Doing business in Vietnam: the New Zealand experience

New Zealand has a small economy and consequently offers limited growth opportunities for local enterprises. Therefore, internationalisation is attractive for New Zealand companies who wish to expand their business scale. Vietnam is quickly developing as a high growth economy in the Southeast Asian region and a promising destination for New Zealand companies seeking business opportunities. It offers both a local market of over 80 million potential customers and a low-cost manufacturing base. Nonetheless, promising opportunities in these emerging markets always come along with implied barriers which may not be easy to overcome. The aim of this study, therefore, is to examine the obstacles which New Zealand companies face when doing business in Vietnam and what internationalisation models could be used in these circumstances. This will contribute greatly to our understanding of how to do business successfully in Vietnam. The outcomes of the research will help New Zealand exporting companies enhance their assertiveness and effectiveness in this potential market