Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically review the extantguanxiliterature to identify the major inconsistencies in the wayguanxiis currently conceptualized. The authors develop a conceptualization ofguanxiwhich viewsguanxias a complex adaptive system. Design/methodology/approach – Electronic databases were queried for the keywordguanxi. This study offers an extensive review of the current literature, highlighting four major inconsistencies, namely, the breadth, linguistic-cultural depth, temporality and level of the conceptualization and analyses ofguanxi. Findings – In reviewing the extant literature, the authors find four levels of inconsistency that contribute to a lack of clarity in the wayguanxiis conceptualized. They defineguanxias a complex adaptive system involving a dynamic formed by the strategic establishing, evolving, utilizing and maintaining of personal relationships based on social norms of trust and reciprocal obligation unique to the Chinese culture. Research limitations/implications – This approach has the advantage of capturing the dynamic and emerging nature ofguanxiover time, while encompassing the underlying principles of the evolving networks as part of the definition. Practical implications – The authors' new definition makes it easier to explain to people of other cultures. The appropriate level of breadth allowsguanxito be distinguished from associated concepts. This provides guidance for non-Chinese people to help understandguanxiand avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings and conflict. Originality/value – Having a clear and inclusive definition of the cultural practice ofguanxiwill integrate the growing literature and theoretical dialogue surrounding the phenomena. This will allow for consistent study ofguanxiand its underlying principles, making integration of the various studies conceptually easier.
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Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 22 citations exist upstream.
Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.
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