How Chinese thought can lead the transformation in management practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how the emerging, post‐Newtonian twenty‐first century worldview, integrating elements of holistic Chinese philosophy and individualistic Western Newtonianism, is also driving a new model of organization, the articulation of which Chinese managers and thinkers must take a leadership position. Design/methodology/approach – The author focuses, first, on the similarities between the worldviews of Chinese philosophy and post‐Newtonianism; second, on how those changes in worldview support the emerging model of organization, whose management style one writer refers to as “unmanaging”; and, third, on the benefits available for Chinese business people who apply their acculturated understanding of principles that still seem foreign to Western business people. Findings – This essay asserts that the worldview emerging from twentieth century science – primarily quantum mechanics and complexity theory – will reinforce many of the basic assumptions basic to Chinese culture and philosophy. As a result, Chinese managers and thinkers have the opportunity to make critical contributions to an emerging model of organization, which Western management thinkers have been predicting for nearly half a century. Practical implications – The paper offers a series of theoretical tools, taken from fields of study ranging from the philosophy of science to organizational dynamics, with which Chinese managers and thinkers can develop a leadership position in the discussion that has begun about what the author calls the post‐Newtonian organizational model. Originality/value – The value of the essay lies in its integration of twentieth century science, Chinese philosophy and the study of organizations to indicate how Chinese managers and thinkers can help shape a new, trans‐cultural way of understanding organizations, markets and finally, the world.