What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to explore how toxic corporate culture impacts workplace happiness and psychological security.

March 26, 2026Open Access

Reclaiming Happiness (H) and Psychological Security (S) in Toxic Chinese Corporate Culture The H-S Model: An Autoethnographic Exploration

Key Points

The research aims to explore how toxic corporate culture impacts workplace happiness and psychological security.
Autoethnographic approach involving 11 months of immersive experience in a Chinese automotive company.
Integration of theoretical frameworks such as effort-reward imbalance, PERMA, and psychological safety.
Focus on personal agency and growth experiences including various professional achievements.
The H-S Model demonstrates the impact of toxic practices on psychological security and workplace happiness.
Findings suggest strategic withdrawal occurs, reducing effort while maintaining salary during toxic conditions.
The model provides a mathematically simple framework for understanding workplace dynamics in high-pressure environments.

Abstract

This autoethnographic study proposes the H-S Model (Workplace Happiness (H) = Rewards / Effort, with Psychological Security (S) as a necessary precondition for sustainable well-being, H ≥ 1). Based on 11 months of immersive experience as an intelligent cockpit engineer in a Chinese automotive company (May 2025 – March 2026), the paper examines how toxic corporate practices erode psychological security and trigger strategic withdrawal (reducing effort to 50% while maintaining salary). It integrates effort-reward imbalance (ERI), PERMA, and psychological safety theories, while highlighting individual agency through a two-year personal growth buffer (PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt, Russian B2, fitness transformation, etc.) leading to a psychology master’s program in Belarus. The model offers a culturally grounded, mathematically simple framework for young professionals navigating high-pressure Chinese workplaces.

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Cite This Study

Zhou Shihao (Tue,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69c4cd65fdc3bde448919bc1 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19198685

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