How Chinese thought can lead the transformation in management practice

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to explore how the emerging, post-Newtonian twenty-first century worldview, integrating elements of holistic Chinese philosophy and individualistic Western Newtonianism, is also driving a new model of organization, the articulation of which Chinese managers and thinkers must take a leadership position. Design/methodology/approach -The author focuses, first, on the similarities between the worldviews of Chinese philosophy and post-Newtonianism; second, on how those changes in worldview support the emerging model of organization, whose management style one writer refers to as "unmanaging"; and, third, on the benefits available for Chinese business people who apply their acculturated understanding of principles that still seem foreign to Western business people. Findings -This essay asserts that the worldview emerging from twentieth century scienceprimarily quantum mechanics and complexity theory -will reinforce many of the basic assumptions basic to Chinese culture and philosophy. As a result, Chinese managers and thinkers have the opportunity to make critical contributions to an emerging model of organization, which Western management thinkers have been predicting for nearly half a century. Practical implications -The paper offers a series of theoretical tools, taken from fields of study ranging from the philosophy of science to organizational dynamics, with which Chinese managers and thinkers can develop a leadership position in the discussion that has begun about what the author calls the post-Newtonian organizational model. Originality/value -The value of the essay lies in its integration of twentieth century science, Chinese philosophy and the study of organizations to indicate how Chinese managers and thinkers can help shape a new, trans-cultural way of understanding organizations, markets and finally, the world.

The Historic Connotations of Culture in Human Resources Management in the Global and Indian Perspective

“…Each person has a duty to family and society that supersedes responsibility to oneself. 1 These values helped to shape a managerial mindset that placed a greater emphasis on collectivism, teamwork, family staffed businesses, and harmony over conflict. Chinese culture differs greatly from American culture on a number of dimensions.…”

Philosophy, training and spirituality: a longitudinal, empirical study

“…The Dao is the world around us and all the forces from which it emerges interact to create a natural rhythm and harmony. Everything is related to everything else and those relationships work best when they operate according to natural harmony (Baskin, 2011). That means to follow the rule of nature, the harmony in personal relationships and the external environment (Fixed graphic 14, Fixed graphic 15).…”

“…Confucianism accentuates benevolence and forgiveness in treating others and Wu‐lune advocates adherence to social rules to maintain interpersonal or moral harmony. The Dao, by which all interconnected things and events (Baskin, 2011), with Taoism's “Equality of Things (Fixed graphic 24)” describes the principles of co‐existence between humans and the environment. From these viewpoints, Chinese philosophy may assist in the development of workplace spirituality.…”

“…Therefore, these practices have been criticized by many scholars and practitioners (Zhang et al , 2009b). However, East Asian countries, such as Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, are deeply affected by Chinese philosophy, leading to a different philosophy from the West (Baskin, 2011) which influences HR practices. As a result, journals of the Social Science Citation Index, such as Chinese Management Studies ( CMS ), Asia Pacific Journal of Management , Academy of Management Perspectives , Journal of Business Ethics , Asian Business & Management and The International Journal of Human Resource Management , have discussed the issue extensively.…”