Guanxi and Structural Holes

Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings includes abstracts of all papers and symposia presented at the annual conference, plus 6-page abridged versions of the “Best Papers” accepted for inclusion in the program (approximately 10%). Papers published in the Proceedings are abridged because presenting papers at their full length could preclude subsequent journal publication. Please contact the author(s) directly for the full papers. Guanxi and Structural HolesRonald S. Burt and Sonja OpperRonald S. BurtU. Of Chicago and Sonja OpperDepartment of Management and Technology, Bocconi U.Published Online:24 Jul 2023https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2023.19170abstractAboutSections ToolsDownload CitationsAdd to favoritesTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail AbstractWe treat guanxi as an example of what Merton and Barber (2004:256) term a niche-word, a word that expresses "with unique precision, a familiar kind of human experience that transcends national and other cultural and linguistic boundaries." We argue that guanxi distinguishes a kind of relationship that is familiar, consequential for network predictions of performance, yet not distinguished in contemporary network theory. We use interviews with a stratified probability sample of Chinese entrepreneurs to look for pattern in the ways they use the term guanxi, and the performance relevance of relations they designate guanxi. Phrased in terms of network theory, our conclusion is that guanxi ties are relationships in which obligation and trust have become strong to the point of context independence. As such, guanxi ties can provide performance-relevant trust across structural holes. The discussion positions guanxi within network theory to improve predictions from the theory, and facilitate unambiguous use of guanxi as an element in the theory.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 2023, No. 1 Permissions Metrics in the past 12 months History Published online 24 July 2023 Published in print 1 August 2023 InformationCopyright of Academy of Management Journal is the property of Academy of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.KeywordsAOM Annual Meeting Proceedings 2023AOM Boston 2023Organization and Management Theory