LEIZ Researcher at the Workshop on Economic History in Comparative Perspective, Oxford

Dr. Niedenführ, Senior Research Fellow at LEIZ, was recently invited to present at the Second Workshop on Economic History in Comparative Perspective, held at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. The workshop, which took place on 4 and 5 August, brought together scholars from Europe, North America, and East Asia to examine long-term structural changes to economic systems, as well as the dynamics of institutions and cultural thought. 

The event provided an important forum for interdisciplinary dialogue, integrating historical, philosophical and empirical perspectives. A detailed summary of the workshop has since been published in Chinese, including Dr. Niedenführ’s contribution.

Highlights of the presentation 

Dr. Niedenführ’s presentation focused on: “Relational Concepts in Neo-Confucian Thought Revitalised Within Contemporary Chinese Business Practices”. In his paper, he investigated how contemporary Chinese entrepreneurs have reinterpreted Neo-Confucian relational ethics, drawing on the work of thinkers such as Zhu Xi, Wang Yangming and Chen Liang.

Based on extensive fieldwork with model firms such as Fotile and Good Ark, Dr. Niedenführ examined how concepts such as liangzhi (innate moral knowledge), cheng (sincerity) and guanxi lixing (relational rationality) influence corporate governance, leadership and stakeholder engagement. 

The study highlights the emergence of a distinct form of Confucian entrepreneurship. This is a form of entrepreneurship in which business activity is not solely transactional, but also relational and ethically grounded, encompassing moral cultivation, employee welfare and community responsibility. Research shows how the idea of applying virtue-based ethics in a competitive market economy can have both positive and negative sides. 

This presentation builds upon Dr. Niedenführ’s habilitation thesis, “Confucian Entrepreneurship: Chinese Business Ethics in the Past and Present” and contributes to the ongoing discourse on indigenous business ethics and relational governance. 

Thanks are due to the University of Oxford, Tsinghua University, University of Hong Kong and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University for enabling such a valuable and collaborative exchange.