Comparing Australian graduate employees’ “use of connections” and Chinese “sea-turtle” graduate employees’ use of “guanxi”

It is important for graduate employees and their employers that Australian graduates (both domestic and international) develop knowledge, skills, and other qualities that are easily transferrable to their employment in Australia, China, and the Asia-Pacific region. Much contemporary research addresses the appropriateness of graduate attributes such as leadership, teamwork, and communication skills in relation to meeting employers’ needs. This qualitative study contributes to these discussions by comparing how Chinese and domestic graduates apply a lesser regarded attribute, the use of connections, to the work setting. Since Chinese employers follow the principles of guanxi (being able to earn and use influential networks), this might complicate attempts by returned Chinese graduate employees (“sea-turtles”) who are graduates of Australian universities to transfer their use of connections. This study compares Australian graduates’ experiences of using connections and Chinese sea turtles’ experiences of using connections within the protocols of guanxi.