ABSTRACT

Economic development is a process of change that enables poor countries to achieve progress for their people and society at large. This book utilizes the theory of rent, rent seeking, and rent management to analyze the dynamic process of economic transformation using Vietnam as a case study. The objective is to provide an alternative approach to the study of economic development and policymaking and to illuminate new understandings in a contemporary context. The research asks: what are the key political and institutional processes that shaped the structures of incentives and pressures for technology adoption and capacity building in Vietnamese manufacturing industries since the country’s economic reform in 1986? This chapter introduces the theoretical and methodological approaches of rent seeking and rent management employed to answer the research question. It argues that Vietnam is an important case study of industrial development, as it faces new challenges in an era of hyper-globalization, dominant multinational corporations, and protected technologies. Central aspects of Vietnam’s development since 1986 are discussed as well as three key industries: telecommunications, textile and garment, and motorcycle.

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