Culture as Soft Power for National Development in Int’l Integration

The National Culture and Business Forum affirmed the role of culture in fostering a healthy business environment and supporting the sustainable growth of Vietnamese businesses.

The fourth forum and the 2024 program to review and recognize businesses meeting Vietnamese business culture standards, organized by the Vietnam Association of Business Culture Development (VNABC) with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, took place on November 10 in Hanoi.

Addressing the forum, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism Trinh Thi Thuy underlined the importance of the event to the fulfillment of sustainable development goals and the promotion of Vietnamese culture. Themed “Doing business in a multicultural environment”, this forum was both a platform for sharing experiences and an opportunity to highlight culture as an endogenous resource and soft power for national development in the era of international integration.

"The business community is growing stronger and stronger, contributing significantly to socioeconomic development. We see culture as an endogenous resource. Protecting cultural identity and promoting the strength of national culture in building corporate culture is an important solution," she emphasized.

She said that businesses not only contribute to the economy but also serve as “ambassadors” for Vietnamese culture worldwide. The Party and State are working to create a healthy business environment to attract international investors while helping Vietnamese businesses compete locally, regionally and globally.

Reiterating the views of Party General Secretary To Lam in a meeting with the business community on October 11, 2024, she quoted: "The business sector will play a larger, more important role in the country's prosperity, requiring every citizen and businessperson to cultivate a strong, aspirational entrepreneurial spirit." This serves as great encouragement for the business community, motivating businesses to grow steadily while upholding cultural values.

The forum also consisted of a discussion session themed "Multicultural environment in the global business landscape". Speakers shared their views that corporate culture is a key factor for businesses to achieve sustainable success in a multicultural environment. According to Mr. Hong Son, corporate culture is an important foundation for South Korean businesses in Vietnam to build trust and maintain long-term development. He emphasized that Vietnamese businesses need to increase their confidence when expanding to international markets.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoi from the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group said: The multicultural environment brings many challenges, requiring businesses to understand their partners' culture to achieve harmony while promoting internal strength in interaction.

"The knowledge of each other's working culture is very important," he stressed.

Sharing the same view, Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Loan, former Vice Rector of Thuongmai University, said: "The core factor for businesses to be successful in this environment is to train resilient, adaptable personnel. Human resources are the soul and decide the success or failure of any business operating in a multicultural environment."

From the perspective of media, Mr. Le Quang Minh, General Director of Vietnam National Assembly Television, added: "This journey requires the role of media that helps find a common voice for businesses in the context of global business integration."

The second discussion session, themed "Businesses in the 4.0 era: Digital cultural transformation makes distinctions", focused on changes in corporate culture in the digital age. Speakers said, digital transformation is not only about applying technology but also about changing thinking and approach.

Dinh Thi Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Misa Joint Stock Company, said: "Digital transformation first of all needs to be identified as changing the way of thinking, the way of working, and the mindset of a business."

Given fierce competition, applying digital transformation to governance is vital for businesses to improve their operating performance and enhance customer experiences, she said. "Digital transformation requires consensus from all divisions in the business, thereby creating a clear distinction in the modern business environment."

Dr. Vu Van Tich, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation, added: "Creative culture is a decisive factor in keeping up with new trends and seizing opportunities in the modern world." To strongly develop creative culture, businesses need to be bold enough to take action and to take risks, all based on scientific and technological foundations.

At the forum, the Organizing Committee awarded certificates of merit to six outstanding companies, 19 journalists, and honored 20 businesses that met the 2024 Vietnamese Business Culture criteria. These businesses passed strict National Council standards to become models of business culture. Deputy Minister Trinh Thi Thuy affirmed that the honoring ceremony and forum are key opportunities to spread the message of building business culture, helping Vietnamese businesses confidently enter the global market and align with international business standards.

By Thu Huyen, Vietnam Business Forum