Is the Senpai–Kouhai relationship common across China, Korea, and Japan?

The Senpai–Kouhai relationship is a special senior–junior peer relationship in Japan. We conducted an exploratory survey of 311 Chinese, 266 Korean, and 275 Japanese participants to investigate whether or not this relationship exists in the 2 other cultures. We identified 4 factors through factor analysis to describe the Senpai–Kouhai relationship, namely, trust, supporting, hierarchy, and verbal etiquette. The survey results confirmed the presence of the Senpai–Kouhai relationship in China, where the supporting factor was most emphasized, and in Korea, where trust and verbal etiquette were the most important factors. In Japan, the core of the Senpai–Kouhai relationship was hierarchy. The results can be explained using cross-cultural theory and social exchange perspectives. Theoretical and practical implications for cross-cultural management of international institutions are discussed.