The theory of "Differential Mode of Association" (Cha-xu Ge-ju) proposed by Mr. Fei Xiaotong has had a profound impact on Chinese academia. However, it should be contextualized within specific historical conditions or applied primarily to the common populace. Historically, the scholar-official class—and today, many outstanding Chinese entrepreneurs—view the world as their responsibility and social well-being as their mission. Their worldview is not one of "Differential Mode," but rather a "Universalist Mode" (Tian-xia Ge-ju).

The "Differential Mode" and the "Universalist Mode" together constitute the "Dual Pattern" of Chinese social relationships. In this structure:
The "Universalist Mode" belongs to the "Great Tradition" of Chinese culture, representing official and mainstream values—the Yang (active/manifest) side.

The "Differential Mode" belongs to the "Little Tradition", representing folk etiquette, customs, and habits—the Yin (receptive/latent) side.

Just as Yin and Yang interact to achieve harmony, and the Great and Little Traditions blend through interaction, the "Universalist" and "Differential" modes exchange and merge, forming the organic whole of the "Dual Pattern." This theory offers a broader and more comprehensive framework to explain Chinese behavioral patterns and social dynamics.

Prof. Chao Gang is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology (SCUT). He also serves as the Director of the Research Center for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Research & Contributions:
Professor Chao specializes in Chinese-style Management and has served as the Principal Investigator for three projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). He has long been dedicated to the innovative transformation of excellent Chinese traditional culture within contemporary enterprises. Through extensive and in-depth longitudinal field studies, he has accumulated over 10 million words of primary research material. Based on this foundation, he has pioneered original theoretical concepts such as the "Universalist Mode" (Tian-xia Ge-ju), "Super-familism", and "Corporate Academies" (Qi-ye Shu-yuan).

Professional Affiliations:
Deputy Secretary-General, National Joint Conference of Confucian Business Groups
Vice President, Guangdong Enterprise Social Responsibility Research Association
Executive Director, China Enterprise, Management, and Ethics Forum
Academic Committee Member, Guangdong Lantai Happiness Culture Charity Foundation
Expert Professor, Hunan Renji Academy