Subordinate and supervisor relationship through the lens of Guanxi: first empirical research in Vietnam

Guanxi, the concept of personal non-work connection and interactions in professional contexts, offers a culturally relevant approach in investigating Vietnamese supervisor-subordinate relationship. Thus, this research aims to assess Vietnamese enterprises under the model developed by Chen et al. (2009). Examining 494 workers in major cities, this research pioneers recognising Vietnamese Guanxi under two dimensions, personal-life inclusion and deference to supervisors, and discerning significant differences in these dimensions amongst company hierarchy, age and seniority. Particularly, differentiation from Guanxi in China was found regarding gender. These findings characterise Guanxi in Vietnam and open doors for future application in HR management, adaptation of export firms working with local sellers/buyers and localisation of international firms in Vietnam through an in-depth understanding of workplace relationships.