‘Making sense’ of HRM in China: setting the sceneFootnote1

 1. This contribution is based in part on an earlier version of a paper originally given in Summer 2008 at the Business School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China which has been substantially added to, extended and up-dated. These latter processes were significantly deepened and enriched by exchanges with academics at the Management School, Zhejiang University and other Business Schools in universities in Hong Kong SAR, later in Winter 2008–2009. I should like to thank the following colleagues and collaborators for their advice and help in the development of the ideas in this essay: Syed Akhtar; John Child; Ngan Collins; Daniel Z. Ding; Vince Edwards; Keith Goodall; Grace Lee; Sek-Hong Ng; Jane Nolan; Peter Nolan; Riccardo Peccei; Michael Poole; Chris Rowley; Shuming Zhao; Ying Zhu; Zhong-Ming Wang; and many others. I must also thank Penny Smith at the Cardiff Business School for her most helpful administrative assistance.