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Purpose– Value-free science is an ideal that is neither possible nor desirable, especially for social sciences. The subject of social sciences is individuals and groups; hence social, moral, ethical, or political values are inherent and unavoidable in all steps of the scientific process. Further, the authority of science requires the scientist to be responsible experts in ensuring the reliability of knowledge and in assessing the risks in applying the research findings in social policies and practices. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the role of values in business school research.Design/methodology/approach– The author explains the two primary types of values relevant for science: epistemic – norms and standards to ensure good science – and social – criteria not relevant for discovering the truth of knowledge but may influence decisions related to science especially in evaluating the cost of wrongful conclusions from the research evidence. Based on an analysis of published criticisms of business school research and the author's own analysis, the author describes how business school research is infused with social and political values, undermining the objectivity and quality of science by business scientists.Findings– The author endorses the idea of responsible science – science that recognizes the mutual dependence between science and society, and that aims to satisfy both epistemic and social values. The author offers a modest proposal to encourage transformation of business school research to meet both rigor (valid and reliable knowledge) and relevance (useful for practice) – the hallmark of responsible science.Research limitations/implications– The ideas in this essay have implications for further work on identifying the relevant epistemic and social values to guide business school research.Originality/value– The idea of responsible science can potentially transform business school's research to become both scientifically rigorous and societally relevant.

One of the most important outcomes of market reforms in China over the past 20 years has been the emergence of a significant domestic private sector, which now accounts for almost a third of China's GDP and is by far the country's most important source of employment growth. This book is the first in-depth analysis of the management and operation of these domestic private firms, which are defined as companies or organizations created by PRC citizens, including township enterprises and collectives. The book provides a comprehensive and multidisciplinary perspective on the factors important to th

In this paper, we bring structural holes theory to different cultural contexts by studying the effect of structural holes in four high-tech companies in China and assessing whether they confer the benefits to individuals occupying the brokering position in a career network that have been found in Western contexts. On the level of national culture, we propose that the typical collectivistic culture of China will dampen the effects of structural holes. On the organizational level, we propose that in organizations that foster a high-commitment culture—a culture that emphasizes mutual investment between people—the control benefits of structural holes are dissonant with the dominant spirit of cooperation, and the information benefits of structural holes cannot materialize due to the communal-sharing values in such organizations. Empirical results of network surveys confirm our hypotheses, and interview data add depth to our explanations. Brokers do not fit with the collectivistic values of China. Further, the more an organization possesses a clan-like, high-commitment culture, the more detrimental are structural holes for employees' career achievements such as salary or bonus, even after controlling for a host of other factors that may influence these career outcomes. In high commitment organizations, the "integrators" who bring people together to fill structural holes enjoy greater career benefits.

"This book encompasses the latest thinking on management and organization issues in China's transitional economy. It examines key topics in areas, including the reform of state enterprises, management of international joint ventures, business networks and guanxi, and Chinese organizational behaviour. With contributions from world-renowned scholars on China, theoretical and empirical chapters based on major research projects, and perspectives from leading business executives, this volume provides a forum for discussing some of the most important and current research in this field."

Building on research on collective relative deprivation, we used independent samples of psychologists and managers to assess the relationship of perceived discrimination to an individual's reactions to the job and to the organization. While workers perceived relatively little sex discrimination, women perceived more discrimination against women than did men, and both sexes perceived more discrimination against women than discrimination against men. For women, perceptions of discrimination against women were associated with lower feelings of power and prestige on the job, more work conflict, more hours spent on paid work activities, and a lessened willingness to make the same career choice. Among men, perceptions of discrimination were related to few outcome measures. Implications for organizations are discussed.