Dear colleagues,

It is with great excitement that we publish the very first special issue after our new editorial team took the reign of MOR!

This special issue focuses on heterogeneity among Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs). While SOEs still play a critical role in the Chinese economy, after four decades of reform, they have become more heterogeneous in their ownership and hierarchical governance structure, their level of hybridity in blending multiple logics, and their leadership characteristics and composition. The aim of this reform is to bolster SOE efficiency and competitiveness while maintaining a balance between state oversight and market dynamics. The complexity involved in the various forms of SOEs provides fertile ground to explore the institutional, strategic, and organizational influences on how SOEs manage the dual pressures of state and market logics, respond to policy adjustments, tackle leadership challenges, and navigate current global trends such as digital transformation and environmental sustainability. The collection of articles in this special issue addresses each of these influences with effective conceptual reasoning and convincing empirical evidence.

I would like to thank the guest editorial team, led by Kenneth Huang, for their tireless efforts in constructing this special issue. It has been three years since the call for proposals was issued, during which time they guided the authors to continuously improve the manuscripts on both theoretical insights and empirical rigor. I am truly grateful for their dedication and commitment to this special issue!

I hope you will gain new knowledge and insights from this special issue about the current state of Chinese SOEs. Enjoy reading!

Xiao-Ping Chen