The Influences of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement on Services and Operations. Case : UUKU Consulting Oy
Tu, Linh (2020)
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052313161
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052313161
Tiivistelmä
This thesis was conducted for UUKU Consulting Oy, a Finnish consulting firm planning to enter the Vietnamese market. The goal of this research was to investigate the possible influences of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) on the EU and Vietnam, to ultimately identify the business opportunities arising from this newly signed agreement for the case company. Subsequently, recommendations on opportunity exploitation were also presented, along with suggestions on how the commissioning company could improve its services and operations according to the Vietnamese audience’s emerging needs.
The thesis is made up of a theory segment and an empirical segment. The theoretical research consists of information concerning free trade agreements, the EVFTA, business opportunity recognition, business opportunity development, and Vietnamese business communication style. The following part is a practical research focused on gaining expert opinions and advice on UUKU Consulting Oy’s service improvements and operations in Vietnam.
The study involved the qualitative method. Both secondary and primary data were gathered to fulfil the research’s objective. Secondary data were retrieved from reliable sources to form the theoretical framework and determine the focus areas of the empirical research. Primary data were collected from 10 interviews. All interviewees were greatly qualified with high seniority and expertise in their respective fields, which helped to enhance the validity of this research.
The interview findings were similar to the researcher’s desktop findings, which indicated that the EVFTA would positively affect several Vietnamese industries. Therefore, the case company would attract several business opportunities if targeting at the right Vietnamese customer segments. The opportunities identified are plenty; however, considering UUKU Consulting’s current resources, it was concluded that it would be most gainful if UUKU concentrates on Vietnamese companies operating in industries which benefit the most from the EVFTA. These industries were outlined. Concrete proposals and advice on how to better attract and serve the needs of enterprises functioning in these sectors were also specified.
The thesis is made up of a theory segment and an empirical segment. The theoretical research consists of information concerning free trade agreements, the EVFTA, business opportunity recognition, business opportunity development, and Vietnamese business communication style. The following part is a practical research focused on gaining expert opinions and advice on UUKU Consulting Oy’s service improvements and operations in Vietnam.
The study involved the qualitative method. Both secondary and primary data were gathered to fulfil the research’s objective. Secondary data were retrieved from reliable sources to form the theoretical framework and determine the focus areas of the empirical research. Primary data were collected from 10 interviews. All interviewees were greatly qualified with high seniority and expertise in their respective fields, which helped to enhance the validity of this research.
The interview findings were similar to the researcher’s desktop findings, which indicated that the EVFTA would positively affect several Vietnamese industries. Therefore, the case company would attract several business opportunities if targeting at the right Vietnamese customer segments. The opportunities identified are plenty; however, considering UUKU Consulting’s current resources, it was concluded that it would be most gainful if UUKU concentrates on Vietnamese companies operating in industries which benefit the most from the EVFTA. These industries were outlined. Concrete proposals and advice on how to better attract and serve the needs of enterprises functioning in these sectors were also specified.