First published in 1988, this book explores the socio-economic and political impacts of Chinese socialist movements, peasant initiatives, rural industrialization and economic reforms in China in the mid-twentieth century.

In the thirty years since the opening of China's economy, China's economic growth has been nothing short of phenomenal. At the same time, however, its employment relations system has undergone a gradual but fundamental transformation from stable and permanent employment with good benefits (often called the iron rice bowl), to a system characterized by highly precarious employment with no benefits for about 40 percent of the population. Similar transitions have occurred in other countries, such as Korea, although perhaps not at such a rapid pace as in China. This shift echoes the move from "breadwinning" careers to contingent employment in the postindustrial United States. In From Iron Rice Bowl to Informalization, an interdisciplinary group of authors examines the nature, causes, and consequences of informal employment in China at a time of major changes in Chinese society. This book provides a guide to the evolving dynamics among workers, unions, NGOs, employers, and the state as they deal with the new landscape of insecure employment.

Part of a series focusing on industry and industrial change in China, this volume discusses such topics as the effects, origins and tensions of China's managerial reforms; Confucian influences in Chinese management; and the performance of firms under management reform; among other topics.

Examines labour relations in modern China. Presents case studies of multinational, Chinese, and overseas Chinese enterprises in the automotive, electronic, and garment industries. Analyses regimes of production, discussing industrial relations theory and labour sociology, collective bargaining, trade union reform, and democratic workplace representation in China.