IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jeborg/v238y2025ics0167268125003385.html

Clan culture and supply chain resilience in China

Author

Listed:
  • Ding, Haoyuan
  • Li, Chang
  • Lu, Xingyu
  • Wang, Huanhuan

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of clan culture on supply chain resilience in China. We provide evidence that firms in cities with stronger clans experience fewer supply chain disruptions. The patterns remain robust to alternative measures, various subsamples, and instrumental variable estimations. When natural disasters, tariff shocks, and unfavorable credit policies negatively impact the stability of supply chains, our results show that clans significantly enhance resilience to these shocks. Mechanism tests suggest that clans serve as a substitute for contractual institutions and particularly, stabilize the relationships with socially connected suppliers.

Suggested Citation

  • Ding, Haoyuan & Li, Chang & Lu, Xingyu & Wang, Huanhuan, 2025. "Clan culture and supply chain resilience in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:238:y:2025:i:c:s0167268125003385
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107219
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268125003385
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107219?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman & Stephen J. Redding, 2024. "When Tariffs Disrupt Global Supply Chains," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(4), pages 988-1029, April.
    2. Anastasia Litina, 2016. "Natural land productivity, cooperation and comparative development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 351-408, December.
    3. Alberto Bisin & Thierry Verdier, 2024. "On the Joint Evolution of Culture and Political Institutions: Elites and Civil Society," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(5), pages 1485-1564.
    4. Petra Persson & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2016. "The Limits Of Career Concerns In Federalism: Evidence From China," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 338-374, April.
    5. Raymond Fisman & Jing Shi & Yongxiang Wang & Rong Xu, 2018. "Social Ties and Favoritism in Chinese Science," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(3), pages 1134-1171.
    6. Ersahin, Nuri & Giannetti, Mariassunta & Huang, Ruidi, 2024. "Trade credit and the stability of supply chains," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    7. Greif, Avner & Tabellini, Guido, 2017. "The clan and the corporation: Sustaining cooperation in China and Europe," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 1-35.
    8. Fan, Haichao & Peng, Yuchao & Wang, Huanhuan & Xu, Zhiwei, 2021. "Greening through finance?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    9. Cesare Fracassi & Geoffrey Tate, 2012. "External Networking and Internal Firm Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(1), pages 153-194, February.
    10. Hudson, Valerie M. & Bowen, Donna Lee & Nielsen, Perpetua Lynne, 2015. "Clan Governance and State Stability: The Relationship between Female Subordination and Political Order," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 109(3), pages 535-555, August.
    11. Huang, Liangxiong & Ma, Minghui & Wang, Xianbin, 2022. "Clan culture and risk-taking of Chinese enterprises," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    12. Guido Tabellini, 2008. "Presidential Address Institutions and Culture," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 6(2-3), pages 255-294, 04-05.
    13. Haoyuan Ding & Yichuan Hu & Han Jiang & Jing Wu & Yu Zhang, 2023. "Social embeddedness and supply chains: Doing business with friends versus making friends in business," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(7), pages 2154-2172, July.
    14. repec:hal:pseose:halshs-01313799 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Hiroyasu Inoue & Yasuyuki Todo, 2019. "Firm-level propagation of shocks through supply-chain networks," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(9), pages 841-847, September.
    16. Luigi Guiso & Paola Sapienza & Luigi Zingales, 2016. "Long-Term Persistence," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 14(6), pages 1401-1436.
    17. Vasco M Carvalho & Makoto Nirei & Yukiko U Saito & Alireza Tahbaz-Salehi, 2021. "Supply Chain Disruptions: Evidence from the Great East Japan Earthquake," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(2), pages 1255-1321.
    18. David S. Landes, 2006. "Why Europe and the West? Why Not China?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(2), pages 3-22, Spring.
    19. Anna M. Costello, 2020. "Credit Market Disruptions and Liquidity Spillover Effects in the Supply Chain," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(9), pages 3434-3468.
    20. Guo, Ping & Shi, Guifeng & Tian, Gary Gang & Duan, Siqi, 2021. "Politicians’ hometown favoritism and corporate investments: The role of social identity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    21. Xu, Yiqing & Yao, Yang, 2015. "Informal Institutions, Collective Action, and Public Investment in Rural China," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 109(2), pages 371-391, May.
    22. Matthew Elliott & Benjamin Golub & Matthew V. Leduc, 2022. "Supply Network Formation and Fragility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(8), pages 2701-2747, August.
    23. Zhang, Chuanchuan, 2020. "Clans, entrepreneurship, and development of the private sector in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 100-123.
    24. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman & Hugo Lhuillier, 2023. "Supply Chain Resilience: Should Policy Promote International Diversification or Reshoring?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 131(12), pages 3462-3496.
    25. Tan, Youchao & Xiao, Jason & (Colin) Zeng, Cheng & Zou, Hong, 2021. "What's in a name? The valuation effect of directors’ sharing of surnames," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    26. Cao, Jiarui & Xu, Yiqing & Zhang, Chuanchuan, 2022. "Clans and calamity: How social capital saved lives during China's Great Famine," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    27. Fan, Haichao & Li, Chang & Xue, Chang & Yu, Miaojie, 2023. "Clan culture and patterns of industrial specialization in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 457-478.
    28. Dong, Baomin & Zhang, Yu, 2024. "Confucianism and science," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    29. Luigi Guiso & Paola Sapienza & Luigi Zingales, 2006. "Does Culture Affect Economic Outcomes?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(2), pages 23-48, Spring.
    30. Dasgupta, Sudipto & Zhang, Kuo & Zhu, Chenqi, 2021. "Do Social Connections Mitigate Hold-up and Facilitate Cooperation? Evidence from Supply Chain Relationships," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 56(5), pages 1679-1712, August.
    31. Slesman, Ly & Abubakar, Yazid Abdullahi & Mitra, Jay, 2021. "Foreign direct investment and entrepreneurship: Does the role of institutions matter?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(4).
    32. Gaurav Khanna & Nicolas Morales & Nitya Pandalai-Nayar, 2022. "Supply Chain Resilience: Evidence from Indian Firms," NBER Working Papers 30689, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    33. Fubing Su & Tao Ran & Xin Sun & Mingxing Liu, 2011. "Clans, Electoral Procedures and Voter Turnout: Evidence from Villagers' Committee Elections in Transitional China," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 59(2), pages 432-457, June.
    34. Contractor, Farok J. & Dangol, Ramesh & Nuruzzaman, N. & Raghunath, S., 2020. "How do country regulations and business environment impact foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).
    35. Xiaoyu Zhou & Theodore Alysandratos & Michael Naef, 2023. "Rice Farming and the Origins of Cooperative Behaviour," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(654), pages 2504-2532.
    36. Melissa Dell, 2010. "The Persistent Effects of Peru's Mining Mita," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 78(6), pages 1863-1903, November.
    37. Ben Charoenwong & Miaozhe Han & Jing Wu, 2023. "Trade and Foreign Economic Policy Uncertainty in Supply Chain Networks: Who Comes Home?," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 25(1), pages 126-147, January.
    38. Xu, Le & Yu, Yang & Zanetti, Francesco, 2025. "The adoption and termination of suppliers over the business cycle," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    39. Christoph E. Boehm & Aaron Flaaen & Nitya Pandalai-Nayar, 2019. "Input Linkages and the Transmission of Shocks: Firm-Level Evidence from the 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 101(1), pages 60-75, March.
    40. Shuo Chen & Raymond Fisman & Xiaohuan Lan & Yongxiang Wang & Qing Ye, 2024. "The Costs and Benefits of Clan Culture: Elite Control versus Cooperation in China," NBER Working Papers 32414, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    41. Fan, Haichao & Hu, Xingcun & Lin, Faqin & Liu, Mengxun, 2025. "Cultural origin and international trade," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    42. Ting Chen & Hagit Levy & Xiumin Martin & Ron Shalev, 2021. "Buying products from whom you know: personal connections and information asymmetry in supply chain relationships," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 1492-1531, December.
    43. Alfaro, Laura & García-Santana, Manuel & Moral-Benito, Enrique, 2021. "On the direct and indirect real effects of credit supply shocks," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(3), pages 895-921.
    44. Avner Greif & Guido Tabellini, 2010. "Cultural and Institutional Bifurcation: China and Europe Compared," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(2), pages 135-140, May.
    45. Cheng, Jiameng & Dai, Yanke & Lin, Shu & Ye, Haichun, 2021. "Clan culture and family ownership concentration: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    46. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson, 2005. "Unbundling Institutions," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(5), pages 949-995, October.
    47. Nora M C Pankratz & Christoph M Schiller, 2024. "Climate Change and Adaptation in Global Supply-Chain Networks," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 37(6), pages 1729-1777.
    48. Chen, Zhiwu & Lin, Zhan & Zhang, Xiaoming, 2024. "Hedging desperation: How kinship networks reduced cannibalism in historical China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 361-382.
    49. Zhiwu Chen & Chicheng Ma & Andrew J Sinclair, 2022. "Banking on the Confucian Clan: Why China Developed Financial Markets so Late," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(644), pages 1378-1413.
    50. Faccio, Mara & Parsley, David C., 2009. "Sudden Deaths: Taking Stock of Geographic Ties," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 683-718, June.
    51. Lei, Ni & Miao, Qin & Yao, Xin, 2023. "Does the implementation of green credit policy improve the ESG performance of enterprises? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gabriel Croitoru & Nicoleta Cristache & Nicoleta Valentina Florea & Marian Nastase & Teodor-Florin Cilan & Valentin Sava, 2026. "The Impact of Business and Management Skills on Applied Logistics Skills. A PLS-SEM Approach in Accordance with ELAQF," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 28(71), pages 124-124, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Goel, Anand M. & Ren, Hongju, 2026. "Impact of culture in peer-to-peer lending," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    2. Ding, Congming & Chen, Zhiyuan & Ma, Qiucen, 2025. "Traditional clans and environmental governance: Evidence from China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    3. Li, Chang & Li, Wei & Shao, Yuhui, 2025. "Global monetary policy shocks and the adaptation of supply chains," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(PB).
    4. Fan, Haichao & Li, Chang & Xue, Chang & Yu, Miaojie, 2023. "Clan culture and patterns of industrial specialization in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 457-478.
    5. Li, Minglai & Li, Cong & Li, Qiang, 2025. "From tradition to transition: The effect of clan culture on energy poverty," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    6. Fan, Haichao & Hu, Xingcun & Lin, Faqin & Liu, Mengxun, 2025. "Cultural origin and international trade," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    7. Wei, Xiaoyu & Peng, Zixiao, 2025. "Clan culture and corporate environmental performance: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    8. Huang, Liangxiong & Ma, Minghui & Wang, Xianbin, 2022. "Clan culture and risk-taking of Chinese enterprises," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    9. Lixia Wang & Haiyun Liu, 2024. "Included or Excluded? When Foreign Direct Investment Meets the Confucian Clan in China," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(4), pages 17232-17255, December.
    10. Yongjun Tang & Qi Li & Fen Zhou & Mingjia Sun, 2024. "Does Clan Culture Promote Corporate Natural Resource Disclosure? Evidence from Chinese Natural Resource-Based Listed Companies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 192(1), pages 167-190, June.
    11. Li, Yanjun & Bai, Yu & Nakabayashi, Masaki, 2025. "Land reform and illegal adoption of children," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 182-208.
    12. Chen, Na & Yang, Huan, 2024. "From rural to urban: Clan, urbanization and trust," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    13. Qiu, Tongwei & Li, Yifei & Shi, Xinjie & Peng, Changyan & Luo, Biliang, 2024. "Alternative modes of governance: Clans and social instability in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    14. Xu, Xixiong & Wu, Linchun & Lin, Cuiliang & Gan, Weiyu, 2026. "Does clan culture mitigate earnings management? Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    15. Tan, Lin & Lu, Dong & Liu, Jiangtao, 2025. "Stay in hometown or go elsewhere: Clan culture and the cross-regional expansion of family firms," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    16. Zhao, Shuai & Hou, Linke, 2025. "Climbing the social ladder: Clans and intergenerational mobility in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(PC).
    17. Crosignani, Matteo & Han, Lina & Macchiavelli, Marco & Silva, André F., 2026. "Securing technological leadership? The cost of export controls on firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    18. Huang, Feng & Ye, Haichun & Zhang, Jing, 2025. "Off the books, away from the market: Clan culture and female labor force participation," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    19. Xue, Shengxi & Cao, Taiyun & Yu, Qianqian & Liu, Yuanyuan, 2024. "Clan culture and corporate cash holdings: Are private companies supported by informal institutions?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    20. Li, Chang & Shao, Yuhui & Wang, Tianzhu & Zhou, Shengdi, 2025. "Exchange rate volatility and supply chain disruption," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1527-1545.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:238:y:2025:i:c:s0167268125003385. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jebo .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.