5.Cultural interdependence: Due to the business culture, political culture, and society of Vietnam, Western organizations will heavily depend on alliances and culture support to get resources like raw materials, equipment, or services from suppliers, loans or financial packages from banks or other financial institutions, real estate from traders, and permits or licenses from local or central governments.
In the culture and society, networking and relationships are very important and sometimes need aggressive, instant measures to be obtained and developed. It is not always about the money in Vietnam, and Vietnamese people will not work with you unless there are existing relationships and mutual trust. Business dinners and other forms of entertainment are very common in Vietnam and require a quite big budget. Business gifts are also common during numerous different holidays in Vietnam. There often a clear line of authority within Vietnamese organizations, so top managers and bosses need to be closely paid attention to and taken care of because they have all the rights to make any decisions. However, employers and employees at lower levels should not be overlooked.
The seniority system in Vietnam is taken seriously. People with old ages and more experiences are respected and often hold important positions in Vietnamese organizations. Nepotism and favoritism is also pretty heavy in the Vietnamese workplace. Two or three generations of a family might work in a same company and hold important positions at the same time. The people who come from wealthy and powerful families are usually favored in the workplace. The corruption level in Vietnam is quite high, and bribery and under the table money have become more and more typical. In order for Western businesses to run smoothly and successfully in Vietnam, all of these issues must be taken care of according to a complete and detailed plan.
Subject: Cultural Factors: Vietnam's Culture Factors- Cultural Interdependence (Part 6) 
Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:28 pm
