161
Among the non-proprietary directors who displayed the ambition to be an independent owner, the rationale was simple. The terse remark of A24, manager of a public company, summed it up succinctly: 'You can have something of your own'. Their desire was thwarted so far because, as they said unanimously, they did not have the initial capital to start. But the real significance does not lie in the reasons they gave. It is in the act of expressing their wish to be self-employed so openly. They did not find it necessary to disguise this sentiment even as a mere gesture of deference to their employers. This openness indicates that their ambition is socially approved. Even the owners themselves acknowledged the prevalence of this motivation among their executives. They accepted it as a fact of life that could not be condemned as disloyalty or insubordination. As A32 said:
"It is a difficult situation. Many senior staff want to be their own boss. If they can stand on their own feet, they can get more, much more money. In Hong Kong, money is important."
Although five of the non-propertied directors did not choose to be their own boss, they were in fact upholding the same value as those who did. The only difference was that they did not perceive the option to be a feasible one for themselves. The capital outlay for a cotton spinning mill was too enormous, they said, or that there were too many fluctuations in the trade in cotton yarn for a small firm to bear the risk. Nowhere did they exhibit any sense of pride in being an employee, no matter how senior their position might be. The self-depreciation was evident in their answers. A director, who spent his entire working life in Mill 24, found it necessary to be apologetic about his immobility:
Q: Have you ever worked out of China?
A: No. Not even out of this company. It is very foolish of me, isn't it?
Q: Would you prefer to be a small owner or a senior executive?
A: Executive. Everybody's background is different. As I am the eldest son, I cannot afford to take too many
161
Among the non-proprietory directors who displayed the ambition to be an independent owner, the rationale was simple. The terse remark of A24, manager of a public company, summed it up succinctly: 'You can have something of your own'. Their desire was thwarted so far because, as they said unanimously, they did not have the initial capital to start. But the real significance does not lie in the reasons they gave. It is in the act of expressing their wish to be self-employed so openly. They did not find it necessary to disguise this sentiment even as a mere gesture of deference to their employers. This openness indicates that their ambition is socially approved. Even the owners themselves acknowledged the prevalence of this motivation among their executives. They accepted it as a fact of life that could not be condemned as disloyalty or insubordination. As A32 said:
"It is a difficult situation. Many senior staff want to be their own boss. If they can stand on their own feet, they can get more, much more money. In Hong Kong, money important.'
is
Although five of the non-propertied directors did not choose to be their own boss, they were in fact upholding the same value as those who did. The only difference was that they did not perceive the option to be a feasible one for themselves. The capital outlay for a cotton spinning mill was too enormous, they said, or that there were too many fluctuations in the trade in cotton yarn for a small firm to bear the risk. Nowhere did they exhibit any sense of pride in being an employee, no matter how senior their position might be. The self-depreciation was evident in their answers. A director, who spent his entire working life in Mill 24, found it necessary to be apologetic about his immobility:
Q: Have you ever worked out of China?
A: No. Not even out of this company. It is very foolish
of me, isn't it?
Q: Would you prefer to be a small owner or a senior
executive?
A: Executive. Everybody's background is different. As I am the eldest son, I cannot afford to take too many
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