Learn more about who Chinese engineers are and what's important to them.

1. September 25, 2007

2. >> Agenda
Purpose of Study
Methodology
Results
> Respondent Characteristics
> Work Attitudes
> Risk Management
> Personal Values
> Leisure Activities
Overall Findings/Implications

3. >> Purpose of Study
To better understand the engineers who are fueling the
growth of one of the most rapidly evolving technology
epicenters in the world: China

4. >> Methodology
> “Insight 2007: A Study of Chinese Technology Innovators”
> Online survey of Chinese electronic engineers
> Fieldwork dates: June 28th through July 28th, 2007
> Email addresses provided by 21ic.com
> A total of 2,071 useable responses received (margin of error +/- 2.2%)
from China
> Objectives
> Social preferences
> Work attitudes
> Psychographic and lifestyle profile
> China results analyzed by gender, age, job function and end market;
statistically significant differences noted throughout
> Data compared to “Insight 2005: A Study of US Technology Innovators”
as appropriate and applicable (4,083 responses)

6. >> End market
Controls, Test,
Medical
Other
Equipment
5%
Military/Aero 28%
5%
Sub-assemblies/
Power supplies
6%
Auto/
Components
Consumer
8%
21%
Communications
10% Computers
17%
NOTE: End market sub-categories available in appendix
Which of the following best describes your company’s end products?

7. >> Company size
81%
Fewer than 1000
employees
41%
Mean = 1757 employees
Mean = 2950 employees
15%
1000 to fewer
than 10000
25%
China (n=2009)
US 2005 (n=4080)
4%
10000 or more
employees
34%
How many people are employed by your company at all its sites and locations?

8. >> Job function
88%
Engineering staff
71%
8%
Engineering
mgmt
25%
China (n=2036)
US 2005 (n=4082)
4%
Corporate mgmt
4%
Which of the following best describes your job function?

9. >> Higher education
2%
PhD
8%
13%
MSEE
25%
1%
MA/MS 7%
1%
MSCS
5%
China (n=2036)
MBA
6% US 2005 (n=3986)
1%
Engineering Post Grad (no degree) 12%
37%
BSEE
45%
4%
BSCS
6%
22%
Associates
7%
6%
College (no degree)
5%
7%
No college
1%
Which of the following describes your higher-education background? (Multiple response)

10. >> Locale of higher education
*Other
1%
China
*Includes US, 99%
Canada, Australia,
UK, Other Europe,
Hong Kong
Where did you obtain higher education?

11. >> Gender
94%
Male
94%
China (n=2034)
6% US 2005 (n=4072)
Female
6%

12. >> Age
68%
Younger than 30
years
10%
25%
30 to 39 years
24%
6% Mean = 29.1 years
40 to 49 years Mean = 43.7 years
37%
1%
50 to 59 years
23%
China (n=2065)
US 2005 (n=4078)
0%
60 years or older
6%
What is your age?

14. >> Tenure with present employer
8.9 years
10
9
8 4.8 years
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
China (n=2032) US 2005 (n=4078)
How long have you worked in your present job with your current employer?

15. >> Chinese EEs less apt to work in teams
100
24%
90
43%
80
70
60
50 I work mostly on my own
76%
40 I work as part of a team
57%
30
20
10
0
China (n=1942) US 2005 (n=4077)
In your job, do you normally work as part of a team or do you mostly work on your own?

16. >> Much is required of EEs – keeping up, juggling tasks,
learning new skills and assuming new responsibilities…
% Agree Strongly
Please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree that each statement applies to the company for
which you currently work, or applies to your career.

17. >> …but they suffer from myriad hurdles, resource constraints
and insufficient regard for challenges
Within my job, I know exactly what is 41%
expected of me 26%
36%
Job security is good
16%
At the place where I work, I am treated 29%
with respect 41%
I have a lot of freedom to decide how to 27%
do my work 39%
China
My main satisfaction in life comes from 22%
work 7% US 2005
I have adequate information to get the 21%
job done 23%
I trust the management at the place 19% % Agree Strongly
where I work 19%
I am free from the conflicting demands 18%
that other people might make for me 5%
I have a lot to say about what happens on 17%
my job 29%
17%
I have enough time to get the job done
8%
16%
I am proud to be working for my employer
31%
Please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree that each statement applies to the company for
which you currently work, or applies to your career.

19. >> How engineers perceive their responsibility to
take on risk
28%
Risk taker
38%
China (n=1914)
36% US 2005 (n=4072)
On the fence
41%
36%
Risk averse
21%
Much of engineering work these days is about managing risk in its many forms. How much of a risk taker do
you consider yourself – from a professional standpoint? Use the following 10-point scale, where “10”
means you think of yourself as a risk taker, and “1” means you think of yourself as highly risk averse.

20. >> What is highly risky to an engineer?
42%
Choosing "single source" component 41%
Starting your own company 36%
79%
Choosing component which offers little/no 32%
tech support 34%
Choosing vendors not in immediate region 26%
14%
Relying on colleague 26% % High Risk
8%
23% (Top-3 box - 10-
Selecting MPU no one in company has used 37% point risk scale)
Outsourcing ASIC design to 3rd party 22%
37%
22%
Choosing component not on AVL 23%
21% China
Using 3rd party IP 25%
21% US 2005
Changing MPU 1
24%
Taking job at start up 20%
49%
Arguing with boss 20%
17%
Project team located other parts of world 15%
25%
Relying on vendor's reference design 15%
16%
Choosing Linux 12%
11%
11%
Changing standard analog component 10%
For each of the following statements, please tell us how risky you would find each situation. Assume that the statements give
you all you currently know about the situation. Use a 10-point scale, where “1” would be a situation that you think is “not at all
risky”, “5” for a situation which is “moderately risky” and “10” a situation which you feel is “very risky.

21. >> How willing are engineers to change?
Choosing "single sourced" component 54% 29% 17%
Choosing component which offers little/no
43% 36% 21%
tech support
Choosing vendors not based in immediate
39% 39% 22%
region
Select MPU that no one in company has
32% 43% 25%
used
Choosing component not on AVL 31% 44% 25% Change
Maybe
Using 3rd party IP 31% 42% 27% Don't change
Outsourcing ASIC to 3rd party 30% 43% 27%
Changing standard analog component 29% 44% 27%
Changing MPU 28% 44% 28%
Choosing Linux for RTOS 27% 43% 30%
Based on your assessment of the level of risk in each of these situations, what would probably be your response?

23. >> Personality continuum
100%
90%
US engineers’ perceptions of OTHER ENGINEERS
80%
70%
60%
50%
China engineers’ perceptions
of OTHER ENGINEERS
40%
China engineers’ perceptions
of NON-ENGINEERS
30%
20%
10% US engineers’ perceptions of NON-ENGINEERS
0%
Above average Introverted Modern Wide range of Plain Socially active
intelligence interests
Which best describes the engineering colleagues you work with? (For each pair of terms, choose the term or phrase which best
represents your views.)
Which best describes the non-engineering colleagues you work with? (For each pair of terms, choose the term or phrase which best
represents your views.)

24. >> Percent of friends who are engineers
Mean = 45%
100% Zero (0%)
1% 1%
76% to 99%
14% 1% to 25%
26%
51% to 75%
26%
26% to 50%
32%
What percentage of your friends are engineers?

25. >> Personal values
Being self-sufficient and not having to 83%
depend on others 79%
82%
Being financially secure 74%
77%
Having a fulfilling job 69%
Being cultured 74%
31%
58%
Being married 59%
55%
*Having an apartment
50%
Having a child 58%
*Having more sleep 49%
China
48% US 2005
*Having vacations
41%
*Having beliefs
Having nice things 32%
13% % One of the most
28% important/Very important
*Having my own business
24%
*Having a car *Not asked in US
12%
*Traveling abroad
How important are the following things to you personally?

26. >> Social outlook
Conservative,
13%
Liberal, 56%
Moderate, 31%
How would you classify your social outlook?

27. >> Prefer to have conversation with
Bill Gates 48%
Richard Lee 38%
Hu Jintao 36%
Stephen Hawking 21%
Chen-Ning Yang 14%
Jackie Chan 14%
Tsung-Dao Lee 12%
George W. Bush 10%
Vladimir Putin 8%
China (n=1702)
Yao Ming 8%
Henry Fok 7%
Zhang Ziyi 6%
Liu Xiang 6%
Jay Chou 3%
Ding Junhui 2%
Who would you prefer to have a conversation with? (Select up to three.)

29. >> Leisure time activities
Gathering with friends 40%
Family activities 37%
Reading 29%
Surfing the web 22%
Watching TV 22%
China (n=1743)
Do-it-yourself projects 22%
Dining out 16%
Other = 2%
Recreational sports 14%
Exercising 14%
Playing computer games 13%
Watching movies 12%
Educating yourself 12%
Listening to music 9%
Karaoke bars 8%
Social networking websites 5%
Computer programming 4%
Cooking 3%
Volunteer activities 1%
How do you like to spend your leisure time? (Select up to three.)

30. >> Preferred types of books
History 51%
Classics 35%
Science Fiction 34%
Humor 34%
Biography 29%
Current Events 27%
Action / Adventure 12%
Mystery 12% China (n=1714)
Romance 7%
Drama 6%
Self-Help 6%
Horror 3%
What is your preferred type of book to read? (Select up to three.)

31. >> E-books
Yes, I read e-
81%
books
China (n=1604)
Do you read e-books?

32. >> Regularly participate in physical activities
Running 41%
Badminton 31%
Bicycling 28%
Table Tennis 28%
Basketball 25%
Swimming 22%
Billiards 13%
Soccer 12%
Yoga / Tai Chi 5%
Martial Arts 3% China (n=1614)
Tennis 3%
Extreme Sports 2%
Volleyball 2%
Boxing 1%
Weightlifting 1%
Baseball 0%
What type of physical activity do you regularly participate in? (Select up to three.)

33. >> Sports watched on TV
Soccer 46%
Basketball 45%
Table Tennis 29%
Auto Racing 20%
Badminton 17%
Martial Arts 13%
Extreme Sports 13%
China (n=1646)
Billiards 13%
Gymnastics 11%
Volleyball 8%
Boxing 8%
Skating 7%
Tennis 6%
Skiing 4%
Professional Wrestling 2%
Golf 1%
American Football 1%
Baseball 1%
What sports do you like to watch on television? (Select up to three.)

34. >> Favorite TV show category
Nature / Discovery 68%
Education /
45%
Documentary
News 39%
Comedy 31%
China (n=1673)
Science Fiction 30%
Sports 23%
Movies 14%
Mystery 9%
Drama 5%
What is your favorite TV show category? (Select up to three.)

35. >> Top-10 TV shows
Seminars by a hundred pundits. Often about
42%
history
Animal world 30%
CCTV news 26%
Spotlight interviews. A China Central
25%
Television (CCTV) program in prime time
China (n=1678)
The same old song. CCTV's live shows 25%
Military watchroom. By Phoenix TV, a Hong
20%
Kong-based pro-China news station
Worldwide soccer 16%
Win in China. Young entrepreneurs' 14%
competition for investment
Meeting Lu Yu. A Phoenix TV interview 10%
program similar to Larry King live
Celebrities' life stories. A CCTV program 8%
What TV show are you most likely to watch on a free evening? (Select up to three.)

36. >> Favorite movie categories
Comedy 57%
Action 55%
Science Fiction 47%
Documentary 24%
Drama 15% China (n=1705)
Mystery 14%
Romance / Love
14%
Story
Thriller 8%
What is your favorite movie category? (Select up to three.)

37. >> Favorite electronic game platform
Personal computer 57%
PlayStation/PS2 55%
Nintendo 47%
China (n=1523)
XBox 24%
64% play electronic games
Other 15%
Do you play electronic games?
What is your favorite electronic game platform? (Select up to three.)

38. >> Preferred music genre
Pop 65%
Classical 41%
Chinese music 31%
Country / Folk 26%
Movie music 18%
Rock 16% China (n=1689)
Internet songs 16%
Concert 8%
DJ 6%
Jazz 4%
What is your preferred type of music? (Select up to three.)

39. >> Devices used to play music
Computer 77%
MP3 player 54%
CD player 22%
Radio 18%
DVD player 13%
China (n=1690)
Audio cassette 3%
Mini CD player 2%
Turntable 1%
When you are listening to music, what do you use to play your music on? (Select up to three.)

41. >> Respondent Characteristic Findings
> Chinese engineers are significantly younger, therefore less experienced,
than U.S. counterparts
> In addition, education levels are lower even when comparing only under
30 age cohorts
> As in the U.S., engineers in China are predominantly male
> Nearly all engineers in China are educated in China

42. >> Work Attitudes Findings
> Chinese engineers are much less likely to work on teams than U.S.
counterparts
> Chinese engineers are under significantly greater pressure than U.S.
counterparts to learn new things, while working very quickly
> Nearly half of Chinese engineers (compared to nearly one-fifth of U.S.
counterparts) are concerned that volume of work means they cannot be
effective
> Chinese engineers feel a lack of respect in the workplace, and have
limited freedom to determine how to do their job

43. >> Risk Profile Findings
> Chinese engineers see themselves as quite a bit more risk averse than
U.S. counterparts see themselves…
> …Except when it comes to starting a company or working at a start-up
> Chinese engineers are less comfortable using vendors outside their
region than U.S. engineers
> Chinese engineers are less comfortable relying on the advice of a
colleague, an activity with which U.S. engineers associate almost no risk

44. >> Personal Values Findings
> Chinese engineers’ and U.S. engineers’ perceptions of engineers versus
non-engineers are strikingly similar:
> Both see engineers as more intelligent than non-engineers (though U.S. engineers hold
a more extreme view of the intelligence gap than their Chinese counterparts)
Both see engineers as more introverted and plain than non-engineers
>
Both see non-engineers as more modern and socially active than engineers
>
> Chinese engineers value self-sufficiency, financial security and job
fulfillment more highly than U.S. engineers
> Being cultured is dramatically more important to Chinese engineers than
their U.S. counterparts, as is having nice things
> Chinese engineers see themselves as socially liberal
> Chinese engineers hold entrepreneurs and successful businesspeople in
very high regard

45. >> Leisure Activity Findings
> Chinese engineers enjoy spending leisure time with friends, participating
in family activities, reading, watching TV and surfing the Web
> History is the favorite book genre of Chinese engineers
> The classics, science fiction, humor, biography and current events also popular
> Chinese engineers are avid e-book readers, with 8 in 10 reading them
> Chinese engineers are physically active, enjoying a wide variety of
activities
> Chinese engineers enjoy watching sports on TV, and prefer basketball,
soccer and table tennis above all

46. >> Leisure Activity Findings
> Chinese engineers’ favorite things to watch on TV are nature/discovery,
followed by education/documentary and news
> When it comes to movies, Chinese engineers cite comedy, action and
science fiction as favorite types (in that order)
> Chinese engineers enjoy playing electronic games and use a variety of
platforms
> Chinese engineers listen to a wide variety of music, with pop and
classical topping the list, and are most likely to use their computer or
MP3 player

47. >> Conclusion/Questions
> Chinese engineers are young, active and independent, with a very strong
entrepreneurial drive
> In contrast, U.S. engineers are older, more collegial, and less optimistic about their
profession and their professional prospects
> Will China take over as leaders of technology innovation?
> What will the role of the U.S. be as China continues to drive for growth and success?
> How will China’s strong sense of cultural identity impact the evolution of technology
innovation?

48. >> Contacts
> For further information or to discuss the findings, please contact:
Kerry McClenahan Bill Barron
McClenahan Bruer Communications Hearst Business Media
503-546-1002 516-227-1322
kerry@mcbru.com bbarron@hearst.com

50. >> End-market sub-categories
 Controls, Test, Medical Equipment: Industrial controls, systems, equipment and robotics;
Electronic instruments, ATE systems, test equipment; Medical electronic equipment
 Auto/Consumer: Consumer electronic devices; Automotive & other ground vehicles; Home
automation/security; Appliances
 Computers: Embedded computer systems; PCs, Workstations, Servers; Displays/Copiers/
Printers/Office Machines; Mobile computers/Notebooks/Tablets; Software Development;
Mainframes, Minis, Supercomputers; Computer system integrator; Disk/Tape drives & Other
mass storage devices
 Communications: TV/Satellite/Radio/Broadcasting equipment; Wireless & Microwave
systems; Internetworking equipment/Routers/Packet switches; Cellular/Consumer phones,
PCs; Fiber optic/Broadband; Voice/Data (VOIP) systems/Software
 Components: ICs & Semiconductors; Other components, boards, materials, hardware &
supplies; Semiconductor equipment/systems; IP/Cores
 Sub-Assemblies/Power Supplies: Power supplies; Sub-Assemblies (boards, modules,
hybrids)
 Military/Aero: Avionics, Marine, Space electronics; Gov’t owned/Contracted labs; Gov’t
offices/Agencies