Hierarchies in China

In Canada, staff meetings happen behind closed doors. Some might be casual and others more formal but I've never seen the rigid style of management that I witness in China.

Whether it's a hair salon, school, or bank, it's something I see time and again. The employees line up just as you see above and don't make a sound. A lot of the time it seems to me that the managers are yelling at them but maybe that's just my poor Chinese skills. The photo above is from my apartment complex. The management company is holding a meeting with the cleaning staff. I see them out there a lot and these meetings are usually pretty mellow and the staff are all smiles.

I can understand the need for staff meetings but I don't know why a lot of companies choose to make them all stand outside. I guess there isn't enough space to line them all up like that inside.

Many other times I've seen the employees line up and they are forced to do a dance outside the store on a street. This is especially common for hair salons and clothing stores. At a school I used to work at, they suggested this and the expats quickly shot the idea down.

Regardless of the company though, the orders work from the top down. What the boss says is law, even if it makes no sense. Of course this is just from my experience here and I can't speak for every company or organization in China. But from what I've seen, there is little room for autonomy.

While in the west, questioning the boss or offering a suggestion may be seen as constructive - it is frowned upon here. This is especially true if it is front of others or during a staff meeting. This causes them to lose face if you question their authority.

So next time you have a staff meeting, be grateful that you have a chair to sit in and that you are allowed to sip that dreadful office coffee.