Upper management have absolutely no people skills, and no concern for employee wellbeing at all. They have no idea how to communicate with employees, and will bark orders around via WeChat message or in person while running through the office. There are tears in the office on a regular basis. On top of that, it doesn't matter what time of day it is - being a family business upper management expects all staff to be as involved as they are at all hours, without extra compensation or recognition. There are no work phones, so work comes in 24/7 in your personal WeChat and most staff wake up to hundreds of messages on a daily basis.
The company is extremely stingy. Business trips involve all staff sharing hotel rooms and minimal staff are sent to attend industry events. Upper management is convinced that these are "benefits" rather than a part of the job, and don't recognize how hard it is to stay up to date on the industry/marketing tools when you are located in China compared with other toy companies' US home base. There are regularly location-related issues that are posed as a "challenge" rather than an actual issue.
Power is a very important tool the owners use to control their staff. They love showing off their wealth, and always ensure they have the last word. They frequently talk about how they started from nothing, something that has turned out to be quite the lie. They frequently mention how everyone is replaceable (to their face), and reduce the importance of staff's tasks by saying everything takes "just two minutes". They will boast about helicopters and mansions, as well as offer huge sums of money in eating contests, but pay rises are low and staff (especially Chinese staff) are not paid their worth. Overtime pay does not exist, but overtime is a daily occurrence.
The marketing team is held accountable for all decreases in sales, even when increases in sales are attributed to sales team's hard work. Bonuses are not in line with company profit growth rates, and do not line up with HR promises either.
The marketing team is increasingly consisting of young graduates from New Zealand (so called "rock stars") who are hired and relocated to Shenzhen without being adequately prepared for life in China and without being trained by upper management. Instead, middle management is expected to look after them much like baby sitters. Roles are switched around on an hour-by-hour basis, under the premise of "needing to be adaptable and being able to handle change". Really, nobody should have to handle this much change, as it shakes up the teams constantly. Odd instances of people being fired cause turbulence too, something which is never recognized when raised to upper management.
Upper management says they are open to feedback, but nobody is ever listened to unless you are part of the family. In fact, most managers will never be asked to join meetings to discuss their area of expertise, and media plans change on a daily basis without the relevant staff being consulted. While here I have witnessed many situations in which HR support and ethics have been extremely questionable, to the point of questioning whether I can continue to work here.
