Some Aspects of Management in State-Owned Enterprises in the Republic of Vietnam

: As a Case Study for Developing Countries

Abstract

The operation of industries by the State on a large scale
is a recent development in the world. Although State intervention
in economic life is no longer a subject of political
controversy, the methods of organising a public enterprise, the
nature of its institution, the scope of its activities, and the
ways to supervise it are still a matter of ‘hot contention’.

The reasons for State intervention are varied. In
developing countries the most important one is perhaps the desire
to accelerate the pace of development through economic planning.
Given that public enterprises in these countries utilise a
considerable proportion of national scarce resources, it is vital
that they should be operated efficiently and contribute to the
growth of the economy. Unfortunately, impeded by a host of
inherent difficulties of pre-industrial societies, it is found
that the working of State-owned enterprises in many developing
countries is still not very satisfactory.

The purpose of this essay is to study the management of
public manufacturing industries in South Vietnam, as a case study
for developing countries. It is not intended to discuss all
aspects of the managerial problem, but only to look critically
at some of them, viz., the creation, the control and the assessment
of performance. It is believed that the understanding of
their nature and interrelationship will be very helpful to the
improvement of performance as well as the use of public enterprises
as a crucial element in the planning process.

Date of Award	1972
Original language	English