Thirty Years of Turbulence - Chinese Enterprises

作者：admin  点击次数：4  发布时间：2026-03-26

In Wuhan, a more dramatic figure appeared, a German named Grich. In November of the previous year, at the age of 64, he was hired as the director of Wuhan Diesel Engine Factory, becoming the first foreign state-owned enterprise director since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Grich is a retired engine engineer. In order to ensure the smooth operation of this foreigner, the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee has established a nine member working group led by a standing committee member. He is regarded as the "Norman Bethune of the new era".

Grich faced a state-owned old enterprise with lax discipline, chaotic management, and a lack of responsibility from the leadership. He demanded that workers abide by the eight hour work system, and those who were late or absent for a long time could be dismissed. He brought a magnifying glass, a small hammer, and a suction pen to the workshop every day to deal with management problems on site. In addition, he also transferred a chief engineer who had never been to the production line to another position. His actions were summarized by journalists as the "three axes of foreign factory managers". After seeing this news, a central leader commented, "Most of our own factory directors have not yet done so. Some are not without the conditions to do so, but they cannot grasp it, some are unwilling or afraid to do so, and of course, there are also those who cannot do it because of their physical, technical and other conditions." Greich's approach was regarded as the most advanced and novel management trick and quickly became popular in the media.