Entrepreneurship in a Restructuring Economy: Small Private Manufacturers in Hanoi

Citation

Appold, Stephen J.; Nguyen Quy Thanh; Kasarda, John D.; & Le Ngoc Hung (1996). Entrepreneurship in a Restructuring Economy: Small Private Manufacturers in Hanoi. Journal of Asian Business, 12(4), 1-31.

Abstract

Several theorists have suggested that entrepreneurship is a viable route of employment and wealth generation for developing countries as well as for the mature economies of industrialized countries. The restructuring economy of Vietnam provides an interesting opportunity for the study of entrepreneurship because, although the needs are great, the formal and informal infrastructure to support emerging small businesses is lacking. We assess the role of entrepreneurship in a restructuring economy through a survey of 124 small­scale manufacturers, located in Hanoi. We find the entrepreneurial sector to be generally healthy. Productive entrepreneurship is open to a wide range of individuals and not limited to those privileged by the former system. Informal mechanisms, discussed in the literature on industrialized countries, are able to overcome many of the barriers to entrepreneurship. We find, however, that the bases of competitive advantage for individual enterprises to be poorly developed, suggesting a somewhat limited long range contribution to economic development.

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

1996

Journal Title

Journal of Asian Business

Author(s)

Appold, Stephen J.
Nguyen Quy Thanh
Kasarda, John D.
Le Ngoc Hung