Skip to main content
Disciplines
Automotive Business IT + Informatics Construction + Real Estate Electrical Engineering + Electronics Energy + Sustainability Insurance + Risk Finance + Banking Management + Leadership Marketing + Sales Mechanical Engineering + Materials
Events
DE
EN
Books
Journals
Topic Page
Marketing
Start single access now
Access for companies
EXTENDED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Management International Review
Published in: Management International Review 3/2013

01-06-2013 | Research Article

Mao Meets the Market

Reconciling Ideology and Pragmatism in China

Authors: Dr. Song Yang, Prof. Bruce W. Stening

Published in: Management International Review | Issue 3/2013

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

  • This study sought to examine the relative impact of several competing sources of values and ideologies—Chinese Traditional Values, Capitalist Values, Socialist Ideology and Deng Xiaoping’s Philosophy—on Chinese businesspersons. In contrast to previous research that has focused almost exclusively on cultural influences, this research was aimed at also understanding political influences.
  • Questionnaire data from 487 respondents drawn from two cities and three industrial sectors was analyzed by means of structural equation modeling.
  • Positive and significant relationships were revealed between Socialist Ideology and both Chinese Traditional Values and Deng’s Philosophy. While a negative and significant relationship was shown between Socialist Ideology and Capitalist Values, Capitalist Values were positively and significantly related to Deng’s Philosophy.
  • Chinese businesspersons live with some apparent contradictions between espoused values and the realities of economic life. The paper explores how they are reconciled and examines their implications for various stakeholders.
previous article Effective Persuasion of International Business Sales Letters
next article Rigor and Relevance of IJV Exit Research

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Management International Review

MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL REVIEW is a double-blind refereed journal that aims at the advancement and dissemination of research in the fields of International Management.

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
Ames, R. T. (1983). The art of rulership: A study in ancient Chinese political thought. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommendation of two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 411–423.CrossRef
Bagozzi, R. P., & Foxall, G. R. (1996). Construct validation of a measure of adaptive-innovative cognitive style in consumption. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 13(3), 201–213.CrossRef
Bagozzi, R. P., & Heatherton, T. F. (1994). A general approach to representing multifacted personality constructs: Application to state self-esteem. Structural Equation Modeling, 1(1), 35–67.CrossRef
Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74–94.CrossRef
Bagozzi, R. P., Yi, Y., & Phillips, L. (1991). Assessing construct validity in organizational research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36(3), 421–458.CrossRef
Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Y. H., Segall, M. H., & Dasen, P. R. (2002). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Beyer, J. M. (1981). Ideologies, values and decision making in organizations. In P. C. Nystrom & W. H. Starbuck (Eds.), Handbook of organizational design (Vol. 2, pp. 166–202). New York: Oxford University Press.
Bloom, I. (1996). Confucian perspectives on the individual and the collective. In I. Bloom et al. (Eds.), Religious diversity and human rights (pp. 114–151). New York: Columbia University Press.
Bond, M. H., & Hofstede, G. (1987). Chinese values and the search for culture-free dimensions of culture. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 18(2), 143–164.CrossRef
Bond, M. H., & Muethel, M. (2012). Doing better research on organizational behavior in Chinese cultural settings: Suggestions from the notebooks of two fellow-travellers. Management and Organization Review, 8(2), 455–475.CrossRef
Brindley, E. (2010). Individualism in early China: Human agency and the self in thought and politics. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Brockmann, H., Delhey, J., Welzel, C., & Yuan, H. (2009). The China puzzle: Falling happiness in a rising economy. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10(4), 387–405.CrossRef
Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136–162) Newbury Park: Sage.
Buchholz, R. A. (1977). The belief structure of managers relative to work concepts measured by a factor analytic model. Personnel Psychology, 30(4), 567–587.CrossRef
Bullock, A., & Stallybrass, O. (1977). The Fontana dictionary of modern thought. London: Fontana/Collins.
Chan, W. T. (1962). Chinese theory and practice. In C. A. Moore (Ed.), Philosophy and culture: East and West: East-West philosophy in practical perspective (pp. 81–96). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Chan, W. T. (1963). A source book in Chinese philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Chen, M.-J. (2001). Inside Chinese business: A guide for managers worldwide. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Chevrier, S. (2009). Is national culture still relevant to management in a global context? The case of Switzerland. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 9(2), 169–184.CrossRef
Child, J. (1994). Management in China during the age of reform. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chung, C. H., Shepard, J. M., & Dollinger, M. J. (1989). Max Weber revisited: Some lessons from East Asian capitalistic development. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 6(2), 307–321.CrossRef
Davis, H. J., & Rasool, S. A. (1988). Values research and managerial behavior: Implications for devising culturally consistent managerial styles. Management International Review, 28(3), 11–20.
Dubinsky, A. J., Howell, R. D., Ingram, T. N., & Bellenger, D. N. (1986). Salesforce socialization. Journal of Marketing, 50(4), 192–207.CrossRef
Earley, P. C. (1989). Social loafing and collectivism: A comparison of the United States and the People’s Republic of China. Administrative Science Quarterly, 34(4), 565–581.CrossRef
Egri, C. P., & Ralston, D. A. (2004). Generation cohorts and personal values: A comparison of China and the United States. Organizational Science, 15(2), 210–220.CrossRef
Elliott, G., Jiang, F., Redding, G., & Stening, B. (2010). The Chinese business environment in the next decade: Report from a Delphi study. Asian Business and Management, 9(4), 459–480.CrossRef
Fan, Y. (2000). A classification of Chinese culture. Cross Cultural Management, 7(2), 3–10.CrossRef
Fang, T. (2005/2006). From ‘onion’ to ‘ocean’: Paradox and changes in national cultures. International Studies of Management and Organization, 35(4), 71–90.
Fang, T. (2012). Yin Yang: A new perspective on culture. Management and Organization Review, 8(1), 25–50.CrossRef
Faure, G. O., & Fang, T. (2008). Changing Chinese values: Keeping up with paradoxes. International Business Review, 17(2), 194–207.CrossRef
Fenby, J. (2008). Modern China: The fall and rise of a great power, 1850 to the present. New York: Collins.
Fromm, E. (1963). Marx’s concept of man. New York: Frederick Ungar.
George, P., & Churchill, G. A. (1978). Consumer socialisation: A theoretical and empirical analysis. Journal of Marketing Research, 15(4), 599–609.CrossRef
Godement, F. (2012). China at the crossroads. European Council on Foreign Relations, 53, 1–13. http://​www.​ecfr.​eu/​page/​-/​ECFR53_​CHINA_​ESSAY_​AW.​pdf.​ Accessed 20 Sep 2012.
Hampden-Turner, C. M., & Trompenaars, F. (2000). Building cross-cultural competence: How to create wealth from conflicting values. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Hofstede, G. H. (2001). Culture’s consequences (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Horng, C., & Chen, W. (2008). From contract manufacturing to own brand management: The role of learning and cultural heritage identity. Management and Organization Review, 4(1), 109–133.CrossRef
Huang, Y. (2008). Capitalism with Chinese characteristics: Entrepreneurship and the state. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRef
Inglehart, R. (1977). The silent revolution: Changing values and political styles among Western publics. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Inglehart, R. (1997). Modernization and postmodernization: Cultural, economic, and political change in 43 societies. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Ingelhart, R., & Baker, W. E. (2000). Modernization, cultural change, and the persistence of traditional values. American Sociological Review, 65(1), 19–51.CrossRef
Ip, P. K. (2009). The challenge of developing a business ethics in China. Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 211–224.CrossRef
Jia, L., You, S., & Du, Y. (2012). Chinese context and theoretical contributions to management and organization research: A three-decade review. Management and Organization Review, 8(1), 173–209.CrossRef
Jöreskog, K., & Sörbom, D. (1990). Model search with Tetrad II and Lisrel. Sociological Methods and Research, 19(1), 93–106.CrossRef
Kraus, W. (1991). Private business in China: Revival between ideology and pragmatism. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Kwon, J. W. (2012). Does China have more than one culture? Exploring regional differences in work values in China. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 29(1), 79–102.CrossRef
Lee, N., Beatson, A., Garrett, T. C., Lings, I., & Zhang, X. (2009). A study of the attitudes towards unethical selling amongst Chinese salespeople. Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 497–515.CrossRef
Leung, K. (2008). Chinese culture, modernization, and international business. International Business Review, 17(2), 184–187.CrossRef
Leung, K., Bhagat, R. S., Buchan, N. R., Erez, M., & Gibson, C. B. (2005). Culture and international business: Recent advances and their implications for future research. Journal of International Business Studies, 36(4), 357–378.CrossRef
Lewis, R. D. (1996). When cultures collide: Managing successfully across cultures. London: Nicholas Brealey.
Lin, J. Y. (2012). Demystifying the Chinese economy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Liu, T. Q. (2010). Confucianism and business practices in China. Beijing: China Financial and Economic Publishing House.
Marx, K. (1844/1969). The economic and philosophic manuscripts of 1844. New York: International Publishers.
McGregor, R. (2010). The party: The secret world of China’s communist rulers. New York: Collins.
Meisner, M. (1986). Mao’s China and after: A history of the People’s Republic. New York: Free.
Meyer, M. W. (2011). Is it capitalism? Management and Organization Review, 7(1), 5–18.CrossRef
Munro, D. (1985). Individualism and holism: Studies on Confucian and Taoist values. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press (Center for Chinese Studies).
Nakamura, H. (1964). Ways of thinking of eastern peoples: India, China, Tibet, Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Nisbett, R. E. (2003). The geography of thought: How Asians and Westerners think differently … and why. London: Nicholas Brealey.
Ogden, S. (1989). China’s unresolved issues: Politics, development and culture. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Paine, L. S. (2010). The China rules. Harvard Business Review, 88(6), 103–108.
Ralston, D. A. (2008). The convergence perspective: Reflections and projections. Journal of International Business Studies, 39(1), 27–40.CrossRef
Ralston, D. A., Gustafson, D. J., Cheung, F. M., & Terpstra, R. H. (1993). Difference in managerial values: A study of U.S., Hong Kong and PRC managers. Journal of International Business Studies, 24(2), 249–275.CrossRef
Ralston, D. A., Yu, K. C., Wang, X., Terpstra, R. H., Gustafson, D. J., & Wei, H. (1996). The cosmopolitan Chinese manager: Findings of a study on managerial values across the six regions of China. Journal of International Management, 2, 79–109.
Ralston, D. A., Holt, D. H., Terpstra, R. H., & Yu, K.C. (1997). The impact of national culture and economic ideology on managerial work values: A study of the United States, Russia, Japan, and China. Journal of International Business Studies, 28(1), 177–207.CrossRef
Ralston, D. A., Egri, C. P., Stewart, S., Terpstra, R.H., & Yu, K. (1999). Doing business in the 21st century with the new generation of Chinese managers: A study of generational shifts in work values in China. Journal of International Business Studies, 30(2), 415–427.CrossRef
Redding, G. (2002). The capitalist business system of China and its rationale. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 19(2/3), 221–249.CrossRef
Redding, G., & Witt, M. A. (2007). The future of Chinese capitalism: Choices and chances. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Reusswig, F., & Isensee, A. (2009). Rising capitalism, emerging middle-classes and environmental perspectives in China: A Weberian approach. In H. Lange & L. Meier (Eds.), The new middle classes: Globalizing lifestyles, consumerism and environmental concern (pp. 119–142). Heidelberg: Springer.CrossRef
Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. New York: Free.
Schaubroeck, J., Lam, S. S. K., & Xie, J.-L. (2000). Collective-efficacy versus self-efficacy in coping responses to stressors and control: A cross-cultural study. Journal Applied Psychology, 85(4), 512–525.CrossRef
Schwartz, S. H., & Bilsky, W. (1987). Toward a universal psychological structure of human values. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(3), 550–562.CrossRef
Sheth, J. (2011). Impact of emerging markets on marketing: Rethinking existing perspectives and practices. Journal of Marketing, 75(4), 166–182.CrossRef
Stening, B. W., & Zhang, M. Y. (2007). Methodological challenges confronted when conducting management research in China. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 7(1), 121–142.CrossRef
Stevenson, L. S., & Haberman, D. L. (1998). Ten theories of human nature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sverko, B., & Vizek-Vidovic, V. (1995). Studies of the meaning of work: Approaches, models, and some findings. In D. E. Super & B. Sverko (Eds.), Life roles, values and careers: International findings of the world importance study (pp. 3–21). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tang, L., & Koveos, P. E. (2008). A framework to update Hofstede’s cultural value indices: Economic dynamics and institutional stability. Journal of International Business Studies, 39(6), 1045–1063.CrossRef
Tang, T. L. P. (1992). The meaning of money revised. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13(2), 197–202.CrossRef
Thomas, D. C., & Au, K. (2002). The effect of cultural differences on behavioral responses to low job satisfaction. Journal of International Business Studies, 33(2), 309–326.CrossRef
Triandis, H. C. (2001). Individualism and collectivism: Past, present and future. In D. Matsumoto (Ed.), The handbook of culture and psychology (pp. 35–50). New York: Oxford University Press.
Triandis, H. C., & Gelfand, M. J. (1998). Converging measurement of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(1), 118–128.CrossRef
Tse, D. K., Francis, J., & Walls, J. (1994). Cultural differences in conducting intra- and inter-cultural negotiations: A Sino-Canadian comparison. Journal of International Business Studies, 25(3), 537–555.CrossRef
Tsui, A. S., Wang, H., & Xin, K. R. (2006). Organizational culture in China: An analysis of culture dimensions and culture types. Management and Organization Review, 2(3), 345–376.CrossRef
Vogel, E. F. (2011). Deng Xiaoping and the transformation of China. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.CrossRef
Weber, M. (1922). Economy and society. Tübingen: Mohr.
Witt, M. A. (2008). Covergence 10 years on: Impact and further potential. Journal of International Business Studies, 39(1), 47–52.CrossRef
Wong, D. B. (2004). Rights and community in Confucianism. In K.-L. Shun & D. B. Wong (Eds.), Confucian ethics: A comparative study of self, autonomy and community (pp. 31–48). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRef
Xing, F. (1995). The Chinese cultural system: Implications for cross-cultural management. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 60(1), 14–20.
Yau, O. H. M. (1994). Consumer behaviour in China: Customer satisfaction and cultural values. London: Routledge.
Yu, A. B. (1996). Ultimate life concerns, self and Chinese achievement motivation. In M. H. Bond (Ed.), The handbook of Chinese psychology (pp. 227–246). Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
Zhang, M. Y., & Stening, B. W. (2010). China 2.0: The transformation of an emerging superpower. Singapore: Wiley.
Zhao, S., & Du, J. (2012). Thirty-two years of development of human resource management in China: Review and prospects. Human Resource Management Review, 22(3), 179–188.CrossRef
Zhao, X., & Belk, R. W. (2008). Politicizing consumer culture: Advertising’s appropriation of political ideology in China’s social transition. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(2), 231–244.CrossRef
Zheng, Y. (1997). The compilation of three religions: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Taipei: Zheng Yishan (in Chinese).
Zhu, C. J., De Cieri, H. L., Dowling, P. J. (1998). The reform of employee compensation in China’s industrial enterprises. Management International Review, 38(2), 65–87.
Zwass, A. (1995). From failed communism to underdeveloped capitalism: Transformation of Eastern Europe, the post-Soviet Union, and China. Armonk: Sharpe.
Metadata
Title
Mao Meets the Market
Reconciling Ideology and Pragmatism in China
Authors
Dr. Song Yang
Prof. Bruce W. Stening
Publication date
01-06-2013
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Management International Review / Issue 3/2013
Print ISSN: 0938-8249
Electronic ISSN: 1861-8901
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-012-0155-y

Other articles of this Issue 3/2013

Management International Review 3/2013 Go to the issue

Research Article

FDI Experience Location and Subsidiary Mortality

Research Article

Rigor and Relevance of IJV Exit Research

Research Article

Foreigness-induced Cognitive Disorientation

Erratum

Erratum to: Focused Issue on Indigenous Management Research


Research Article

Effective Persuasion of International Business Sales Letters

Research Article

The Quality of Domestic Legal Institutions and Export Performance

Premium Partner

    Image Credits