Topic 1:

Table 1 presents a summary of the RCEP member nations. RCEP is currently a vital region of
many global value chains, with partners such as China, Japan, and Korea holding crucial
positions in these chains... Join the RCEP area, and by minimising obstacles to the movement
of goods, equipment, and raw materials... among member countries that are significant links
in many global supply chains, Vietnamese firms will have more significant opportunities to
operate in this supply chain in a more profound, more effective manner.
Table 1: RCEP signatory member countries

Discuss the opportunities and challenges international business enterprises in Vietnam

face?
You should:
- Briefly explain RCEP;
- Discuss any of three opportunities and challenges;
- Which market you will decide to enter?
Topic 2:

On a January morning in 2021, a 10-year-old boy Jhay Ar Calma from Manila, climbed onto
the roof of a poor neighbourhood house and crouched in a broken plastic pot to receive an
internet connection on his iPad from the street. More than 480,000 people have been infected
with Covid-19 in the Philippines, the second-highest number in Southeast Asia, despite the
government's efforts to catch up with online education. Calma had to call her mother for
assistance when the signal began to flicker. However, even when his mother transmits a 3G
signal via phone, the 4th grader finds it incredibly difficult to study due to the high fees and
poor quality of service. Nearly 7,000 kilometres from Manila, in the heart of the beautiful city
of London, a British family suffers from internet signals and excessively high costs to pay for
their daughter's education. The internet fee has risen, and we do not know how long we can
continue to pay it to support the education of our children. The price and the quality are
unacceptable, the mother told the reporter. The two articles by Reuters demonstrate that there
is no distinction between the lower and middle classes in many countries with expensive
internet and mobile telecommunications networks centred on servicing people. Instead of
becoming a service for the general populace, the wealthy and the central region will receive
it. Despite having the third-largest economy in ASEAN, the Philippines, home to 108 million
people, provides internet connectivity to only one-fifth of households, even less so with
mobile devices. Suddenly, the image of London or Manila is the antithesis of what it was. It is
occurring in Haiti, the poorest country in Latin America, in 2020, with a per capita income of
just over 700 USD per year, or 2 USD per day. Haiti, with the participation of Natcom - the
mobile network is Viettel's joint venture, launching business just three days after the disaster -
is now the country with the most significant fibre optic infrastructure in the Caribbean,
telecommunications connectivity with 5,000km infrastructure, and an up to 15 per cent
subscriber growth rate. Natcom's presence has contributed to a 20 per cent reduction in
telecommunications costs in this country, brought more people closer to mobile telecoms, and
created over 100,000 jobs. The Minister of Planning of Haiti, Michel Presume, expressed
gratitude for Viettel’s efforts to rebuild Haiti. A British news agency, Reuters, also
acknowledged that “Viettel began to tread where capitalists feared to tread.”
In 2019, Viettel became one of the world's 15 largest telecommunications companies by
many customers and one of the world's 40 largest telecoms businesses by revenue. Brand
Finance estimated Viettel's brand value to be $4.3 billion, placing it in the Top 500 most
valuable brands worldwide. Viettel Global, the division in charge of Viettel's international
investment business, is valued at roughly $2.4 billion on the Vietnam stock exchange. Mr Tao
Duc Thang, Viettel's Deputy General Director and Chairman of Viettel Global's Board of
Directors, commented on its 15 years of abroad investment: “When it comes to investing in
any country, Viettel is not only doing business but also conducting business. Always exercise
tremendous social responsibility, provide positive contributions, and support the nation they
operate. It is a steadfast, unvarying technique. Therefore, Viettel was a pioneer in developing
a digital society in Vietnam, and we continue this trend in foreign markets.”
Viettel does not have a one-size-fits-all formula for its offshore investments, but its
strategy varies by the market. Viettel does rely on specific underlying determinants. Viettel
maintains a difference when Viettel offer its services in a foreign market. Viettel deploys the
full force of its sales teams, whether it is shop-based, door-to-door or net-based sales or a
combination of different approaches, and tries to widen its customer care system to make sure
that all calls are processed in the shortest amount of time, and all incidents are strictly
controlled and fixed within a set timeframe. It is its philosophy to put service quality and
customers first. Even though it may sound like a cliche since this is what all businesses are
looking forward to, what happens is often a completely different story.
Moreover, Viettel relies on this difference to guide its service delivery in these markets.
Viettel tries to finish capital expenditure as soon as possible so that Viettel can start providing
services and convert potential into outcomes in real terms. That is how Viettel does it in the
countries where Viettel operates. Moreover, in each country that Viettel has been to, Viettel
tries to translate its investment strategy to real-life to become the top provider in terms of
network infrastructure and subscriber base. In its view, any customer, whether from an urban
or rural area, will be offered the best service quality and bandwidth. Viettel views telecom
services as a standard commodity rather than a luxury. Telecoms are for everybody. Viettel
believes that the development of a nation depends in part on telecoms, which has a massive
role to play in changing the way of life for the better in any country. That is why in every
country Viettel has been and will be too, Viettel is committed to making meaningful
contributions to socio-economic development.

Discuss the Viettel's international business model?

- Using the PESTEL framework, analyze the domestic and international market contexts that
have led to Viettel's internationalization strategy?
- What are Viettel's reasons for entering the international market?
- By 2018, Viettel had 30,000 employees across 11 international markets and three
continents. What category of organization is Viettel: MNEs, Micro-MNEs, SMEs,
Born-Global, or Born-Regional?
- What strategies did Viettel use to penetrate the international market?
- How has Viettel overcome international environment-related obstacles?
What lessons have Vietnamese businesses learned upon entering the global market?