Using the Jesuits' Accommodation Experience in China to Guide Change in Chinese

725 Pages·2016·4.29 MB·English

Using the Jesuits’ Accommodation Experience in China
to Guide Change in Chinese Organizational Settings Today

Jürgen Wolff

A thesis submitted to the University of Gloucestershire
in accordance with the requirements of the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in the Faculty of Business, Education and Professional Studies

June 2016
Abstract
In the late 1970s, China’s party leaders realized that China was not able to
develop in isolation. Their aim of “learning from advanced countries” also
implied bringing change to China on all business-related levels. However,
both Chinese and Western practitioners and scholars agree on the
inappropriateness of any change approach alien to Chinese specification.
To bridge this void, this research directs its interest towards a substantive
theorizing upon the Jesuits’ Accommodation approach in China (1583-1742).
To do so, Hermeneutic Phenomenology, rooted within the Utrecht School
and following Max van Manen, establishes a renewed contact with the
Jesuits’ Accommodation experience outside its traditional research
environment.
Grounded in an exhaustive description of the Accommodation phenomenon
along its meaning-units, a reflective analysis into the structural aspects of the
Jesuits’ lived Accommodation experience allows eight essential themes to be
abstracted. Becoming the building blocks of a substantive Theory of the
Unique, these themes summarize all requirements that are reflected in,
and/or concern Context, Course, and Content of any Sinicized change
approach able to in-culturate/accommodate (foreign) persons|change-agents,
(unfamiliar) ideas|concepts, and (alien) approaches|international best-
practices into a Chinese environment.
As a result, research into the Jesuits’ Accommodation approach provides
Chinese and Western management practitioners and scholars with one new
substantive approach to act towards the Chinese Others with thoughtfulness
and tact in a fresh and systematic way.
Further conceptualized and Sinicized, applying The Chinese Change
Concept—The 3C-Approach in a contemporary Chinese organizational
environment finally allows to effectively manage change in Chinese
organizational settings today.
I
Author’s Declaration
I declare that the work in this thesis was carried out in accordance with the
regulations of the University of Gloucestershire and is original except where
indicated by specific reference in the text. No part of the thesis has been
submitted as part of any other academic award. The thesis has not been
presented to any other education institution in the United Kingdom or
overseas.
Any views expressed in the thesis are those of the author and in no way
represent those of the University.

Signed ………………………………………… Date ………………………………
Jürgen Wolff 15. June 2016

II
Den Eltern zur Freude,
Dem Herrn zu Ehren!
– Totus tuus –

III
Conventions
Use of sources and language:
Hanyu Pinyin to transcribe Chinese characters into Latin script as employed
in the People's Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan) and Singapore
AND simplified Chinese.
Greek characters AND transcription into the Latin script
French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish characters NO transcription into
Latin script
Quotes and References:
Quotes from the Holy Bible are based on the King James Version including
its assigned Biblical Apocrypha
References to/quotes from the Spiritual Exercises are taken from the German
translation based on St. Ignatius Loyola’s Spanish Autograph—referenced in
the Reference section as Knauer (2008)
References to|quotes from the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus and their
Complementary Norms are taken from the Complete English Translation of
the Official Latin Texts of the Constitutiones Societatis Iesu et Normae
Complementariae of 1995. They are referenced in the Reference section as
Societas Iesu (1996). To allow retracing the particular Constitution and Norm
references are—contrary to APA specification—given in full.
To allow retracing the particular Letters of missionaries and founder of
Orders references to/quotes from those documents are—contrary to APA
specification—given in full.
To comply with the academic customs of referencing and quoting from
Pasquale D’Elia’s Fonti Ricciane references to/quotes from this source are—
contrary to APA specification—given in full.
The Chinese titles of Chinese Books and their English translations, related
content summaries and biographical details of respective authors—if not
stated otherwise—are based on The Ricci Institute Library Online
Catalog/The Ricci 21st Century Roundtable Database, references to/quotes
from this source are given in simplified Chinese.
If not stated otherwise imperial titles are based on Hucker C. O. (1985) A
Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China
IV
Acknowledgement
Prof. em. Manfred Kleiber > for motivation at every tread
Prof. Johannes Meier and Miss Li Zou > for tracing the untraceable
Prof. Ren Guoqiang > for checking my Chinese, and for performing
Zhengming-(cid:15115)(cid:9141)
The Reverend Magnus Koschig > for the various religious explanation, his
positive amazement, and for letting the Sower do his job
The Right Reverend Prof. Gerhard Feige > for his infinite patience, attentive
listening, and for disclosing new horizons
Dr. Philippa Ward > for her ongoing encouragement, keeping the momentum
going, and for conjuring up the Wizard of Oz
The Confucius Institute Leipzig, Düsseldorf, and HanBan-(cid:15345)(cid:8774) > for allowing
to disseminate my first research outcomes amongst the Heathen
Saïd Business School—University of Oxford > for allowing me to present
insights into The Chinese Change Concept—The 3C-Approach to a broader,
receptive academic audience
Heartfelt, special thanks to my supervisors, namely
Prof. em. Barry J. Davies > for seeing the potential in the topic and giving the
research stance a try
and
Prof. Nicolas Standaert S.J. > for tian you-(cid:15779)(cid:15457) and for allowing me to show
the unmatched competitive- and up-to-datedness in the Jesuits’ approach
and thinking—ad maiorem Dei gloriam

V
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS____________________________________________________ VI
TABLE OF FIGURES_____________________________________________________ VII
TABLE OF TABLES _____________________________________________________ VIII
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AS USED IN MAIN TEXT AND APPENDIX ___________ IX
1. RESEARCH INTRODUCED AND PLACED _______________________________ 1
1.1 BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY __________________________ 1
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY _____________________________________________ 9
2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIVES DERIVED ___________________ 13
3. RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY CLARIFIED _________________________________ 18
4. RESEARCH DESIGN ELUCIDATED ____________________________________ 26
4.1 RESEARCH DESIGN—GENERAL REMITS INTRODUCED ______________________ 26
4.2 RESEARCH DESIGN—METHODOLOGY INTRODUCED _______________________ 33
4.2.1 Hermeneutic-Phenomenology—Aim and Significance _______________ 33
4.2.2 Hermeneutic Phenomenology—Character _________________________ 37
4.2.3 Hermeneutic-Phenomenology—Approach _________________________ 41
4.3 RESEARCH DESIGN—BRACKETING INTRODUCED _________________________ 51
4.3.1 Bracketing—Aim and Significance _______________________________ 51
4.3.2 Bracketing—Character _________________________________________ 55
4.3.3 Bracketing—Approach _________________________________________ 59
4.4 RESEARCH DESIGN—METHOD INTRODUCED _____________________________ 61
4.4.1 Thematic Analysis—Aim and Significance _________________________ 61
4.4.2 Thematic Analysis—Character __________________________________ 63
4.4.3 Thematic Analysis—Approach ___________________________________ 65
5. RESEARCH DESIGN REALIZED _______________________________________ 75
6. RESEARCH DESIGN APPLIED ________________________________________ 89
7. RESEARCH OUTCOMES DISCUSSED_________________________________ 131
7.1 IMAGINATIVE VARIATION—EIGHT ESSENTIAL THEMES INTRODUCED __________ 131
7.2 IMAGINATIVE VARIATION—EIGHT ESSENTIAL THEMES ISOLATED _____________ 134
7.3 UN-BRACKETING—RE-INTEGRATION OF BRACKETED DATA _________________ 264
8. RESEARCH OUTCOMES DISSEMINATED _____________________________ 276
8.1 EIGHT ESSENTIAL THEMES—A SUBSTANTIVE THEORY OF THE UNIQUE ________ 276
8.2 EIGHT ESSENTIAL THEMES—GUIDING CHANGE WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS 323
8.3 EIGHT ESSENTIAL THEMES—AN ANACHRONISM? _________________________ 328
REFERENCES AS CITED IN MAIN TEXT AND APPENDIX _____________________ XI
CHINESE GLOSSARY AS USED IN MAIN TEXT AND APPENDIX _____________ LVIII
APPENDICES _________________________________________________________ LXXII
VI
TABLE OF FIGURES
RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY
FIGURE 1: SUBSTANTIVE THEORY OF THE UNIQUE CHARACTERIZED _______ 23
FIGURE 2: WORKING TOWARDS A SUBSTANTIVE THEORY OF THE UNIQUE __ 24
RESEARCH DESIGN
FIGURE 3: FITTING INTO UTRECHT SCHOOL _____________________________ 31
FIGURE 4: RECONCILING MANAGEMENT AND SCHOLARSHIP ______________ 32
FIGURE 5: PROVIDING ACTION-SENSITIVE KNOWLEDGE __________________ 36
FIGURE 6: TAKING UP A POETIC ACTIVITY _______________________________ 40
FIGURE 7: WAYS TO GENERATING DATA ________________________________ 45
FIGURE 8: BRACKETING AS INTENDED __________________________________ 53
FIGURE 9: INTERACTION WITH THE SOURCES ___________________________ 71

VII
TABLE OF TABLES
RESEARCH DESIGN
TABLE 1: HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGY—THEORETICAL CONCEPTS, GUIDING IDEAS 27
TABLE 2: METHODOLOGICAL THEMES AND METHODICAL FEATURES ___________________ 43
TABLE 3: GROUNDING METHOD(OLOG)ICAL PILLARS ________________________________ 50
TABLE 4: BRACKETING AS APPLIED _______________________________________________ 58
TABLE 5: PHASES AND COMPONENTS OF BRACKETING INTRODUCED __________________ 60
TABLE 6: GIVE SHAPE TO THE SHAPELESS _________________________________________ 63
TABLE 7: A KNOT IN THE WEB OF EXPERIENCE _____________________________________ 64
TABLE 8: PARAMETERS FOR INCLUSION/EXCLUSION OUTLINED _______________________ 67
BRACKETING
TABLE 9: PHASES AND COMPONENTS OF BRACKETING ADAPTED _____________________ 76
TABLE 10: THE JESUITS’ ACCOMMODATION ENDEAVOUR IN CHINA ____________________ 82
TABLE 11: RESEARCH INTO THE JESUITS’ ACCOMMODATION EXPERIENCE IN CHINA _____ 86
TABLE 12: THE JESUITS AND THEIR MISSIONIZING ACTIVITIES IN CHINA ________________ 88
THEMATIC ANALYSIS
TABLE 13: 1ST STATION—TRAFFIC AND TRAVAILS __________________________________ 109
TABLE 14: 2ND STATION—GAINING FOOTHOLDS ____________________________________ 112
TABLE 15: 3RD STATION—CHANGE OF ENDS _______________________________________ 115
TABLE 16: 4TH STATION—AMONGST EQUALS_ ______________________________________ 118
TABLE 17: 5TH STATION—HEAVEN AND EARTH _____________________________________ 122
TABLE 18: 6TH STATION—E PLURIBUS UNUM _______________________________________ 126
TABLE 19: 7TH STATION—PARADISE LOST _________________________________________ 129
TABLE 20: VARIANT CONSTITUENTS COMPLETED __________________________________ 130
OPTION FOR ACTION
TABLE 21: SINICIZATION ________________________________________________________ 283
TABLE 22: LANGUAGE __________________________________________________________ 286
TABLE 23: USEFULNESS ________________________________________________________ 290
TABLE 24: AUDIENCE ___________________________________________________________ 295
TABLE 25: ESTABLISHING SIMILARITIES ___________________________________________ 302
TABLE 26: ALLIES ______________________________________________________________ 308
TABLE 27: EMPOWERMENT _____________________________________________________ 314
TABLE 28: PREPAREDNESS _____________________________________________________ 320

VIII
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AS USED IN MAIN TEXT AND
APPENDIX
Acts Acts of the Apostles
C.M. Congregatio Missionis—Lazarists|Vincentians
Con. Constitutions
Cor. Epistle to the Corinthians
Dtn. Book of Deuteronomy
Eph. Epistle to the Ephesians
Ex. Book of Exodus
FR Fonti Ricciane
Gal. Epistle to the Galatians
Hebr. Epistle to the Hebrews
Is. Book of Isaiah
Jer. Book of Jeremiah
John Gospel of John
Kings Book of Kings
Lk. Gospel of Luke
M.E.P. Missionarii ad exteras gentes Parisienses—Société des
Missions Étrangères de Paris|Society of Foreign Missions of
Paris
Mk. Gospel of Mark
Msgr. Monsignor
Mt. Gospel of Matthew
No./N. Number
O.C.D. Ordo Carmelitarum Discalceatorum—Discalced Carmelites
O.P. Ordo Praedicatorum—Dominicans
O.S.A. Ordo Sancti Augustini—Augustinians
O.F.M. Ordo Fratrum Minorum—Franciscans
O.F.M. Ref. Ordo Fratrum Minorum Reformatorum—Franciscans (Strictioris
Observantiae)
Prov. Book of Proverbs
Ps. Book of Psalms
Petr. Epistle of Peter
Rom. Epistle to the Romans
IX