Page 60 - Chinese Woman Living and Working

FEMININITY AND AUTHORITY 47
The art of guanxi
The question of guanxi (networking) was raised to ascertain how important the women
being interviewed thought connections and personal relationships were to conducting
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business. In the urban, commercial context of cities such as Shanghai and Beijing,
connections are vitally important to conducting business. One can classify an individual’s
personal resources, such as skill, talent, entrepreneurial ability and access to political
power, as cultural ‘capital’. As Christopher Buckley notes, drawing on the work of Pierre
Bourdieu, ‘social connections with people who have access to valuable information,
influence and resources are in themselves a kind of “capital” that can be cultivated,
sustained and called up in times of need’ (Buckley 2000:219).
Mayfair Mei-hui Yang is one of the few scholars to have analysed the influence of
gender on guanxi relationships. In her study of social relationships in China, she argues
that most women use guanxi for ‘small things’ such as getting on someone’s good side or
obtaining goods that are not readily available. The more complicated exercises in guanxi,
which may involve travel or greater interaction with those beyond the immediate circle of
family and friends, such as securing employment, are usually left to male relatives (Yang
1994:79). Yang’s finding that women are primarily involved in ‘small’ guanxi is supported
by the responses of the interviewees who spoke of maintaining cordial and warm
relationships with their workmates and superiors within the workplace as the main way in
which they practised networking. Few mentioned guanxi in the context of networking
with outside businesses and organisations. Participant S, who will be discussed later,
backed up Yang’s findings that women are uncomfortable exercising guanxi outside their
workplace.
The theme common to all women in their responses to the use of guanxi was the way
they used it to navigate relationships in the workplace. The majority of participants
responded that networking was important or extremely important. Two of the three
participants who worked in the hospitality field noted that networking was an extremely
important aspect of their job, the third felt that it was not necessary but still an important
aspect. The majority of women identified friendliness and warmth as key factors in
achieving cooperative and rewarding working relationships. Being warm and friendly
(youhao) with staff and superiors was acknowledged as the best way to ensure a
harmonious and cooperative working environment. Participant B, who worked for a
small restaurant on Huaihai Road in Shanghai, and participant H, an accountant with a
state-owned water company in Shanghai, responded that personal relationships were
increasingly important and the best way to use networking was to be friendly with others.
Participant B explained that in this way, if she had to criticise or correct someone, they
would be more inclined to listen to her if there was a friendly (youhao) relationship
between them. Participant C, the youngest woman in the sample, explained that she was
respectful to others, that she gave people gifts on their birthdays, and most importantly,
that she would smile and be warm.
Some women also acknowledged that interacting with men could actually be used to a
woman’s advantage depending on the situation and the favour or assistance being sought.
Interviewee D said that it was sometimes easier for women to do business as men could be