Chinese and non-Chinese companies to uncover differences and
similarities in the content and the effects of philosophical notions of
management.
Practical implications
China has a rich cultural history and Chinese companies have accu-
mulated rich management practices since the 1980s. However, neither
management scholars nor practitioners have noticed this. Some
scholars (e.g. Hsu, 1994 ) analyzed the rise and fall of Chinese dynas-
ties from the perspective of modern management thinking. Western
management theories that are based on a scientific and standardized
approach emphasize specialized knowledge and techniques, division
of labor and work flow, with the aim of increasing productivity.
However, Western practices usually place high levels of stress on
workers and make them feel estranged from the organization (Frew
and Bruning, 1987 ). In contrast, Chinese leaders who are influenced
by Chinese culture, especially Confucian thinking, emphasize that
managers should set good personal examples and be role models,
and that managers and subordinates should have close interpersonal
relationships (Farh and Cheng, 2000 ). The type of management prac-
tice that values people is more aligned with the expectations of
Chinese workers, and enables workers to identify more with the leader
and the organization. Hence, management scholars should learn
Chinese history and culture. Many of the interviewed executives
in this study were able to integrate the best of both the Western
theories and Chinese philosophies and to derive some management
philosophies and principles.
Many Western management theories were introduced into China
in the early 1990s, mainly through MBA education. Many Chinese
business leaders consider management education and training as a
vital means of developing their leadership and management skills.
The current curriculum of MBA education in China is primarily
imported from the West. The business schools in China have used
original or translated teaching materials from abroad, and the busi-
ness cases used are mostly from North America. Most of the teaching
materials developed by local scholars are based on Western theories
and practices. With regard to the newly introduced Executive MBA
education, there is a high proportion of foreign professors teaching
the courses. Some foreign professors have simply transplanted the
268 Zhi-xue Zhanget al.