Jack Ma: To achieve results, you need to work 12 hours a day
Alibaba founder Jack Ma responded to complaints about tough working conditions in China. In many tech companies there, work hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.
Jack Ma on Work in China
During a speech to Alibaba employees, Jack Ma called this schedule a “great blessing” for young people. He said that he works 12 hours a day and would never change this part of himself.
“If you don’t work 9-9-6 when you are young, when else can you do it? Everyone in this world wants to be successful, everyone wants a better life, everyone wants respect. Let me ask you: if you don’t put in more time and effort than others, how can you achieve the success you want?”
Vladimir Petrovsky, Chief Researcher of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies, says that tough working conditions are not unusual for East Asian culture, although formally, labor protection laws are respected in China and other Far Eastern countries.
According to the Russian Labor Code, working hours cannot exceed 40 hours per week. However, in many commercial organizations, employees have irregular working hours or flexible schedules. The intensity of work is often determined by the area of responsibility—managers and entrepreneurs usually base their schedules not on formal hours, but on results, says Vadim Dymov, founder of the “Dymov” company.
Jack Ma is the founder of Alibaba, one of China’s largest companies, which includes the AliExpress online store and the AliPay payment system. Before starting his business in 1999, Ma worked as an English teacher. Last year, he became the richest person in China, with a fortune of $35 billion.