by Ngan Nga Wing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 220-236). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgments --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.xi / List of Figures --- p.xiii / List of Abbreviations --- p.xiv / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background --- p.1 / Context of the Study --- p.2 / Ethnic Chinese and Their Business --- p.2 / Ethnic Chinese and Homeward Investment --- p.4 / Guanxi and the Contemporary Socialist China --- p.5 / The Notion of Guanxi and Instrumental Relationships --- p.7 / Area of Study --- p.10 / Physical Environment of Fuj ian Province --- p.10 / Economic Development Since 1949 --- p.10 / "Reasons of Selecting Jinjiang, Fujian " --- p.11 / Objectives of the Study --- p.12 / A Brief of the Thesis --- p.13 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES --- p.14 / Introduction --- p.14 / Research Designs And Methods --- p.15 / Choice of the Method-Qualitative Method --- p.15 / Data Collection From Human Resources --- p.20 / Purposive and Emergent Sampling --- p.21 / Data Collection in the Field --- p.22 / In-depth Interviews --- p.23 / Group Interviews --- p.26 / Participant Observation --- p.28 / Secondary Data in the Field --- p.29 / Some Critical Reflection in the Field --- p.30 / Data Collection From Non-human Resources --- p.32 / Inductive Data Analysis --- p.33 / Categorization --- p.33 / Triangulation --- p.34 / Network Analysis --- p.35 / Case Reporting --- p.36 / Tape Recording --- p.37 / Verbatim --- p.38 / Narrative --- p.38 / Validity And The Issue Of Subjectivity --- p.39 / Summary --- p.41 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- ETHNIC CHINESE AND THEIR BUSINESS CULTURE --- p.42 / Introduction --- p.42 / Economic Success of Ethnic Chinese --- p.43 / Hostile Business Environments --- p.45 / Political Environment --- p.45 / Restriction of the Scope of Economic Activities --- p.47 / Restriction on Capital Participation of Ethnic Chinese --- p.49 / Restriction of Governing Labour by Ethnic Chinese --- p.50 / Other Discriminatory Treatment Against Ethnic Chinese --- p.51 / Chinese Culture And Capitalism --- p.53 / Confucian Value System --- p.55 / Confucianism and Ethnic Chinese Entrepreneurs --- p.57 / Ethnic Chinese Business Culture --- p.59 / The Concept of Family --- p.59 / Family and Ethnic Chinese Business --- p.60 / Characteristics of Family-oriented Firms --- p.61 / Kin Groups and Association --- p.64 / Types of Kin's Groups and Association --- p.64 / Functions of the Kin's Groups and Associations --- p.66 / "Networks, Trust and Guanxi " --- p.68 / The Cultural Trait of Networks Among Ethnic Chinese --- p.68 / Trust --- p.70 / Guanxi --- p.72 / Ethnic Chinese Homeward Investment --- p.76 / Spatial Hurdles in Homeward Investment --- p.77 / Weak Legal Framework --- p.77 / Poor Quality of Bureaucrats --- p.79 / The Prevalence of Guanxi --- p.80 / How Do Ethnic Chinese Do to Overcome the Problems? --- p.81 / Summary --- p.84 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- NETWORKS AND ETHNIC FUJIANESE ENTREPRENEURS --- p.85 / Introduction --- p.85 / Networks and Investment --- p.86 / Types Of Networks --- p.88 / The Nature of Networks --- p.89 / Extra-firm Networks --- p.89 / Intra-firm Networks --- p.93 / Entrepreneurship --- p.96 / Inter-firm Networks --- p.97 / Kinship --- p.97 / Friendship --- p.99 / Friendship is More Important than Kinship --- p.101 / Motivations of Cultivating Networks --- p.104 / Extra-firm Networks --- p.104 / Weak Legal Framework --- p.105 / Flimsy Bureaucratic System --- p.107 / Greater Autonomy of Local Authority --- p.107 / Intra-firm Networks and Inter-firm Networks --- p.110 / Ancestral Ties and Emotional Linkages --- p.110 / Personal Trust and Reciprocal Obligation --- p.112 / Cultural Affinity --- p.113 / Complex Sentiment --- p.114 / Mechanisms of Network Building --- p.115 / Extra-firm Networks --- p.115 / Power rather than Monetary Relationships --- p.115 / Proprietary Rights --- p.116 / Social and Political Legitimacy --- p.117 / Intra-firm Networks --- p.118 / Utilitarianistic Familism --- p.118 / Entrepreneurial Familism --- p.121 / Inter-firm Networks --- p.122 / Blood Relationship of Kinship --- p.123 / The Role of Intermediary --- p.124 / Reciprocity and Obligations of Friends --- p.126 / Benefits of Building Networks --- p.127 / Extra-firm Networks --- p.127 / Access to Profit --- p.129 / Access to Protection --- p.130 / Intra-firm Networks --- p.132 / Reliable Management --- p.133 / Fast Decision Making --- p.134 / Personal Achievement --- p.134 / Inter-firm Networks --- p.136 / Obtaining Information --- p.136 / Minimizing Risk --- p.137 / Mutual Exchange --- p.138 / Summary --- p.139 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- ENTREPRENEURS AND GUANXI --- p.141 / Introduction --- p.141 / Dimensions of Personal Relations --- p.142 / Rural Vs Urban --- p.142 / Sentimental Relations Vs Instrumental Relationship --- p.145 / Guanxi Mentality Vs Economic Mentality --- p.147 / Reciprocity (Bao) Vs Corruption/Bribery --- p.148 / Elements of Guanxi Management --- p.150 / Sameness --- p.151 / Familiarity --- p.152 / Trust --- p.154 / Social Obligation and Reciprocity --- p.155 / The Tactics of Cultivating Guanxi --- p.157 / Gift-giving --- p.157 / Money-giving --- p.161 / Banquets --- p.163 / Achieved Familiarity by an Intermediary --- p.165 / Employment and Partnership --- p.167 / Entrepreneurs Need Certain Technical Skill --- p.172 / Awareness of Guanxi --- p.172 / Understand the Guanxi Cultivating Process --- p.173 / Impacts of Guanxi --- p.174 / "Ability to Identify, Design and Implement Guanxi Cultivation " --- p.175 / Knowledge of Management Techniques --- p.177 / Attitudes and Performance of Entrepreneurs in Guanxi Cultivating --- p.179 / Proactive --- p.179 / Reactive --- p.182 / Resistive --- p.185 / Characteristics of Firms With Successful Strategies --- p.189 / Strong Entrepreneurship --- p.189 / Strong Personal Networks --- p.191 / Good Family Networks --- p.193 / Local Professionals --- p.194 / Strong Financial Back Up --- p.195 / Summary --- p.198 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- CONCLUSION AND REFLECTIONS --- p.200 / Homeward Investment by Ethnic Fujianese in Fujian: Summary of Finding --- p.200 / Reflections --- p.203 / Reflections from Informant Entrepreneurs --- p.203 / Personal Reflections --- p.209 / Contribution of the Study --- p.210 / Direction for Future Study --- p.211 / Appendix I In-depth Interviews with Ethnic Fujianese Entrepreneurs --- p.213 / Appendix II In-depth Interviews with Government Officials --- p.215 / Glossary --- p.216 / Bibliography --- p.220