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Guanxi and leader member relationships between American managers and Chinese employees: open-minded dialogue as mediator

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  • Nancy Chen
  • Dean Tjosvold

Abstract

Effective open relationships with employees can help foreign managers rely upon and utilize the local knowledge of their employees. One hundred and sixty-three Chinese employees from various industries in China were surveyed on their relationships (leadership–member relationship and personal guanxi) with American and Chinese managers, their constructive controversy, that is, their constructive controversy with them, and the job assignments and promotions received from their managers. Results support the hypotheses that quality leader–member relationship and personal guanxi promoted their constructive controversy, which in turn facilitated employees receiving challenging jobs and promotions. Results suggest that leader–member relationship and Chinese value of guanxi may be important for enhancing their constructive controversy; this kind of open dialogue can be a foundation upon which American managers can develop the confidence to give their Chinese employees challenging tasks and promotions. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007

Suggested Citation

  • Nancy Chen & Dean Tjosvold, 2007. "Guanxi and leader member relationships between American managers and Chinese employees: open-minded dialogue as mediator," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 171-189, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:24:y:2007:i:2:p:171-189
    DOI: 10.1007/s10490-006-9029-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Guoquan Chen & Dean Tjosvold, 2008. "Organizational values and procedures as antecedents for goal interdependence and collaborative effectiveness," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 93-112, January.
    2. Yina Mao & Kelly Peng & Chi-Sum Wong, 2012. "Indigenous research on Asia: In search of the emic components of guanxi," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 1143-1168, December.
    3. Edward WONG SEK KHIN & Yap Poh LIAN & Lau Wee YEAP & Rusnah MUHAMAD, 2016. "Organizational environment factors associated with corporate social responsibility: effects on communication and guanxi relationship between supervisors and subordinates in SMEs," The Audit Financiar journal, Chamber of Financial Auditors of Romania, vol. 14(141), pages 1025-1025.
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    6. Dan Nie & Anna-Maija Lämsä, 2015. "The Leader–Member Exchange Theory in the Chinese Context and the Ethical Challenge of Guanxi," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(4), pages 851-861, June.
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    9. Zhu, Cherrie Jiuhua & Cooper, Brian K. & Fan, Di & De Cieri, Helen, 2013. "HR practices from the perspective of managers and employees in multinational enterprises in China: Alignment issues and implications," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 241-250.
    10. Simon Lam & Joseph Yeung, 2010. "Staff localization and environmental uncertainty on firm performance in China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 677-695, December.
    11. Dennis Hwang & Patricia Golemon & Yan Chen & Teng-Shih Wang & Wen-Shai Hung, 2009. "Guanxi and Business Ethics in Confucian Society Today: An Empirical Case Study in Taiwan," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 89(2), pages 235-250, October.
    12. Long Zhang & Yulin Deng & Xin Zhang & Enhua Hu, 2016. "Why do Chinese employees build supervisor-subordinate guanxi? A motivational analysis," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 617-648, September.
    13. Zhen Wang & Yi-feng Chen & Dean Tjosvold & Kan Shi, 2010. "Cooperative goals and team agreeableness composition for constructive controversy in China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 139-153, March.
    14. Santanu Sarkar, 2009. "Individualism–collectivism as predictors of BPO employee attitudes toward union membership in India," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 93-118, March.
    15. Cynthia Ho & Kylie Redfern, 2010. "Consideration of the Role of Guanxi in the Ethical Judgments of Chinese Managers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 96(2), pages 207-221, October.
    16. Long Zhang & Yulin Deng, 2016. "Guanxi with Supervisor and Counterproductive Work Behavior: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(3), pages 413-427, March.
    17. Millissa Cheung & Wei-Ping Wu & Allan Chan & May Wong, 2009. "Supervisor–Subordinate Guanxi and Employee Work Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(1), pages 77-89, April.
    18. Mario Testa & Vittoria Marino & Gerardino Metallo & Bernardino Quattociocchi & Salvatore Esposito De Falco, 2014. "The knowledge-based internationalization of italian fashion firms. The chinese market experience," ESPERIENZE D'IMPRESA, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2014(1), pages 29-40.
    19. Long Zhang & Yulin Deng & Qun Wang, 2014. "An Exploratory Study of Chinese Motives for Building Supervisor–Subordinate Guanxi," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(4), pages 659-675, November.
    20. Peng, Kelly Z. & Ngo, Hang-Yue & Shi, Junqi & Wong, Chi-Sum, 2009. "Gender differences in the work commitment of Chinese workers: An investigation of two alternative explanations," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 323-335, July.
    21. Marina Astakhova, 2015. "The Curvilinear Relationship between Work Passion and Organizational Citizenship Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 361-374, August.
    22. Sarkar, Santanu, 2012. "Determinants of employees’ attitudes toward union membership in India," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 240-250.

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