An exploration of interpersonal relationships in two Taiwanese computer firms

This study provides a fuller description of some of the ways businesspeople relate to each other and their customers in Taiwan. Through ethnographies and extended interviews, relationship patterns in two Taipei computer companies are shown to be influenced by Chinese traditions which view human emotion and orders of relationship as the basis of society. Taiwanese employees, particularly salespeople, are shown as adept at fusing functional and emotional elements to flexibly manage interpersonal relationships in complex and dynamic Taiwanese social, political, and economic contexts. It is concluded that relationships, as social resources, manifest themselves in various levels of business conduct, influencing the functioning of Taiwan firms in the modern business environment.