Partnership Practices, Labor Relations Climate, and Employee Attitudes: Evidence from China

As the labor relations climate in China has deteriorated in recent years, some firms have turned to partnership approaches. Using data collected from HR managers and employees in 190 companies in five provinces of China, this study tests the applicability of partnership theory for Chinese enterprises. It identifies eight dimensions of partnership practices and examines their effectiveness in improving the labor relations climate and employee attitudes. Results show that partnership practices are positively associated with labor relations climate and employee attitudes, and that labor relations climate mediates the relationship between partnership practices and employee attitudes (i.e., affective commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover intention). These findings contribute to the literature on partnership and labor relations climate and the operationalization of partnership, and its effects, in the Chinese context.