Place development: attributes and business customer satisfaction in Tien Giang province, Vietnam

Abstract

This study explores place attributes and their impacts on business customer satisfaction in Tien Giang, a province in the Mekong delta of Vietnam. In-depth interviews with place marketers and business customers identify three groups of place attributes- business infrastructure (basic infrastructure, land and labor costs, and quality of technical schools), government support (incentives, trade assistance, and government services), and quality of life. The results of the quantitative study indicate that, among these attributes, only quality of technical schools, government services, investment incentives and quality of life play significant roles in business customer satisfaction. In addition, the level of satisfaction of privately owned firms is lower than that of firms of other ownership types. Firm characteristics, such as the number of employees, number of years in business, and type of business, have no impact on business customer satisfaction. Some implications for economic development are discussed. © The Author(s) 2009.