Which Haier leader created the Rendanheyi management model?

Haier leader Zhang Ruimin created the Rendanheyi management model.

Rendanheyi, written 人单合一, is commonly translated as “integration of people and goals” or “maker-customer integration.” Its central idea is that employees should connect directly with user needs and share in the value created for customers, rather than operating mainly through layers of bureaucracy.

Zhang developed the model at Haier as the company sought to avoid the inertia and silos that often accompany growth. The approach reorganized parts of the business into small, entrepreneurial micro-enterprises with greater autonomy and direct responsibility for users. It also aimed to reduce middle-management distance between workers and customers.

Zhang first proposed Rendanheyi in September 2005, while later stages of Haier’s restructuring expanded its use. The model is therefore associated with Zhang’s leadership and Haier’s transformation, not with Chinese technology entrepreneurs such as Lei Jun or Jack Ma. Ren Zhengfei founded Huawei and is linked to a different corporate-management tradition.