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Asia Pacific Journal of Management
Published in: Asia Pacific Journal of Management 3/2016

01-09-2016

Why do Chinese employees build supervisor-subordinate guanxi? A motivational analysis

Authors: Long Zhang, Yulin Deng, Xin Zhang, Enhua Hu

Published in: Asia Pacific Journal of Management | Issue 3/2016

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Abstract

Supervisor-subordinate guanxi is an informal leader-member relationship that is of utmost importance in Chinese organizations. This paper explores Chinese employees’ motives for building supervisor-subordinate guanxi through two studies. Study 1 develops an indigenous scale of motives for supervisor-subordinate guanxi. Four motive types (i.e., career advancement, team concern, personal life, and impression management) are identified, and the scale’s convergent and discriminant validity is established. Study 2 examines the predictive power of these motive types. The results indicate that they, as a whole, account for unique variances in supervisor-subordinate guanxi. Furthermore, as single motive types, they have unequal impacts on this relationship and its dimensions. This research enhances understanding of what underlies supervisor-subordinate guanxi from a motivational perspective and has implications for Chinese indigenous research of guanxi.
previous article Same but different? Similarities and fundamental differences of informal social networks in China (guanxi) and Korea (yongo)
next article Guanxi circle and organizational citizenship behavior: Context of a Chinese workplace

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Metadata
Title
Why do Chinese employees build supervisor-subordinate guanxi? A motivational analysis
Authors
Long Zhang
Yulin Deng
Xin Zhang
Enhua Hu
Publication date
01-09-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Asia Pacific Journal of Management / Issue 3/2016
Print ISSN: 0217-4561
Electronic ISSN: 1572-9958
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-015-9430-3

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