The ethics of Confucianism are very important in Vietnamese society, as are the role of the family and, in common with other Asian countries, the concept of ‘face’. Vietnamese see themselves as a collective with the group more important than the individual. But the society is also hierarchical: respect must be shown to elders and those in higher positions of authority.
You will find it easier to do business in Vietnam if you have a local representative who can help you with the language and also help you to negotiate the complex etiquette rules. Dress conservatively and be punctual for all meetings. The usual greeting is by a handshake, although sometimes this is not used between members of the opposite sex.
Negotiations can be very slow. Your word will be taken as the truth and you will lose ‘face’ if you promise something you cannot deliver. If Vietnamese people remain silent for a long time in negotiations that usually means that they disagree with you, but will not explicitly say so because that would mean losing ‘face’. Unfortunately there is also a lot of ‘red tape’ in Vietnamese business dealings so patience is very important.
