Abstract
We propose three building blocks of sustainability regarding human resource management: 1. attracting employees; 2. managing their needs; 3. encouraging the workforce to put forth effort by creating motivating incentives. These fundamental aspects of sustainability are examined in the context of a German multinational corporation that has established an operating facility in the People's Republic of China. Based upon a questionnaire, we find that information on: 1. the importance of work-related goals; 2. individual preferences for particular management styles; 3. performance-reward rankings may be usefully employed to organise these building blocks of sustainability considering the different institutional frameworks.