An exploratory study of the relationship between Lian and Mianzi behaviours in the workplace context

Abstract

The Chinese concept of face consists of two components: lian and mianzi. Briefly, lian is

related to a person’s morality, whereas mianzi is related to a person’s social reputation. The current study investigated the dynamics of Chinese face as separate components, examining the relationship between lian and mianzi behaviours in the workplace. Employing a self- reported survey method, 76 Chinese adults working in Singapore (28 men and 48 women; Mage = 30.62, SD = 9.85) with an average of 8.31 years (SD = 10.18) of work experience, indicated their sensitivity to lian as measured by their adherence to Confucian workplace values, and their engagements in mianzi behaviours. An outlier was subsequently removed from all analyses. As hypothesized, the association between sensitivity to lian and mianzi behaviours in the workplace was shown to be positive and linear, r(75) = .41, p < .001. Furthermore, the results showed that the majority of participants adhered to Confucian workplace principles and also engaged in mianzi behaviours. Additional analyses on the effects of gender, age, and work experience on lian and mianzi behaviours were explored, and all three variables yielded nonsignificant results. The findings suggest that Confucianism still influences Overseas Chinese individuals’ value systems, and that those who closely follow Confucian values tend to engage in more mianzi behaviours. Non-Chinese managers and subordinates can benefit and work more effectively by learning about the Chinese concepts of face and their related behaviours.