Chinese Social Networking Theory and Guanxi - Essay Example

? Chinese Social networking: Social networking Theory and Guanxi CHINESE SOCIAL NETWORKING: SOCIAL NETWORKING THEORY AND GUANXI Introduction The concept of Guanxi in China is a type of social networking theory that is definitive of an individual’s place in the social structure, in addition to, the provision of a prescribed role, trust, and security (Warren et al, 2011: p359). This paper argues that Guanxi in China and social networking theory recently popularized in the west overlap in various ways. The two imply that information is important in the sustenance of a social system through prescription of a behavioral set that regulates information flow, which define strong and weak ties in SNT and insider and outsider relationships, in Guanxi. Secondly, the two give a change theory together with a sustainability ethic where order is created as a relative and local phenomenon by trust. Finally, both SNT and Guanxi characterize order and randomness as essential, even though Guanxi favors trust and certainty over chaos. These comparisons have the implication of undermining claims of primacy and newness that are often associated with recent literature in social networking theory (Littlefield et al, 2010: p396). In addition, they suggest that theorists of social networking in the west can attain important insight from Guanxi eastern thought. Chinese Guanxi and Social Network Theory Interaction mediated by computers in social networks has given local scientists the ability to view emergent social network characteristics, track the types of information flowing through the networks, and definition of relationships that exist between these networks (Davison & Ou, 2008: p290). However, the same issues are also to be found among the Chinese whose culture possesses rules for dealing with social environments that are similarly hyper. In order to understand this, the Chinese market scene is perfect for study. This scene has not been significantly altered in thousands of years with merchants, craftsmen, artisans, and farmers sell their services and ware in an environment that is highly interactive that changes from time to time. The market people seem to shout and broadcast their business desire into the air with bargaining a mainstay and regular customers being given better prices. There is gossip among friends with exchange of essential information about economic or political trends. While there is an exchange of money, the preferred mode is barter since there is more certainty on value delivery and the sustenance of relationship (Davison & Ou, 2008: p290). This marketplace, therefore, becomes a venue of exchange with the creation and loss of trust, as well as the correlation of trade relationship skills and the ability to provide for one’s family. This marketplace environment acted as the primordial soup that Guanxi as a Chinese notion arose from. The idea of Chinese Guanxi was informed by the Chinese marketplace, just as social networks were informed by the emergence of computer networks (Taormina & Gao, 2010: p1199). In those environments where a degree economic and relational certainty was fundamental for traditions, rules, and survival for social engagement arose, allowing for definition of roles, ethics of relationships, and socio-economic sustainability. Mei Hui defines Guanxi as a gift economy, although there is much more to it. Guanxi is referent to a concept of using connections to secure personal relationship favors. It is a pervasive and intimate network of relationships where Chinese culture imaginatively, subtly, and energetically engages. Guanxi can also be defined as a mechanism through which people can achieve business, family, and personal objectives (Taormina & Gao, 2010: p1200). This definition is focused on processes through which people can attain collective goals. In Guanxi, the emphasis is on relationships, although, in Chinese, relationships have an increased meaning. Therefore, Guanxi is referent to a more profound sense of relationships than that in customary usage, in English. Guanxi possesses numerous social network characteristics. For example, if Ji knows Ki and LI, then KI and Li are socially obligated since they form part of a similar network, even though they only have one common friend in Ji. Therefore, Guanxi is the connection of the individual to the whole, i.e. the connection of the micro to the macro social order (Farh et al, 2008: p476). It confers social status, as well as defines how people should operate in relation to their larger social system. In addition, Guanxi is dynamically changing and emergent. In the current day, there are terms in Chinese that clarify the functions of Guanxi. La Guanxi is referent to pulling Guanxi, which implies that one is getting on the right side of one with more power. Guanxi quo giang is referent to relationships gone sour while li shun Guanxi is referent to righting a relationship. Guanxi wang is utilized for the description of the network that indicates that it provides real and material benefits and is beyond the conceptual. Guanxi is coupled to hui bao, which is a reciprocity style in Chinese culture. Favors will always have to be remembered, and they should be returned, although not quickly all the time. Those individuals who do not reciprocate favors are viewed as poisoning wells (Farh et al, 2008: p476). The following section develops three fundamental similarities that exist between social networking theory and Guanxi. Information and Sustainability Guanxi teaches individuals to identify outsider competitors and insider collaborators, prescribing rules to be used in dealing with each one. The insiders are referred to as Zi ji ren, and these are highly trusted since their requirement is to provide accurate information (Molz & Wang, 2009: p47). Classmates, colleagues, and family are considered as insiders automatically and are given a degree of trust automatically. All relationships with these insiders are defined as family, and these cannot be changed or severed unless under dire circumstances. Insider relationships are characterized by empathy, helpfulness, caring, trustworthiness, and niceness. The major function, however, of Guanxi relationships is information sharing. One is obligated, in Guanxi relationships, to share information that is important with insiders, even when it is secret information (Molz & Wang, 2009: p47). War ren are the outsiders and these are given a totally different status. These relationships are less trustworthy and are not stable. An individual does not have the same obligation morally to the outsiders as they have towards the insiders (Michailova & Worm, 2009: p512). The discriminatory boundary is localized, descriptive, and a moral and regulative activity. Those outside this boundary are irrelevant in relation to those within the boundary. The individual, in other words, has fewer obligations in the sharing of information with them and does not expect to be informed by the outsiders. The tradition, to honor those within the boundary with respect, trust, and information comes from Confucianism, which describes five essential relationships as friends, elder-younger brother, husband-wife, father-son, and ruler-subject (Michailova & Worm, 2009: p512). Traditions in China give specific rules that should be followed for each of this with the end that they are societal weaving threads, which must never be damaged. Change and Emergence Guanxi and mianzi give rules for interaction that aid in the maintenance of identity within systems as persons navigate emergent change. Mianzi is Chinese for saving face, and this gives a defense layer against transitions of social phase that could threaten individual roles and identity (Lee & Anderson, 2010: p41). It is a strategy meant to protect individual identity and self-respect. Activities to save face are rites that are meant to protect the role in Guanxi networks of individuals to protect social status and individual identity. People use strategies of saving face so as create assumptions of competence, fellowship, and autonomy. The Chinese culture uses mianzi for the inclusion of others, in addition to, the formation of a collective identity. Mianzi is important because it acts as a marker for social strategy for the protection of individual identity, as well as the maintenance of strong relationships in emergent change. Change is welcomed for to the extent that it does not threaten identity and roles. Guanxi social networks, therefore, act as a guide for emergent and incremental change, adaptation, and as a buffer from radical change (Lee & Anderson, 2010: p41). Mianzi acts as a set of social rules that are designed for the protection of the social order from changes in the macro-environment, as well as aiding individuals to navigate these changes. Social network theory tells us that mianzi and Guanxi are just a series of rules for interaction (Luo & Wang, 2012: p143). The rules for interaction are those rules, which form the platform for the formation of relationships and the method in which they operation. It is suggested that the rules for interaction have to do with how history is relevant to an individual’s future. These rules of interaction are the locus between the agency and structure of the conflict. The structure is given by the rules of society while the person gives the agency (Luo & Wang, 2012: p144). Order and Chaos In Guanxi, just as in social network theory, order comes about because of a predictable and stable set of strong and weak tie relationships, steady information flow from the relationships, and the unifying rules leading to common goals (Li & Wright, 2010: p372). The chief goal of these in Guanxi is system preservation. Guanxi prescribes stable and predictable relationships. Relationships within Guanxi social network evolve in constricts of the larger social order. If Ji knows Ki and Li., it is highly likely over time that Ki will come to know Li. These social evolutions are also referred to as order building since individuals use strong ties to check out ties that are weaker. When the weak ties provide tested, and trustworthy information, they turn into strong ties. These additive relationships are stabilizing because they add information to the system sans disrupting it. While adaptation requires information, disruption of the system upsets ability of alignment with context for the individual (Li & Wright, 2010: p372). Bringing new information into a system brings high conflict and it requires the information to be provided by a strong tie. Conclusion While it can be argued that, this form of social network is an artifact for particularistic cultures and that globalization will destroy Guanxi, this is naive. It is true that Guanxi will be altered by globalization, but will stay as a source of stability and order. The social network theory tells us that Guanxi, as a concept is not specific to the Chinese. Any place with human cultures has emergent social networks since people are a social network in the academic disciplines as classmates, in their communities, and in their families. 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