Trust in Guanxi

Abstract Trust is widely considered a core element of guanxi. What are less frequently appreciated, though, are the culturally distinctive differences regarding the notion of trust in English-language and Chinese-language accounts, and the consequences of these differences for analysis of guanxi. In English, the default notion of trust is trustfulness, whereas in Chinese it is trustworthiness. This latter notion introduces an element of public assessment in the meaning of the term, with significant consequences for the Chinese notion of trust, which the chapter goes on to explore. The relevance of trust for networks, including guanxi networks, and the significance of influence and information in network ties and their relations with trust are considerations which run through the chapter. It is shown that, while social solidarity may arise through trust, this is an inadequate basis on which to explain guanxi solidarity.