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

Long Zhang (), Yulin Deng (), Xin Zhang () and Enhua Hu ()
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Long Zhang: Hohai University
Yulin Deng: Hohai University
Xin Zhang: Hohai University
Enhua Hu: Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 2016, vol. 33, issue 3, No 3, 617-648

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: Informal relationship; Guanxi; Motive; Leader-member relationship; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10490-015-9430-3

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