Internet chat rooms are being used by an increasing number of workers to air grievances, often turning cyberspace into a battleground between staff and management.
Company secrets or new policies that have not been officially announced are being leaked to outsiders in chat rooms and frequently become news headlines, while some bosses use chat rooms for public relations purposes in labour disputes.
Kevin Au Yuk-fai, an assistant professor at Chinese University's department of management, said poor staff relations or a lack of communication between senior managers and lower-level workers made it necessary to find alternative ways to vent anger and frustration.
'Many local companies are still operated in a traditional, authoritarian style. The workers can only take orders from the boss and have no room for discussion,' he said.
'Many workers use the Internet to speak out about inequalities such as pay cuts or lay-offs.'
Fellow university management professor Fu Pingping agreed, saying the traditional Chinese management style created barriers to communication while chat rooms offered anonymity.