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

Figures & data

Figure 1 Model of yin–yang.

Figure 2 Western philosophical perspectives and yin–yang in the study of management paradox.

Table 1 Organizational Management Literature from Yin–Yang Perspective: A Summary

Characteristics	Main Literature	Main Points
Emphasizing the importance of Chinese traditional yin–yang thinking for the study of local management system	Li 2010, 2012, 2014; Xie and Wei 2012	• The relative balance of yin–yang is different from and better than Hegel’s absolute sublation of dialectics. • Yin–yang thinking is similar to Bohr’s complementary principle. • Yin–yang thinking is more in line with the characteristics of indigenous Chinese management research.
Supplementing with and optimizing yin–yang to western management system, the collision and integration of Chinese and western management theories	Cheng 1992, 2010, 2017; Fang 2005, 2012; Lu et al 2013; Li and Yang 2017	• It should not only contain the spirit of western scientific management but also absorb the wisdom of Chinese philosophical management. • Yin–yang perspective can supplement the deficiency of western management theory from dynamic and dialectical aspects. • Yin–yang thinking needs to be integrated with western culture and management thought.
Connecting the paradox in management and yin–yang	Lewis 2000; Smith and Lewis 2011; Li 2016; Smith et al 2017; Su 2017	• The binary paradox in organizational management is similar to the yin–yang thinking. • Yin–yang perspective is better than the paradox of western management to describe the complex dynamics of both sides of the contradiction. • Yin–yang provides a new perspective and an appropriate way to solve the paradox.
Involving yin–yang perspective in the cultural research of organizational management and cross-cultural management	Fang 2005, 2012; Faure and Fang 2008; Chen 2008, 2016; An et al 2018; Chen 2018; Pauluzzo et al 2018	• There is a whole, dynamic, and dialectical paradoxical value in any culture. • The dialectical interaction between yin and yang is the basis of the formation of human communication theory • Contemporary Chinese culture has undergone great changes, but the traditional thinking of yin–yang still runs through modern Chinese society.
Emphasizing that yin–yang should be included in management theory, and should guide the practice of organizational management	Li et al 2011; Du et al 2011; Lu et al 2013; Jing and Van de Ven. 2014; Horak and Long 2018; Lin et al 2018; Lee and Reade 2018; Chin et al 2020	• In China’s local management practice, the enterprises using yin–yang thinking will form a “humanized” management paradigm that combines rules with humanity. • The concept of change plays an important role in guiding organizational change in Chinese local enterprises. • Yin–yang is used to guide the balance and integration of individualism and collectivism in cross-cultural management. • As a local study of management, the idea is not just to explore the philosophy of yin–yang but to develop new knowledge of management from the perspective of yin–yang philosophy.