An interesting side note to Jingye’s ownership of the British Steel site in Scunthorpe has led me to reflect on a deeper distinction – not just between values and ‘words on the wall’, but between cultures of obedience and cultures of trust.
Jingye, which has direct links to the Chinese Communist Party, bought British Steel from the UK government’s insolvency service in 2020. One of their first moves was to cover the steelworks with corporate slogans, motivational mantras and brightly illustrated murals – flowers and all.
This approach is commonplace in Chinese state-owned and influenced enterprises, where business is seen as an extension of government, and values are handed down as instruments of control. In such a system, compliance is king and expression is limited to what aligns with the official line.
But Scunthorpe isn’t Shenzhen. In the UK, our working culture – for all its flaws – is built on a deeper expectation of autonomy, voice and mutual respect. When the slogans went up, the response from the steelworkers was sceptical. Let’s just say that the flowers didn’t bloom.
Because in cultures of trust, values are less about unity of messaging and more about unity of meaning. They are discovered, debated and put to work.
And that’s the real difference. Slogans demand silence. Values invite dialogue. Is your culture built for obedience or belief?