Performing Idiosyncratic Deals: A Qualitative Study of Multi-Faceted Performances in East Asian companies

Idiosyncratic deals (i-deals)—customized employment arrangements between employees and employers—are increasingly used to attract and retain skilled talent. While prior research highlights their positive effects, little is known about how workplace order is sustained when i-dealers underperform. This study introduces the concept of “star silence,” where employees granted i-deals fail to deliver expected results. Drawing on Goffman’s dramaturgical theory and interviews from Japanese firms employing Vietnamese workers, we examine how i-dealers, supervisors, and coworkers manage symbolic performances to sustain legitimacy. Our analysis identifies shifting role enactments across three phases—entry, ramp-up, and post ramp-up. Workplace order is preserved when procedural legitimacy and strong relationships are established early, fostering collaborative front-stage performances. In contrast, their absence triggers backstage discontent and erosion of symbolic order. This study advances i-deals theory by moving beyond outcome-focused models, illuminating the relational and symbolic processes that shape the organizational consequences of i-deals.