The influence of Chinese economic growth at the global level goes beyond the financial and economic impacts in the countries. The organizations that carry out Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China and Chinese companies investing abroad deal with one thing in common: guanxi. While "what you know" is valued in Western culture, in China the emphasis is on "who you know", ie, the social connections with authorities and others. Therefore, this study aims to provide a theoretical clarification about what is guanxi, showing its origins in China, the main intrinsic characteristics of the construct, and how a Westerner can develop guanxi, making it an intangible asset to your organization. Furthermore, some studies that show the relationship between guanxi with FDI flows, corporate performance and financing models in Brazil were presented.
Guanxi; China; relationship
