No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
The Metamorphosis And Bifurcation Of Guanxi In Virtual Third Spaces: The Role Of BBS In Changing Social Relationships In China
Abstract
This research is a the second installation of a planned series of articles exploring the dynamic interaction between the forces of modernization as represented by technology, specifically virtual forms of communication, and traditional culture in China. The focus of the research of this article is the phenomenon of the ubiquity and popularity of BBS (electronic bulletin board systems) in China, long considered "old school" and eclipsed by newer forms of virtual interaction in the West. The research explores the possibility that BBS's are developing into virtual third space in which we find traditional social constructs in China being challenged and modified in important ways. Specifically the research underlying this paper proposes to explore that hypothesis that an analysis of the interaction, operations and structure within these social spaces (BBS) might lead one to consider whether or not Guanxi, the relational glue which adheres Chinese society together, as well as other related cultural values and behaviors, are not being updated and modified in critical ways within these virtual third spaces. Additionally, the research proposes that Guanxi may be bifurcating within the virtual societies of the BBS, where the shared collective experiences of "social networking" of Guanxi has split from the "utilitarian reciprocal obligation" of "houmen" or guanxi practice. The results of the research tentatively confirm this proposition and identifies how the unique structure of BBSs and rules of interaction create a new virtual third space, or public sphere, which, while maintaining some aspects of traditional Confucian social order and Guanxi, are leading to their metamorphosis within these virtual communities.
... The People's Republic of China (China) has experienced unprecedented economic liberalization in the last several decades. From 1949 to 1978, China operated under a system of central planning that resulted in minimal interaction with the global economy (Banfe, 2011). The process of opening itself to the global economy has been a gradual approach (Economic Structure and Context, 2012;He, 2005). ...
... China's revolution to a market-based economy has been investigated on many levels. Previously, China was considered a traditional society based on Confucian ideals (Banfe, 2011;Moore, 2005;Speter, 2008;Tse et al. 1988;Venezia, Venezia, & Bao, 2012;Wheeler, Reis & Bond, 1989;Yau, 1988;Zhang & Shavitt, 2003). The framework for Chinese society and philosophy is attributed to the teachings of the scholar Confucius (Chan, 1963) and are illustrated by five relationships tightly governing an individual's actions and responsibilities (Wheeler et al. 1989;Rarick, 2009). ...
... As the younger generation in China is exposed to Western ideals, its culture will evolve away from the traditional grounding (Speter, 2008). 2.) Given that China represents an enormous market, investigating its cultural values will provide both academic and practical significance (Banfe, 2011;Rarick, 2009). 3.) Considering the rapidly changing environment in China, it is important to conduct empirical research that includes cultural values (Bohley Hubbard, Adams, & Whitten, 2008). ...
The younger generation in China has undergone a cultural shift away from what are considered traditional Chinese values (Adams, 2011; Speter, 2008). This movement toward Western-based individualistic values is hypothesized to result from the opening of China to capitalistic and modern media systems. This cross-cultural research analyzes an online survey of 304 Chinese individuals that will explore this cultural shift by employing Kahles (1983) Values scale. To further explore the similarities or differences, the ratings of several prestige goods based on their hedonistic value are studied, as compared to an American sample.
... Technology is changing the way we build our relationships and the way we communicate. China's significant size renders a changeover toward technological development of remarkable value that academia and business professionals find to be immensely interesting (Banfe, 2011). Since face-to-face relationships are very important to the Chinese business culture, this change has been accepted in different ways. ...
To work effectively with young, educated Chinese professionals, Western managers need to develop greater understanding of current culture and values. In 2012, twenty-five Eckerd College students examined earlier field research of Serrie (1999) and Morris Shapero (2010) and the six principles of traditional Chinese culture. Groups were formed with each assigned one principle and asked to formulate questions and topics to as the basis of discussions with managers in China. Upon completing the project, students submitted papers on the assigned principle, either supporting or challenging the previous research. Eckerd students found that Millennials (born 1982-2000) in China have similar values as their counterparts around the world. This generation knows no political boundaries. These children born under China's one-child policy of the late 1970s now comprise a large segment of the global workforce of multinational corporations in China. These professionals are recruited and selected by the multinational businesses pouring direct investments into China today. These global firms desire, recruit, and select talent based on values that include empowerment, creativity, and soft/people skills; these tools allow this generation of managers to work successfully with others to reach organizational goals.
Three criticisms of the individualism-collectivism dichotomy are explicated. The dichotomy leads one to overlook values that inherently serve both individual and collective interests (e.g., wisdom), it ignores values that foster the goals of collectivities other than the ingroup (e.g., universal values, such as social justice), and it promotes the mistaken assumption that individualistic and collective values each form coherent syndromes that are in polar opposition. These problems are illustrated by applying a more fine-tuned analysis of ten types of values postulated to be present in all cultures (Schwartz, 1987) to data from four empirical studies. This analysis reveals meaningful group differences that are obscured by the individualism-collectivism dichotomy. As an impetus to future research, hypotheses are offered about the types of values likely to differ in importance between societies with a more collectivist (communal) social structure and those with a more individualistic (contractual) structure.
This article analyzes the relationship between problems of management in the People's Republic of China and Chinese culture. Five problem areas are outlined: (i) organizational structure; (ii) management skills and succession, (iii) Party/management relations; (iv) operational; and (v) motivation and labour discipline. Chinese culture is seen to have four main features affecting organizations: (a) respect for age and hierarchy; (b) group orientation; (c) face; (d) the importance of relationships. It is argued that these can reinforce management problems arising from a planned economy, as well as undermining the legitimacy of formal organization. In the future, it is likely that moves towards Western management methods may not have the desired effects as a result of cultural influences.
Individualism and collectivism are terms used by both social scientists and the public, but there are few systematic studies of this dimension. A sample of psychologists and anthropologists from all parts of the world was asked to respond to a questionnaire the way they believe an individualist and a collectivist would respond. The questionnaire described 10 target persons in seven situations. The responses converged, suggesting that there is consensus about the meaning of the dimension. Accordingly, collectivism can be defined as (1) concern by a person about the effects of actions or decisions on others, (2) sharing of material benefits, (3) sharing of nonmaterial resources, (4) willingness of the person to accept the opinions and views of others, (5) concern about self-presentation and loss of face, (6) belief in the correspondence of own outcomes with the outcomes of others, and (7) feeling of involvement in and contribution to the lives of others. Individualists show less concern, sharing, and so on than collectivists. The approach can be used with other relatively unstudied constructs to establish whether there is consensus among researchers about the meaning of a construct.
Past research has suggested the influence of family-oriented collectivistic culture on the behavior and performance of traditional Chinese manufacturing firms. However, insufficient empirical research has been conducted to empirically test the influence. More importantly, insufficient research has been conducted to test how the collectivistic culture in Chinese societies would affect the performance of manufacturing firms. This paper addresses these issues by comparing the behaviors and performance of two groups of firms in China, i.e., investment from overseas Chinese firms and investment from non-Chinese Western firms, in one of China's fast-growing manufacturing industries. Interesting differences are found between the overseas Chinese firms and those from other foreign countries. The findings support the influence of societal culture on firms' behavior and performance, but do not support the predictions on performance based on the arguments of cultural distance. This paper concludes with a discussion on implications of the findings for both researchers and practitioners.
Two studies, with 224 American and 240 Chinese university students, tested the idea that the collectivism of a culture leads to different styles of reward allocation with in- and out-group members. The 1st study used an out-group situation, in which Ss were led to believe that they worked with a partner whom they would not meet, to obtain a group reward. The collectivistic Chinese Ss were found to follow the equity norm more closely in dividing the group reward than the individualistic American Ss when pressure of social evaluation was removed. In the 2nd study, Ss read a scenario in which an allocator worked with either an in- or out-group member. The allocator had either a low or high input and used either the equity or equality norm to divide a group reward. Compared with American Ss, Chinese Ss liked an allocator who divided the group reward equally with an in-group member more and regarded such an allocation as fairer. When Ss were asked to assume that they were the allocator and to hypothetically divide the reward, Chinese Ss followed the equity norm more closely than did American Ss when the recipient was an out-group member or when the Ss' input was low. However, when Ss' input was high and the recipient was an in-group member, Chinese Ss followed the equality norm more than did American Ss. Findings are discussed in terms of the desire for maintaining group solidarity in a collectivist culture. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Two studies were conducted to investigate the indigenous concept of guanxi and its applications in the Chinese context. Guanxi refers to the existence of direct particularistic ties between an individual and others. We relate the concept to the idea of relational demography, which refers to similarities or differences between an individual and others on such factors as age, gender, race, religion, education, and occupation. The two studies focused on the importance of guanxi and relational demography in Chinese employment settings. In study 1, their importance was examined in a sample of 560 vertical dyads (i.e., between supervisor and subordinate) in Taiwan. In study 2, the effects were analyzed in a sample of 205 horizontal dyads, specifically between business executives and their important business connections (e.g., key customers, suppliers, bankers, government officials) in mainland China. Results support the importance of both guanxi and relational demography for subordinate trust in the supervisor, but only guanxi is found to be (extremely) important for business executives' trust in their connections. Implications for future cross-cultural research on the effect of common ties are discussed.
Eight empirical studies using attitudinal data to cluster countries are reviewed. The major dimensions accounting for similarities among countries are discussed, and a final synthesis of clusters is presented.
Western research on interpersonal behavior patterns and rules of exchange needs to move beyond the assumption of isolated individuals socialized to make rational decisions on the basis of self-interest. A review of recent research shows that Chinese society and other similar societies follow rules that deviate from those of the West. In such societies, norms of reciprocity (bao) are intense, but these norms are heavily shaped by the hierarchically structured network of social relations (guanxi) in which people are embedded, by the public nature of obligations, and by the long time period over which obligations are incurred through a self-conscious manipulation of face and related symbols. These special cultural symbols, as well as the historical monopoly of valuable resources by powerful leaders, help explain he origin of these patterns. There are several forces leading to change but also some sources of continuity, which help maintain these patterns regardless of political and economic context.
Guanxi (personal connection) has been identified as a necessary condition to do business successfully in China. In this paper, we seek a clear conceptual understanding of this prevalent construct and propose a three-stage model of guanxi development so as to stimulate systematic research in this area. Our conceptual and theoretical discussion of guanxi bases, guanxi objectives, and the operating principles at different stages of guanxi development will also help practitioners to use guanxi more effectively.
The Chinese concept of Guanxi is a form of social QHWZRUNWKHRU\�WKDWGHÏ �QHVRQHpVSODFHLQWKH� social structure and provides security, trust and a prescribed role. This essay argues that Eastern Guanxi and recently popularized Western Social Network Theory (SNT) overlap in three ways. First, both imply that information is essential to sustain a social system by prescribing a set of EHKDYLRUVWKDWUHJXODWHWKH�Ì �RZRILQIRUPDWLRQ� DQGWKDWGHÏ �QHLQVLGHUDQGRXWVLGHUUHODWLRQVKLSV� (Guanxi), or strong ties and weak ties (SNT). Sec- ond, both offer a theory of change coupled with an ethic of sustainability where order is created by trust as a local, relative phenomena. Finally, both Guanxi and SNT characterize randomness and order as essential, though Guanxi favors certainty and trust over chaos. The implications of the comparison undermine the claims of 'new- QHVVpDQGSULPDF\�RIWHQDVVRFLDWHGZLWKUHFHQW� SNT literature. Furthermore, they suggest that :HVWHUQQHWZRUNWKHRULVWVFDQJDLQVLJQLÏ �FDQW� insight from traditional Eastern thought.
On China’s current path toward modernization, information sharing and effective communication become major learning challenges. This article explores how the change and emerging tensions are managed. Data collected from a Sino-foreign joint venture and a Chinese joint-stock company, analyzed within the framework of cultural-historical activity theory, indicate that Confucian authority chains and guanxi should be viewed as two complementary and interactive principles. The communicative configuration generated by these two principles is in transition in Chinese organizations. The zone of proximal development emerging for communication in Chinese companies takes the shape of two-way movement: toward an increasingly personal character of the Confucian authority principle on one hand and toward an increasingly production-oriented character of the principle of guanxi on the other hand. The successful design and implementation of communication systems in Chinese companies will largely depend on management’s ability to understand and shape this historical change.
This article presents a method that uses scenarios for the measurement of horizontal (H)and vertical (V) individualism (I) and collectivism (C) across cultures, with university samples. The scenarios were developed by using focus groups, to cover a wide range of social situations often found among university students. Graduate student judges indicated which responses to each scenario represented HI, VI, HC, or VC judgments. When the judges did not agree on these judgments, the scenarios were eliminated. Scenarios that did not distinguish responses obtained from the Illinois and Hong Kong samples were also eliminated. This resulted in a set of 16 scenarios that provide efficient measurement of the constructs. The method converges with a method that uses attitude items.
The four managerial values of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and individualism measured by self-reports from 350 managerial trainees in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong provided the database for this research. The results indicate support for the convergence theory proposition that managerial values converge with increased industrialism. Further analysis revealed that it was the younger PRC managerial trainees who had values that were closest to those of Hong Kong managers of all ages.
This study attempts to assess work-related values in Singapore and how these work values may differ from those of another nationality. The aim of this study is to replicate Hofstede's model in the Singapore managerial context. A comparison is made between Singaporean Chinese managers and Japanese managers in Singapore. Hofstede's four value dimensions of Individualism, Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculinity are used. The mean Power Distance and Masculinity scores of Singaporean Chinese managers and Japanese managers are found to be different from the samples in Hofstede's study. These differences in work values indicate that interpretations of Hofstede's cultural constructs cannot be made without modifying or redefining the constructs in terms that are relevant to the cultural context. This finding is supported by the differences in factors that make up the Individualism and Masculinity value dimensions of Singaporean Chinese and Japanese managers. The differences in work values between are explained by cultural and national factors. The impact of these work values on work behavior is discussed with respect to implications on motivation, leadership, employment stability, and orientation toward work goals.
Foreign investment and Western business interests in the People's Republic of China (PRC) have accelerated rapidly in recent years. When Western and Chinese managers are brought together in new enterprises, they must understand how to accommodate cultural differences in behaviour and often must adapt to unfamiliar value systems. This study examines the apparent evolution in work values among young Chinese managers in Shanghai over a 2 1/2-year period that spans the June 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. The findings suggest a growing spirit of “Chinese-style” individualism and also provide some indication that more Western ways of thinking are being adopted by these young Chinese managers. These changes are discussed in terms of their implications for Westerners doing business in China.
Confucianism has been identified as the major cultural factor that explains the economic success of the Asian Five Dragons (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan). This paper explores the impact of Confucianism on the organizational communication in these nations, based on the four key principles of confucian teaching: the hierarchical relationship, the family system, "Jen" (benevolence), and the emphasis on education. The paper notes that the confucian emphasis on education at all levels has become one of the most important characteristics of Chinese culture, and the tradition is carried over to every Asian nation, especially the Asian Five Dragons. The paper further discusses the influence of these four principles of Confucianism on management behaviors and communication in the organization. The paper also explains the implication of Confucianism's influence on organizational communication. Three tables presenting Confucian principles and their relation to interpersonal communication, management, and organizational communication are included. (Contains 42 references.) (Author/RS)
Research data on dominant work-related values patterns in 53 countries and regions are used to suggest how definitions of the quality of life are affected by national culture patterns.
focus on the organizations of the Overseas Chinese, rather than on those of China
the regional context / problems of explanation / building culture into an investigation / the post-Confucian hypothesis / organization structure / management processes / organizational members / the special nature of Chinese organizational psychology (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The year 1985 marks the 20th anniversary of the publication in The China Quarterly of Ezra F. Vogel's classic article, “From friendship to comradeship: the change in personal relations in communist China.” The present article examines personal relations in China in the wake of the intervening two decades of Cultural Revolution (CR) and modernizing reforms. I will describe the major dimensions of personal relations in 1985 and offer a sociological explanation for them. My argument is that these relationships represent a re-emergence of certain traditional patterns as reshaped by both the CR and the current restructuring of state-society relations.
While analyses of guanxi have taken a number of different forms and themes, China scholars have, in general, not questioned the centrality of guanxi in Chinese society and everyday life in China. It would be a stretch beyond the empirical data of this research to make generalizations that counter that view. However, it is within the scope of this data to argue that views and perceptions of guanxi are changing in important ways in the urban industrial economy, and these changes suggest a trend that does not fully fit with theories of an increasing role for guanxi and guanxi practice throughout China in the economic transition. Where Yang has argued that the importance of guanxi and guanxi practice is increasing in the reform era, I have argued that this may not be true with respect to the urban industrial economy. Instead, ther is a growing emphasis on the distinction between social relationships and the use of these social relationships in the gift economy and managers in the urban industrial economy are increasingly likely to distance themselves from the institution of guanxi practice in the economic transition. While managers often view social connections as important in business transactions, they tend to generally view the importance of guanxi in market relationships as secondary to the market imperatives of price and quality. In addition, managers do not view the use of connections in China as any different from the way business is conducted throughout the world. Currently, the Chinese government is constructing a rational-legal system that will govern the decision and practices of economic factors. This is especially true for large-scale organizations that are more closely monitored by the state administrative offices than individuals or small-scale entrepreneurs.
This paper focuses on the utilization of guanxi, which is an important cultural and social element in China, and the impact of guanxi on firm performance. Although guanxi is embedded in every aspect of Chinese social life, companies demonstrate different needs and capacity for guanxi cultivation. Chinese firms develop guanxi as a strategic mechanism to overcome competitive and resource disadvantages by cooperating and exchanging favors with competitive forces and government authorities. We develop an integrative framework theorizing guanxi utilization according to institutional, strategic, and organizational factors, and we explore the impact of guanxi on firm performance, primarily sales growth and net profit growth. Our findings, based on a survey of 128 firms in central China, provide strong support that institutional, strategic, and organizational factors are critical determinants of guanxi with competitive forces. However, only institutional and strategic factors are significant for guanxi utilization with government authorities. In general, guanxi leads to higher firm performance, but is limited to increased sales growth, and has little impact on profit growth. Guanxi benefits market expansion and competitive positioning of firms, but does not enhance internal operations. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The present study examined the relationship between cultural variability and facework strategies. Responses to the individualism-collectivism items, strategy items, and face concern items were factor analyzed. Data were collected from university students in Japan and the United States. Results indicated that there are two dimensions regarding individualism-collectivism —a low versus high collectivism continuum and a low versus high individualism continuum. Japanese respondents reported more collectivistic tendencies and more individualistic tendencies than U.S. respondents. North Americans reported using more antisocial, self-presentation, self-attribution, and hint strategies than Japanese respondents. Japanese respondents reported using more indirect facework strategies than North American respondents. Males reported using more antisocial, order, and self-presentation strategies than females. Finally, the covariates of social face concern and pride/status influenced the antisocial factor. Pride/status influenced the hint, order, self-presentation, and indirect factors. This study serves as the first step in developing a typology that can be used to compare facework in various cultures.
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Comparative Media Studies, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-113). This thesis explores various aspects of the online Bulletin Board System (BBS) world as they relate to the possibilities of the public sphere in China. It addresses two major questions: what has BBS brought to China where traditional media primarily serve as the mouthpiece of the government? And, why are Chinese netizens, especially younger generation, particularly enthusiastic about this online platform? Through a full- dimensional view into BBS'S information communication mechanism and BBS users' identities, social behaviors and values, we investigate the pros and cons of BBS in terms of its potential to contribute to cyberdemocracy in China. The Introduction addresses research motivations, critical questions, and research goals. It also provides an overview of China's Internet landscape and a brief review of Chinese BBS studies. Chapter One walks through the history and development of BBS in China, and analyzes the demographics and online behavioral patterns of BBS users. Chapter Two looks into the distinct information communication mechanism of BBS as well as BBS regulation and censorship in China. Chapter Three looks at a cohort of BBS users, exploring who are using BBS in China, why they are enthusiastic about this online community, and what are their distinct identities, social behaviors and values. The Conclusion makes explicit the relevance of these developments to the ongoing growth of the Chinese Public Sphere. by Liwen Jin. S.M.
The economic miracle of East Asia is followed by the emergence of a new common identity in Confucianism among the nations in the region. Being the predominant cultural determining force in East Asia, Confucianism has deeply influenced East Asian behaviour. Three behavioural traits in East Asians are discussed. First, the East Asian's lack of "personality" is traced to the Confucian social institution of Li-rules of propriety. Second, the East Asian's lack of principled moral thinking is linked to the dyadic, relation-based character of the Confucian ethic, its lack of hypothetical reasoning and its hierarchical view of human relationships. Third, the East Asian's lack of assertiveness is rooted in the Confucian ideal of man as a reflection of harmony in the cosmos and the Confucian ideal of society as based on the fulfillment of duties rather than the assertion of rights. The implications of these Confucian traits suggest the need to re-formulate Western conceptions of and approaches to East Asian behaviour.
This paper provides a review of the main findings concerning the relationship between the cultural syndromes of individualism and collectivism and personality. People in collectivist cultures, compared to people in individualist cultures, are likely to define themselves as aspects of groups, to give priority to in-group goals, to focus on context more than the content in making attributions and in communicating, to pay less attention to internal than to external processes as determinants of social behavior, to define most relationships with ingroup members as communal, to make more situational attributions, and tend to be self-effacing.
The Ethics of Confucius
- Confucius
Confucius (1915). The Ethics of Confucius. New York: Putnam.
Resistance within Contexts:A Study of University BBS Youth Culture in China" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association
- D Dong
Dong, D., 2003-05-27 "Resistance within Contexts:A Study of University BBS Youth Culture in
China" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Marriott
Hotel, San Diego, CA
Brief Guide on China Online BBS Community
- R Fu
Fu, R. (2009, November 10). Brief Guide on China Online BBS Community. Retrieved May 2010, from
ChinaInternetWatch.com: http://www.chinainternetwatch.com/369/china-bbs-forums/
The Uses of and Gratifications Derived from Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) in Chinese Youth
- V Y Liu
- D Dimitrova
Liu, V. Y., & Dimitrova, D. (2007). The Uses of and Gratifications Derived from Bulletin Board Systems
(BBS) in Chinese Youth. China Media Research.
Chinese BBS -The Undiscovered Phenomenon in Chinese Internet
- G Lu
Lu, G. (2008, January 17). Chinese BBS -The Undiscovered Phenomenon in Chinese Internet. Retrieved
May 2010, from Mobinode.com: http://www.mobinode.com/2008/01/17/chinese-bbs-the-undiscoveredphenomenon-in-chinese-internet/
Pre-post Tiananmen Square
- D A Ralston
- D J Gustafson
- R H Terpstra
- D H Holt
Ralston, D. A., Gustafson, D. J., Terpstra, R. H., & Holt, D. H. (1995). Pre-post Tiananmen Square;
Celebrating the Third Place: Inspiring Stories about the "Great Good Places" at the Heart of Our Communities
- Ray Oldenburg
Oldenburg, Ray (2000). Celebrating the Third Place: Inspiring Stories about the "Great Good Places" at
the Heart of Our Communities. New York: Marlowe & Company.
China's Second Leap Forward
- I Mathias
Mathias, I. (2009, February 9). China's Second Leap Forward, Retrieved May 2010, from Daily
Reckoning: http://dailyreckoning.com/chinas-second-forward/
41.
BBC News, (2010, January 21). China Shows Strong Growth in 2009 Retrieved May 2010, from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8471613.stm
So where's China in the world of Social networking Sites -Facebook, MySpace
- Tech Radar
Tech Radar, So where's China in the world of Social networking Sites -Facebook, MySpace. (2008, May
9). Retrieved May 2010, Tech Radar: http://techradar1.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/so-wheres-china-in-theworld-of-facebook-myspace/
Chinese social orientation: A social dynamic perspective
- K S Yang
Yang, K. S. (1993). Chinese social orientation: A social dynamic perspective. In K. S. Yang & A. P. Yu
(eds.), Chinese Psychology and Behavior -Theory and Methodology, Taipei: Kui Kwan Publishing.
Web 2.0 Asia, Is the Chinese BBS really the future of social media?
- W Wang
Wang, W. (2009, November). Don't Assume China Mimics US-Style Social Media. Retrieved May 2010,
from DevComments.com: http://www.devcomments.com/Don-t-Assume-China-Mimics-US-Style-Social-Media-i4939.htm
55.
Web 2.0 Asia, Is the Chinese BBS really the future of social media? (2008, May 10). Retrieved May 2010,
from Web 2.0 Asia: http://www.web20asia.com/275