1st Edition
The 996 Machine How Overwork is Engineered in China’s Technology Industry
By Senhu Wang
Copyright 2027
162 Pages
3 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
Senhu Wang unveils how managers have quietly normalised relentless overwork within China's tech giants and how this same strategy is now spreading globally. From the open-plan offices of Shenzhen to remote teams worldwide, this book exposes the subtle tactics that transform ambition into exhaustion: unattainable goals masked as passion, constant surveillance disguised as collaboration, and the... Read more
1. Welcome to the 996 factory: Why has overwork become the norm? 2. Getting under the skin: The micro-mechanics of overwork 3. Paper tigers: Why China’s labour laws cannot stop overwork 4. The boss effect: Managers as gatekeepers of work norms 5. The art of bending the rules: How do managers sidestep policies? 6. The overwork playbook: Silent strategies that keep employees working 7. Big brother at work: Tech, surveillance, and the 24/7 grind 8. Breaking the machine: Can we escape the overwork trap? Appendix
Biography
Senhu Wang is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
