Toleration Group Governance in a Chinese Third Line Enterprise

This book uncovers the mysterious social and political structures of China's "Third Front," the large state-sponsored development of inland China during the late Maoist period. This movement gave birth to a few important industrial bases such as Panzhihua and Liupanshui and had significant impact on megacities such as Lanzhou, Wuhan, and Chongqing. Yet, this is scarcely known to the West and even the younger generation of Chinese. Chen explores the ways that new industrial structures and hierarchies were created and operated, using political and sociological methodologies to understand what is distinctive in the history of the Chinese corporation. This book will be of immense interest to political scientists, sociologists, China scholars, and researchers of alternative economic structures.

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Managerial Control in SOEs from the mid 1970s to the 1980s

Neo-traditionalism: Managerial Control Before 1978

Disorganized Despotism: Managerial Control from 1978 to the 1980s

1.2 Toleration: A Governing Strategy as A Result of Contextual Conditions

The Interconnected Social Networks in Jinjiang Factory

Workers’ Control on Production in Jinjiang Factory

1.3 Toleration in Practice: the Governance of Absenteeism as An Example

Reinterpretation of Workers’ Absence

Exchange among Multiple Actors

Tactics for Time and Money

1.4 Methodology

Gaining Access to the Third Liners

Selecting Informants

The Interviews

Other Sources of Data

1.5 Thesis Organization

Chapter 2 The Third Line Construction and Jinjiang Factory

2.1 The Third Line Construction

2.2 Jinjiang Factory: A Representative Third Line Enterprise

Chapter 3The Context of Toleration (1): Isolated Life in Jinjiang Factory

3.1 Transportation

3.2 Food and Drink

3.3 Education

3.4 Entertainment

3.5 Social Interaction and Social Relationship

3.6 Urban Factories, Rural Collectives and the Third Line Enterprises in Perspective

Conclusion: City in the Village

Chapter 4 The Context of Toleration (2): Interconnected Social Networks   

4.1 Three Groups of Workers

4.2 Group Belonging and Job Opportunity in Jinjiang Factory

4.3 Fragmentation in Daily Lives

Life Outside the Workshop

Life in the Workshop

4.4 Interconnected Social Networks in Jinjiang Factory

4.5 Contrasting Social Relations in Urban SOEs and Jinjiang Factory

Conclusion

Chapter 5 The Context of Toleration (3): Workers’ Control on Production  

5.1 Permanent Employment Status

5.2 Job Immobility and Preference for Personal Reputation

5.3 Job Immobility and Workers’ Control on Production

Conclusion

Chapter 6 Toleration in Practice (1): the Phenomenon of Absenteeism

6.1 Discussion of Absenteeism in Conferences

6.2 Absenteeism in Practice

Absence Due to Misbehaviors

Absence for Personal Matters

Conclusion

Chapter 7 Toleration in Practice (2): The Governance of Absenteeism

7.1 Reinterpretation of Absenteeism: the Exceptional Circumstances

7.2 Exchange Among Multiple Actors

7.3 Characteristics of Multi-Actors Exchange

7.4 Tactics for Dealing with the Exceptional Circumstances

Tactics for Time Seeking

Tactics for Balancing the Workers’ Interest

Conclusion

Chapter 8 Conclusion

8.1 Varieties of Industrial Authority

8.2 Does dependency lead to obedience?

Appendix: The Social Relations of L’s and C’s Families in the Factory

Bibliography