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Aesthetic Leadership in Chinese Business: A Philosophical Perspective

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Abstract

Confucian ethics play a pivotal role in guiding Chinese thinking and behaviour. Aesthetic leadership is emerging as a promising paradigm in leadership studies. This study investigates the practice of aesthetic leadership in Chinese organizations on the basis of Chinese philosophical foundations. We adopt a process perspective to access the aesthetic constellation of meanings present in the Chinese understanding of leadership, linking normative Confucian values to a pragmatic value rational world view, that rests on an ontology of vaguely defined norms that are malleable to different cultural contexts. Value rational pragmatism is explored in order to develop a deeper understanding of normative aesthetic leadership in China and to contrast it to instrumental aesthetic leadership. We empirically demonstrate the contextual specificity of aesthetic leadership in eight Chinese private- and state-owned enterprises (POEs and SOEs) through qualitative case studies. The findings provide a deeper insight into Chinese aesthetic leadership by proposing a dynamic leadership approach, from both ethical and instrumental perspectives, in the Chinese context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, School of Business, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand

    Haina Zhang, Malcolm H. Cone, André M. Everett & Graham Elkin

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  1. Haina Zhang
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  2. Malcolm H. Cone
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  3. André M. Everett
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  4. Graham Elkin
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Correspondence to Malcolm H. Cone.

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Zhang, H., Cone, M.H., Everett, A.M. et al. Aesthetic Leadership in Chinese Business: A Philosophical Perspective. J Bus Ethics 101, 475–491 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0734-z

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