Question

How could management of Fuyao done things differently in terms of reducing the amount of labor unrest among the US workers in the factory. What does this

say about differences between US and Chinese culture? Where do the two countries differ in terms of hofstede's cultural dimentions.

Answer 1

Fuyao has the management style of a state-owned enterprise, with a slogan of Be United, Alert, Earnest and Lively. The slogan itself impresses people with a collective spirit typically found in China. In fact, the word “Fuyao” literally means Good Fortune Shines. In Fuyao, the military style management requires workers to line up and shout slogans before starting a regular working day. At the end of each year, they have annual galas and give special awards to excellent workers. The whole atmosphere put significant emphasis on diligence and efficiency. During those interviews with Fuyao’s workers in China, all they ever brought up is that they are grateful and satisfied that they get to make money for their family and kids. It barely occurred to them about the tedium of the repeated labor, or the relative insignificance of what they are doing. After every long shift, they would just get together, cook meals, smoke some cigarettes and spend time thinking about their families faraway back in their hometowns. They believe in what they do, the precise process of making flawless transparent glass for automobile companies.

Just like in Foxconn, the outside world perceives it as a horrible factory that squeezes the blood and sweat out of its poor workers. But in fact, some might just be grateful for this status quo, for the fact that they are making a living with their hands. In Fuyao, some of the Chinese would rest only one or two days per month, which seems utterly impossible in the eyes of the American colleagues. They get paid according to the time they spend working.

Historically, China had this craze towards high efficiencies with the slogan of “putting all effort into steel making, surpassing Britain and America”. In the 80s, the Chinese would sing folk songs entitled “Labor is the most glorious thing.” For the past decades, the appreciation and honor for labor and diligence has never ceased.

Americans on the other hand, place significant cultural value on individual liberty and rights. They are less willing to sacrifice their own benefits for some lofty collective goal. In their minds, compulsory overtime work breaks the law, even though you get paid for it. The Chinese workers who have traveled across the ocean didn’t really understand it all. They picture America as a land of liberty and enrichment, on the material side. They would likely ignore the fact that the discrepancies here are more ideological.