This thesis examines how LinkedIn China's sub-brand Chitu cultivates relationships with stakeholders in accordance with Chinese relationship and stakeholder management theories. It analyzes Chitu's relationship building strategies with key stakeholders like employees, users, and industry peers. Chitu focuses on triggering user self-expression and providing professional groups activities. Relationship cultivation is influenced by Chinese cultural concepts like guanxi, which Chitu leverages through reciprocity and trust. The thesis contributes to understanding how public relations theories apply in a Chinese context and offers implications for foreign companies to nurture stakeholder relationships in China.

1. Examining Stakeholder Relationships in Chinese
Public Relations Practice:
A Case Study of LinkedIn China
and its sub-brand Chitu
Li Yingying
Master of Mass Communication, BYU
Thesis Defense, 06/09/2016

2. Why LinkedIn China and Chitu?

4. Introduction

5. Purpose of Study:
• To examine the extent to which the propositions of stakeholder and relationship
management theories are applicable in a Chinese public relations context
• To discover the ways in which Guanxi culture can bring greater understanding to
these public relations theories
• To offer practical insights for foreign organizations that need to nurture
relationships with stakeholders in China.

6. Literature Review

7. • Chinese Social Media
• Relationship Management Theory
• Social Media Relationship Building Strategies
• Relationship Cultivation on Chinese Social Media
• Stakeholder Theory
• “Guanxi” and Stakeholder Relationship Management in China

8. Research Questions

9. • RQ1: With which Chinese stakeholders does Chitu cultivate relationships?
• RQ2: On which Chinese stakeholders has Chitu focused its communication and
relationship-building efforts?
• RQ3: How does Chitu employ relationship cultivation strategies in
communicating with its most important group of stakeholders?
• RQ4: To what extent are Chitu’s relationship cultivation strategies influenced by
Guanxi?

10. Methodology

11. • Qualitative Research
• Case Study Approach
• Sources of Evidence
• Research Procedure
• Data Analysis
Documentation
Interviews
Direct Observation
Participant-observation

14. Results

15. RQ1:
investors
board of
directors
government
employees
mediaIndustry
peers
consumers
and users

16. RO2:
• Employees :
(1) Whole employee in operation
(2) Open culture
(3) Empowerment and ownership
• Users:
(1) Early adopters, (2) “Career biggies,” (3) General users.

17. RQ3:
• Chitu’s value
• The most crucial strategies:
(1), Trigger and guide users’ active self-expression.
(2), Provide professional groups with various online and offline
activities.

18. RQ4:
(1), Making use of reciprocity in Guanxi culture.
(2), Making use of trust in Guanxi culture.
(3), Creating a new model of Guanxi (“positive energy”)

19. Discussion

20. • The linkage model
• Theoretical propositions on maintaining the effective organization-
public relationships
• Additional explanations:
(1), Building Belief and the Page Principles
(2), CEO Communication and Personal Influence
(3), Issues Management
(4), Embracing the Cultural Shifts in Guanxi

21. Conclusion

22. Theoretical Implications:
(1) Delivering value in relationship cultivation
(2) The application of theories within the evolving
cultural context

23. Practical Implications:
(1), Focusing on strategic behaviors, not just communication
(2), Partnering with government
(3), Educating consumers
(4), Positioning the CEO with localized approaches
(5), Making both employees and consumers relationship-building
advocates
(6), Focusing on cultivating relationships first, instead of making profits
(7), Thinking locally and acting locally

24. Limitations

25. Recommendations

26. Future Research

27. Thank You！
Li Yingying