The purpose of this study is to examine the causes and negative effects of skills shortages among Chinese managers. Drawing on interviews with Chinese managers, we identified the existence of skills shortages existing in three types of organizations viz state-owned, private and foreign-invested, in China. We found that the skills shortages associated with skills deficiencies and scarcity exacerbate negative impacts and significantly affect the managerial performance. We ascertained a number of causes for skills shortage which are wide-ranging and multifaceted. Implications for current...  [+] Show more

The purpose of this study is to examine the causes and negative effects of skills shortages among Chinese managers. Drawing on interviews with Chinese managers, we identified the existence of skills shortages existing in three types of organizations viz state-owned, private and foreign-invested, in China. We found that the skills shortages associated with skills deficiencies and scarcity exacerbate negative impacts and significantly affect the managerial performance. We ascertained a number of causes for skills shortage which are wide-ranging and multifaceted. Implications for current and future skills shortages research are discussed.

Published abstract.