Özet:

The aim of this paper is to theoretically explain the Chinese work culture in terms of Weberian approach. According to Max Weber, Chinese Confucianism is the opposite of the Protestant Work Ethic. In Weberian approach a religion can affect society through a particular way of life. In Protestantism, religious, economic, and political spheres of life are separeted while they are integrated in Confucianism. Chinese religion has blocked social development because of the magical aspect of Chinese religion. This Weberian analysis of Chinese culture has been criticized by some authors (Sheh, 2003). According to these criticisms, Weber exaggerated descriptive effects and the ethos of Chinese literati. Neo-Confucianism has been considered as an obstacle to economic development in the Far East countries, such as China, Japan and Korea up to the 1950s. However, starting from the 1970s, Confucianism has been taken as a positive element in the development of East Asian economies. In the 1990s Confucianism has been questioned again because of the Asian economic crisis.

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