As a 'white-collar worker' in the mobile telecommunications industry in his previous life, the corporation that impressed Yan Liqiang the most was Huawei.
In the past, Huawei once extended an invitation to Yan Liqiang and his colleagues for a tour and an interview. After visiting Huawei's headquarters, Yan Liqiang concluded that the single, most vital factor of the company's success was the fact that their leader had closely associated the company's well being with all of its employees.
Huawei designed a 'Virtual Restricted Shares' system, in which more than 98% of the company's shares were held by its trade union and employees. Those who held the virtual shares were entitled to a certain percentage of dividends, but not the company's ownership and voting rights. The virtual shares couldn't be transferred or sold either. When the employee left the company, their shares would be bought back by Huawei's trade union.
