Title: Individual guanxi network and social exchange relations: an evidence from Malaysian hotel industry

Authors: Ishfaq Ahmed; Wan Khairuzzaman Wan Ismail; Salmiah Mohamad Amin

Addresses: Faculty of Management and Human Resource Development, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia; Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan ' International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia International Campus, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ' Faculty of Management and Human Resource Development, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Abstract: This research endeavour is aimed to judge direct and indirect effects of individual guanxi network on job involvement and finally impact of job involvement on in-role performance. Questionnaire was used as tool for data collection, 300 questionnaires were distributed to Malaysian-Chinese hotel employees at two points of time. Simple random sampling technique was used to select respondents from eastern part of Malaysia. Findings of the study confine that individual guanxi network significantly contributes to social exchange relations (perceived organisational support - POS and leader-member exchange - LMX), and job involvement. Guanxi network is having both direct and indirect effect (through mediation of POS and LMX) on job involvement. It validates the Blau social exchange theory. Testing mediation effects of LMX between guanxi network and social exchange relation (POS) is the main contribution of the study. Limitations, practical implication and future directions are also discussed.

Keywords: individual guanxi networks; perceived organisational support; leader-member exchange; job involvement; in-role performance; Malaysian-Chinese employees; social exchange theory; Malaysia; hotel industry; employee involvement; mediation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCCM.2013.055439

International Journal of Chinese Culture and Management, 2013 Vol.3 No.3, pp.254 - 267

Received: 17 May 2012
Accepted: 11 Feb 2013
Published online: 18 Sep 2014 *

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