Guanxi and social capital: Networking among women managers in China and Finland

Considering that women are still under-represented in management, researchers have claimed that networking is an important career management tool for women. This study aims to empirically explore how women managers benefit from social networks in the information technology (IT) field in China and Finland. Guanxi, an Eastern term for social networking, has seldom been studied in terms of gender and career, especially within cross-cultural research. Social capital is a Western term for social networks. Using questionnaires, in-depth interviews and interpretive analysis, we compare the composition and structure of social networks used by women managers within the information technology sector in the two countries. The results show: (1) that in both contexts, there is an effect of female-to-male dyads, which are mainly within power- and work-related networks (e.g. most ties of ‘influence’ are with older men) while female-to-female dyads are mostly ‘social’, (2) China has relatively small networks while Finland has networks differentiated on the basis of function, and (3) there are differences in the structure and participant strategies in networks and networking in the two contexts.Both guanxi and social capital include elements of “who know you” and “who knows you” that are important for career success. We suggest that a strategic and cross-gender, cross-company approach to networking would assist women in career advancement. Moreover, deeper research should be undertaken into the nature of the social ties that carry networks because these are based on country-specific traditions even when they appear superficially similar. Implications for international human resource management are also discussed.