Andy W. Chan

Evaluating the multi-dimensional view of employee commitment: a comparative UK–Chinese study

This study evaluates the contribution of the multiple constituencies of commitment framework to the explanation of work attitudes and behaviours among samples of manufacturing workers in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Our findings suggest that the organization, the supervisor, co-workers and the union were seen by respondents as separate commitment foci. Consistent with the ‘compatibility hypothesis’, the relationship between commitment and outcome was stronger where the constituency focus was matched. However, the ‘cultural hypothesis’, on the greater salience of person- or group-based commitments in the PRC context, was generally not accepted. The findings are discussed in the light of the comparative cultural and industrial relations contexts of the two countries.

Commitment to Company and Union: Evidence from Hong Kong

This article examines the pattern and antecedents of employee commitment to company and union in the Hong Kong context. Findings are consistent with those from the United States. In general, company and union commitment have different antecedents, although the perceived industrial relations climate is a common predictor. Dual commitment is in evidence. Union membership is a function of union commitment. The findings caution against attempts to explain the pattern of Hong Kong industrial relations purely in terms of culture.

Union Commitment and Participation in the Chinese Context

B   -    N A , B, K,  S (1999)   the effects of job satisfaction and union instrumentality on union commitment are partially mediated by organizational commitment and pro-union attitudes respectively, and that union commitment has an effect on union participation. They also found that pro-union attitudes have a stronger direct effect on union commitment than does union instrumentality. In this note, we test the generalizability of these findings based on a sample of union members from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We test a model based on Bamberger, Kluger, and Suchard (1999) (Figure 1), although we conceptualize participation as union citizenship behavior (UCB). There are at least two reasons why the largely North American findings may not generalize to China. First, there are institutional differences. Chinese unions have performed a “dual function,” providing employee services and representation and also acting as an agent of management and the state in resolving disputes, maintaining labor discipline, and exhorting workers to higher productivity. They have also been responsible for administering welfare programs. Recently, the state has been keen to emphasize the importance of the unions’ representative function, not least because of the growth in labor disputes and social unrest. However, while the representative function may be becoming more significant, PRC unions still differ from Western unions in the extent to which they perform essentially “managerial” functions. This suggests that both union instrumentality and pro-union attitudes may be less salient than in the West, and that union commitment may

Multiple foci and bases of commitment in a Chinese workforce

We evaluate the contribution of multiple foci and bases of commitment in explaining work attitudes and behaviours in a Chinese workforce. Findings suggest that the organization, supervisor, co-workers and the union were seen by respondents as separate commitment foci, along with both the affective and instrumental bases. Affective commitments were related differently to organizational and union citizenship behaviours and withdrawal cognitions, providing some evidence of a matching of focal commitments and outcomes. Instrumental commitments were less successful in predicting outcomes, apart from organizational withdrawal cognitions. Our findings provide additional evidence on the utility of the multiple commitments perspective in the Chinese context, extending previous studies to include union commitment and providing some initial support for the inclusion of instrumental-based commitments.

The Developing Role of Unions in China's Foreign‐Invested Enterprises

This article evaluates the development of Chinese enterprise unions, drawing on case-study evidence from foreign-invested enterprises in the Pearl River Delta. Findings suggest that it was difficult for such employers to resist the establishment of an enterprise union. However, they generally sought to co-opt the union to meet organizational needs. Management strategy was critical in shaping the unions role, and our evidence suggests that this was influenced by factors such as home-country policies, the expectations of overseas customers, management ideology and pressures from the ACFTU and the Party-State to comply with the requirement for a union. The implications for the role of unions are evaluated.

The Paradox of Tripartitism and Employment Relationships in an Industry of Service-Providing Agencies in Hong Kong

This article explores the role of industrial ‘tripartitism’ as a feature of industrial relations in Hong Kong. Drawing on data from a survey of the property management industry they conducted, the authors show how diversity in the forms of hiring practices and heterogeneity in the composition of the workforce contribute to an impasse in which an industrial tripartite council is bogged down despite its stated mission. The controversies arise from the issue of the long work hours of the security guards, leading to wide public concern and the subsequent proposed change from the industry norm of the two-shift day to a three-shift day for the workers. The case study also attests to the difficulties in setting up industry-wide work standards due to intra-sectoral diversities, and in particular, the dual labour market conditions and the multi-tiered principal-agent relationship arising from outsourcing arrangement.