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The purpose of this paper is to investigate employee values and work‐related attitudes in Chinese manufacturing companies in comparison with values and attitudes in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

The paper will investigate employee values at the societal level, attitudes toward the employing organization, work and the determinants of pay. A survey was conducted in two plants in the electronics industry in China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. A standardised questionnaire comprising 39 items was developed by the Denki Ringo research group.

The results of an empirical study in Asian manufacturing companies indicate significant differences, as well as similarities, among values at the societal level and job‐related attitudes in China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. It is argued that the differences in work‐related attitudes are influenced by the respective societies' historical legacy, and in particular differences in institutional development.

In order to draw broader conclusions, it is necessary to explore alternative explanations and conduct further empirical research in other industries.

Multinationals interested in developing manufacturing in China could benefit from information given in this paper about the work‐related attitudes of Chinese employees compared to employees in other Asian societies, where they may already have experience.

This study contributes to the understanding of factors influencing values and work‐related attitudes at the societal, organizational, and individual level.

In recent years, resource‐based theory has emerged as one of the most promising theoretical frameworks in the field of management. In this paper, the authors aim to explore the application of a resource‐based view when implementing organizational change in Chinese organizations. The problems associated with change are explored from the perspective of human resources (HR).

Structured interviews were conducted with top or middle managers in 160 companies in several large cities in the northern part of China: Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan and Zibo.

From the perspective of HR, the main problems faced when implementing change in Chinese organizations include the following: bureaucratic regulations and strict orders remain the core features of the process of implementing changes in Chinese companies. Meanwhile, the intrinsic values and emotions of employees were neglected and coercion and manipulation was frequently used as a strategy to overcome resistance to change. Moreover, Chinese managers are found to lack the skill to involve employees in the change process.

The study provides some insights into the human side of the change management process in China. Based on the research results the authors have identified the main problems associated with HR and recommend that the human resource management function facilitate the success of organizational changes.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a country's national culture and institutional framework influence employees' reactions to changes in organizations and the process of implementation of changes.

The authors conducted interviews with members of top management teams in 160 companies in several large cities in the northern part of China: Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan and Zibo, and in 137 Estonian companies. In both countries, the companies involved represented various industries and sectors, ranging from manufacturing and technology, banking and insurance organizations, to those in energy and education industries. The interviews included open‐ended questions about the process of implementing organizational change and reactions to changes.

Results of interviews with managers indicate the similarities in employees' reactions to changes and in management of change process between the two countries stem from their socialist past. The different approaches to implementing change can be attributed to the differences in democracy and different cultural values.

Future research could involve the employees to provide more insights to the resistance to changes. Other scholars' cultural dimensions could be referred to, such as Trompenaars and Hofstede, in future studies. In order to draw broader conclusions it is necessary to explore alternative explanations and conduct further empirical research in other countries.

The results of this comparison obtained from studying Estonian and Chinese organizations could be useful for foreign investors, managers and owners of companies in two countries in transition: China and Estonia.

Scholars of organizational change have tended to have their focus restricted to the normal socio‐economic context. Studying and comparing organizational changes in transition economies increases knowledge base about change management.

The purpose of this paper is to explore understanding about impact of work‐related values on attitudes toward changes and organizational learning in Chinese organizations.

Research was conducted with 1,303 respondents from 29 Chinese companies in 2005‐2006. The companies were from two areas: Peking and Jinan. The respondents filled out three questionnaires: a questionnaire about work‐related values, a questionnaire about attitudes toward changes and a questionnaire about organizational learning. A principal component analysis and factor analyses using varimax rotation was completed for all three questionnaires.

This study emphasises the importance of knowing the work‐related values of employees in shaping attitudes toward changes and learning, which are key success factors during organizational changes. Based on connections between work‐related values, organizational learning and attitudes toward changes, the authors developed a model of the impact of work‐related values on organizational learning and attitudes toward changes in Chinese companies.

From the findings, the authors have developed some implications for managers of Chinese organizations and also for foreign managers in multinational corporations in China.

The purpose of this paper is to discover and compare the implementation of crisis management in Chinese and Estonian companies and the strategies the managers have used to prevent or manage crises.

An empirical study was conducted in two economies in transition: China and Estonia, in 2008. Interview data were collected from 102 Chinese companies and 67 Estonian companies. The data were analyzed applying content analysis.

The results indicate that the managers of Chinese and Estonian organizations have identified different crises reflecting the politico‐socio‐economic situation of the countries. The most common type of crises in Chinese organizations is those related to economy, while in Estonian organizations, they are related to human resources. Estonian companies are better prepared for handling crises beforehand than Chinese companies. However, the majority of companies in both countries started reacting after a crisis had already come true. A triangular model of crisis management is presented.

The empirical study is tentative focusing on major differences and similarities in crisis management between two countries in transition. The differences are interpreted from societal‐level development. More in‐depth research in needed based on the results of this study.

The transfer of market‐economy practices often fails due to institutional and cultural tensions and conflict. The study of crisis management in Chinese and Estonian companies tries to increase understanding of the different routes of transition economies and its impact on management and, specifically, on crisis management. The crisis management model based on the study illustrates the interconnection between different elements of crisis management.

The primary aim of the paper is to draw attention to the similarities in the historical background and in the transitional period of the post‐socialist CEE (Central and East European) countries, which make this region a distinctive cluster in Europe.

In this paper, the authors attempt to supplement existing research by outlining the modernisation of a range of HR functions in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and would like to explain how this special issue arose, to provide a historical perspective for the work undertaken by the Cranet research team from Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary and to outline the context and significance of each of the attempts at modernisation in the HRM field.

This analysis of developments, based on the Cranet surveys, aims to describe and explain the similarities and differences found among the three specific countries (Bulgaria, Estonia and Hungary), the somewhat broader sample comprising the CEE region and the full sample of those participating in the survey. All of these signs increase the need for a contextual Comparative HRM model – which supports not only the snapshot analysis, but also a longitudinal one, incorporating both the path‐dependent and the path‐creation considerations of the changes taking place.

The need to understand HRM from a European – as opposed to a merely Western – perspective has become a dominant theme as the HR peculiarities of the new capitalism emerge. However, during the transition period, everyone needed – somehow – to meet the great challenge of turning the omelette back into eggs!

The purpose of this paper is to examine how cultural differences influence change management in Indian, Chinese and Estonian organisations. The paper focuses mainly on the resistance to change and contributes to management research and management practices in multinational companies by improving the understanding of cultural influences on organisational change management.

The authors interviewed 177 business consultants and managers in India, China and Estonia who had participated in change management projects. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the impact of national culture to change management.

The cause of resistance was found to be mainly fear, in Indian and Estonian organisations, but in Chinese organizations it was the inertia. Increased stress was the most often experienced negative factor during change management projects in all three countries. Stress was caused mainly by leadership problems in India and by increased workload in Estonia. To overcome the resistance, communication was used in India and education together with communication both in Estonia and in China most often. Still, the content of these activities was different.

The interviewees had different relations to the organisations they described and the size of organizations was different.

The paper's findings will help managers of multinational companies to understand the causes of resistance to change in different countries and plan the methods to overcome such resistance.

Papers such as this, about the effect of culture on change management, are increasingly important due to rapid globalization.

A qualitative approach based on grounded theory was utilized, with data collected through 26 semi-structured interviews with social entrepreneurs. Alas’s Triangular Model provided the framework for data analysis and interpretation.

This study explores how Hong Kong social enterprises approached crisis and change management during the COVID-19 pandemic, examining their resilience-building strategies.

The pandemic triggered an existential crisis for many social enterprises, causing severe revenue losses. However, strong leadership and cultures based on social mission enabled resilience. Enterprises demonstrated agility by rapidly transitioning operations online and establishing partnerships. Technology adaptation and social innovation were pivotal to sustaining impact.

As the sample comprises enterprises that survived the pandemic, insights into failed enterprises are lacking. Comparative analysis could illuminate differences in crisis response between successful and unsuccessful cases.

The study’s practical implications suggest that social enterprises should focus on developing flexible crisis management plans, cultivating purposeful leadership, embracing digital transformation, strengthening collaborative networks and prioritizing organizational learning to effectively navigate crises while staying true to their social missions.

Findings demonstrate how shared values and cultures grounded in purpose can anchor organizations amidst upheaval, fostering resilience. This underscores the role of social enterprises in modeling responsiveness to societal needs.

While research has examined social enterprises’ vulnerability in crises, investigation into their crisis management practices is limited. This study enriches understanding of how social enterprises effectively navigate turbulence.