Today, we had two exciting site visits. Our first visit was to the Cat Lai Terminal, and the second was to Dan On. The two sites were very different in how their operations were run. The Cat Lai Terminal had decent working conditions. They were not terrible, but injuries did not seem uncommon. Dan On felt safer and more enjoyable overall. Between the two, the terminal’s design seemed to reward workers mainly through extrinsic motivation, meaning workers were only satisfied by the paycheck. On the other hand, Dan On appeared to create an environment that provided workers with more intrinsic rewards, making the job itself more satisfying.

During our first tour, I was impressed by the number of machines being used and the incredible skill the workers had in operating them. However, these vehicles create sustainability concerns. I do not think they are environmentally friendly enough. I believe there are more advanced ways to operate these vehicles that could make them more sustainable.

Then we went onto our next tour at the company Dan On. The operation felt pretty standard to what you would see in America. Big machines distributing goods and packaging and workers over look to keep everything going. The conditions seemed much safer, and the workers were given a strong sense of task identity. They came to work each day performing different tasks, which likely led to less boredom. I was especially interested in the footwear policy. While walking around the company, employees wore green Crocs. When using the bathroom, they wore blue Crocs. Finally, when entering the production area, they wore orange Crocs. I liked this idea because it created a more intrinsic and comfortable environment for workers by allowing them to wear “comfy shoes” instead of thick, heavy boots. Dan On also felt more sustainable than the terminal. They had solar panels across their roof, and 70% of their energy came from them.

I feel it is important to understand the politics of a nation because people in America have a great deal of freedom. If working conditions are poor or companies are not sustainable enough, workers can speak out and argue against the company. In Vietnam, however, the government operates differently, which may give workers less of a voice and force them to continue working in poor conditions.

The site visits are coming close to an end, and I wanted to summarize how all the companies had different styles of operation. Getting an inside perspective showed me that there is not just one correct way to run a company. Some companies were more hierarchical, while others promoted a more unified “everyone is equal” environment. Either way, all of these companies were successful and continuing to develop.