Skip to main content
Log in

Effects of cultural ethnicity, firm size, and firm age on senior executives’ trust in their overseas business partners: Evidence from China

  • Article
  • Published:
Journal of International Business Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We investigate trust relationships between senior business executives and their overseas partners. Drawing on the similarity-attraction paradigm, social categorization theory, and the distinction between cognition- and affect-based trust, we argue that executives trust their overseas partners differently, depending on the partners’ cultural ethnicity. In a field survey of 108 Chinese senior executives, we found that these executives have higher affect-based trust in overseas partners of the same cultural ethnicity as themselves; cognition-based trust is associated with affect-based trust differently when overseas partners are of the same or different cultural ethnicity. We also examine the role of relative firm size and age in shaping intra- and intercultural trust. Relative firm size has a stronger negative effect on executives’ cognition-based trust if their partners are of a different cultural ethnicity. Although firm age does not have a negative effect on executives’ affect-based trust as hypothesized, we found firm age to be positively associated with affect-based trust for partners of the same cultural ethnicity. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of this pattern of inter- and intra-cultural trust on international business and networking (guanxi) dynamics in China.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Although its population is 95% Han Chinese, China is culturally diverse in that it encompasses vast regional differences in customs, language, and history (Stening & Zhang, 2007; Tsui-Auch, 2005; Wang, 1996). Despite these differences, cultural values such as filial piety, emphasis on the family as the basic unit of society, and respect for authority are widely adhered to. Most Chinese share familiarity with ancient Chinese history, major festivals, the Confucian ideology, and a unified writing system. Because these are values and cultural references that non-Chinese do not share, it is reasonable to assume that two Chinese individuals will have more common ground on which to build a relationship than will a Chinese and a non-Chinese individual.

  2. Research on social categorization has shown that, in addition to biased perceptions of cooperation and competence, in-group bias is associated with social attraction. Attraction toward in-group members is, however, depersonalized and focused on group prototypicality, as opposed to personal attraction rooted in individualized preferences and affect (e.g., Brewer & Gardner, 1996; Hogg & Hains, 1996; Hogg & Hardie, 1992). Our research focuses on interpersonal trust between two individuals already acquainted with each other: hence this trust is built on personalized rather than depersonalized attraction.

  3. The association between cognition- and affect-based trust is likely to be stronger in some cultures than in others. For example, Chua et al. (2009) found that the two types of trust are more tightly intertwined in Chinese networks than in American networks. Despite this cultural variation, prior research has established that these two types of trust are inherently correlated, even in Western societies such as the US (McAllister, 1995) and UK (Johnson & Grayson, 2005).

  4. The level and type of interpersonal trust between two senior executives from different firms might also be influenced by complex relationships with other members of the partner firm. The trust that one executive places in another might also be influenced by institutional factors such as the formal organizational setup and culture of the partner firm. Indeed, Zucker (1986) argued that institutional characteristics can promote the development of trust. These important factors are beyond the scope of this study. We assume that, at the senior level, executives’ trust in their counterparts hinges more on interpersonal dynamics than on interactions with lower-level members of the organization. We also assume that, over and above the institutional attributes of the partner firm, interpersonal trust is highly dependent on how a trustor perceives a trustee based on his/her experience. In this research, the focal variable that shapes interpersonal dynamics and hence trust is cultural similarity.

  5. We excluded respondents who are Hai Gui (Chinese who have had significant international exposure via study or work abroad).

  6. All firms in China are directly controlled by the jurisdiction of various government levels, ranging from central to local governments. We categorize firm ownership based on the manner in which transactions are coordinated and property rights are embodied.

  7. The partners from Malaysia were Chinese-Malaysians.

  8. We conducted a series of statistical power analyses with ten predictor variables (six control, three continuous, and one dummy), and examined whether our sample size is appropriate for an acceptable level of 80% power (at a 0.05 significance level) (Hair et al., 2010).

  9. We thank an anonymous reviewer for this comment.

References

  • Abrams, D., & Hogg, M. A. 2004. Metatheory: Lessons from social identity research. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8 (2): 98–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aldrich, H., & Auster, E. 1986. Even dwarfs started small: Liabilities of age and size and their strategic implications. Research in Organizational Behavior, 8: 165–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aulakh, P., Kotabe, M., & Sahay, A. 1996. Trust and performance in cross-border marketing partnerships: A behavioral approach. Journal of International Business Studies, 27 (5): 1005–1032.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, T., Demirguc-Kunt, A., & Maksimovic, V. 2005. Financial and legal constraints to growth: Does firm size matter? Journal of Finance, 60 (1): 137–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. W. 2008. Globalisation and acculturation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 32 (4): 328–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, M. 1979. In-group bias in the minimal intergroup situation: A cognitive-motivational analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 86 (2): 307–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, M. 1999. Multiple identities and identity transition: Implications for Hong Kong. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 23 (2): 187–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, M. B., & Gardner, W. 1996. Who is this “we”? Levels of collective identity and self representations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71 (1): 83–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brislin, R. W. 1970. Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1 (3): 185–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckley, P. J., & Casson, M. C. 1976. The future of the multinational enterprise. London: Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, D. 1971. The attraction paradigm. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casson, M., & Godley, A. 2000. Cultural factors in economic growth. In M. Casson & A. Godley (Eds), Cultural factors in economic growth: 1–43. New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Caves, R. E. 1982. Multinational enterprise and economic analysis. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandprapalert, A. 2000. The determinants of US direct investment in Thailand: A survey of managerial perspectives. Multinational Business Review, 8 (2): 82–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Child, J. 1998. Trust and international strategic alliances: The case of Sino-foreign joint ventures. In C. Lane & R. Bachmann (Eds), Trust within and between organizations: Conceptual issues and empirical applications: 241–272. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chua, R. Y. J., Ingram, P., & Morris, M. W. 2008. From the head and the heart: Locating cognition- and affect-based trust in managers’ professional networks. Academy of Management Journal, 51 (3): 436–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chua, R. Y. J., Morris, M. W., & Ingram, P. 2009. Guanxi versus networking: Distinctive configurations of affect- and cognition-based trust in the networks of Chinese vs American managers. Journal of International Business Studies, 40 (3): 480–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, B. H., & Montgomery, D. B. 1999. Managerial identification of competitors. Journal of Marketing, 63 (3): 67–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J. S. 1990. Foundations of social theory. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crane, D. 1965. Scientists at major and minor universities: A study of productivity and recognition. American Sociological Review, 30 (5): 699–714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cryer, J. D., & Miller, R. B. 1994. Statistics for business: Data analysis and modeling (2nd edn), Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuddy, A. C., Fiske, S. T., & Glick, P. 2007. The BIAS map: Behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92 (4): 631–648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Currall, S. C., & Inkpen, A. 2002. A multilevel approach to trust in joint ventures. Journal of International Business Studies, 33 (3): 479–495.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, R. C., & Miller, K. 1986. Believing that another likes you or dislikes you: Behaviors making the beliefs come true. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51 (2): 284–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Wever, S., Martens, R., & Vandenbempt, K. 2005. The impact of trust on strategic resource acquisition through interorganizational networks: Towards a conceptual model. Human Relations, 58 (12): 1523–1543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dirks, K. T. 2000. Trust in leadership and team performance: Evidence from NCAA basketball. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85 (6): 1004–1012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobrev, S. D., & Carroll, G. R. 2003. Size (and competition) among organizations: Modeling scale-based selection among automobile producers in four major countries, 1885–1981. Strategic Management Journal, 24 (6): 541–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doney, P., Cannon, J., & Mullen, M. 1998. Understanding the influence of national culture on the development of trust. Academy of Management Review, 23 (3): 601–620.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, J. H., & Chu, W. 2000. The determinants of trust in supplier–automaker relationships in the US, Japan, and Korea. Journal of International Business Studies, 31 (2): 259–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, J. H., & Chu, W. 2003. The role of trustworthiness in reducing transaction costs and improving performance: Empirical evidence from the United States, Japan, and Korea. Organization Science, 14 (1): 57–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, D. S. 1987. The relationship between firm growth, size, and age: Estimates for 100 manufacturing industries. Journal of Industrial Economics, 35 (4): 567–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fichman, M., & Levinthal, D. A. 1991. Honeymoons and the liability of adolescence: A new perspective on duration dependence in social and organizational relationships. Academy of Management Review, 16 (2): 442–468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finkelstein, S., & Hambrick, D. C. 1990. Top-management-team tenure and organizational outcomes: The moderating role of managerial discretion. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35 (3): 484–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A. J., & Glick, P. 2007. Universal dimensions of social cognition: Warmth and competence. Trends in Cognitive Science, 11 (2): 77–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, J. W., & Iaquinto, A. L. 1989. Inertia and creeping rationality in strategic decision processes. Academy of Management Journal, 32 (4): 516–542.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, J., Carroll, G. R., & Hannan, M. T. 1983. The liability of newness: Age dependence in organizational death rates. American Sociological Review, 48 (5): 692–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gold, J. A., Ryckman, R. M., & Mosley, N. R. 1984. Romantic mood induction and attraction to a dissimilar other: Is love blind? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 10 (3): 358–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith, D. A., Hu, M. Y., & Ryans, J. K. 2000. Process standardization across intra- and inter-cultural relationships. Journal of International Business Studies, 31 (2): 303–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulati, R., & Singh, H. 1998. The architecture of cooperation: Managing coordination costs and appropriation concerns in strategic alliances. Administrative Science Quarterly, 43 (4): 781–814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulati, R., & Sytch, M. 2007. Dependence asymmetry and joint dependence in interorganizational relationships: Effects of embeddedness on a manufacturer's performance in procurement relationships. Administrative Science Quarterly, 52 (1): 32–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagen, J. M., & Choe, S. 1998. Trust in Japanese interfirm relations: Institutional sanctions matter. Academy of Management Review, 23 (3): 589–600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. 2010. Multivariate data analysis, (7th edn) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hambrick, D. C., & Mason, P. A. 1984. Upper echelons: The organization as a reflection of its top managers. Academy of Management Review, 9 (2): 193–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, G. 1996. Competition and organization: A reexamination of Chinese business practices. Journal of Asian Business, 12 (1): 7–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannan, M. T., & Carroll, G. R. 1995. An introduction to organizational ecology. In G. R. Carroll & M. T. Hannan (Eds), Organizations in industry: Strategy, structure, and selection: 17–32. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hausman, J. 1978. Specification tests in econometrics. Econometrica, 46 (6): 1251–1271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haveman, H. A. 1993. Organizational size and change: Diversification in the savings and loan industry after deregulation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 38 (1): 20–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, A. D. 1999. Firm strategy and age dependence: A contingent view of the liabilities of newness, adolescence, and obsolescence. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44 (2): 281–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hennart, J. -F. 1982. A theory of multinational enterprise. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodgkinson, G. P., & Johnson, G. 1994. Exploring the mental models of competitive strategists: The case for a processual approach. Journal of Management Studies, 31 (4): 525–551.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G. 1991. Cultures and organizations. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Europe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogg, M. A., & Hains, S. C. 1996. Intergroup relations and group solidarity: Effects of group identification and social beliefs on depersonalized attraction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70 (2): 295–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hogg, M. A., & Hardie, E. A. 1992. Social attraction, personal attraction, and self-categorization: A field study. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17 (2): 175–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong, Y., Chan, G., Chiu, C., Wong, R., Hansen, I., Lee, S., Tong, Y., & Fu, H. 2003. How are social identities linked to self-conception and intergroup orientation? The moderating effect of implicit theories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85 (6): 1147–1160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huff, L., & Kelley, L. 2003. Levels of organizational trust in individualist versus collectivist societies: A seven-nation study. Organization Science, 14 (1): 81–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hymer, S. H. 1976. The international operations of national firms: A study of direct foreign investment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jablin, F. M. 1987. Organizational entry, assimilation and exit. In F. M. Jablin, L. L. Putnam, K. Roberts & L. Porter (Eds), Handbook of organizational communication: An interdisciplinary perspective: 732–818. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S., Brett, J., Sessa, V., Cooper, D., Julin, J., & Peyronnin, K. 1991. Some differences make a difference: Individual dissimilarity and group heterogeneity as correlates of recruitment, promotions, and turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76 (5): 675–689.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S., Stone, V., & Alvarez, E. 1993. Socialization amidst diversity: Impact of demographics on work team oldtimers and newcomers. In L. Cummings & B. Staw (Eds), Research in organizational behavior, Vol. 15: 45–109. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johanson, J., & Vahlne, J.-E. 2009. The Uppsala internationalization process model revisited: From liability of foreignness to liability of outsidership. Journal of International Business Studies, 40 (9): 1411–1431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D., & Grayson, K. 2005. Cognitive and affective trust in service relationships. Journal of Business Research, 58 (4): 500–507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keller, J., & Loewenstein, J. 2011. The cultural category of cooperation: A cultural consensus model analysis for China and the United States. Organization Science, 22 (2): 299–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keltner, D., Gruenfeld, D. H., & Anderson, C. A. 2003. Power, approach, and inhibition. Psychological Review, 110 (2): 265–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimberly, J. R. 1976. Organizational size and the structuralist perspective: A review, critique and proposal. Administrative Science Quarterly, 21 (4): 571–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, K. J., Dansereau, F., & Hall, R. J. 1994. Levels issues in theory development, data collection, and analysis. Academy of Management Review, 19 (2): 195–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotabe, M., Martin, X., & Domoto, H. 2003. Gaining from vertical relationships: Knowledge transfer, relationship duration, and supplier performance improvement in the US and Japanese automobile industries. Strategic Management Journal, 24 (4): 293–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, R. M. 1999. Trust and distrust in organizations: Emerging perspectives, enduring questions. Annual Review of Psychology, 50: 569–598.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, R. M., Brewer, M. B., & Hanna, B. A. 1995. Collective trust and collective action: The decision to trust as a social decision. In R. M. Brewer & T. R. Tyler (Eds), Trust in organizations: Frontiers of theory and research: 357–389. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan, R., & Martin, X. 2006. When does trust matter to alliance performance? Academy of Management Journal, 49 (5): 894–917.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, C. 1997. The social regulation of inter-firm relations in Britain and Germany: Market rules, legal norms and technical standards. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 21 (2): 197–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, H. 1998. Old linkages, new networks: The globalization of overseas Chinese voluntary associations and its implications. The China Quarterly, 155 (September): 582–609.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lott, A. J., & Lott, B. E. 1964. Group cohesiveness as interpersonal attraction: A review of relationships with antecedent and consequent variables. Psychological Bulletin, 64 (4): 259–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louis, M. R. 1980. Surprise and sense making: What newcomers experience in entering unfamiliar organizational settings. Administrative Science Quarterly, 25 (2): 226–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo, Y. 2000. How to enter China: Choices and lessons. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo, Y., Liu, Y., & Xue, J. 2009. Relationship investment and channel performance: An analysis of mediating forces. Journal of Management Studies, 46 (7): 1113–1137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDuffie, J. P. 2011. Inter-organizational trust and the dynamics of distrust. Journal of International Business Studies, 42 (1): 35–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsumoto, D. 2006. Culture and cultural worldviews: Do verbal descriptions about culture reflect anything other than verbal descriptions of culture? Culture and Psychology, 12 (1): 33–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. 1995. An integrative model of organizational trust. Academy of Management Review, 20 (3): 709–732.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAllister, D. 1995. Affect- and cognition-based trust as foundations for interpersonal cooperation in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 38 (1): 24–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McPherson, J. M., & Smith-Lovin, L. 1987. Homophily in voluntary organizations: Status difference in the composition of face-to-face groups. American Sociological Review, 52 (3): 370–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McPherson, J. M., Smith-Lovin, L., & Cook, J. M. 2001. Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27: 415–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mintzberg, H. 1973. Strategy-making in three modes. California Management Review, 16 (2): 44–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moreland, R. 1985. Social categorization and the assimilation of “new” group members. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48 (5): 1173–1190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. 1994. The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58 (3): 20–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullen, B., Brown, R., & Smith, C. 1992. Ingroup bias as a function of salience, relevance, and status: An integration. European Journal of Social Psychology, 22 (2): 103–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics of China. 2006. China basic statistical units yearbook. Beijing: China Statistics Press.

  • Nishiguchi, T. 1994. Strategic industrial sourcing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nooteboom, B. 1993. Firm size effects on transaction costs. Small Business Economics, 5 (4): 283–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, C., Caldwell, D., & Barnett, W. 1989. Work group demography, social integration, and turnover. Administrative Science Quarterly, 34 (1): 21–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, C., Snyder, R., & Boothe, J. 1993. Effects of executive team demography on organizational change. In G. Huber & W. Glick (Eds), Organizational change and redesign: 147–175. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyserman, D., Coon, H. M., & Kemmelmeier, M. 2002. Rethinking individualism and collectivism: Evaluation of theoretical assumptions and meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 128 (1): 3–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papadakis, V., Lioukas, S., & Chambers, D. 1998. Strategic decision-making processes: The role of management and context. Strategic Management Journal, 19 (2): 115–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, S. H., & Luo, Y. 2001. Guanxi and organizational dynamics: Organizational networking in Chinese firms. Strategic Management Journal, 22 (5): 455–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parkhe, A. 1998. Building trust in international alliances. Journal of World Business, 33 (4): 417–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, M. W., & Heath, P. S. 1996. The growth of the firm in planned economies in transition: Institutions, organizations, and strategic choice. Academy of Management Review, 21 (2): 492–528.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrow, C. 1961. Organizational prestige: Some functions and dysfunctions. American Journal of Sociology, 66 (4): 335–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, J., & Salancik, G. R. 1978. The external control of organizations: A resource-dependence perspective. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J., & Podsakoff, N. P. 2003. Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88 (5): 879–903.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. 2000. Bowling alone. The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralston, D., Holt, D. H., Terpstra, R. H., & Yu, K. 2008. The impact of national culture and economic ideology on managerial work values: A study of the United States, Russia, Japan, and China. Journal of International Business Studies, 39 (1): 8–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, T. R., & Naidu, G. M. 1992. Are the stages of internationalization empirically supportable? Journal of Global Marketing, 6 (1/2): 147–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rempel, J. K., Holmes, J. G., & Zanna, M. P. 1985. Trust in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45 (1): 95–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riordan, C., & Shore, L. 1997. Demographic diversity and employee attitudes: Examination of relational demography within work units. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82 (3): 342–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sako, M. 1991. The role of “trust” in Japanese buyer–supplier relationships. Richerche Economiche, 45: 449–474.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H., & Bardi, A. 2001. Value hierarchies across cultures: Taking a similarities perspective. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32 (3): 268–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segal, M. W. 1974. Alphabet and attraction: An unobtrusive measure of the effect of propinquity in a field setting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30 (50): 654–657.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shinkle, G., & Kriauciunas, A. 2010. Institutions, size, and age in transition economies: Implications for export growth. Journal of International Business Studies, 41 (2): 267–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sin, L., Tse, A., Yau, O., Chow, R., & Lee, J. 2003. Market orientation and business performance: A comparative study of firms in mainland China and Hong Kong. European Journal of Marketing, 37 (5/6): 910–936.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sørensen, J. B., & Stuart, T. E. 2000. Aging, obsolescence, and organizational innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 45 (1): 81–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stening, B. W., & Zhang, M. Y. 2007. Methodological challenges confronted when conducting management research in China. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 7 (1): 121–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephan, C. W., Helms, M. M., & Haynes, P. J. 1995. Inter-cultural anxiety: Implications for improving expatriate selection for Japan. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 2 (1): 25–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephan, W. G., & Stephan, C. W. 1985. Intergroup anxiety. Journal of Social Issues, 41 (3): 157–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stinchcombe, A. L. 1965. Social structure and organizations. In J. G. March (Ed), Handbook of organizations: 142–193. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutcliffe, K. M., & Huber, G. P. 1998. Firm and industry as determinants of executive perceptions of the environment. Strategic Management Journal, 19 (8): 793–807.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H. 1972. Social categorization. English manuscript of “La catégorisation sociale”. In S. Moscovici (Ed), Introduction à la psychologie sociale, Vol. 1: 272–302. Paris: Larousse.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H. 1981. Human groups and social categories: Studies in social psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H. 1982. Social psychology of intergroup relations. Annual Review of Psychology, 33: 1–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. 1979. An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds), The social psychology of intergroup relations: 33–47. Monterey, CA: Brooks-Cole.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. 1986. The social identity theory of inter-group behavior. In S. Worchel & L. W. Austin (Eds), Psychology of intergroup relations: 7–24. Chicago: Nelson-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. D. 1967. Organizations in action. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. J., & Grosse, R. 2002. An analysis of firm-specific resources and foreign direct investment in the United States. International Business Review, 11 (4): 431–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tschannen-Moran, M., & Hoy, W. 2000. A multidisciplinary analysis of the nature, meaning, and measurement of trust. Review of Educational Research, 70 (4): 547–593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsui, A., & Farh, J. L. 1997. Where guanxi matters: Relational demography and guanxi in the Chinese context. Work Occupation, 24 (1): 56–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsui, A., & O’Reilly, C. A. 1989. Beyond simple demographic effects: The importance of relational demography in superior–subordinate dyads. Academy of Management Journal, 32 (2): 402–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsui-Auch, L. S. 2005. Unpacking regional ethnicity and the strength of ties in shaping ethnic entrepreneurship. Organization Studies, 26 (8): 1189–1216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J. C. 1987. Rediscovering the social group: A social categorization theory. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J. C. 1999. Some current issues in research on social identity and self-categorization theories. In N. Ellemers, R. Spears & B. Doosje (Eds), Social identity: Context, commitment, content: 6–34. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Maanen, J. 1976. Breaking in: Socialization to work. In R. Dubin (Ed), Handbook of work, organization, and society: 67–130. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Maanen, J., & Schein, E. H. 1979. Toward a theory of organizational socialization. In B. M. Staw (Ed), Research in organizational behavior, Vol. 1: 209–264. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vecchio, R. P., & Bullis, R. C. 2001. Moderators of the influence of supervisor–subordinate similarity on subordinate outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86 (5): 884–896.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, G. 1996. Merchants without empire: The Hokkien sojourning communities. In S. Subrahmanyam (Ed), Merchant networks in the early modern world: 50–71. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xin, K. R., & Pearce, J. L. 1996. Guanxi: Connections as substitutes for formal institutional support. Academy of Management Journal, 39 (6): 1641–1658.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuki, M., Maddux, W. W., Brewer, M. B., & Takemura, K. 2005. Cross-cultural differences in relationship- and group-based trust. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31 (1): 48–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaheer, A., McEvily, B., & Perrone, V. 1998. Does trust matter? Exploring the effects of inter-organizational and interpersonal trust on performance. Organization Science, 9 (2): 141–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaheer, S., & Zaheer, A. 2006. Trust across borders. Journal of International Business Studies, 37 (1): 21–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zucker, L. G. 1986. Production of trust: Institutional sources of economic structure 1840–1920. Research in Organizational Behavior, 8: 53–111.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We all contributed equally to the development of this paper. We acknowledge the editors and the three anonymous reviewers for various constructive comments throughout the review process.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masaaki Kotabe.

Additional information

Accepted by Mariko Sakakibara, Area Editor, 19 July 2011. This paper has been with the authors for three revisions.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jiang, C., Chua, R., Kotabe, M. et al. Effects of cultural ethnicity, firm size, and firm age on senior executives’ trust in their overseas business partners: Evidence from China. J Int Bus Stud 42, 1150–1173 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2011.35

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2011.35

Keywords

Navigation