The Gift Economy and State Power in China

Yang, Mayfair Mei‐hui

doi:10.1017/s0010417500015656

Cited by 198 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Individuals and families were thus only able to receive goods that were rationed to them. The limited availability of goods forced some people to circumvent the rations by bribing officials who in exchange provided food in excess of the amount allocated to them (Bardhan, 1997;Yang, 1989). This bribe was paid under the guise of personal relations or guanxi and thus the term came to represent the special relationship that provided the opportunities and information to obtain limited resources (Oi, 1989).…”

Section: Relationship Building (Guanxi) In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpersonal relations in China: Expatriates’ perspective on the development and use of guanxi

Guo

Rammal

Benson

et al. 2018

International Business Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The literature on social networks identifies relationship building through guanxi as an effective way for Western organizations to reduce their liability of foreignness in China. Even though it is individuals rather than organizations who build these relationships, the focus in previous literature has been on organizational outcomes, and only a handful of studies have attempted to explain how expatriates perceive guanxi-relations are built and maintained. To help address this issue, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 36 Western expatriates working in China. Our findings suggest that guanxi is perceived to be an informal process that is used to build trust between individuals, which in turn can reduce the uncertainty around contract enforcement in China. We also find that the process for building guanxi between parties is initiated by the individual whose organization has less market-power. Finally, the findings suggest that firms should be cautious if they elect to use agents as intermediaries to help connect to, and build relations with buyers and sellers.

show abstract

Section: Relationship Building (Guanxi) In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpersonal relations in China: Expatriates’ perspective on the development and use of guanxi

Guo

Rammal

Benson

et al. 2018

International Business Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The first part of the word, guan, equate to (Ambler 1994, p. 74). The second part of the word, xi, translates as ties and connections (Tsang 1998;Yang 1989). Thus, the literal explanation of guanxi suggests that it creates transferable ties and connections-useful in developing relationships between a network of individuals, firms, and government agencies (Tung and Worm 1997).…”

Section: Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Firm Networking and Bribery in China: Assessing Some Potential Negative Consequences of Firm Openness

Huang

Rice

2011

J Bus Ethics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Economic openness, both in terms of increased international trade exposure and enhanced inter-firm networking, has been a key element of China's economic emergence since the implementation of market reforms and the ''opening-up policy'' over 30 years ago. Unfortunately, these changes have also coincided with the increased incidence of bribery and corruption. Both in general, and in the specific context of China, research on the relationship between a firm's tendency toward openness and its propensity to engage in bribery is scarce. This study seeks to fill this gap based on empirical evidence provided by a large sample of Chinese firms. The findings of the study reveal that firms' increased networking and openness tend to occur contemporaneously with greater bribery and corruption. We suggest that this may be due to the misuse of guanxi-based networks that coincide with the presence of firms' open network strategies, heightened by the potential loss of resource and capability heterogeneity (and hence reduced competitive advantages) in the context of openness. We further find that firms paying bribes do so as an attempt to overcome unnecessary bureaucratic processes and ineffective institutional support that might tend to hinder their development.

show abstract

“…In The Flow of Gifts, Yunxiang Yan examines gifting activities in everyday life in China, emphasizing routine social transactions, including food exchanges between neighbors, as well as special events and ceremonies, such as weddings [41]. In a study of the gift economy and state power in China, moreover, Mayfair Mei-Hui Yang observes the biopolitical relevance of the gift economy as a mechanism for "exerting some measure of control over the conditions of the dominant form of power embedded in the state redistributive mode of exchange" [42] (p. 52). In Yang's view, one function of the gift is to subvert the authority of the principle of state distribution.…”

Section: A Proud Giftmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abalone in Diasporic Chinese Culture: The Transformation of Biocultural Traditions through Engagement with the Western Australian Environment

Ryan

2018

Heritage

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:In October 2017, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development of Western Australia (WA) promulgated a new regulation on recreational abalone harvesting. A notable change was that, from 2017 on, the annual fishing season in the West Coast Zone was reduced to four days, from every December on Saturdays only. During the last decade, WA's abalone fishing regulations have been overhauled frequently because of depleting local stocks. Worldwide, the marine heatwave resulting from climate change and illegal overfishing are considered the two principal reasons for abalone's decline. Today, the highly lucrative abalone market has attracted more participants in recreational fishing in Perth, WA. Based on Asian natural heritage traditions and employing a multispecies sensory ethnographic methodology, this article provides an in-depth case study of the interaction between the local Chinese diaspora and the environment as represented in abalone harvesting practices. Between 2014 and 2016, the authors conducted one-on-one and focus group interviews with Chinese immigrants to Perth, WA, and also participated in abalone harvesting. The analysis reveals a suite of environmental influences on local Chinese diasporic life through heterogeneous forms of interaction between abalone and Perth-area Chinese immigrants.

show abstract

The Gift Economy and State Power in China

Cited by 198 publications

References 14 publications

Interpersonal relations in China: Expatriates’ perspective on the development and use of guanxi

Interpersonal relations in China: Expatriates’ perspective on the development and use of guanxi

Firm Networking and Bribery in China: Assessing Some Potential Negative Consequences of Firm Openness

Abalone in Diasporic Chinese Culture: The Transformation of Biocultural Traditions through Engagement with the Western Australian Environment

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About