Confucian-based Theory of Management: A Qualitative Study of Chinese Mid-level Managers

Recent scholarship about managing in China has argued that a Chinese management theory needs to be developed in a Chinese Confucianism-based context. In the past centuries, Confucianism had influenced Chinese people dramatically. In order to understand Chinese employees in workplace, taking Confucianism into account was a necessary step. However, the majority of companies in China took and adapted Western-based management theories to deal with their Chinese employees. Empowerment is a Western-based management theory, which is different from the concept of authority in Confucianism. This study used a qualitative approach to explore that how Chinese mid-level managers think about and cooperate with their managers (Chinese and expatriate managers) in the workplace. Data was collected through 14 interviews with Chinese mid-level managers in two types of companies in China – Chinese-based companies and foreign-invested companies. Interview responses were coded in categories through several revisions. "The Analects of Confucius" was reviewed in order to get a better understanding of Confucian values, and specific values from the Analects were matched to each of the categories. The final result of data analysis was a framework of 11 principles. Ten principles were found to be common to both types of companies. An eleventh principle, trust, was different for mid-level managers with foreign superiors than for those with Chinese superiors. The results of this research suggested that Confucian values still have a strong impact on Chinese people's behaviors, so in order to manage Chinese employees effectively, it is necessary to understand Confucian values. Based on the results, a Confucian-based management framework was constructed to guide managers to be effective in working with employees in China and all the countries have been influenced by Confucianism. This study created a greater picture for the managers (Chinese and expatriate managers) to understand the Confucian-based behaviors of Chinese employees in the workplace and might lead to more effective management results. It might also contribute to develop of a Chinese theory of management – grounded in qualitative evidences from managers in China.