Company relocation policies do not apply to as many migrants as the proposal envisaged, because of the range of routes into ‘expatriate’ status. Interviews with those who had been relocated (in a ‘classic’ expatriate manner) and discussions with human resources managers, showed that company policies regarding relocation and expectations regarding work in China, show great variation. Preparation for overseas postings varied from company-organised activities, through the use of relocation agents in China, to no real assistance provided. While in some cases the justification for a lack of company involvement was cost, some HR managers stated that their executives were resourceful enough not to need their ‘hands holding’, and that they had been selected because of their ability to adapt to different working environments. While this may be true of the ‘workplace’ (although the transition is never as smooth as might be expected) it certainly does not take into account the social and cultural move and also the household requirements.

Some companies have an excellent relocation system, with examples of ‘good practice’ including:

• A ‘look see’ visit before the final decision is made
• Involvement of household members, especially spouse/partner, where appropriate
• An opportunity to talk to people who have lived and worked in China
• · Some ‘training/awareness raising’ of Chinese business practices, cultural norms etc.
• ‘Handbook’ of local services, important numbers, translations into Cantonese/Mandarin as appropriate.

Actual company ‘packages’ were generally commented upon favourably, and in fact (as highlighted in section 2) the economic benefits of relocation often drove the migration decision. For migrants with school-age children, the payment of school fees was certainly an attractive proposition, as was a housing allowance.

In terms of the workplace, many interviewees complained about the expectations placed on them by managers at ‘head office’ who had no real understanding of the Chinese situation. This was particularly the case with manufacturing and individuals working for representative offices in the financial sector. Because of the ‘hype’ about the potential profits to be made in China, there seems to have been a rush into the country to take advantage of the increasing economic openness. However, the Chinese economy is in transition and has its own peculiarities. There is also a vast amount of bureaucracy to deal with and particular business customs which are often unfamiliar to the migrants. For individuals who spend their days trying to organise supplies or an appropriate permit, pressure from head office where they cannot understand the delays, is often too much to bear. The three main complaints about company attitudes to work in China were therefore:

• Unrealistic timeframes
• Unrealistic budgets
• Problems of timezone differences – meant workers sometimes had to be ‘available’ 24 hours a day. This is particularly problematic for one-person offices trying to start up in China.

This webpage is maintained by Dr Katie Willis, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX

Email: Katie.Willis@rhul.ac.uk