FROM _NEIJUAN_ TO _BUJUAN_: CHINESE IT PROFESSIONALS' CHANGING PHILOSOPHY TOWARDS WORKING

Resumen

Since 2017, IT professionals have held the highest average salaries in China and are engaged in diverse roles spanning various levels of tech work. Despite their wage advantages, they face intense job market competition and opt to switch jobs to leverage their value or pursue higher salaries in an industry characterized by high uncertainty and mobility. To gain a competitive edge, many individuals turn to “ $2 .” Unlike its interpretation in the agricultural context as involution, $2 in the workplace refers to internal cut-throat competition. However, given the inherent uncertainty of the IT industry, the outcome of $2 does not necessarily guarantee success, prompting some professionals to abandon it. Existing research on $2 primarily examines it as a social phenomenon, with limited focus on employees’ perspectives regarding their practices and perceptions of the term, as well as their reasons for embracing $2 (not $2 ). By conducting 30 semi-structured interviews in Beijing, a city where the IT industry is highly concentrated, the research investigates how IT professionals perceive $2 from an insider perspective and how some navigate work uncertainties by embracing $2 . Using a qualitative approach, this study contributes to academic discourse by providing an empirical perspective distinct from media narratives. Findings reveal that both $2 and $2 are adaptive responses to the commercialization of labour in the Chinese IT sector. This research highlights the nuanced dynamics of competition and withdrawal in contemporary Chinese workplaces.