Vào 16h00 ngày 12/02/2026 tại P501 Nhà A2, Đại học Kinh tế Quốc dân tổ chức lễ bảo vệ luận án tiến sĩ cho NCS Trần Hồng Nhung, chuyên ngành Quản trị kinh doanh (E-PHD), với đề tài: Analyzing the dynamics of bribery-prone relationship in Vietnam: A perspective of moral disengagement theory and the norm of reciprocity
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE DISSERTATION
Dissertation title: Analyzing the dynamics of bribery-prone relationship in Vietnam: A perspective of moral disengagement theory and the norm of reciprocity
Specialization: Business Administration (E-PhD) Specialization code: 9340101
PhD candidate: Tran Hong Nhung
Supervisor(s): Assoc.Prof.Dr.Truong Dinh Chien
Institution: National Economics University
Original contributions on academic and theoretical aspects
Building on the identified research gap that existing studies often examine bribery as a single transactional event rather than as an evolving relational process, this dissertation integrates social exchange theory and moral disengagement theory to provide a more comprehensive explanation of bribery-prone relationships. The study reveals how socio-cultural norms and psychological processes work together to form, reinforce, and sustain corrupt transactions. Specifically, this integrated framework extends our understanding by illustrating that the persistence of bribery is not merely a result of economic calculation, but a product of relational normalization. By combining these two theories, the study demonstrates that the Norm of Reciprocity acts as the initial catalyst that creates a “social debt”, while Moral Disengagement serves as the essential psychological justifications for illegal exchanges without compromising the actor’s moral values.
This study also offers important practical insights for businesses, managers, policymakers, and anti-corruption agencies. These insights can support the development of more effective business practices, organizational policies, and anti-corruption programs in Vietnam and in similar cultural environments.
Recommendations derived from the findings of the dissertation
Consistent with previous research, the findings of this study confirm that bribery in the Vietnamese context is deeply embedded in cultural norms of reciprocity, where favors and gifts create a powerful sense of social debt. However, in contrast to existing literature that often treats bribery as a discrete, transactional event or a cold economic calculation, this study finds that bribery is a dynamic, evolving relational process.
Consequently, instead of relying solely on broad ethical codes, businesses should implement specific integrity management strategies that disrupt these relational patterns. These include institutionalizing gift-giving logs to make social debts visible, conducting scenario-based training to neutralize the euphemistic labeling, and implementing mandatory job rotations. By focusing on these structural and psychological intervention points, managers can effectively avoid the reciprocity traps that normalize corrupt behavior in the Vietnamese business environment.
The study is based on the Vietnamese context, which may limit generalization, although the core relational and psychological insights may still apply in other settings
Nguồn: Viện ĐT SĐH
