Is it simply a matter of managerial competence? Interpreting Chinese executives’ perceptions of crisis management

Applying in-depth interviews with 22 Chinese executives, this study intends to interpret their perceptions of the four aspects of crises: causes, consequences, caution and coping. Findings suggest that the informants tend to blame external constituencies for frequent adverse events experienced by Chinese enterprises and equate crisis management with quick problem solving in which technical protection of corporate image via effective leadership is the top priority. Nonetheless, prescriptive lessons as presented in Western literature do occupy a position in the minds of Chinese executives. These lessons serve both as a counterpoint against which a desirable mode of crisis management in China is articulated and as a representation of personal aspiration that will remain an ambition as long as the Chinese economy has not passed certain hurdles in development. Based on the insights gained, we put forward an alternative way of thinking about crisis management, i.e., a manager's self-positioning within the larger socio-economic context rather than managerial competence defines what constitutes perceived meaningful forms and processes in which unfavourable circumstances are contained or handled.