Like Lao Tzu, the mystical founder of Daoism, Confucius stressed the importance of cooperation
among people. Today this Confucian principle means that organizational members should work together
to maintain group harmony. In Western culture it is appropriate to focus attention on the individual. We
assign individual responsibility and bestow praise on outstanding individuals. Such practices are
unacceptable in Chinese culture. It would be seen as inappropriate to single out one member of the group
for praise over others. Such behavior is disruptive to group harmony. Likewise, collective responsibility is
also preferred over individual responsibility. A focus on individualism undermines the trust that group
members can develop for each other. Confucius felt that when individuals were treated as a group, and
encouraged to maintain harmony within the group, greater results could be achieved.