Abstract
Executive InterviewExecutive SummaryEntrepreneurship plays an important role in the global economy. It is one of the powerful forces that can strengthen economies and foster innovation. Therefore, understanding entrepreneurial attitudes is of utmost importance. Policymakers need to understand more about the entrepreneurial attitudes of people, especially young business generations, and develop policies accordingly. In the U.S., entrepreneurship has long been the cornerstone of the nation's success in economic growth and innovation (Reynolds and White, 1997). In Vietnam, however, entrepreneurship has not received adequate attention because the country had been under a centrally planned economic system where state-owned enterprises kept control and government frequently interfered in market activities (Nguyen, 201 1).Since its adoption of doi moi or renovation, in 1986, Vietnam has opened up its economy to the world, and attracted a large volume of foreign investment. The business environment has improved significantly as a result of the government commitment to global integration. The economic reforms and global integration have resulted in positive changes in Vietnam: steady economic growth, reduced poverty and more prosperity over the past decade. Furthermore, since the country's formal normalization of diplomatic relations with the United States in 1995, followed by the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral trade agreement (BTA) in 2001, Vietnam has attracted many domestic and foreign investors with its large, skilled and low-cost workforce (Business Monitor International, 201 1: 23). Trade between Vietnam and the U.S. has grown tremendously, from about $451 million in 1995 to $21.8 billion in 201 1 (United Stated Census Bureau, 20 1 2). More state-owned enterprises have been privatized, and the private sector has become an important component of the economic system.Vietnam today is a developing country that has been one of the fastest growing and the most promising economies in Asia. Vietnam achieved an average annual GDP growth of 7.6% between 2000 and 2009 (Business Monitor International, 201 1:13). The IMF recently projected a 5.1% GDP growth in 2012 for Vietnam (International Monetary Fund, 2012). After the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam, Vietnam's economy grew very fast and since becoming a member of World Trade Organization, the economic growth increased 30 percent compared to the previous year. In 201 1, Vietnam reached $96 billion in export. There are 16 goods, each of which has more than $1 billion in export value. Many agricultural products are the world's top export items such as rice (2n ), pepper (1st), rubber (4th), and coffee (3rd).The Vietnamese economy is at the heart of the fast-growing Southeast Asia region and the Ministry of Industry and Trade plays a crucial role in contributing to the nation's economic growth and accomplishing the overall goals set by the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Government. The purpose of this executive interview is to shed some light on the topic of entrepreneurship and how it is understood by a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Vietnam. Because it is only the opinion of one individual, it is not an intention of the interviewers to generalize the findings.Director General Phan The Hao was born and grew up in a farming family rooted deeply in the revolutionary tradition of Vietnam. After finishing high school, he joined the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) from 1967 to 1974. After being honorably discharged, he went to the National Economics University in Hanoi to complete his undergraduate degree. In 1979, he started working at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, which has now been changed to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. He also studied at the Academy of Politics and Public Administration in Ho Chi Minn City for more than 2 years. Over the years, he had the following positions:- Manager- Department of Export, Bureau of Planning, Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations- Deputy Chief-Bureau of Import-Export, Ministry of Trade- Bureau Chief-Director General of the Ho Chi Minn City Ministerial Office -Ministry of Industry and TradeAuthors: Entrepreneurship is said to require some degree of vision, and creativity? …
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