Confucian business practices and firm competitiveness: The case of Sinyi Real Estate
Journal
Frontiers of Business Research in China
Journal Volume
5
Journal Issue
3
Pages
317-343
Date Issued
2011
Author(s)
Abstract
Throughout the 20th century, many East Asian societies imported and transplanted the institutional foundations for industrialization and market economies, which has provided for substantial advances in material well-being. However, Confucianism, the predominant basis of traditional Chinese morality since antiquity, has begun staging a comeback in the recent years. Yet it is unclear as to how modern Confucian firms in a market economy will be organized, or how this will affect firm competitiveness. To shed further light on these issues, we examine the extant literature and identify several characteristics associated with Confucian business practice along with their potential impact on firm performance. We illustrate each of these characteristics with a company that explicitly follows Confucian business practice-Taiwan-based Sinyi Real Estate. It is found that, in general, Sinyi Real Estate conforms to the description of Confucian-based business practice that is expounded in the extant literature. However, there are a few surprises. © 2011 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Type
journal article