The role of Chinese style social capital (Guanxi) a case study of the design cluster at Tongji University in Shanghai

Universities are not only hot spots for establishing start-ups in creative industries but also represent the initial stage of building social networks based on common experience, trust, reciprocal obligation and shared norms. This is the case especially with the specific type of social capital in China commonly known as Guanxi. Guanxi plays a crucial role in the build-up of economic ties in China. The article aims to look at the role that social networks play in the design-oriented creative industry in and around Tongji University in Shanghai. It is shown that such networks in this industrial sector contribute to leveraging the success of enterprises as well as to the formation of an "identity to place".