published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 245-286).

Guanxi (interpersonal relationship) is an important mechanism through which Chinese people facilitate transactions and cope with institutional constraints under immature legal frameworks. As the transition of China’s economic system and legal framework progresses, the impact of guanxi on Chinese’s life and work has sparked heated debates. This study attempts to specify empirically the significance of guanxi in the context of institutional transition, from an academic career development perspective. The researcher conducted a qualitative exploration in a transitional research university in Beijing. Based on the previous studies, this study emphasizes the influences of three types of guanxi –mentorship (shimenship), leader-subordinate guanxi and colleagueship – on academics’ professional growth, in terms of job status improvement, resource attainment, network enlargement and performance advancement. The strategies academics used to establish and enhance these three types of guanxi were also investigated. Fifty-five academics’ perspectives and experiences were sought through semi-structured interviews. Their guanxi experiences helped the researcher to determine how and why guanxi helped academics to access different resources in the subject transitional research university. Likewise, policy documents, papers and observation notes were employed to portray the institutional constraints currently facing academics. The field data pointedly suggested that the radical overhaul of institutional governance systems at the subject research university was, paradoxically, accompanied by the undiminished presence of the university’s old bureaucracy. This placed huge institutional constraints on academics’ career growth. Between the push of market forces and the pull of the old bureaucracy, academics were found to activate guanxi more enthusiastically and more frequently in an effort to overcome hardships and mobilize desirable academic resources. The participants pointedly singled out mentors, fellow shimen members, and leaders as important resources linkers, helping them successfully access targeted information, resources, opportunities and other social relationships during the institutional transition. In terms of academic appointment, academics frequently used mentorship, shimenship and their connections to leaders to improve their job status. However, the field data suggested that the introduction of market-oriented mechanisms to the academic appointment process, together with enhanced central control over bianzhi distribution, at least to some extent, made these lobbying efforts less effective than expected. Regarding colleagueship, it had comparatively little influence on academics’ funding applications and teaching performance improvement, explaining why interactions between colleagues were often limited to perfunctory exchanges designed to maintain social harmony. Academic collaboration was seen as an effective way of helping academics efficiently sustain and enhance their relationships with mentors, shimen members and leaders. Besides research interests and research competencies, academic collaboration allowed different parties to determine whether they were attuned to each other’s taste of personality traits (e.g., generosity, sincerity, responsibility), which were seen as leading indicators of academics’ moralities and work ethics, thus deepening their existing trust and promoting future collaborations. Although social eating and communication were seen as useful ways of maintaining mentorship and shimenship, there was no consensus among academics with different status on their importance in enhancing leader-subordinate guanxi. Academics also reported accessing targeted powerful leaders through third party recommendations and self-disclosure. In brief, this study is one of the few empirical studies to specify guanxi mechanism’s effect on academics’ career growth during institutional transition, and offers readers a different perspective on the influence of institutional reforms at Chinese HEIs on academics’ career development. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Lau Ka Hing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-79). / Abstract in English and Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.2 / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.4 / LIST OF TABLES --- p.7 / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.8 / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.9 / ABSTRACT --- p.10 / Chapter CHAPTER 1: --- Research Objectives --- p.12 / Chapter CHAPTER 2: --- Guanxi Conceptualization --- p.14 / Components and Definition --- p.14 / Guanxi´ةs Influence at Operational Level --- p.15 / Chapter CHAPTER 3: --- Guanxi Model on Chinese Interpersonal Behaviors --- p.17 / Conceptualizing Obligations --- p.17 / Obligations as Assumed Affection and Hierarchical --- p.18 / Superiority/Inferiority / Assumed affection --- p.18 / Hierarchical Superiority/Inferiority --- p.19 / Quantifying Obligations into Obligation Demanding Level --- p.20 / Formulating Hypotheses about Obligations --- p.21 / Two Paths in Chinese Interpersonal Behaviors --- p.22 / Guanxi-oriented path --- p.22 / Person-oriented path --- p.23 / The Role of Instrumentality: A Necessary Foundation for Real Affection --- p.24 / Concluding Remarks --- p.25 / Chapter CHAPTER 4: --- Overview of the Present Study --- p.26 / Objectives Review --- p.26 / Scales --- p.26 / Tasks --- p.26 / Resources: Money and Time --- p.27 / Help Directions: Resource Allocation Vs. Request --- p.28 / Mutual Perspectives --- p.28 / Summary --- p.30 / Chapter CHPATER 5: --- Methods --- p.32 / Design of Questionnaire --- p.32 / "First Part of Questionnaire: Tri-psychological Constructs, Hierarchical" --- p.32 / "Superiority/Inferiority, & Obligation Demanding Level Assumed and real affections" --- p.32 / Instrumentality --- p.33 / Hierarchical superiority/inferiority --- p.33 / The obligations demanding level --- p.34 / Scale types --- p.34 / Second Part of Questionnaire: Scenarios --- p.35 / Scenarios --- p.35 / Situational Appropriateness --- p.36 / Stimuli Selection --- p.37 / Pilot Study --- p.37 / Procedure --- p.38 / Data Validation --- p.39 / Participants --- p.40 / Chapter CHAPTER 6: --- Results --- p.41 / Scale Validation --- p.41 / "The Tri-psychological Constructs: Assumed affection, real affection, instrumentality" --- p.41 / Items for Situational Appropriateness --- p.42 / The Obligation Demanding Level --- p.42 / Preliminary Analysis and Correlation --- p.43 / Path Analysis --- p.44 / Hypothesized Model --- p.44 / Model Estimation --- p.45 / Model's interpretation --- p.46 / Verifying Hypotheses --- p.46 / Double negative in the influence of hierarchical superiority/inferiority --- p.48 / Obligations could predict request scenarios' responses only in family guanxi --- p.50 / Significant relationships between assumed and real affections --- p.51 / The modified model --- p.53 / Summary --- p.54 / Chapter CHAPTER 7: --- Discussion --- p.56 / Person-oriented Path --- p.56 / Echoing major findings in western studies --- p.56 / Foundation of real affection in person-oriented path: Instrumentality --- p.57 / Guanxi-oriented Path --- p.58 / Indigenous element in Chinese interpersonal mechanism --- p.58 / Obligation demanding level: Only in resource allocation but not request --- p.58 / Perceiving different help intention when receiving or providing help --- p.58 / Afraid of making reciprocation to the help received --- p.59 / Avoid losing face by not making request --- p.59 / Does hierarchical superiority/inferiority still affect Chinese interpersonal behaviors? --- p.61 / The Dynamic Mechanism between Real and Assumed Affections --- p.63 / Equilibrium Status between Real and Assumed Affections --- p.63 / Interaction Results Caused Distortion to Equilibrium --- p.64 / The Solution to the Distortion: Using a New Guanxi --- p.64 / Evidence and Summary --- p.65 / Concluding Remarks --- p.66 / Chapter CHAPTER 8: --- Limitations and Future Directions --- p.68 / Limitations --- p.68 / Future Directions of Further Studies --- p.70 / REFERENCES --- p.72 / FOOTNOTES --- p.79 / TABLES --- p.80 / FIGURES --- p.104 / APPENDICES --- p.113

Clara Yuen Weun To. / Questionnaire in Chinese. / Year shown on spine: 1997. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-58).

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

Billie Lau Chung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-244). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter Chapter One --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1. --- The study problem --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- Background of the study problem --- p.2 / Chapter 2.1. --- Variety in orientation in outreaching social work service --- p.3 / Chapter 2.2. --- Unique initial contact and intervention strategies --- p.4 / Chapter 2.3. --- Inadequate attention to participants' interpretation --- p.5 / Chapter 2.4. --- Conclusion --- p.6 / Chapter 3. --- Significance of study --- p.7 / Chapter 3.1. --- Exploration --- p.7 / Chapter 3.2. --- Stimulate practice --- p.8 / Chapter 3.3. --- Implication in service design --- p.8 / Chapter Chapter Two --- Literature review --- p.10 / Chapter 1. --- Outreaching social work --- p.10 / Chapter 1.1. --- "Origin, history and development of outreaching youth work" --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2. --- History and development of outreaching social work in Hong Kong --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3. --- Purpose and objectives of the service --- p.13 / Chapter 1.4. --- The target group of service --- p.15 / Chapter 1.5. --- Working approaches --- p.17 / Chapter 1.6. --- Conclusion --- p.19 / Chapter 2. --- Social work relationship --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1. --- Definition and participants of counseling relationship --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2. --- Role of relationship in counseling process --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3. --- Therapeutic relationship in different approaches --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4. --- Conclusion --- p.24 / Chapter 3. --- Qualitative research methodology --- p.25 / Chapter 3.1. --- Philosophical assumptions --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2. --- Types of qualitative research methods --- p.28 / Chapter 3.3. --- Narrative analysis --- p.29 / Chapter 4. --- Conclusion --- p.32 / Chapter Chapter Three --- Research design --- p.34 / Chapter 1. --- Research questions --- p.34 / Chapter 2. --- Choice of research design and method --- p.35 / Chapter 3. --- Sampling --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1. --- Selecting criteria --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2. --- Source of sample --- p.37 / Chapter 4. --- Data collection --- p.38 / Chapter 4.1. --- Semi-structure interview --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2. --- "Time, duration and process of interviews" --- p.39 / Chapter 5. --- Data processing --- p.41 / Chapter 5.1. --- Interview records --- p.41 / Chapter 5.2. --- Transcribing the interviews' content --- p.41 / Chapter 6. --- Data analysis --- p.42 / Chapter 7. --- Issue of validation --- p.44 / Chapter 8. --- Results of analysis and report writing --- p.46 / Chapter 9. --- Limitation of research --- p.47 / Chapter 9.1. --- Limited number of respondents --- p.47 / Chapter 9.2. --- Reactivity of respondents --- p.47 / Chapter 9.3. --- Transcribing Chinese to English --- p.48 / Chapter 9.4. --- Readiness and ability of respondents --- p.49 / Chapter 9.5. --- Time span of the whole research --- p.49 / Chapter 9.6. --- Large amount of data --- p.49 / Chapter 9.7. --- Limited local reference for research in the area --- p.50 / Chapter 9.8. --- Researcher's experience as an outreaching social worker --- p.50 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Background information of respondents and relationships --- p.52 / Chapter 1. --- Personal particulars of respondents --- p.52 / Chapter 1.1. --- Workers --- p.53 / Chapter 1.1.1. --- Personal particulars --- p.53 / Chapter 1.1.2. --- Reasons of joining outreaching social service --- p.55 / Chapter 1.2. --- Clients --- p.61 / Chapter 1.2.1. --- Personal particulars --- p.61 / Chapter 1.2.2. --- Family background --- p.63 / Chapter 2. --- Duration of cases --- p.67 / Chapter 3. --- Workers' work settings and context --- p.68 / Chapter 4. --- Conclusion --- p.75 / Chapter Chapter Five --- Research findings --- p.78 / Chapter 1. --- Purposes of the relationships --- p.79 / Chapter 1.1. --- Intervention focus --- p.80 / Chapter 1.1.1. --- Workers ´ة interpretations --- p.81 / Chapter 1.1.2. --- Clients' interpretations --- p.85 / Chapter 1.2. --- Purposes other than direct intervention --- p.88 / Chapter 2. --- Orientation to the relationships --- p.89 / Chapter 2.1. --- Initial contacts --- p.90 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- Casual contacts --- p.90 / Chapter 2.1.2. --- Referrals --- p.92 / Chapter 2.2. --- Impression of initial contacts --- p.94 / Chapter 2.3. --- Effects of initial contacts --- p.97 / Chapter 2.3.1. --- Knowing the other party --- p.97 / Chapter 2.3.2. --- Orientation to service --- p.98 / Chapter 2.3.3. --- Awareness and expectations of what can be provided --- p.100 / Chapter 2.4. --- Conclusions --- p.103 / Chapter 3. --- Progress of relationships --- p.105 / Chapter 3.1. --- Relationships before case intake --- p.105 / Chapter 3.2. --- “Ignition´ح of helping process --- p.107 / Chapter 3.3. --- Positive turning points in relationships --- p.110 / Chapter 3.4. --- Tension points in relationships --- p.115 / Chapter 3.5. --- Terminations of casework relationships --- p.120 / Chapter 3.6. --- Relationships after case terminations --- p.126 / Chapter 4. --- Significant outcomes as interpreted from worker-client relationship --- p.132 / Chapter 4.1. --- Crisis managed --- p.133 / Chapter 4.1.1. --- Crisis of clients --- p.133 / Chapter 4.1.2. --- Crisis of workers --- p.135 / Chapter 4.2. --- Growth of relationships --- p.138 / Chapter 4.2.1. --- Got a significant other --- p.138 / Chapter 4.2.2. --- Recognizing roles of each others in relationships --- p.143 / Chapter 4.2.3. --- Mutual feedback --- p.146 / Chapter 4.3. --- Growth of selves --- p.150 / Chapter 4.3.1. --- Gain in life experience --- p.150 / Chapter 4.3.2. --- Assurance of self-ability and worth --- p.153 / Chapter 4.3.3. --- Facing one's life in the past --- p.157 / Chapter 4.3.4. --- Development of future life --- p.158 / Chapter 4.3.5. --- Reminders for life --- p.160 / Chapter 4.3.6. --- Confirmation and modification of life philosophy --- p.162 / Chapter 4.3.7. --- Facing ambivalence in life --- p.165 / Chapter 4.3.8. --- Gain in professional development --- p.166 / Chapter 4.4. --- Having fun --- p.171 / Chapter 4.5. --- Unresolved issues --- p.174 / Chapter 4.5.1. --- Deterioration of situation of clients --- p.174 / Chapter 4.5.2. --- Discontent about counterparts' performance --- p.176 / Chapter 4.5.3. --- Discontent about self performance --- p.178 / Chapter 5. --- Conclusions on relationships --- p.181 / Chapter 5.1. --- Seasoned master and apprentice --- p.183 / Chapter 5.2. --- Pseudo blood relationship --- p.189 / Chapter 5.3. --- Service provider and user --- p.195 / Chapter 5.4. --- God-sent relationship --- p.200 / Chapter 6. --- Conclusions --- p.204 / Chapter Chapter Six --- Discussion and recommendations --- p.209 / Chapter 1. --- Discussions --- p.209 / Chapter 1.1. --- Discussions on findings --- p.209 / Chapter 1.2. --- Discussions on narrative analysis as research methodology --- p.227 / Chapter 2. --- Recommendations --- p.230 / Chapter 2.1. --- Recommendations on service --- p.230 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- Reconsideration of status of outreaching social work in service for young people --- p.230 / Chapter 2.1.2. --- Reconsideration of the related policy in existing Outreaching social work practice --- p.231 / Chapter 2.1.3. --- Enhance the awareness and sensitivity of social workers on the gender difference and power difference in intervention --- p.233 / Chapter 2.1.4. --- Enhance the training on cultivation of personal quality of social workers --- p.233 / Chapter 2.2. --- Recommendations on research --- p.234 / Chapter 2.2.1. --- Utilization of narrative analysis in social work research --- p.234 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- Continuation of the research on clients' interpretations --- p.234 / Chapter 2.2.3. --- Continuation of research on gender and power difference in social work intervention --- p.235 / Chapter 2.2.4. --- Continuation of research on the impact of Chinese culture on local social work intervention --- p.236 / Bibliography --- p.237 / Appendix --- p.245 / Chapter 1. --- Consent to Participate in Research (for clients) (in Chinese) --- p.245 / Chapter 2. --- Consent to Participate in Research (for workers) --- p.246 / Chapter 3. --- Interview schedule --- p.247 / Chapter 4. --- Interview schedule (in Chinese) --- p.249 / Chapter 5. --- Preliminary Data Collection Sheet (for clients) (in Chinese) --- p.251 / Chapter 6. --- Preliminary Data Collection Sheet (for workers) --- p.252 / Tables / Chapter 1. --- Formal social work training of worker respondents --- p.53 / Chapter 2. --- Personal particulars of client respondents --- p.61 / Chapter 3. --- Family background of client respondents --- p.64 / Chapter 4. --- The intervention period of cases --- p.67 / Chapter 5. --- Workers' work settings --- p.68

Liu Shuo. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-126). / Abstracts and questionnaires in English and Chinese. / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Chinese Pharmaceutical Industry --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Distributors / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Suppliers´ؤPharmaceutical Manufacturers / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Retailers / Chapter 1.1.4 --- The Public Bidding for Medicines / Chapter 1.2 --- Methodology --- p.18 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review / Chapter 2.1 --- The Definition of Guanxi --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2 --- Guanxi and Social Capital --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3 --- Guanxi in Chinese Business Domain --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4 --- Guanxi Practice --- p.33 / Chapter 2.5 --- Theoretical Framework --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Pre-existing Personal Relations / Chapter 3.1 --- Case Selection --- p.42 / Chapter 3.2 --- Functions of Pre-existing Ties --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Preparation of Guanxi Establishment一Information Gathering / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Pre-existing Ties and Information Gathering / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Establish Familiarity / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Pre-existing Ties and Familiarity Establishment / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Limitation of Pre-existing Ties' Effect / Chapter 3.2.6 --- Pre-existing Ties and Guanxi Cultivation / Chapter 3.3 --- Summary --- p.70 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Guanxi Cultivation / Chapter 4.1 --- Guanxi Practice and Economic Performance --- p.72 / Chapter 4.2 --- Regulations and Prevalence of Guanxi Practice --- p.74 / Chapter 4.3 --- Guanxi Cultivation´ؤChoose Proper Guanxi Practice --- p.76 / Chapter 4.4 --- The Importance of Renqing --- p.78 / Chapter 4.5 --- Socio-economic Environment Change and Guanxi Practice Adjustments --- p.81 / Chapter 4.6 --- Summary --- p.83 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Quantitative Analysis / Chapter 5.1 --- Hypotheses --- p.86 / Chapter 5.2 --- Conceptualization and Operationalization of Variables --- p.88 / Chapter 5.3 --- Methods --- p.91 / Chapter 5.4 --- Results --- p.92 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Pharmaceutical Distributors' Organizational Performance / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Pharmaceutical Salespersons' Individual Performance / Chapter 5.5 --- Summary --- p.103 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion and Discussion / Chapter 6.1 --- The Study --- p.104 / Chapter 6.2 --- Summary of Findings --- p.105 / Chapter 6.3 --- Theoretical Implications --- p.118 / Chapter 6.4 --- Practical Implications --- p.110 / Chapter 6.5 --- Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research --- p.111 / Appendix I Interview Schedule --- p.113 / Appendix II Sample of Questionnaire --- p.115 / Bibliography --- p.120

李林艷. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2006. / 參考文獻(p. 251-269). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Lun wen (zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2006. / Can kao wen xian (p. 251-269). / Li Linyan.