Intergenerational Transmission of Occupation: A Qualitative Inquiry into Frontline Factory Workers in China

Ye Ye,Hiram Ting,Binyao Ning,Rosmini Omar

doi:10.3390/su12208486

Abstract

The intergenerational transmission of an occupation between two generations of frontline workers in Chinese factories shows a copy–paste phenomenon, whereby a new generation of workers not only undertakes the same work as their parents but also remains at the same level of technical ability. This phenomenon runs contrary to the literature on the intergenerational transmission of occupations and is unsuitable for China’s national conditions. More importantly, it restricts the sustainable development of the manufacturing industry in China. This study used a grounded theory approach to interview 30 workers to identify and analyze the factors and influences that created this new generation. The results show that the workers’ drawing of comparisons between and within generations not only limits their technical skills but also affects subsequent generations of workers through the intergenerational transmission of occupation. We draw on our findings to discuss the reasons for and impacts of these comparisons and make suggestions for future research.

Highlights

It is common for the generation to inherit their parents’ businesses or occupations, along with their social status and achievements
The new generation have taken up the same occupations as their parents and have the same low level of technical skills, a phenomenon that restricts the sustainable development of human resources in Chinese factories
We found that comparison was a significant factor in the intergenerational transmission of frontline worker occupations, leading to a high degree of similarity between generations in terms of job choices and work skills

Summary

Introduction

It is common for the generation to inherit their parents’ businesses or occupations, along with their social status and achievements. The intergenerational transmission of occupations is highly dependent on society-specific factors. This was the motivation for our study to focus on China, as it is a high-power-distance society with unequal occupations [4]. There is an increasingly serious shortage of technical labor [5], and China’s labor market has not shrunk significantly [6] This indicates that the new generation of frontline workers has not significantly improved their technical skills compared to the previous generation of workers. The new generation have taken up the same occupations as their parents and have the same low level of technical skills, a phenomenon that restricts the sustainable development of human resources in Chinese factories

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion