New forms of ownership and human resource practices in Vietnam

In 1986, the government of Vietnam commenced the move from a centrally planned system to a market-oriented economy with a multisectoral economic structure and a multiownership system. This process, known as Doi Moi, has had a major effect on the economic and social fabric of Vietnam. Although the body of research on this topic has grown, few studies have explored the effect of these economic changes on the internal operations of enterprises. In particular, little is known about the relationship between these new forms of ownership and how enterprises structure their human resource management. This article seeks to explore this relationship through detailed case studies of 32 enterprises covering the range of ownership types. The findings reveal a diversity of human resource management practices, but certain practices are now more prevalent in particular types of enterprises; human resource management remains the overall exception. The article concludes by considering the theoretical and practical implications of these results for economies undergoing transition