Life enrichment for workers in contemporary China

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify key antecedents of work-family enrichment (WFE) for Chinese workers in China. The paper adopts the Chinese cultural perspectives (i.e. philosophy of Confucian: Chinese family orientation and collectivism) as well as traditional Chinese philosophies of life as a whole. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper. Therefore, this section does not apply. Findings The key antecedents of Chinese WFE have been identified and presented in the conceptual framework. Testable propositions have also been developed and presented in this paper. Practical implications The conceptual framework showing the identified key antecedents of Chinese WFE highlights the necessity for the corporate leaders to rethink the ways to promote well-being and productivity of Chinese workforce in China. Meanwhile, managers should rethink about WFE among Chinese employees and regard employees as a whole person rather than just a worker with certain skills or abilities. Originality/value This is the first paper to propose the concept of life enrichment by examining the antecedents of WFE particularly from the Chinese philosophical and cultural perspective.