Harmony and Patriarchy: The Cultural Basis for 'Paternalistic Headship' Among the Overseas Chinese

This paper outlines a model of leadership attuned to the cultural specificities of the Overseas Chinese (OSC) context. The model is developed in a contrast ive mode to U.S. approaches to leadership which are depicted as being cultur ally bounded and non-transferable to the OSC situation. The model is extrapol ated from the persisting cultural values and traditions still prevalent in OSC organizations and management style. The concept of headship is heuristically adopted to demarcate the underlying orientation towards legitimized influen cing of followers by leaders and the structuring of relationships among the OSC. Chinese organizational 'heads' are seen to function on the basis of meet ing the mutually reinforcing dual requirements for legitimized order and com pliance achievement and the maintenance of social harmony. The cultural basis for meeting these requirements is examined in detail. The resulting 'leadership' orientation is depicted as 'paternalistic headship', the behavioural and attitu dinal elements of which are explored. The arguments are situated in the context of a burgeoning interest in, and recognition of a distinctive OSC management and business orientation.

[1]  Brett Slieelimi.  Management in China During the Age of Reform , 1997 .

[2]  Andrew Chan,et al.  The transferability of leadership training in the East Asian context , 1995 .

[3]  Gordon Redding,et al.  Overseas Chinese networks: Understanding the enigma , 1995 .

[4]  Michael Harris Bond,et al.  Social Psychology Across Cultures: Analysis and Perspectives , 1994 .

[5]  R. Peterson.  Managers and national culture : a global perspective , 1993 .

[6]  J. Alston,et al.  The Spirit of Chinese Capitalism , 1992 .

[7]  W. Schmidt,et al.  Values and the American Manager: An Update Updated , 1992 .

[8]  Barry Z. Posner,et al.  The Values of American Managers: An Update Updated , 1992 .

[9]  Robert I Westwood,et al.  Headship and leadership , 1992 .

[10]  Robert I Westwood,et al.  Chinese Conflict Preferences and Negotiating Behaviour: Cultural and Psychological Influences , 1991 .

[11]  James A. Johnson,et al.  Organisational Downsizing in Hospitals: Considerations for Management Development , 1991 .

[12]  Tai K. Oh,et al.  Understanding Managerial Values and Behaviour among the Gang of Four: South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong , 1991 .

[13]  M. Bond.  Beyond the Chinese face : insights from psychology , 1991 .

[14]  R. Westwood,et al.  Chinese conflict behaviour: cultural antecedents and behavioural consequences , 1991 .

[15]  Evon M. O. Abu-Taieh,et al.  Comparative Study , 2020, Definitions.

[16]  Richard H. Hall,et al.  Research Note: Run Silent, Run Deep — Cultural Influences on Organizations in the Far East , 1990 .

[17]  S. Komin,et al.  CULTURE AND WORK‐RELATED VALUES IN THAI ORGANIZATIONS , 1990 .

[18]  S. Redding,et al.  An Empirical Study of Overseas Chinese Managerial Ideology , 1990 .

[19]  D. Poston,et al.  The Distribution of the Overseas Chinese in the Contemporary World , 1990 .

[20]  S. Clegg,et al.  The Network Structures of East Asian Economies , 1990 .

[21]  B. Posner,et al.  Australian and American Managerial Values: Subtle Differences , 1990 .

[22]  Hak Chong Lee,et al.  Korean Managerial Dynamics , 1989 .

[23]  J. Prybyla.  Management in China During and After Mao in Enterprises, Government, and Party . By Oiva Laaksonen. [Berlin and New York: Walter de Guyter, 1988. 378 pp.] , 1989, The China Quarterly.

[24]  A. G. Thompson.  Cross-cultural management of labour in a Thai environment , 1989 .

[25]  Tan Sri Datuk Hamzah-Sendut,et al.  Managing in a plural society , 1989 .

[26]  Tomas Quintin D. Andres.  Management Filipino style , 1989 .

[27]  P. Berger,et al.  In Search of an East Asian Development Model , 1989 .

[28]  T. Wyatt.  Quality of working life: Cross-cultural considerations , 1988 .

[29]  K. Yoshihara.  The Rise of Ersatz Capitalism in South-East Asia , 1988 .

[30]  Lucian W. Pye,et al.  Asian Power and Politics , 1988 .

[31]  M. Bond,et al.  The Confucius connection: From cultural roots to economic growth , 1988 .

[32]  Corinna T. de Leon.  Social categorisation in Philippine organisations: Values toward collective identity and management through intergroup relations , 1987 .

[33]  Sangjin Yoo,et al.  Management Style and Practice of Korean Chaebols , 1987 .

[34]  Malcolm Warner,et al.  Management Reforms in China , 1987 .

[35]  Victor Simpao Limlingan.  The overseas Chinese in ASEAN : Business strategies and management practices , 1986 .

[36]  S. Clegg,et al.  The enterprise and management in East Asia , 1986 .

[37]  Simcha Ronen,et al.  Comparative and multinational management , 1986 .

[38]  Michael Harris Bond,et al.  The Psychology of the Chinese people , 1986 .

[39]  Gordon Redding,et al.  The psychology of Chinese organizational behaviour. , 1986 .

[40]  Yuan-li Wu,et al.  Economic development in Southeast Asia: The Chinese dimension , 1985, The Journal of Asian Studies.

[41]  Siu-lun Wong,et al.  The Chinese Family Firm: A Model , 1985 .

[42]  Peter Ellis,et al.  Social Psychological Aspects of Environmental Psychology. by John M. Darley and David T.Gilbert. To appear in G. Lindzey and E. Aronson (eds) Handbook of Social Psychology (3rd Edit.). Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley, in press. , 1984 .

[43]  S. G. Redding,et al.  The Role of “Face” in the Organizational Perceptions of Chinese Managers , 1983 .

[44]  Yuan-li Wu.  Chinese Entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia , 1983 .

[45]  Roger L. Janelli,et al.  Ancestor Worship and Korean Society , 1984 .

[46]  Harry C. Triandis,et al.  Dimensions of Cultural Variation as Parameters of Organizational Theories , 1982 .

[47]  R. Bhagat,et al.  Role of subjective culture in organizations: A review and directions for future research. , 1982 .

[48]  G. Hofstede,et al.  Culture′s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values , 1980 .

[49]  G. Hofstede.  Motivation, leadership, and organization: Do American theories apply abroad? , 1980 .

[50]  S. Redding.  Cognition As An Aspect Of Culture And Its Relation To Management Processes: An Exploratory View Of The Chinese Case , 1980 .

[51]  M. K. Badawy,et al.  Styles of Mideastern Managers , 1980 .

[52]  Bernard M. Bass,et al.  Assessment of Managers: An International Comparison , 1979 .

[53]  Herman Kahn,et al.  World Economic Development: 1979 And Beyond , 1979 .

[54]  Frederic C. Deyo.  LOCAL FOREMEN IN MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISE: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF SUPERVISORY ROLE‐TENSISONS IN WESTERN AND CHINESE FACTORIES OF SINGAPORE1 , 1978 .

[55]  William Berkson.  The Formal and the Informal , 1978, PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association.

[56]  Dee G. Appley.  Beyond Culture , 1977 .

[57]  Izzettin Kenis.  A Cross-Cultural Study of Personality and Leadership , 1977 .

[58]  G. Redding,et al.  Managerial Beliefs Among Asian Managers. , 1976 .

[59]  Robert H. Silin.  Leadership and Values: The Organization of Large-Scale Taiwanese Enterprises , 1976 .

[60]  George W. England,et al.  The manager and the man : a cross-cultural study of personal values , 1975 .

[61]  Magoroh Maruyama.  Paradigmatology and its Application to Cross‐Disciplinary, Cross‐Professional and Cross‐Cultural Communication , 1974 .

[62]  Raymond T. Lee,et al.  The relationship between managerial values and managerial success in the United States, Japan, India, and Australia. , 1974 .

[63]  G. Johnson,et al.  China and the overseas Chinese , 1973, The Journal of Asian Studies.

[64]  L. L. Cummings,et al.  Risk, Fate, Conciliation and Trust: An International Study of Attitudinal Differences Among Executives , 1971 .

[65]  L. Kohlberg.  Stage and sequence: The cognitive-developmental approach to socialization , 1969 .

[66]  R. Solomon.  Educational Themes in China's Changing Culture , 1965, The China Quarterly.

[67]  Lois Mitchison,et al.  The overseas Chinese , 1961 .