Business ethics and workplace <IT>guanxi</IT> in Chinese SOEs: a qualitative study

Jessica Li; Jean Madsen

doi:10.1108/20408001111179140

Login

Welcome:
Guest

Search for:

Browse:

Product Information:

Resources:

Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management

ISSN: 2040-8005

Online from: 2010

Subject Area: Human Resource Management

Content: Latest Issue | Latest Issue RSS | Previous Issues

Options: To add Favourites and Table of Contents Alerts please take a Emerald profile

Business ethics and workplace guanxi in Chinese SOEs: a qualitative study

Document Information:
Title:	Business ethics and workplace guanxi in Chinese SOEs: a qualitative study
Author(s):	Jessica Li, (Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA), Jean Madsen, (Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA)
Citation:	Jessica Li, Jean Madsen, (2011) "Business ethics and workplace guanxi in Chinese SOEs: a qualitative study", Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management, Vol. 2 Iss: 2, pp.83 - 99
Keywords:	Business ethics, China, Decision making, Employee attitudes, Employee behaviour, guanxi, SOE employees, SOE organizations, State-owned enterprises
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/20408001111179140 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Abstract:	Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine Chinese employees' perceptions on their ethical decision making in relation to the workplace guanxi context in state-owned enterprises (SOE). Design/methodology/approach – Using a qualitative method, two rounds of interviews were conducted with 18 participants in two SOEs “to explore Chinese employees” ethical perceptions and experiences in the workplace. A qualitative thematic strategy was adopted to analyze and interpret the data. Findings – The authors identified three major themes on SOE employees ethical decision making in relation to workplace guanxi: the ethical self; malleable ethical standards; and submission to authority. The authors derived a conceptual framework to outline the relationship between the invisible hand of guanxi and the SOE employees' ethical decision making. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the business ethics literature by presenting a three-dimensional profile and a conceptual framework for Chinese business ethics research. It provides an in-depth understanding of a complex dynamics of guanxi and its impact on employees' ethical decision-making behavior.