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The cultural roots of compositional capability in China: balanced moderation

Author

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  • Steven Shijin Zhou

    (University of Nottingham Ningbo China)

  • Peter Ping Li

    (University of Nottingham Ningbo China
    Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL)Yongda International Tower
    Copenhagen Business School)

  • Abby Jingzi Zhou

    (University of Nottingham Ningbo China)

  • Shameen Prashantham

    (China Europe International Business School (CEIBS))

Abstract

A large number of Chinese firms lack the resources for having competitive advantages. Under this severe constraint, such firms are forced to find new paths toward developing certain competitive advantages, including the ability to combine ordinary resources into novel competitive advantages, which is referred to as compositional capability. Such a special capability underlying novel competitive advantages is related to certain cultural factors, such as the Chinese cultural tradition in the case of China. However, the potential links between compositional capability and the Chinese cultural tradition remain poorly understood and largely unspecified. This paper responds to the call for more research on identifying relevant cultural factors by explicating the inherent connections between compositional capability and the Chinese cultural value of balanced moderation.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Shijin Zhou & Peter Ping Li & Abby Jingzi Zhou & Shameen Prashantham, 2020. "The cultural roots of compositional capability in China: balanced moderation," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 1217-1237, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:37:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10490-018-9637-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10490-018-9637-1
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