The Leader–Member Exchange Theory in the Chinese Context and the Ethical Challenge of Guanxi

Journal of Business Ethics 128 (4):851-861 (2015)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The leader–member relationship has been identified as a key determinant of successful working relationships and business outcomes in China. A high-quality leader–member relationship helps managers and employees to meet the demands they face and gives them the opportunity to develop socially, emotionally and morally. Such relationships form the basis of the overall well-being and success of the organisation. This article contributes to relationally oriented leadership theories and more specifically to the leader–member exchange theory by examining the theory in the context of Western expatriate managers and Chinese employees in China. The first aim of the study is to analyse the similarities and differences between the LMX theory, which owes its origins to Western corporate experience, and the social and moral norms of guanxi, a crucial element in the Chinese value system. Since Westerners and Chinese people can give different interpretations to guanxi, the second aim of the article is to discuss the ethical challenges to the Western manager arising from guanxi. The findings of this study have implications not only for China, but also for other Chinese communities where guanxi is endorsed and practised

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Ganxi's consequences: Personal gains at social cost. [REVIEW]Ying Fan - 2002 - Journal of Business Ethics 38 (4):371 - 380.
Good Guanxi, Bad Guanxi?: Drawing the Line.Liu Goggin, Aidan Kelly & John F. Hulpke - 2007 - International Corporate Responsibility Series 3:297-312.

Analytics

Added to PP
2014-01-16

Downloads
43 (#324,904)

6 months
5 (#247,092)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?