The Relationship Between Managerial Values and the Adoption of Western Lifestyle Practices in the People's Republic of China

Abstract

With the emergence of China in the world economic scene, there is an increasing need for business managers in the West to understand the complexity of Chinese values in order to facilitate successful business relationships. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between exposure to, and adoption of, Western lifestyle practices, and the individual values of Chinese managers. This study develops a profile of individual values in China based on an analysis of the Chinese Culture Connection's (1987) Chinese Value Survey, at the individual level. The study finds five factors: Benevolence, Modesty, Temperance, Persistence and Supremacy, four of which appear to reflect traditional and fundamental Confucian virtues. These factors are then correlated with a measure of the individual's exposure to Western lifestyle practices. Results show that two out of five factors, Supremacy and Modesty, have statistically significant correlations with exposure to Western lifestyle factors. These relationships are interpreted and discussed.