China's HRM in Transitio: Towards Relative Convergence?

Abstract

In this contribution, the author reviews the current trends in HRM in the People's Republic of China. He then traces the impact of the post-1992 and 1995 economic reforms on Chinese personnel and industrial relations systems in both joint ventures and state-owned enterprises. Next, data from a recent field-investigation is reported vis-2-vis dimensions of HRM in these enterprises. The contribution particularly focuses on the problems of dimensionalizing HRM practices in such contexts. The author concludes that there may now be a growing but still limited overlap between joint ventures and state-owned enterprises in terms of their human resource policies and practices.