1. ¹Harvard Business School, Boston, USA
2. ²Columbia University, Columbia Business School, New York, USA

Correspondence: R Y J Chua, Morgan Hall, 312 Harvard Business School, Soldiers Field, Boston, MA 02163, USA. Tel: +1 617 495 6465; Fax: +1 617 496 6568; E-mail: rchua@hbs.edu

Received 20 March 2007; Revised 8 July 2007; Accepted 14 November 2007; Published online 17 July 2008.

Abstract

This research investigates hypotheses about differences between Chinese and American managers in the configuration of trusting relationships within their professional networks. Consistent with hypotheses about Chinese familial collectivism, an egocentric network survey found that affect- and cognition-based trust were more intertwined for Chinese than for American managers. In addition, the effect of economic exchange on affect-based trust was more positive for Chinese than for Americans, whereas the effect of friendship was more positive for Americans than for Chinese. Finally, the extent to which a given relationship was highly embedded in ties to third parties increased cognition-based trust for Chinese but not for Americans. Implications for cultural research and international business practices are discussed.