value of creating a harmonious labour relationship. However, the success of such management is subject primarily to the commitment of top managers. The triality of motives for top management to conduct democratic management may undermine employees’ organizational commitment when employees perceive that top managers are more committed to an exchange relationship with the higher authorities than one with employees.