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Entrepreneur’s political involvement and inter-organizational conflict resolution in China’s transition economy

Aiqi Wu (School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China)
Xiaotong Zhong (School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China)
Di Song (School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China)

International Journal of Conflict Management

ISSN: 1044-4068

Article publication date: 27 March 2020

Issue publication date: 4 June 2020

336

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the influence of entrepreneur’s political involvement on private-own enterprises’ (POEs’) selection of two inter-organizational conflict resolutions approaches (private approach and public approach), in the context of China’s transition economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a sample of POEs operating in China’s transition economy in the year 2000, this study investigates the possible association between the entrepreneur’s political involvement and the approach chosen to resolve inter-organizational conflicts. A further step is taken to look into the implications of such a choice.

Findings

The empirical study reveals that those POEs with greater entrepreneurial political involvement have the propensity to rely on public approach. In general, POEs are more satisfied with the private approach than the public approach when managing conflicts. Besides, the study shows that the positive effects derived from the entrepreneur’s satisfaction on private approach will be weakened in more established institutions.

Originality/value

This paper has its unique contribution in highlighting the significance of how entrepreneurs’ political involvement interferes with inter-organizational conflict resolution.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

For helpful discussions and constructive comments, the authors thank to the guest editors and two anonymous reviewers, Steven Si, Song Lin, Elaine Lau, Shufan Yu, Yuhan Zuo and participants in the paper development workshop at the School of Management, Shanghai University. Authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71972166, 71572174, 71732008).

Citation

Wu, A., Zhong, X. and Song, D. (2020), "Entrepreneur’s political involvement and inter-organizational conflict resolution in China’s transition economy", International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 353-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-09-2019-0170

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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