Local Managing Director in a Multinational Enterprise - Who are you? Perspective from Vietnam

Abstract

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is expected not only to bring capital, technology, knowhow and managerial skills, but also to contribute to the GDP and create jobs to the host country. In this paper, the mentioned job is not the general position in an enterprise, but it is the position in the fingers – the top managers/ the head managers. By a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach, the results show that qualified education degree, rich working experience, and being trusted, inspired, combined task and relationship-oriented characteristics are three key factors to promote a local staff becoming managing director in FDI multinational enterprise (MNE). The findings give local staffs the directions to improve themselves professionally to meet the requirements of the managing director position; while the foreign employers can understand the characteristics of the local employees for personnel planning.