Western Conceptualizations 2
Abstract
This paper took issue with Western conceptualizations of Chinese culture in scholarly
research on Chinese organizational communication practices. It examined Weber’s thesis
on the relationship between religion and capitalism and critiqued his investigation of
Confucianism with regard to whether it helped to promote the growth of capitalism in
China. It further examined Hofstede and Bond’s argument about the connection between
Confucianism and economic growth in East Asia. It reviewed the Chinese Values Survey
study and critiqued its findings in terms of reliability and validity. Impact of this study on
other studies on Chinese organizational communication practices was explored. This
paper also examined the individualism-collectivism construct and investigated how it
impacted scholarly research by Western scholars on Chinese organizational
communication practices. Postcolonialist theory was applied to guide the review and
examination of these conceptualizations.