ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to outline the research methods employed in this book. It presents the key issues concerning case studies and data collection and includes a profile of the case studies.
To conduct research in Vietnam, the researcher is not only faced with the challenge of working under new and different political, cultural and social circumstances but is also disadvantaged by a lack of reliable secondary source statistics, by restricted access to government departments and their resources, and by the need to communicate with respondents who are not accustomed to first-hand research interviews and techniques. Personal relationships are still very important in Vietnamese society, especially in business, and official introductions are not treated very seriously if they are not accompanied by personal contact. Consequently, without a close relationship with the business community, foreign researchers face considerable limitations in gaining access to information. The above reasons were taken into account when deciding to choose the qualitative research approach as the most appropriate and rational methodology for this study.
