Title: Is Guanxi prevalent across China? Evidence from 17 provinces

Authors: Ron Berger; Bradley R. Barnes; Matti Rachamim; Avi Silbiger

Addresses: Graduate School of Business Administration, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, Israel ' Dean, School of Business, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin Hong Kong ' Graduate School of Business Administration, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, Israel ' Department of Electronics, Jerusalem College of Technology, Jerusalem, Israel

Abstract: Despite increased discourse on Guanxi, studies surrounding its relevance across different regions of China have not been undertaken. Whilst Guanxi may enable individuals to improve their business, avoid taxes and acquire resources; some have argued that its significance is declining as markets become more commercially developed. This school of thought considers Guanxi as an outdated model that promotes corruption, detracts business from the free-market and plays a limited role today. This study seeks to examine the pivotal role or absence of Guanxi across 17 provinces to determine whether or not Guanxi holds and still exists in modern day China.

Keywords: China; Ganqing; Guanxi; GRX; Renqing; Xinren.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2026.153178

European Journal of International Management, 2026 Vol.29 No.1, pp.71 - 94

Received: 20 Mar 2022
Accepted: 24 Jul 2022
Published online: 29 Apr 2026 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article