Abstract
We explore the meaning of parochialism (xiao nong yi shi) to explain certain
paradoxical Chinese managerial behaviors. We discuss how cultural, political, and economic
traditions in China formed a salient context to cultivate parochialism. Qualitative data from
Chinese and American managers reveal that the conceptual framework of parochialism includes
a cognitive dimension of closed-mindedness, a behavioral dimension of self-protection, and a
relational dimension of in-group focused social relationship. Parochialism hampers effective
globalization of Chinese firms because it negatively impacts key facets of organizational culture:
employee development, communication, customer orientation, social responsibility, strategic
planning, and innovation. The study offers theoretical and practical implications for Chinese
management research and the development of global competence.
Description
The document provided here is the Author's Manuscript, posted in accordance with terms and conditions for authors to humanities and social science journals published by Cambridge
University Press, © 2019 The International Association for Chinese Management Research. The version of record can be found at https://doi.org/10.1017/mor.2019.12.
