Paper Title
Dispositif and Critical Discourse Analysis as applied to Guanxi Studies

Abstract
This paper establishes a new interdisciplinary dimension of underpinning guanxi studies with Foucault’s philosophical theory of dispositif, which has not been studied in previous guanxi research. Guanxi is complex social construct drawing on connections in order to create favours in personal relationships. From western researchers’ point of view, guanxi has been studied as a knowledge – a cultural and communication practice articulated by language. However, as a Chinese researcher, it is proposed that guanxi as an object exists in society through interactions with discoursive and nondiscoursive behaviours. Therefore, this research applies dispositif analysis that helps to develop a theory of ‘guanxi dispositif’, and identifies the nature of guanxi in the HEIs’ relationship through the guanxi dispositif – a new structuralised theoretical approach in guanxi studies; and the importance of the interpretation from critical discourse analysis. Index Terms - Dispositif, Guanxi, Discourse, and Foucault