Guanxi is one of the most popular topics in Chinese and Western scholarship concerning social ties in China. However, several problems in research on guanxi persist, and multiple debates are still ongoing without much consensus in sight. Moreover, this term has been misused and misunderstood in different contexts.

Hence, we decided to write an article to epitomize all previous studies about guanxi. We got the original inspiration from the cultural original meaning of the word guanxi: in Chinese, Guan [关] literally means ‘related’ and refers to a strong dyadic contact between two social actors. Xi [系] comprises the notions of both ‘factional groups’ and ‘strings in a knot’. Based on this clue, we provided a more comprehensive definition of guanxi and re-conceptualized the term.

This study has two goals. First, we offer a systematic review of the current literature on guanxi, especially by differentiating guan dyads from xi networks. This reconceptualization of guanxi enables us to clarify the concept of guanxi by differentiating its two dimensions, i.e. guan (dyad) and xi (network).

Second, based on this literature review, we argue that guanxi is neither an individual-level nor a group-level construct; rather, it has both individual and group dimensions. We then propose a redirection of future research on guanxi such that guan dyads and xi networks are not examined in isolation; rather, their holistic and dynamic interaction is the most fruitful avenue for future research. We have proposed four mechanisms for guan-xi interactions as follows:

1. Expanding xi networks by bridging new guan dyads through trust conversion
2. Consolidating xi networks by bonding more guan dyads through trust transfer
3. Deepening guan dyads by embedding guan dyads into a specific xi network through Buddha-face (in terms of peer pressure and elite pressure among closely related dyads)
4. Thickening guan dyads by embedding guan dyads into multiple different xi networks through multiplexity (in terms of multiple relationships between two parties in a guan dyad)

None of the four mechanisms of guan-xi interactions works alone in isolation; rather, they work together in a reinforcing cycle. We believe these mechanisms could shed the light for future empirical studies to further illustrate how guan and xi could shape each other.

Please enjoy complimentary access to the article ‘Reconceptualizing and Redirecting Research on Guanxi: ‘Guan-Xi’ Interaction to Form a Multicolored Chinese Knot’ until the end of October 2019.