Management decision-making in Chinese enterprises

by Yüan Lu

The economic reform of China's industries started in the early 1980s with a decentralization programme that took decision-making powers from government agencies and gave them to enterprise managers. This book is a study of six Beijing state enterprises, their complicated business environment and the effects of reforms on management, in the period 1985-9. Applying organizational decision-making theories, the author examines the changes in the areas of purchasing, product pricing, labour recruitment, organizational change and investment. By describing the economic, political and social obligations of Chinese enterprises, the book provides insights into the complex web of interlocking relations among management, the Communist Party organization and planning authorities. Through many interviews with managers, surveys of specialized documents and detailed analysis, the author gives readers a richer understanding of China's new managerial structures and behaviours.