Between Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Dissemination: The Reception of Inamori Kazuo in Chinese Business Circles

Based on a qualitative approach combining documentary analysis and field data, this study examines the reception and dissemination of Inamori Kazuo's ideas in Chinese business circles over the past two decades, within the context of the contemporary Confucian revival. His philosophy resonates with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism and modernises these traditions through pragmatic, humanistic management methods. Far from a passive import of Japanese ideas, Inamori's thought is actively reinterpreted by Chinese entrepreneurs, who adapt his principles to local socio-economic and cultural contexts. This process illustrates both the localisation of management models and the broader circulation of managerial ideas within East Asia.