Managers and Mandarins in Contemporary China

Are business conflicts in China resolved in much the same way as elsewhere? Or are they handled altogether differently? Setting out in search of an answer, Jie Tang immersed herself in the day-to-day operation of a major construction project in China that brought together participants from around the globe. The result is this in-depth account of the inner workings of the Chinese business world. It follows the progress of construction from tendering to completion in an attempt to understand the progress and problems on the project as seen through the eyes of the participants. It also delves into how conflicts grew out of the structure of the project, as well as the broader contest in which it operated. In doing so, Managers and Mandarins in China touches on such issues as differing international standards and management procedures; the peculiarities of Chinese red tape; tensions between contractors; paternalism and nepotism; the role of campaigns and the limits on contract in contemporary China.The work traces the increasing involvement of local officials in the work of the project, examining the reasons for this and its consequences for management. Of interest to scholars and managers alike, this study benefits from the unparalleled access the author was able to secure to all the parties involved, Chinese and Western, commercial and governmental. Working alongside managers as a participant observer, the author uses the fine detail characteristics of ethnography to convey a vivid impression of how they faced up to conflict, intrigue, danger and a race against time. The result is a unique insight into the lives of managers in China today and the forces with which they have tocontend.