The dual logic of Chinese transnationalism

Jiang, Jingwen (2024). The dual logic of Chinese transnationalism. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the organizational culture and global human resources strategy of Chinese multinational enterprises, and how these reflect the governmental context of their country of origin. This research therefore seeks to link the disciplines of human resource management, organizational behaviour and public policy. In China, the political leadership has in recent years expanded its influence and control over the corporate sector. This topic is addressed via an in-depth case study of Lenovo, a company once seen to symbolise China’s embrace of globalisation, and now adapting to a different political context to that in which it was founded and expanded. Therefore, the research rationale is to assess how far did Lenovo move from its previous couture and strategy under to political pressure. The starting point of the research is the notion of hybridity, that competing values underly the development of Chinese multinationals such as Lenovo, between global and national, market and hierarchy, and proposes a theoretical framework in which a hybrid culture emerges through the interaction of competing principles. A hybrid perspective suggests that the image of Lenovo as a transnational organization derived from its high-profile acquisition of the IBM personal computer (PC) business, but that this was only one side of the Lenovo culture, the other being its role as a key supplier to the Chinese public sector.

The research question is therefore to what extent does Lenovo have a hybrid culture? As human resources strategy was central to Lenovo’s transnational mission, the research question is pursued through two sub-questions:
RQ 1: What is Lenovo’s HR strategy?
RQ 2: To what extent is Lenovo’s HR strategy transnational?

Fieldwork consisted of a three-month participative observation and 11 follow-up interviews in the global HR headquarters of Lenovo in Beijing. The results of the empirical study showed the evolving HR strategy of Lenovo goes as ambiguous and hybrid, on the one hand showing the extent to which State influence has rolled back the global or transnational principle that had once been seen as synonymous with Lenovo, but also showing the extent to which elements of the earlier transnational or global culture remain. The research contributes to the dual identity of the Chinese corporate sector as the State’s approach to globalisation changes.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):