Overview

Fatality quotas implemented in China’s industrial section and local governments are being used to promote work safety and therefore, reducing the number of work-related deaths. Given the controversial nature of this policy, Gao analyzes how the fatality quotas are functioning to aid the country in balancing economic growth and social stability. The book also examines significant implications caused of this policy’s implementation in the local regions, and reveals how local officials attempt to handle these problems. This is the first book to systematically examine the role of death indicators in work safety improvement in contemporary China, revealing insight into Beijing’s quota-oriented approach to policy-making.

Full Product Details

9781138182448

Table of Contents

Reviews

In this important book, Jie Gao presents a masterful analysis of how the Chinese state has used the target management system to greatly improve its country's work safety record, by instituting quotas of fatalities that local officials are not allowed to exceed. She convincingly examines both the successes and the limitations of the target-oriented mode of governance, reaching broader conclusions beyond this particular case. In doing so, the book makes major contributions to the literature on China's state capacity and authoritarian resilience. Her work will therefore be a must-read for political scientists and those interested in public administration, as well as for scholars of work safety. ---Tim Wright, Emeritus Professor of Chinese Studies, University of Sheffield Gao's study is a useful contribution to understanding the practice of public administration in China and, more generally, the party-state's response to governance challenges. She concludes with reflections on how the case of work safety pertains to current debates about the resilience of China's political arrangements. But the study also contributes to our broader understanding ofthe significance of the Chinese case for the comparative study of worker safety and risk management. ---Richard P. Suttmeier, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA in The China Quarterly (2023), 1-2 doi:10.1017/S0305741023000140

In this important book, Jie Gao presents a masterful analysis of how the Chinese state has used the target management system to greatly improve its country's work safety record, by instituting quotas of fatalities that local officials are not allowed to exceed. She convincingly examines both the successes and the limitations of the target-oriented mode of governance, reaching broader conclusions beyond this particular case. In doing so, the book makes major contributions to the literature on China's state capacity and authoritarian resilience. Her work will therefore be a must-read for political scientists and those interested in public administration, as well as for scholars of work safety. ---Tim Wright, Emeritus Professor of Chinese Studies, University of Sheffield

Author Information

Jie Gao is an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore. Her research focuses on China’s political and administrative reforms, particularly in the areas of performance management, work safety regulation and cadre management.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available