Skip to main content
Log in

Using the Dizi Gui to break away from a deteriorated business environment—a case study

  • Published:
Asian Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The three main Chinese teachings (Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism) can all be used to develop a framework for corporate governance in China. Recently, the Confucian classic the Dizi gui has emerged as a matter of academic and social interest in Mainland China. Some entrepreneurs have decided to revert to the moral rules set out in this book to decide on complex moral dilemma. Our research aims to explore an actual case in which a business leader from Beijing succeeded in transforming his moral aspiration into a viable business model. Willing to break out from a deteriorated business environment in which he was competing, he used the Dizi gui to develop a set of moral principles, out of which he articulated his decision-making strategy.

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

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. For a bilingual online version of the Dizi Gui: http://tsoidug.org/dizigui_trans_simp.php

  2. The idea that one has to drink alcohol to succeed in China is so prevalent that it is even taught in many business schools throughout the world.

  3. 「事非宜,勿輕諾,苟輕諾,進退錯」, shi fei yi, wuqing nuo, jiqing nuo, jintui cuo.

  4. “Chinese traditional culture as an enlightening way of bringing business to success” (in Chinese), 24–25 July 2010, Hong Kong.

References

  • Beauchamp, T. L., & Bowie, N. E. (1979). Ethical theory and business. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, G. K. Y. (2008). The relevance and value of Confucianism in contemporary business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 77, 347–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, T. S., & King, A. Y.-C. (2004). Righteousness and profitableness: the moral choices of contemporary Confucian entrepreneurs. Journal of Business Ethics, 54, 245–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrel, O. C., & Larry, G. (1985). Gresham, “a contingency framework for understanding ethical decision making in marketing”. Journal of Marketing, 49, 87–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gigerenzer, G. (2010). Moral satisficing: rethinking moral behavior as bounded rationality. Topics in Cognitive Science, 2, 528–554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gould, S. J. (1995). The Buddhist perspective on business ethics: experiential exercises for exploration and practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 14, 63–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green, J., & Walker, K. (2009). “A contingency model for ethical decision-making by educational leaders”, International Journal of Educational leadership Preparation, Volume 4, Number 4, October, December.

  • Ip, P. K. (2002). The Weizhi Group of Xian: a Chinese virtuous corporation. Journal of Business Ethics, 35, 15–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ip, P. K. (2009a). Is Confucianism good for business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 463–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ip, P. K. (2009b). The challenge of developing business ethics in China. Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 211–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, D. W. (1994). The role of belief systems and schemas in foreign policy decision-making. Political Psychology, 15(1), 17–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lei, W., & Heikki, J. (2009). The impact of Chinese culture on corporate social responsibility: the harmony approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 433–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Numkanisorn, S. (2002). Business and Buddhist ethics. The Chulalongkorn Journal of Buddhist Studies, 1(1), 39–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbaum, J. (2009). Patient teenagers? A comparison of the sexual behavior of virginity pledgers and non-pledgers. Pediatrics, 123, 110–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi, W. (2010). Character of gentleman in Dizi Gui (Dizi Gui Daoyu sixiang fenxi). Journal of Chongqing Jiaoting University (Social Sciences Edition), 10(6).

  • Wang, C. (2009). Using the Dizi Gui to study business ethics (Cong Dizi Gui kan qiye daode guanli). Human Resources (renli ziyuan), 14, 23–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, Y. (2009). Confucian ethics exhibited in the discourse of Chinese business and marketing communication. Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 517–528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimbardo, P. (2007). The Lucifer effect: understanding how good people turn to evil. New York: Random House.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hugo Winckler.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Winckler, H. Using the Dizi Gui to break away from a deteriorated business environment—a case study. Asian J Bus Ethics 3, 111–125 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-014-0035-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-014-0035-6

Keywords

Navigation