Passive-Aggressive or Motivated-Productive

Above: MeiShuGuan is also known as National Art Museum of China, NAMOC. This painting by Russian artist is called "3rd Eye of Golia". Look me into my eyes, do you find wisdom and vision? Photo gallery below.


Passive-Aggressive or Motivated-Productive
WHAT CHINESE EMPLOYEES EXPECT

SALARY WISH. Chinese employees have difficulties in facing their manager to ask for salary increase. They are shy, but the main reason is that they are afraid of losing face. If they ask and not get, what is their next step? If they made negative impression in front of their manager, should they leave the company?

WORKING HARD. Instead, Chinese employees would appreciate if their manager recognizes their hard working and contributions and raises their salary. If this doesn't happen, employees may become passive-aggressive.

PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE. In that case, while being silent, employee starts working on other opportunities outside the company. The worst scenario is that employee slows down the working efforts with projects or sales prospects and takes relaxed time while still "working". What is the medicine for this?


FIRSTLY,
Chinese employees need to have interesting work content and pleasant mental working environment. This means no trouble relations to key co-workers or to the manager. This is a similar need as everywhere else.

Picture:
MeiShuGuan, the National Art Museum of China in Beijing.

Ride on this horse must be very smooth. With a horse like this why not!

SECONDLY,
salary and benefits should be reasonable compared to celleagues and the other companies in the industry. Comparisons are made and information is available.

Sales commissions. Chinese domestic companies offer commissions for the sales. For a large value commercial deal the commission can be up to 5%.

Problem with sales commission is that rules for payment are often not clear. Most private Chinese companies will deduct all costs related to sales project (traveling, customers treats, administrative cost) which results the payable commission to be much smaller than what employee expected or understood. This causes disappointed employees leaving the company and seeking new opportunities, again and again.

Stock options. Both local and foreign companies in China offer stock options for their employees. If employee is included into company's stock option plan, he/she will feel that he belongs to the main force of the company.

Company car for business and private use is commonly offered by big state owned companies, like banks and network operators, to their management people.

House funds. During the old times Chinese companies provided housing facilities for their employees. Now China has a more flexible system called house funds. House funds are managed by society. If employee changes job to an other company, the house fund will follow, it's transferable.

Beijing City Government requires companies to pay 10% of employee's salary to house fund, if employee agrees to pay 10% of his/hers own salary. House funds can only be used if employee buyers or renovates own house, not for other purposes. If employee has a house fund, the interest rate for a house loan will be lower compared to public commercial house loan. Almost every employee has a house fund.

Extra house funds. For loyalty reasons, some MNCs and serious companies offer to pay extra house funds (10-15%) beside the required 10% as their employee benefit. If employee changes to another company, this extra house fund is not transferable but will expire.

Small private Chinese companies tend to escape the responsibilities of employees' social welfare benefits.

Picture:
MeiShuGuan, the National Art Museum of China in Beijing.

This nearly 50 years old building is a beauty inside out. Look at this door! I sometimes visit MeiShuGuan just for the building itself.

THIRDLY,
training opportunities. Chinese employees want to learn new things and improve themselves. Technical, business or management (MBA, EMBA) related trainings are expected to be regular. Study diplomas and certificates of training programs are valued. Training abroad is especially valued.


Epilog
Employees in different countries have many things in common. They expect yearly salary increases, in Chinese hi-tech industries that's now some 10% per year. When achievement has been made, extra reward is expected. China is no exception with these but has it's own characteristics.

Chinese employees can be silent and silently unsatisfied, which you as a manager should be aware of and find the reasons. In Chinese society education is emphasized more than in western countries. Employees pay a lot of attention on their self-development opportunities and may openly speak about their training requests.

Will above three key points be taken care, your Chinese employees will not become passive-aggressive, but stay motivated and productive.


BeijingMan aka Kippo

List of BeijingMan Postings

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Pictures in this post were taken by Canon 20D body with EF-S 10-22mm zoom. Click to enlarge.

Above-1: National Art Museum of China NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
This building looks elegant round the year. They had Russian Art 300 years exhibition, Alan Yu Fong Art Exhibition, watercolors from Taiwan. Ju Ming's Taichin Sculpture Exhibition, he uses speed carving techniques.

Above-2: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Let's check in!

Above-3: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Straight ahead and we come to the hall full of Ju Ming's Taichi sculptures. Lot's of sculptures. Now I understand what speed carving means; a kind of productivity...

See that lady, she is in a hurry to tell me politely "no photos!" Press the button now, quik! So this is my only picture of Ju Ming's speed sculptures, except those in front of MeiShuGuan.

Above-4: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
One of the halls. Not small. Left, see that door!

Above-5: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Round shape has it's history. Pretty good, powerful, isn't it!

Above-6: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
I decided to see door from outside. 150 meters roundtrip, here it is!

Above-7: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
There was more these doors. Russian artworks around this one.

Above-8: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Russian paintings.

Above-9: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Russian paintings. But what, looks like Mr. Putin from news!

Above-10: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Yes, he is Mr Putin from Russia. Part of a painting.

Above-11: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Pretty interesting setup here.

Above-12: < National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
More paintings from Russia.

Above-13: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Suddenly I found works by my favorite Russian painter. This is by Aleksander A. Deineka (1899-1969), made in 1947, socialist realism which promises bright future.

Above-14: National Art Museum of China NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Deineka makes feel good but also to think. Did I say free... like Shostakovich Symphony No.9. But what's there, far back left?

Above-15: National Art Museum of China NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
A portrait by Pavel D. Korn (1892-1967).

Above-16: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
A traffic jam caused by "Portrait of Princess Maria" Vasilieva Vorontsova, 1851, by Sergey Konstantinovich Zaryanko (1818-1870).

Above-17: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Look at that frame! Is this painting about "passive-aggressive"? Not exactly, these were probably motivated people. This is "Rest on Work", 1875, by Konstantin A. Savitsky (1844-1905).

Above-18: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Styles to take pictures of Russian masterpieces.

Above-19: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.

Above-20: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.

Above-21: < National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
A view into the hall. What is that on the right?

Above-22: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
A powerful object and in a furious speed!

Above-23: < National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
This is more static calm here.

Above-24: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.

Above-25: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Watch me, I am backed with fire, FIRE!

Above-26: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Situation was getting hot! I took stairs up. Russian flag though the window. It's a windy Beijing Spring day. Never sliding colors in flags.

Above-27: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
View towards north.

Above-28: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Back to business. What's here - Who's Next!

Above-29: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
My name is Alan Yu Fong! Click and read my story.

Above-30: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Alan Yu Fong has been busy.

Above-31: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Alan Yu Fong, you have been busy with watercolors!

Above-32: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Alan's works were not aggressive, not passive, just fit here.

Above-33: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.

Above-34: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
As you see, this hall is more about Chinese calligraphy. Let's dive in!

Above-35: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
The art of decorative handwriting.

Above-36: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.

Above-37: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
What you say about this style!

Above-38: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Three hours passed quickly. I got recharged and it was time to check out.

Above-39: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Main entrance towards south where Beijing's historical center.

Above-40: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Ju Ming's quik-carved Taichi sculptures at MeiShuGuan entrance sideway.

Above-41: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
These 9 steps, then BeijingMan will be loose out again.

Above-42: National Art Museum of China, NAMOC - MeiShuGuan.
Looks like someone here really likes taichi! Must be Ju Ming.

Explanation:
Taichi Series is about single movement to combat of two. The expressions are more abstract and motional. From the constant changing Taichi boxing movements they show the linkages between the flow of "chi" (energy) and the movement of muscles. Then two hands transform into one; that's the form of Arc... been there.


In picture with Tibetan women! And it was a hot day. Did I say hot?

NAMOC building itself inspires often more than artworks on show. Major renovation was completed a few years ago. Like the space.

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© BeijingMan aka Kippo 2008, 2009