Grace O. M. Lee

The Shanghai Re-employment Model: From Local Experiment to Nation-wide Labour Market Policy

Unemployment in China is now a serious and growing problem. In this context, Shanghai has been a pioneer in establishing re-employment service facilities. Starting from a local experiment, the Shanghai programme has been mooted by the Chinese authorities as a model to be replicated nation-wide. In this article, we propose an evaluation of this specific Re-employment Service Centre ( zaijiuye fuwu zhongxin ) programme, so as to shed light on the measures to be taken in combating urban unemployment. Our empirical field research in Shanghai took the form of over 50 open-ended, qualitative interviews with policy makers, managers, trade union representatives, workers and unemployed persons. Economic developments may make Shanghai seem distinctly special and shed light on the question of wider applicability of the Shanghai model. The replication of such a model has, in our view, only achieved mixed outcomes and the research findings suggest a degree of scepticism as to how far it can be extended.

Labour‐market policies in Shanghai and Hong Kong

This article focuses on and provides an updated version of our analysis of labour‐market policies in Greater China over the last decade, specifically in Shanghai and the Hong Kong SAR. The role of the “one country, two systems” model is re‐evaluated vis‐a‐vis both their labour‐market policies. We present a statistical comparison of employment and unemployment in the two settings using the latest data at hand in 2002. Then, we suggest a labour‐market schema to take into account likenesses and dissimilarities. Taking into account the divergent histories, the distinct role of the state as well as the evolving economic structures, we may hypothesize that although there will be different labour markets emerging in the two city contexts, a degree of relative convergence may now be envisaged.

Labour-Markets in 'communist' China and 'capitalist' Hong Kong: Convergence Revisited

Among the many Asia Pacific countries, it is most interesting to examine the diversity and possibly ‘soft’ (that is, relative) convergence of Hong Kong with its mainland ‘mother-country’ (see Warner, 2001). The 150 years of British colonial rule in Hong Kong ended on 30 June 1997 with the return of sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In view of the huge gap in political ideology, political structures and level of economic development, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. Table 1 compares the two places in terms of economic and social indicators.

The impact of SARS on China's human resources: implications for the labour market and level of unemployment in the service sector in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai

In this paper, we examine the effects of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) on Chinas human resources, its labour-market and its level of employment and unemployment, looking specifically at what was one of its economically most vulnerable points, the hotel industry. The paper hypothesizes that the greatest impact would be on human resources in the service-industries and on particular sub-sectors, such as employment in hotels, located in three main cities in the PRC, in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, catering to both overseas as well as domestic tourism. It tentatively concludes that the almost dramatic demand and supply ‘shocks’ may have directly affected both the demand for and the supply of labour in the sub-sector, with discernable employment consequences.

Epidemics, labour markets and unemployment: the impact of SARS on human resource management in the Hong Kong service sector

This article examines the links between epidemics and their economic consequences, specifically in terms of their impacts on labour markets and jobs. To exemplify the above, we examine the effects of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) on the Hong Kong economy, its labour market and its level of employment and unemployment. The article hypothesizes that the greatest impact would be on human resource management (HRM) in the service industries and on particular sub-sectors, such as the hotel sector. It concludes that the dramatic demand and supply ‘shocks’ significantly affected both the demand for and the supply of labour in the sector, with discernible HRM consequences.

The managerial implications of labour importation in Hong Kong

This article discusses the controversies surrounding the issue of labour importation, and then describes the development of the various labour importation schemes introduced over the years as well as its institutional arrangements and its gaps. The managerial implications of labour importation are examined, using the case study approach. Empirical evidence from the case studies show that labour importation could be a very resourceful input to organizational performance, but the contributions of import workers are limited by institutional factors. Because of these man‐made rigidities and inflexibilities, management makes little attempt to integrate the imported workers into the mainstream labour force. They are confined to the role of “peripheral” workers, but it is not because of any inherent disabilities. Rather it is due to employers’ response to social and political demands to marginalize the imported workers so as to prevent them from undercutting the local work force.

Human Resources, Labour Markets and Unemployment: The Impact of the SARS Epidemic on the Service Sector in Singapore

This study examines the links between epidemics and their economic and human resources consequences in a contemporary setting, specifically in terms of their impacts on human resources, labour-markets and jobs. To exemplify the above, we looked at SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) a phenomenon we have previously investigated in the Peoples Republic of China and Hong Kong, vis-à-vis its impact on the Singapore economy, its human resources, labour-market and its level of employment and unemployment. We hypothesized that the greatest impact would be on human resource management (HRM) in the service-sector and on particular sub-sectors, such as the hotel industry. It concludes that the demand and supply ‘shocks’ investigated affected both the demand for and the supply of labour in the sector, with observable HRM consequences for hotel employment (as in the case of both mainland China and Hong Kong, although each being on their different respective scales, with one large and one small in population base). The Singapore outcome was, however, to prove closer to the Hong Kong experience, than to the Chinese case.

Managing Public Services: Crises and Lessons from Hong Kong : Crises and Lessons from Hong Kong

Managing public services managing public interest managing public information managing public confidence managing public infrastructure crises, strategies and lessons. Apendix I: crisis - retirement of a senior civil servant. Appendix II: crisis - bird flu. Appendix III: crisis - non-prosecution of a prominent personality and Xinhua News Agency, and the right of abode controversy. Appendix IV: crisis - opening of Hong Kong International Airport.

Workers’ Industrial Militancy and Dependency Upon the State: The Paradox of Industrial Relations in Hong Kong

This article examines how industrial relations have evolved during the last 10 years since Hong Kong became a special administrative region (SAR) in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). There have been recent signs that Hong Kong workers may seek to more vigorously defend their collective interests and articulate their demands for protecting their wages and employment conditions. This was illustrated recently by an almost unprecedented case of worker militancy waged by the bar benders in a declining branch of the building and construction industry. This article examines the degree to which this case exemplifies the post-1997 industrial relations in Hong Kong, and suggests that the SAR administration should pay greater attention to the grassroot grievances among workers in Hong Kong.

The Consequences of the SARS Epidemic for China's Employment and Human Resources

Abstract This article deals with the impact of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) on the Chinese employment. We look, first, at the broader economic impact and second, discuss the sectorial and industrial effects and then third, focus specifically on the implications in terms of employment and human resources for the service industries, such as hotels and hospitality. The tentative conclusions of our study point to SARS having a discernable but short-term impact on the tertiary sector, its service industries and their Human Resource Management.