Applying a Yin-Yang Perspective to the Theory of Paradox: A Review of Chinese Management

Guoli Liu; Ran An

doi:10.2147/PRBM.S330489

Applying a Yin-Yang Perspective to the Theory of Paradox: A Review of Chinese Management

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Oct 7:14:1591-1601. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S330489. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Guoli Liu¹, Ran An²

Affiliations

¹ School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China and Guangxi University, Nanning, People's Republic of China.
² School of Business Administration/School of Communication and Journalism, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

This paper examines the paradox in management through the yin-yang lens and how to apply the yin-yang perspective in Chinese indigenous management research through a literature review. Compared with several western philosophical perspectives, yin-yang places more emphasis on the interaction of interdependent contradictions and better describes the complex dynamics of both contradictions. Our review finds that the scholars propose yin-yang as a supplement to and an optimization of western management. The review focuses on connecting the yin-yang perspective with the paradox in management, cross-cultural management, and practice of organizational management.

Keywords: Chinese management science; organizational management; paradox; review; yin–yang.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Major Program of National Fund of Philosophy and Social Science of China under Grant no. 16ZDA221 and the Center of Public Diplomacy and Intercultural Communication Research of Guangdong Provincial Humanities and Social Sciences Grant.