We are not so different: A comparative study of employment relations at Chinese and American firms in Kenya

Zander Rounds and Hongxiang Huang

No 2017/10, SAIS-CARI Working Papers from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), China Africa Research Initiative (CARI)

Abstract: This paper explores the extent to which labor conditions at Chinese firms in Kenya are a function of firm nationality, as opposed to other characteristics like industry, firm size, or length of time operating abroad. The authors investigate the question: in what ways do Chinese employers relate to Kenyan labor differently than American employers? They find that many Chinese and American managers hold similar attitudes towards the qualities and limitations of their Kenyan employees—although they express these attitudes in different ways. The paper argues that researchers and practitioners looking to address labor issues of Chinese firms in Africa must attempt to unpack the variation among Chinese companies, and place employment relations at particular firms within broader contexts.

Date: 2017
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