{"title":"Guanxi Practice Through Sensemaking: An Exploration of Private Tutoring Entrepreneurship in Chongqing, China and Its Policy Implications","authors":"Jun Li, Magda Nutsa Kobakhidze, Renxiang Tian","doi":"10.1111/ejed.70184","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Based on a 16-month qualitative study, this article documents the diverse guanxi practices used by private tutoring entrepreneurs in Chongqing, China. It reveals how these entrepreneurs leverage their social connections to support their businesses. Informed by Karl Weick's theory of organising, we argue that guanxi practices are sensemaking processes that benefit entrepreneurs but may have adverse effects on the education market, policy regulation and education equality. This study contributes to and integrates sensemaking theory, guanxi theory and the literature on shadow education by conceptualising the practice of guanxi in the context of the private tutoring industry as a form of sensemaking. It also informs policymakers seeking to improve the regulation of the shadow education industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":47585,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Education","volume":"60 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejed.70184","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Education","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejed.70184","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Based on a 16-month qualitative study, this article documents the diverse guanxi practices used by private tutoring entrepreneurs in Chongqing, China. It reveals how these entrepreneurs leverage their social connections to support their businesses. Informed by Karl Weick's theory of organising, we argue that guanxi practices are sensemaking processes that benefit entrepreneurs but may have adverse effects on the education market, policy regulation and education equality. This study contributes to and integrates sensemaking theory, guanxi theory and the literature on shadow education by conceptualising the practice of guanxi in the context of the private tutoring industry as a form of sensemaking. It also informs policymakers seeking to improve the regulation of the shadow education industry.
期刊介绍：
The prime aims of the European Journal of Education are: - To examine, compare and assess education policies, trends, reforms and programmes of European countries in an international perspective - To disseminate policy debates and research results to a wide audience of academics, researchers, practitioners and students of education sciences - To contribute to the policy debate at the national and European level by providing European administrators and policy-makers in international organisations, national and local governments with comparative and up-to-date material centred on specific themes of common interest.
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