Guanxi and Chinese Brand Loyalty

Liane Wai Ying LEE; Yiming TANG

Guanxi and Chinese Brand Loyalty

Liane Wai Ying LEE^*
, Yiming TANG

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Book Chapters | Papers in Conference Proceedings › Conference paper (refereed) › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This exploratory study examined how brand loyalty can be established in a non-Western market where Chinese customers are motivated to be loyal to a brand by cultural drivers, specifically guanxi (personal relationships) and mianzi (face). The brand loyalty of Chinese customers for financial products in Hong Kong and mainland China was investigated using a qualitative, grounded theory approach. Nine semi-structured, indepth interviews were conducted with three expert interviewees. The results demonstrate that companies can cement client loyalty through using guanxi as an attitudinal trait to secure introductions in a buyer-seller relationship. Sellers strive to join a client’s guanxi network and then accumulate credit for offering good value and showing respect. They trade favours and later call in debts. This has been one of the first studies to use grounded theory to investigate the influence of key Chinese cultural attributes on brand loyalty to financial products.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings: ANZMAC Annual Conference 2014
Editors	Sharyn RUNDLE-THIELE, Krzysztof KUBACKI, Denni ARLI
Place of Publication	Brisbane
Publisher	Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC)
Pages	433-440
Number of pages	8
Publication status	Published - Dec 2014
Externally published	Yes
Event	Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC) 2014 - Brisbane, Australia Duration: 1 Dec 2014 → 3 Dec 2014

Publication series

Name	ANZMAC Conference Proceedings
Publisher	Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC)
ISSN (Print)	1447-3275

Conference

Conference	Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC) 2014
Abbreviated title	ANZMAC 2014
Country/Territory	Australia
City	Brisbane
Period	1/12/14 → 3/12/14

Bibliographical note

The authors would like to thank Dah Sing Life Assurance Company Limited and Vincera Consulting Limited for their support to this research study.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Keywords

Chinese
Grounded theory
Brand loyalty
Financial services
Guanxi
Mianzi Track
Consumer Behaviour

Cite this

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title = "Guanxi and Chinese Brand Loyalty",

abstract = "This exploratory study examined how brand loyalty can be established in a non-Western market where Chinese customers are motivated to be loyal to a brand by cultural drivers, specifically guanxi (personal relationships) and mianzi (face). The brand loyalty of Chinese customers for financial products in Hong Kong and mainland China was investigated using a qualitative, grounded theory approach. Nine semi-structured, indepth interviews were conducted with three expert interviewees. The results demonstrate that companies can cement client loyalty through using guanxi as an attitudinal trait to secure introductions in a buyer-seller relationship. Sellers strive to join a client{\textquoteright}s guanxi network and then accumulate credit for offering good value and showing respect. They trade favours and later call in debts. This has been one of the first studies to use grounded theory to investigate the influence of key Chinese cultural attributes on brand loyalty to financial products.",

keywords = "Chinese, Grounded theory, Brand loyalty, Financial services, Guanxi, Mianzi Track, Consumer Behaviour",

author = "LEE, \{Liane Wai Ying\} and Yiming TANG",

note = "The authors would like to thank Dah Sing Life Assurance Company Limited and Vincera Consulting Limited for their support to this research study.; Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC) 2014, ANZMAC 2014 ; Conference date: 01-12-2014 Through 03-12-2014",

year = "2014",

month = dec,

language = "English",

series = "ANZMAC Conference Proceedings",

publisher = "Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC)",

pages = "433--440",

editor = "Sharyn RUNDLE-THIELE and Krzysztof KUBACKI and Denni ARLI",

booktitle = "Proceedings: ANZMAC Annual Conference 2014",

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Guanxi and Chinese Brand Loyalty. / LEE, Liane Wai Ying; TANG, Yiming.
Proceedings: ANZMAC Annual Conference 2014. ed. / Sharyn RUNDLE-THIELE; Krzysztof KUBACKI; Denni ARLI. Brisbane: Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC), 2014. p. 433-440 (ANZMAC Conference Proceedings).

Research output: Book Chapters | Papers in Conference Proceedings › Conference paper (refereed) › Research › peer-review

TY - GEN

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AU - LEE, Liane Wai Ying

AU - TANG, Yiming

N1 - The authors would like to thank Dah Sing Life Assurance Company Limited and Vincera Consulting Limited for their support to this research study.

PY - 2014/12

Y1 - 2014/12

N2 - This exploratory study examined how brand loyalty can be established in a non-Western market where Chinese customers are motivated to be loyal to a brand by cultural drivers, specifically guanxi (personal relationships) and mianzi (face). The brand loyalty of Chinese customers for financial products in Hong Kong and mainland China was investigated using a qualitative, grounded theory approach. Nine semi-structured, indepth interviews were conducted with three expert interviewees. The results demonstrate that companies can cement client loyalty through using guanxi as an attitudinal trait to secure introductions in a buyer-seller relationship. Sellers strive to join a client’s guanxi network and then accumulate credit for offering good value and showing respect. They trade favours and later call in debts. This has been one of the first studies to use grounded theory to investigate the influence of key Chinese cultural attributes on brand loyalty to financial products.

AB - This exploratory study examined how brand loyalty can be established in a non-Western market where Chinese customers are motivated to be loyal to a brand by cultural drivers, specifically guanxi (personal relationships) and mianzi (face). The brand loyalty of Chinese customers for financial products in Hong Kong and mainland China was investigated using a qualitative, grounded theory approach. Nine semi-structured, indepth interviews were conducted with three expert interviewees. The results demonstrate that companies can cement client loyalty through using guanxi as an attitudinal trait to secure introductions in a buyer-seller relationship. Sellers strive to join a client’s guanxi network and then accumulate credit for offering good value and showing respect. They trade favours and later call in debts. This has been one of the first studies to use grounded theory to investigate the influence of key Chinese cultural attributes on brand loyalty to financial products.

KW - Chinese

KW - Grounded theory

KW - Brand loyalty

KW - Financial services

KW - Guanxi

KW - Mianzi Track

KW - Consumer Behaviour

UR - https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20150309213142/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/25410/20150310-0747/2014+proceedings.compressed.pdf

M3 - Conference paper (refereed)

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BT - Proceedings: ANZMAC Annual Conference 2014

A2 - RUNDLE-THIELE, Sharyn

A2 - KUBACKI, Krzysztof

A2 - ARLI, Denni

PB - Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC)

CY - Brisbane

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Y2 - 1 December 2014 through 3 December 2014

ER -

Guanxi and Chinese Brand Loyalty

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this