The evolving perspectives on the Chinese labour regime in Africa

George Ofosu and David Sarpong
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George Ofosu: Centre for International Development and Environmental Research – ZEU, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany
David Sarpong: College of Business, Arts & Social Sciences, Brunel Business School, Brunel University London, UK

Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2022, vol. 43, issue 4, 1747-1766

Abstract: This article explores the logics, persistence and evolution of perspectives on the Chinese labour regime in Africa. Studies find that Chinese firms’ labour practices engender abuse via casualisation of labour, low remuneration, and a general lack of adherence to occupational safety. Contrarian studies however demonstrate variations among Chinese firms’ labour practices as mediated by the labour dynamics of host countries, labour specificities and industrial capitalism dynamics. The article concludes by questioning the ‘talent gap’ dynamic in Africa in relation to Chinese firms’ managerial hiring practices and calls for an engaged scholarship on how Chinese investment in Africa’s human resource base is altering the ‘talent gap’ phenomenon.

Keywords: Africa; capitalism mechanisms; China; labour practices; sector specificities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:43:y:2022:i:4:p:1747-1766

DOI: 10.1177/0143831X211029382

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