By Andrew Currie
Edition 1 – August 2012 Pages 28-31
Tags: asia • demographics • economics
“Vietnam is a country rich in history and culture blended from diverse influences that have presided over the country and its people. From the 2,000 years of domination by the Chinese to the more modern influences of French colonialism and the turbulent independence movement of the mid 20th century, Vietnam is now being embraced by the world for its magnificent natural beauty, friendly and inquisitive people and its delicious food. Full of UNESCO and World Heritage listed sites, Vietnam is a treasure trove of memories. Its geography, manmade monuments and structures are enhanced by the positive attitude of the Vietnamese people themselves, creating an inspiring and captivating atmosphere for visitors” .
The travel industry rightfully paints an enchanting picture of Vietnam as a wondrous and memorable place to visit, but what is it like to work here? What parts have history, society and culture played in forming the context of ‘work’ in Vietnam?
More than most, Vietnam is a country where recent history resonates through every facet of life. 85% of the population, or 78 million people, are under the age 40; more than one million young adults reach working age each year, and for the foreseeable future.
For the past nine years I have lived and worked from a base in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). This is a city where commercial clout and colonial grandeur collide head-on, and tree-lined boulevards cut paths across a labyrinth of small streets and tiny laneways that channel more than three million motorcycles, back, forth across and around the city day by day.
Prior to moving to Vietnam I worked as a senior strategist for a leading global workplace consultancy where I was responsible for activities across Southeast Asia. It was during this time I became disenchanted with the lack of Asia-specific workplace research, data and reference material and the potential (and actual) conflict between ‘global’ workplace solutions and the societal and cultural norms prevailing in the different country in which they were being applied. I observed further disconnect, or perhaps a ‘transmission-loss’ through the transfer of knowledge and learning from briefing, through the development of workplace strategies, to the design of the workplace and then finally, through the implementation. In many cases these activities were being performed by completely different firms, many of whom had little or no experience working in the locations they were designing solutions for.
I felt there was a need to change this. Initially my intention was to investigate this academically, in a doctorate. However, my personal preference for live projects, and opportunity, led me down a different path. In 2003 I established Workplace-Asia, a consultancy modelled on the integration of briefing, strategy, design and delivery, specifically in Asia.
 
Why Vietnam?
Having experienced life in fast-growing Asian countries through my childhood in Singapore and my early career in Indonesia, Vietnam in the early 2000s showed all the signs of being an exciting, dynamic and compelling place to be.
The life and energy of the place, and of the people, was palpable.
International businesses were just starting to get a foothold, and ‘modern’ buildings and workplaces were almost nonexistent. This was a place on the cusp of a very real workplace revolution that was literally going to change the structure of the nation, both socially and physically.
So almost 10 years on, what have I learned…?
Let me begin with an overview of Vietnam and its historical context. Partly, to set the scene for those who know little about this unique and interesting country. But also, to share my personal observations.
I firmly believe that Vietnam’s recent history continues to have a profound (but diminishing) influence on the nation’s people, and their work-culture.
Vietnam is a long, thin coastal nation with a population of 92 million. 1,650km north-south and 50km wide at its narrowest point, the country has seven main ethnic groups, and two main cities. Hanoi, in the north, is the nation’s political capital and has an official population of 6.5 million. Ho Chi Minh City, in the south, is the nation’s economic powerhouse and the country’s largest city with an official population of more than 7 million. Unofficial estimates add 15-20% to these figures.
Vietnam is reputed to have one of the longest continuous histories in the world, with a recorded cultural history reputed to date back more than 20,000 years.
For most of the 20th century, it has been involved in, or recovering from, conflict and/or occupation. In fact Vietnam has only been free from war for a little over 20 years, when its last official conflict with bordering Cambodia ended in 1989….