Abstract:

The unprecedented economic boom in China has resulted in a high demand for local managerial talent, as most multi-nationals have recognised that in order to sustain their business growth, they need to localise fairly rapidly. Consequently, the young, educated Chinese seeking employment today, have opportunities that even a decade ago were unthinkable. This has led to a situation where recruiting local talent is a big management challenge. This paper examines, via a case study involving conjoint analysis technique, how this very valuable and sought after target group makes decisions regarding which job to choose, and the trade-offs that they are willing to make. Further, it examines the application of the conjoint analysis technique to market segmentation. The findings suggest that the potential managerial pool in the PRC is more likely to choose a job that offers instant gratification (such as a quick promotion) over one that is likely to provide a more long term career or personal growth prospects. However, there are segments (albeit in the minority) of the student population who are give greater emphasis on issues such as training and job content - and therefore are likely to be a better long term bet for prospective employers.