The interaction of the personnel boundary in inter-firm relationship management is viewed as particularistic in China instead of universalistic as in many Western cultures. Specifically, guanxi networks, the Chinese system of inter-personal relationship, have strong strategic implications for business interactions. The practices of guanxi and the social norms associated with guanxi are complicated. On the one hand, guanxi practices can be traced back to Confucianism; on the other hand, guanxi???s significance has been changing in line with China???s economic reform. In this research, we have attempted to find what presently constitutes good guanxi in inter-firm relationship management against this dynamic backdrop. Additionally, from the transaction cost economies (TCE) perspective, we provide an analysis that guanxi-based business practices offer transaction cost advantages as an alternative to market-based practices. We argue that such advantages partially result from guanxi???s effect on the reduction of opportunist behaviors. Backed up by 97 questionnaire responses from firms in Shanghai and 15 semi-structured interviews, our study confirms that, in inter-firm relationships management, trust, affection and long-term orientation are features of close guanxi. To enhance guanxi quality, familiarization by self-disclosure and the presence of mutual benefits are also necessary, providing practical implications for business practitioners in China. Our study also indicates that guanxi business partners are expected to be obligational in business and flexible in contingencies. Opportunistic behaviors can be mitigated by adopting guanxi practices, supporting the TCE logic. In an absence of a rationalized legal system, guanxi may fill the gaps in the enforcement of the written contract.N

The interaction of the personnel boundary in inter-firm relationship management is viewed as particularistic in China instead of universalistic as in many Western cultures. Specifically, guanxi networks, the Chinese system of inter-personal relationship, have strong strategic implications for business interactions. The practices of guanxi and the social norms associated with guanxi are complicated. On the one hand, guanxi practices can be traced back to Confucianism; on the other hand, guanxi???s significance has been changing in line with China???s economic reform. In this research, we have attempted to find what presently constitutes good guanxi in inter-firm relationship management against this dynamic backdrop. Additionally, from the transaction cost economies (TCE) perspective, we provide an analysis that guanxi-based business practices offer transaction cost advantages as an alternative to market-based practices. We argue that such advantages partially result from guanxi???s effect on the reduction of opportunist behaviors. Backed up by 97 questionnaire responses from firms in Shanghai and 15 semi-structured interviews, our study confirms that, in inter-firm relationships management, trust, affection and long-term orientation are features of close guanxi. To enhance guanxi quality, familiarization by self-disclosure and the presence of mutual benefits are also necessary, providing practical implications for business practitioners in China. Our study also indicates that guanxi business partners are expected to be obligational in business and flexible in contingencies. Opportunistic behaviors can be mitigated by adopting guanxi practices, supporting the TCE logic. In an absence of a rationalized legal system, guanxi may fill the gaps in the enforcement of the written contract.N

Ip, Chung Yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-153). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / CONTENTS --- p.v / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Empirical Puzzle and Theoretical Questions / Chapter 1.2 --- Casing a Case: The Life Insurance Industry as a Critical Case to Study the Labor Process in Interactive Service Work Organizations / Chapter 1.3 --- Literature Review and Theoretical Framework / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Marxist Labor Process Theories / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Labor Control in Interactive Service Work / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Emotional Labor in Interactive Service Work Context / Chapter 1.3.4 --- The Deterministic Description on the Negative Consequences of Emotional Labor / Chapter 1.3.5 --- The Missing Subject in Labor Process Theory / Chapter 1.3.6 --- "Gender, Work, and Identity" / Chapter 1.4 --- The Research / Chapter 1.5 --- Overview of the Thesis / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- An Overview of Life Insurance Industry in Hong Kong --- p.27 / Chapter 2.1 --- Life Insurance Market in Hong Kong / Chapter 2.2 --- Organizational Structure: Agency Management System / Chapter 2.3 --- The Commission System / Chapter 2.4 --- Nature of Services and Public Perception of the Industry / Chapter 2.5 --- My Cases: Mutual Trust and Synergy / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Ideological Control in Life Insurance Industry --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1 --- Comprehensive and Ail-Round Training: Teaching Practical Sales Techniques and Cultivating a Mind of Success / Chapter 3.2 --- Money and Motivation: Transforming Labor Power into Labor / Chapter 3.3 --- Dedicatory Ethics: Serving Your Clients and Contributing the Society / Chapter 3.4 --- Missionary Sales Personnel: Maximizing Exploitation and Minimizing Resistance / Chapter 3.5 --- Entrepreneurial Spirit and Partnership Metaphor: Securing Profits and Obscuring Control / Chapter 3.6 --- Altruistic Work Culture: Releasing Work Stress and Retaining Agents / Chapter 3.7 --- """Love, Care, and Concern"": Eliciting Cooperation and Generating Consent" / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Managing the Selves in Selling Life Insurance --- p.76 / Chapter 4.1 --- Impression Management or Surface Acting: Doing Trust- and Relationship-Building Activities / Chapter 4.2 --- Deep Acting: Selling Life Insurance plus Selling One's Soul / Chapter 4.3 --- "Managed Feelings: Commercialization of Selves, Human Relations, and Interpersonal Trust" / Chapter 4.4 --- "Alienation, Burnout, and Emotional Exhaustion: Understanding the Negative Consequences of Emotional Labor" / Chapter 4.5 --- Emotions in Relational Service Exchanges: Refining the Concept of Emotional Labor / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- Searching for the Subjectivities of Life Insurance Agents --- p.106 / Chapter 5.1 --- Bringing the Subject Back In: Workers as Victims versus Workers as Actors / Chapter 5.2 --- Shifting Alliances: The Three-Way Dynamics of Control / Chapter 5.3 --- Maintaining a Sense of Self: Gendered Strategies of Resistance / Chapter 5.4 --- Job Satisfaction: Gendering Consent and Autonomy / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- Theorizing the Labor Process in Service Work Organizations --- p.134 / Chapter 6.1 --- Motivations in Work Organizations / Chapter 6.2 --- Three-Way Dynamics of Control / Chapter 6.3 --- A New Form of Emotional Labor / Chapter 6.4 --- Subjects in the Workplace / Chapter 6.5 --- Limitations of the Present Study / Appendix 1 List of Authorized Life Insurers in Hong Kong --- p.141 / Appendix 2 Career Path in Life Insurance Industry --- p.143 / Appendix 3 Personal Information of Informants --- p.144 / Bibliography --- p.146