‘Business interest groups in a one-party state: Vietnam’

Interest groups seek to influence public policy and are often thus perceived as crucial to the functioning of advanced democracies and important contributors to the policy formulation process. Business associations in particular specifically seek to influence policy related to the business environment, with the intention of making it easier for their members, and the wider private sector, to “do business.” Even in democracies, scholars question whether interest groups are influential and, if so, the degree to which their activity influences public policy. However, very little is known of the work and impact of business associations in communist states. Rising to this challenge, this paper explores the efforts of business membership organisations (BMO) in Vietnam to engage in dialogue and advocacy with government. While taking a broad view of the collective work of BMOs, the paper additionally examines the work of two BMOs in particular, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers and the Traditional Fish Sauce Association. Our case studies find that, whilst shying away from direct confrontation, BMOs can engage successfully with government and can persuade them to do things differently to reduce the burdens imposed on business. Key factors include building trust and mobilising technical expertise of members, careful and systematic research, engaging across the government, collaborating with other business associations and with research institutes, supplying information, and providing evidence and good argumentation. Lacking the challenges of an opposition party, PPD provides an effective channel for government agencies to seek feedback from the business community. Indeed, the dynamics of PPDs effectively create some of the democratic elements observed in multi-party systems of government. This paper thus contributes both to our knowledge of the role and impact and interest groups in a one-party state and to our understanding of interest group activities more broadly.