Vietnam

Topic : WHAT IS MICE? SEARCH FOR ITS POTENTIAL FOR VIETNAM TOURISM. ***************** MICE is one of the most developing kinds of tourism, not only in the world but also in Vietnam. To many people, it is really a new conception. MICE tourism means travelling in combination with attending meetings or conferences. MICE stands for Meeting, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibition. According to travel firms, MICE tourism can bring turnover six-fold higher than other kinds of tourism as MICE delegations always consist of several hundred travelers who have big budgets and use many kinds of services.

MICE is now a kind of tourism that brings great income to the tourism sector of many countries. Destinations in Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur have become familiar with MICE tourists, therefore the World Tourism Organizationwants to discover a new destination in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam. As you know, Vietnam is not only famous for the friendly people, the special food, the national character, the hidden charm but also a very peaceful country.

So, being a peaceful country is really a strong-point of MICE tourism in Vietnam. Moreover, Vietnam is on the way of integration process. Thata€™s why there are many meetings and events organized to co-operate in business, set up relation and consolidate friendship with other countries. Besides, MICE is also attractive to the Corporate Entertainment as it brings them greater income than any other kinds of events as well as helps them to advertise their brand-name to people from different countries easily.

As you can see, Vietnam has many advantages to develop this kind of tourism. Therefore, MICE industry becomes new development trend in Vietnam. However, Vietnam should be more flexible with the market field of vision, concentrate on training the staffs to serve tourists in the best way. In the future, Vietnam will no longer become the best choice for MICE delegations in the world.

The Vietnam War Memorial, like the war it memorializes, was initially steeped in controversy. It was called unemotional and ‘a black gash of shame’. Criticism was leveled at the artist for her being of Asian extraction. Like the Vietnam War, Americans gradually began to see the other side of the coin and it is now one of America’s most revered art pieces. It is comprised of black granite panels set into ground so that the viewer literally walks into the piece. On the panel is carved the names of the 58,000 plus American war dead (Sands).

It is a part of the landscape by design. Lin said, “I didn’t want to destroy a living park. You use the landscape. You don’t fight with it,” (greatbuildings.com).  A companion piece, a statue of American warriors, war weary and in battle dress was erected at the site. I think the memorial is a moving piece of art, fraught with symbolism that is more apparent when visiting it than it can ever be from photos or descriptions. It is the duty of any nation that sends its young men into combat to remember and honor those who gave the ultimate for their country.

I think that while hostilities are ongoing and the deaths are mounting, however, the tribute should take a form different from a cold memorial. I think the man who sent them to the war zone should read us the names of each fallen warrior at the close of day and explain how that warrior died. If he refuses, then each day in the House of Representatives the names should be read, and those names then be carried to the White House.

The purpose of a war memorial is not always the same for every war and for every cause. It can be a tribute to the fallen dead in a war that was waged for survival. It can be a piece of propaganda for a war that had no business being waged. It can be designed and erected as a balm to heal the scars of a bitter and divisive conflict. Vietnam divided our nation and nearly brought us into open rebellion with the government that refused to listen to the will of the people.

The veterans of the Vietnam War seem to be flooded with memories when they confront the names of fallen comrades whose names are engraved in the polished black granite. Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem, Facing It, described the feeling he had of being back in the war, symbolically being inside the memorial itself. He could see the explosion that killed his friend by reading the man’s name on the wall. “I touch the name Andrew Johnson; I see the booby trap’s white flash,” (lines 16-17), he says in the poem. At Santa Monica Beach near Los Angeles every Sunday a local chapter of the Veterans for Peace erects a temporary memorial to the fallen dead of the Iraq War (Veterans For Peace).

It is called Arlington West for the Arlington National Cemetery in the east.  It is similar to and different from the Vietnam War Memorial. It has a list of fallen Americans as a tribute to them but also it memorializes the dead Iraqis, which the Vietnam Wall does not do for the fallen Vietnamese. Volunteers erect rows of crosses and symbolic flag draped coffins. It is more performance art than a permanent fixture but still emotionally moving, particularly to the families of the dead. Visiting there is a way to express the grief and frustration the same as at the Vietnam Wall. It shows that there is not a single way to create a memorial any more than there a single way to create art. There are different ways to move people.

The Vietnam Wall is a vital robust and moving tribute to a nasty war. It has helped to heal a divided nation and bring closure. The Arlington West project is for an ongoing war and can be seen as a protest of that war as much as a memorial to the dead. The idea of requiring the people who send men off to war to read the names of the dead seems to be fitting. They would be forced to see the toll they are taking at least in terms of numbers and perhaps put a face on the dead. For now they are simply statistics.

Bibliography

• Greatbuildings.com  2007  Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Retrieved 4-3-07
• From:http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial.html
• Komunyakaa, Y. Facing It    HERE INSERT THE FOLLOWING: NAME OF TEXT BOOK, CITY OF PUBLICATION FOLLOWED BY COLON, THEN NAME OF PUBLISHER AND THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION
• Sands, K.  Jack Magazine  Maya Lin’s Wall: A Tribute to Americans Retrieved 4-
• 3-07 from:  http://www.jackmagazine.com/issue9/essayksands.html
• Veterans For Peace   4-07  Arlington West Memorial Santa Monica Retrieved
• 4-3-07 from: http://www.arlingtonwestsantamonica.org/

MODULE 1 1. Brief history of the chosen company. 2. The company’s mission statement: Mission, Vision, Major Goals, Core Values. 3. Some preliminary evaluation of the CEO’s leadership capabilities in comparison with key characteristics of good strategic leaders. Question 1. Brief history of the chosen company. 1. Introduction PHO24 used to be a Vietnamese noodle restaurant chain belonging to Nam An Group, the biggest F&B Corporation in the country.

Apart from PHO24, Nam An Group has owned and operated many other different F&B brands including An Vien Restaurant, Maxim’s Nam An Restaurant, ThanhNien Restaurant, An Restaurant, Goody Ice Cream, Goody Plus Ice Cream, Ibox Cafe, etc. The first PHO24 outlet was opened in June 2003 on Nguyen Thiep Street, opposite to the prime landmark Saigon Sheraton Hotel. By June 2010, PHO24 has opened 77 outlets in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, Da Nang, Vung Tau, NhaTrang, Binh Duong, Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines), Seoul (Korea), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Sydney (Australia) and Hong Kong.

PHO24 plans to open more stores in all major cities of Vietnam as well as in overseas markets, where there are extensive Asian populations. The founders believe that PHO24’s business concept is unique but easy to multiply due to its small space requirement, low investment, standardized operational procedures, and most importantly, the top quality of the food. Now, PHO24 noodle restaurant chain belongs to VTI, owner of Highlands Coffee, Hard Rock Cafe,  Emporio Armani, Swarovski, Aldo,  La Vie En Rose, Debenhams, Coorslight, Orangina… 2.

Brand name: PHO has been the most famous dish of Vietnam but it was only known as street food for many decades. Therefore, the founders of PHO24 saw this is an excellent opportunity to create a new business concept that meets the high standards but still preserving the traditional value. After nearly two years of market research – especially the customer’s taste – PHO24 has invented a unique flavor for PHO’s broth derived from 24 top-quality ingredients and spices. The number 24 is meaningful for Pho 24 * Pho 24 locations open 24 hours. Pho 24 also uses a total of 24 ingredients and spices in its pho broth * Diligently stewed for 24 hours before it is served. * The 24 ingredients plus the thorough preparation process ensures that the pho broth at Pho 24 has a rich and sumptuous flavor, according to the company. * The broth recipe is the same in all Pho 24 locations, as is expected for any food franchise. So wherever Pho 24 takes its pho dishes, you should get the same rich flavor and taste of its pho. This is key to a successful franchise and it’s why the pho experience offered by Pho 24 is fast picking up in worldwide popularity.

PHO24 has been consecutively the winner of The Guide Awards voted by readers of Vietnam Economics Times, ThoiBaoKinhTe Viet Nam and Tu Van Tieu Dung magazine during 6 years from 2004 to 2009. In 2008 Pho24 was voted as an International Franchiser of the Year, accepted by FLA Singapore. In 2010, PHO24 is one of the top 10 “Ho Chi Minh City – One Hundred Excitements” which voted by travelers. 3. The Milestone of The Company: 2012 : target to reach 200 outlets total 2010 : target began to open shops in China and Japan. 12/2009:Franchise stores open at No. South Korea and Hong Kong, bringing its total stores to 73rd (more than 57 stores in the city. HCMC),with16 stores in foreign countries (Indonesia, Cambodia, Korea, Philippines, and Hong Kong). 8 / 2009: New franchise agreements in Hong Kong and Macau. Will open its first store in Hong Kong and Macau in October 10/2009 3 / 2009: Total number of noodle shops in Vietnam and 24 foreign countries has reached number 70 after six years in operation 9 / 2006: Pho 24 and VinaCapital – the leading financial companies in Vietnam – officially signed a cooperation and investment. / 2005:Open the first franchise in foreign countries (Jakarta, Indonesia). We have 6 noodle shop in Jakarta on 24 November 2008. 1 / 2005:Open the first franchise store in Ho Chi Minh district, followed by a few other shops in the major cities of Vietnam like Da Nang, NhaTrang,Vung Tau, BinhDuong … 12/2004:Opens first store in Hanoi, the capital ofVietnam and also the “capital of pho” 6 / 2003:Opens first store at No. 5 Nguyen cards, district 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Shop quickly became popular destinations for tourists and residents. Question 2.

The company’s mission statement: Mission, Vision, Major Goals, Core Values. Pho24’s Vision: “To be the number one Vietnamese Pho and Noodle Brand in the world. ” Pho24’s Mission: “To be the Global Category Developer for Chain Pho with the Objective of being the first mover in each market we enter. ” Pho24’s major goals: “Make PHO24 become the number one and the most famous Vietnamese Pho and Noodle Brand in the world. ” Pho24’s core values: “Always make customers come to PHO24 with great expectations and to leave with full satisfaction. ” Business Philosophy: Everything we do is based on quality, customer service and integrity. We believe that repeat customers are the lifeblood of our business. We also trust that new customers are valuable energy for our business development. Therefore, we invite our guests to come to any PHO24 outlets with great expectations and to leave with full satisfaction. We only select franchisees that can share and convey our high standards to our customers” Question 3. Some preliminary evaluation of the CEO’s leadership capabilities in comparison with key characteristics of good strategic leaders. Ly Quy Trung was born in 1966 in SaiGon.

He founded Nam An Group. Subsidiary Pho24 noodle soup chain is the largest chain restaurant in Vietnam. Nam An Group also acts as general distributor for foreign food brands such as Australian franchise Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Canadian frozen Yogen Fruz and Singaporean bakery chain Bread Talk. The Group wholly owns a dozen restaurant chains in Vietnam, including Maxim Nam An gourmet restaurants and Cafe Terrace bistros. According to the aforementioned qualifications, we can identify some key features which all converge in Ly QuyTrung, the successful CEO of Pho24:

Firstly, he has very good vision and wide perspective. In order to develop Pho24 to be the world wide branch to rival with McDonald’s or KFC, from the very first days, Ly QuyTrung has invested in R&D or qualification testing, while other people said that they are not necessary for such a Vietnamese restaurant. He is a consistent leader. Being well aware of his company’s position in the market, in spite of the fact that there are a lot of new competitors like Pho Vuong, Pho Cali, etc. Ly Quy Trung believed that they are not his main rivals. He was confident to claim that the quality of the foods and services, along with the prestigious branch are not something that we can create in the short term of time. He was cared about the domestic market. But that is not everything, his main strategy is to make traditional dish of Vietnam – pho – become a fast food franchise appeared over the world. It is clearly shown in the vision of Pho 24: “To be the number one Vietnamese Pho and Noodle Brand in the world”.

Finally, he has willingness to delegate and empower, which is needed to be a good leader. By choosing franchise business model, Ly Quy Trung made decision of building a chain of restaurant about traditional food, spreading it over the world. He built the secret recipe for his dish, created the dining environment and other differentiation factors for his brand names. Then, he didn’t have to control all the chain but only be the managers and controllers, taking care about the quality of products and services in chain restaurants.

Empowering people like that, he has created jobs for thousands people, changed the habit of the Vietnamese of eating n sidewalk not good for health, as well as made a nice appearance of traditional food for the foreigners – an efficient way to represent our culture and promote Vietnamese tourism. In conclusion, Ly Quy Trung is a successful talented leader. Although there has been more and more difficulties, Pho 24 still strives to contribute for Vietnam economic development and make their brand famous and popular in over the world.

Assement 1 (1000 words): Discusss the key dimensions of national culture in your domicile (home) country using the frameworks of Hofstede (2001) including: Power Distance; Uncertainty avoidance; Individualism/ Collectivism; Masculinity/ femininity; long term orientation. Introduction In the “flat” world today, opening a business on abroad will be easier than before (Friedman, 2005). The manager from other countries will need to face with other culture aspect that they never met before.

In order to solve this problem, Hofstede’s dimensions (1970) suggested that his model with 5 dimensions: Power Distance, Uncertain Avoidance Individualism/ collectivism, Masculinity/ femininity, Long-term orientation, which refer to any culture on the globe, and Vietnam in this case. For this essay requirement, the Power Distance and Long-term Orientation will be discussed in this essay, how it is effective on this constructed in international business management as well as the disadvantage of Hofstede’s module.

Hofstede’s module suggests that national culture can be influence behaviour and management in workplace. His research suggested that differences of behaviour are accounted for nationality and national culture determinants. In addition, understanding the cultural differences could be done by drawing on these dimensions. Hofstede stated that there are many national differences in work-related values, beliefs, norms and self-descriptions and societal variables, could be explained in five key dimensions of national culture. Power Distance

Power distance score of Vietnam was given a high value of 70 by Hofstede’s study(2013) as mesuased by the scores in his 1970s IBM internal cultural test system, in which describe power distance as dealing with the need of a society for independence versus interdependence. In other research which is carried out by McCleland suggests that the need for power is to have influences over others and tend to be gained more privilege than other. Additionally, Individuals with high power distance will tend to achieve target or choose a job which responsibility, feedback and a medium percentage of risk.

Hofstede (1984) also suggested that in a high power distance score, Vietnam in this case, he/she is more likely to accept unequal distributions of power. It could be take away power, control mechanism or decision making, but they will easy accept this situation in higher power distance rather than lower one. However, economic system and environment are needed to take in to account as others factors which might have strongly influence power distance. In a research is carried out by Hoang (2008),a researcher from Capabella, USA, within 20 managers who are Vietnamese gave us a differences result.

The research was pointed out that the managers get lower score in Power Distance, who tend be cooperate with the lower staff rather than made their decision on their own. Long-term Orientation. In Vietnamese culture, modest is highly evaluated (Te, H. D. , 1987; Cao, X. H. , 1999). In another hand, Hofstede also claimed that Vietnam got a high score on Long-term Orientation, which was influenced by Confucius, who emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity.

Thus, society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view ( Hofstede, 2001). It means that the Longterm Orientation is a result to develop this high score of Power Distance in Vietnam. In Hofstede website, he also claimed that Vietnam score is 80, that making it is long-term orientation. In different words, Vietnam, is a country, who believed in pragmatism, where achieving goal a task and getting virtue is prioritized.

As a result, the manager can aware that the employees push their adaption up to limit if it is the requirement of the job and sometimes, working for money mind not top goal for the bread-maker. Respect from employers, peers or colleagues (Tatum, 1997 quoted by Harvery and Allard, 2009) is all so an reward for them. Despite the fact that Hofstede model is most famous theory in human resource in manager, there are some critics on it. According to Mc Sweenry (2002), Hofstede’s module was assumed that national culture is equal with company culture as well as put the Confucian Dynamism on the top of the table in his research.

In Vietnamese context, beside the Confucian, Buddhism is needed to be taking in to account as well. Back in 1000 years ago, when Ly Dynasty chooses Hanoi the capital of Van Xuan, old name of Vietnam, Buddhism was become the national religious (Tran, 1997;Phan, 1992 ) until Nguyen Dynasty in 18th century. In additional, Ly Dynasty also introduced the teaching of 3 regilous: Buddhism, Confucian, Taoism at the same times in the past. This philosophy is still now alive and can be known in other name is Cao Dai religious with 3 million fellows. So Vietnam culture and behaviour will depended on religious rather than Confucian only.

Conclusion. Vietnam is a developing country where is people are open-minded and easy to cooperate with other people and Money –oriented people mind be the minority, due to the reason that, the long-term goal for respect and job security is their goal of life. Two dimensions linking could be seen in the Hofstede’s module where the score of Power Distance and Long-term Orientation are 70 and 80 receptively. However, the Hofstede’s module may be still lack of evaluation in particular situation like Vietnamese behaviour in foreign countries or the over-evaluation of Hofstede on Confucian must be reviewed.

From manager point of view, Hofstede’s module is still an initial step to start with. References: 1. Cao, Xuan Hao, 1999. Contributions of linguistic researches to the understanding of Vietnamese thought and Vietnamese culture 2. Confucius, a bibiography http://www. confucius. org/lunyu/edbio. htm 3. Hofstede,G. , cited in Minkov,M. , The evolution of Hofstede’s doctrine, P. 11 4. Phan, H. C. , 1992. L? ch Tri? u Hi? n Chuong Lo? i Chi (Records on Administrative Systems of Successive Dynasties). Vols. 1-2-3. Trans. by Vi? n S? H? c Vi? t Nam. Ha N? i: Khoa H? c Xa H? i Press. 5.

Te, Huynh Dinh, 1987 Introduction to Vietnamese Culture. 6. Tran, Q. V. , 1997 Tim hieu van hoa dan gian Hanoi (Understanding folk culture of Hanoi). 7. Hoang. H. , 2008, Culure and Management: A study of Vietnamese cultural influences on management style. Capella University, USA Department of Business Management HRM subject group Avoiding academic irregularity: plagiarism/ghost-writing checklist * coursework submission cover sheet Before you submit coursework, in accordance with University regulations, you should be able to confirm that the coursework that you are submitting is your own original work and that you have: read and understood the guidance on academic irregularity and plagiarism in the module handbook; * clearly referenced, both within the text and on the end reference page/s, all sources used in the work; * based your work on academic sources from academic search engines such as the American Business Index (ABI). Student sources should not be used. * used inverted commas and the full reference details (including page numbers) for all text quoted from books, journals, web-based other sources; * provided the sources for all data in tables and figures that are not your own work; not made use of the work of any other student(s) past or present without acknowledgement. This includes any of your own work that has been previously, or concurrently, submitted for assessment, either at this or any other educational institution, including school; * not sought or used the services of any professional agencies such as ghost writers or other individuals, to produce this work; * retained all the material collected in the process of developing your coursework; and * in addition, you understand that any false claim in respect of this work may result in disciplinary action in accordance with University regulations.

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Depends on your company. For a more accurate PEST analysis, it’s best to consider your company’s structure, product, and strategy. Anyway, here’s a very simple PEST analysis. Political – Vietnam is a Single Party Communist State. There is more likely to be higher government control and less autonomy for the organization wanting to enter the Vietnamese market. However, on the good side, Vietnam is more likely to have relatively greater political stability. Would be advisable to form good relations with the local government and negotiate favorable terms with them.

Economy – Vietnam is a developing economy. GDP per capita is USD2,942. 00. To cater for the largest demographic, it is best to use a price leadership strategy rather than rely on product differentiation. Sell a cheaper, and more basic product or service, rather than offer a premium quality or novelty product. Socio-Cultural – For a foreign organization, there are bound to be language barriers (most obvious factor). Ensure that the labels on the packaging is in Vietnamese if you’re selling a product. Vietnam is also predominantly Buddhist (85% of the population).

It is better to offer a product or service that respects the local values and culture, and is compatible. Technology – Infrastructure (an important factor) in Vietnam is adequate. Road, and rail infrastructure is well-developed. Railways are linked to other countries such as China, Laos and Cambodia. There are also 17 civil airports operating in Vietnam and pipelines to transport liquids such as petroleum. There are of course, ports (Ha Long City). Not sure if this helps. It would be better if we knew more about your business.

Among many beautiful places in the East, Vietnam is one of the must-see countries. Setting foot in this country provides an unforgettable experience.

The historic temples, serene beaches, and peaceful countryside are what tourists find most enigmatic. Even the overly populated markets in the country provide travelers with an unforgettable and exciting experience. The sceneries and warmth of the people provide visitors a taste of the local culture and a perception of Asians in general.

Vietnam is located in the Southeast Asia, bordering the Gulfs of Thailand and Tonkin, and South China Sea. It is alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia, and very near Thailand so tourists can easily find trips to neighboring countries after enjoying their tour of Vietnam. At present, Vietnam’s population has grown to almost 85 million in 2008 (Population Council).

Most people associate Vietnam with wars possibly due to films that feature the Vietnam War. However, Vietnam is more than what we see in films. Contrary to the what others believe regarding the Viet Kong, Vietnamese are peace-loving and warm-hearted people. They are called Vietnamese, which is similar to the official language.

There are around 50 tribes which include the Kinh (also known as Viet) who make up the majority of the population, the Tay, Thai, Muong, Khome, Hoa, Nun, Hmong, and others. Aside from the Vietnamese language, English is becoming a popular language especially among the younger people. Some can speak French, Chinese, and Kmer while dialects among the natives in the mountain areas include Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian.

When planning to visit Vietnam, most visitors need to apply for a tourist visa in advance. Vietnamese visa is inexpensive at the rate of USD 40-80 when applying directly to the Embassy. Another way to apply for visa is upon arrival in Hanoi, but this requires a pre-arranged application with the Hanoi Immigration Department. To do away from the hassles, it is recommended to obtain visa a week or two before the trip.

Throughout the country the average temperature is between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius. During summer, the average temperature is 28 degrees Celsius. Rainy season starts from May and it ends in October. At its peak, some lowlands are affected by flood, so it is best to visit either in summer or autumn.

If one wants to witness the rich culture of the Vietnamese, the best time is during the traditional Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year). Tet is a week long festival and is the most important festival of the year usually every last week or January or early February.

As expected, prices during this time are raised radically, and most of the locals are on holiday so business is typically paralyzed, with some hotels, transportation companies and restaurants closed down. Therefore, those who prefer to travel around this period should have a well-organized trip with a tourist company. Otherwise, it will be difficult to go around without a good companion.

When making a short visit to Vietnam, visitors have at least three choices. For those who love the city, the best place to go is Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon). There, one will experience Asian nightlife at its best. Those who are after relaxation and peace must see Hanoi and Halong Bay; while those who are after adventure and exploring nature should try Sapa and Mekong Delta River.