Chinese–African encounters in high‐tech sectors: Comparative investigation of Chinese workplace regimes in Ethiopia

Abstract

Studies on China–Africa co‐operation have revealed increasing diversification of China's on‐the‐ground practices in Africa. However, engaged research has yet to examine the situated experiences of Chinese and African individuals whose activities shape and are shaped by Chinese multinationals, especially those in the growing yet underexplored high‐tech sectors. To address this gap, this article investigates the workplace regimes of two Chinese companies in Ethiopia. Using a mixed‐method approach, it articulates the contradictory nature of Chinese investment and its diverse manifestations in work relations between Chinese expatriates and local Ethiopians. Our findings suggest that Chinese and Ethiopian employees are proactive yet constrained agents in exploiting work opportunities for their own economic interests and professional development.

“The Chinese” in Nigeria: Discursive Ethnicities and (Dis)embedded Experiences

“…For instance, Ho (2012) reported that Chinese migrants in Ghana had a loose network of social connections rather than a solid residential community. As part of the same drive to expose myths about Chinese migrant life in Africa through ethnographic study of everyday interactions, a growing number of researchers has shed light on its vibrancy and diversity, using data from Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Angola, South Africa, and Tanzania (Gadzala 2009, Lam 2015, Fei, Samatar, and Liao 2018, Schmitz 2017, Liu 2018, Sheridan 2018).…”

“…In the case of Africa, ethnographic researchers have delved into the changing dynamics caused by local trading regulations and the multiple effects of ambivalent African–Chinese relationships (Gadzala 2009, Marfaing and Thiel 2013). In various economic sectors from agri-food to high tech, the agency of Chinese migrant managers and workers has been manifested in how they construct positive corporate images in their host societies by meeting African employees’ needs (Cook et al 2016, Fei et al 2018). Moreover, different understandings of work ethics and labor rights, derived largely from the very different patchworks of past and present politico-legal regimes in China and Africa, can lead to distrust and even open conflict between Chinese managers and African workers (Lee 2009).…”

Negotiating Chineseness: Incorporating critical reflection into workplace research on Chinese investment in Ethiopia

“…2 Such high turnover rate is very common among Chinese expatriates. See Fei et al (2018). 3 This type of site visit, however, would not work for Huaxia as the workplace is securely guarded.…”

“…During my engagements with Ethiopian employees, I constantly heard comments such as “I just wish they [the expatriates] can speak English as well as you do.” Some local employees also expressed their desire to pursue advanced degrees in Europe or North America and sought advice from me about the graduate school application and immigration processes. In fact, studies have shown that local employees use Chinese companies as “springboards” for other career and life aspirations – often in western countries (Fei et al, ; Mohan & Lampert, ). Despite my Chinese phenotype, my educational background and English proficiency positioned me as a “different Chinese” than the “typical Chinese” that locals encountered on a daily basis.…”

Chinese Telecommunications Companies in Ethiopia: The Influences of Host Government Intervention and Inter-firm Competition

“…These relationships, either cooperative, complementary, competitive or a combination of different forms, offer an important prism through which to examine the nature of Chinese investment in Africa. This approach entails viewing Chinese actors not as discrete entities 3 See, e.g., Cook et al 2016;Arsene 2014;Fei, Samatar and Liao 2018. 4 Alden and Alves 2008.…”