Indigenous Chinese HRM research: phenomena, methods, and challenges

Purpose – This article aims to highlight major unique Chinese organizational phenomena and delineate associated qualitative methods for exploratory inquiries and to focus on perceived challenges in developing indigenous knowledge in HRD and related management fields. Design/methodology/approach – The author takes an in‐outsider position and adopts an observational and reflexive approach to the phenomena, methods and challenges important for indigenous Chinese HRM research. Findings – The paper presents six major indigenous phenomena commonly seen in Chinese organizations. With a recent study exploring one of the phenomena, it discusses how grounded theory and phenomenology methods, combined with reflexivity, may be embraced for exploratory indigenous research. It also delineates challenges for indigenous Chinese HRM research. Research limitations/implications – Indigenous research is the first and necessary stage to understand unique and indigenous Chinese organizational phenomena. With appropriate qualitative methods, indigenous phenomenon entails indigenous understanding that leads to modifying, enriching, supplementing existing theories, and possibly developing new ones at a later stage. Originality/value – This paper identifies six major unique organizational phenomena in the Chinese organizational context. It makes a strong case for indigenous research adopting exploratory qualitative methods for engaged scholarship and theory building research.