Today’s site visit included a trip to GreenViet, a consulting firm that helps with the design and construction of sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. As one of the first Vietnamese entries into this market, GreenViet obtained a sizable market share, which they have defended to this day. According to the founder, Mr. Quang, one of the main reasons for this firm’s success against larger firms, especially foreign ones, has been creating barriers to entry into the market. While this may seem like monopolistic behavior from an American perspective, it is in the national interest of Vietnam to have a Vietnamese company working towards the government’s sustainability goals, rather than foreign firms. Because of this, it is beneficial for both GreenViet and Vietnam to protect their market share from foreign firms that do not have true alignment with Vietnamese sustainability goals.

One of the interesting points of Mr. Quang’s presentation, especially as a business major, was his emphasis on building strong networks. More specifically, the line that stuck with me was that companies give sales to people/founders, not to companies. By this, Mr. Quang meant that to run a successful business, you must sell yourself and your abilities rather than the company itself. This was an interesting point and further proof that relationships and networks prevail in business, even across different cultures.

Stepping away from the site visits, I have learned a lot about the differences between Vietnamese and American mindsets from the plenty of conversations I have had with UEF students. One of these differences I have noticed is that many Vietnamese students approach problems with a “Vietnam first, me second” mentality, in which the country and collective good are put ahead of their individual needs. For example, when asked why students chose a certain major, many respond that it would be a great honor to represent or help build Vietnam through their field of study, rather than listing personal reasons (ex. money, desire to travel) for choosing their major or career path. It seems that this collectivist mentality stems from the years of fighting and defending their country, in which national cohesion had to be strong to succeed against more numerous attackers. In my opinion, I think this is a positive mindset for a country to achieve its long-term goals. Many cultural differences like these continue popping up, and I am curious to learn more about what they are and where they come from.