Does managerial networking impinge our morality in Guanxi context? The moderating effect of corruption perception

This study explores the relationship between managerial networking and corporate morality in a guanxi context where personal relationship is widely used for organizational purposes. Using a sample of 6361 Chinese private firms, we find a significantly positive relationship between managerial networking and corporate social responsibility, including corporate charitable donations and environmental protection, and an insignificant relationship between managerial networking and the prevalence of business bribery. We also find that such relationships depend on corruption perception, that is, when corruption perception is high, the negative effects of managerial networking are more likely to rise but the positive effects of managerial networking are more likely to be weakened. These results are robust and consistent across various measurements and models.