To read this content please select one of the options below:

Effect of guanxi on Chinese subordinates' work behaviors: a conceptual framework

Shih Yung Chou (College of Business and Engineering, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas, USA)
Bo Han (Department of Business Administration and Management Information Systems, Texas A&M University – Commerce, Commerce, Texas, USA)
Xiaohu Zhang (HEB School of Business and Administration, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, USA)

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration

ISSN: 1757-4323

Article publication date: 1 April 2014

607

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate a subordinate's perception of supervisor-subordinate guanxi and its impact on the subordinate's work-related outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws upon relevant literature and develops a theoretical framework that investigates the relationships among a subordinate's perceived supervisor-subordinate guanxi, loyalty to supervisor, challenge-oriented organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB), affiliation-oriented OCB, job security perception, and task performance.

Findings

This study suggests first, subordinate-supervisor guanxi will have a positive impact on a subordinate's loyalty to supervisor. Second, subordinate-supervisor guanxi will negatively affect a subordinate's challenge-oriented OCB, but will positively affect a subordinate's affiliation-oriented OCB. Third, a subordinate's loyalty to supervisor will negatively influence his or her challenge-oriented OCB, but will positively influence his or her affiliation-oriented OCB. Fourth, challenge-oriented OCB will negatively affect job security perception, whereas affiliation-oriented OCB will positively affect job security perception. Finally, job security perception will positively influence task performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study has several limitations. First, it does not consider the role of personality traits in determining work-related behaviours. Second, it only considers a one-to-one guanxi relationship. Thus, the results of this study could be different when a supervisor has one-to-many guanxi relationships.

Practical implications

This study suggests that a supervisor should take how to create quality informal relationships with subordinates into account when attempting to motivate Chinese subordinates' task and extra-role performance. Moreover, managers should manage effective informal social networks with subordinates proactively.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few studies that examine the impact of subordinate-supervisor guanxi on both extra-role and in-role performance from the perspective of singular view of subordinate-supervisor guanxi.

Keywords

Citation

Yung Chou, S., Han, B. and Zhang, X. (2014), "Effect of guanxi on Chinese subordinates' work behaviors: a conceptual framework", Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 18-35. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-04-2013-0033

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles