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Firms urged to respect cultural differences
Vietnamese enterprises should study the business culture of their partners, speakers said at a seminar in HCM City on Sepmter 14.
The behavior and values of people within one group of one country depend on a complex whole, which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, ethics and customs, according to Dr Le Dang Doanh, a senior economist who spoke at the seminar.
Business culture includes how the company markets its products, negotiates with its business partners and the relation between employer and employees, he added.
The company culture also includes the trading environment and the specific character of each market, group or organisation.
It also includes the unwritten rules of conduct in business that are not regulated by law but are understood and accepted by involved parties.
"It is obvious that business culture is different in different countries. Understanding the culture in a country or region in which you are doing business is a critical skill for the international businessperson," Doanh said.
By fostering research on cultural differences and the taste of foreign customers, many Vietnamese companies have succeeded in foreign markets.
Vietnamese products, including Sa Giang Shrimp Crackers, Ben Tre coconut candy, Tan Cuong and Tuyet Son tea and Bat Trang pottery, have sold well in global markets.
Still, many local enterprises have not conducted market research and learned about the culture of the countries where they want to sell their products.
Company culture is a broad term used to define the unique identities or character of a particular company or organisation, said Huynh Van Minh, Chairman of the HCM City Union of Business Associations.
It plays a very important role in the development of each enterprise, and is an invisible asset, creating differences among enterprises, he said at the seminar titled Vietnamese and Japanese Business Culture.
Nguyen Khac Canh, Deputy Director of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said local small – and medium-sized enterprises could learn from their Japanese counterparts in building a corporate culture so that they can operate internationally.
In addition, learning from Japanese SMEs will create more opportunities to work with Japanese partners, and promote business sustainability.
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