Rethinking Guanxi and Performance: Managing the Dark Side of Sino–U.S. Business Relationships

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Main author: Abosag, Ibrahim
Other authors: Yen, Dorothy Ai-wan
Barnes, Bradley
Gadalla, Eman
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-34411
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description Previous studies on guanxi (關係) have focused on how guanxi contributes positively to business relationships, without addressing the pivotal role that guanxi plays in managing the dark-side of business relationships. To address this knowledge gap, this study specifically investigates guanxi’s influence on conflict, opportunism, and switching intention in Sino–U.S. business relationships and examines how guanxi mediate the positive effect of performance as well as the negative effect of uncertainty on such dark-side constructs. Drawing on data from over 270 Chinese firms, the findings reveal that guanxi is undermined by relationship uncertainty but enhanced by performance, guanxi also reduces the dark-side of Sino-US business relationships. Chinese buyers’ guanxi with U.S. suppliers significantly lessens their switching intention, opportunistic behavior, and the perceived levels of conflict in Sino-US relationships. The findings explain how guanxi is employed as a tool to reduce the burden associated with the dark-side of business relationships and give relevant implications.
format Journal Article
author Abosag, Ibrahim
author_facet Abosag, Ibrahim
Yen, Dorothy Ai-wan
Barnes, Bradley
Gadalla, Eman
authorStr Abosag, Ibrahim
author_letter Abosag, Ibrahim
author2 Yen, Dorothy Ai-wan
Barnes, Bradley
Gadalla, Eman
author2Str Yen, Dorothy Ai-wan
Barnes, Bradley
Gadalla, Eman
title Rethinking Guanxi and Performance: Managing the Dark Side of Sino–U.S. Business Relationships
publisher Elsevier
publishDate 2021
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/34411/

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