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TABLE OF CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i
ABSTRACT ii
TÓM TẮT v
LIST OF TABLES xi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xii
INTRODUCTION 1
Statement of the study 1
1. Objectives and Aims 2
2. Research questions 2
3. Scope of Work 3
4. Data Sources and Processing 3
5. Method 3
6. Significance and implications 4
7. Limitations 4
8. Expected Results 4
9. Disseminations 5
10. Follow-up 5
11. Short Introduction 5
CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL FOUNDATION 6
1.1 Vision’s definitions 6
1.2 Structure of Vision 8
1.2.1 Core ideology: 9
1.2.2 Future perspective: 12
1.2.3 Vision: 12
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1.3 Desirable characteristics for a Vision 13
1.3.1 Simple and compendious: 13

2.2.1 Misunderstanding about the vision 39
a. Wrong in Vision structure: 40
b. Lack of necessary characteristics of Vision 41
2.2.2 The enterprises mistake on Vision: 48
a. Vision and Mission 48
b. Vision and core value: 50
c. Vision and Slogan: 51
d. Vision and Strategic objectives: 51
e. Vision and Project objectives: 52
2.3 The enterprises cannot effectively communicate their Vision 52
2.3.1 Bad Vision statement 53
2.3.2 No communicate the Vision 54
2.3.3 No invest to brainpower and efforts to develop and communicate a
Vision 56
2.4 Discussions 60
Chapter 3: Conclusions and recommendations 63
3.1 Conclusions 63
3.2 Recommendations 64
3.2.1 Develop a successful vision 64
3.2.2 Communicate widely the vision 65
3.2.3 Commitment to follow the vision 70
READING REFERENCES 71
APPENDIX 1 73
APPENDIX 2 79
xi

LIST OF TABLES

50
Table 2.10
Case of SHB Bank and Phu Thai Group JSC
51
Table 2.11
Case of Southern Bank and Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group
52
Table 2.12
Case of Vinamilk
54
Table 2.13
Case of Vietsteel
55
Table 3.1
List of Interviewees
57

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CEO
Chief Executive Officer
VNR500
Vietnam Report 500
BHAG
Big Hairy Audacious Goal
ASEAN
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
CSR

INTRODUCTION
Statement of the study
The Vision of enterprises has become more and more important with the
enterprise especially in the deep and wide integrating process of Vietnam
economy now. Whether, the enterprise will develop in the right direction,
right itinerary as planned and whether the enterprises have a huge enough
aspiration, which will direct all members, endeavored to develop company.
Almost big company in the world has set up a goal, ambition of international
stature and then they initially are the big company of country to become the
leading international enterprises. Their visions will have to be big enough and
transformed to all member, employees, and owners of company, as result they
will contribute to the strength of their company.

In Vietnam, Vision is the new definition with enterprises. There are many
companies as well as President, CEO, businessperson or manager did not
understand clearly the importance of Vision. Some of them neither confuse
the nature of Vision nor do not bring into play the strength of Vision that are
the tool to orient the company, encourage, and raise the human recourse
potential of company to lead into the new altitude. Within 100 Vietnamese
largest private enterprises, which have been published by VNR500 year 2010,
68% of them have not stated the Vision, and the last 32% of them have stated
the Vision however almost of them were not right Vision or did not transform
their Vision. Moreover, the real situation, the author has not found any
Vietnamese company who can explore the significant roles of Vision into
development of company.
2

1. Objectives and Aims
In order to get a full knowledge of the Vision and Vision of Ho Chi Minh
President, and how to suggest Vietnamese Leaders, the study will aim to

 To generalize the fact of Vietnamese companies, study considers the
Vietnamese biggest private companies.
4. Data Sources and Processing
 Book: Leadership in organizations; fifth edition; The author: Gary Yukl
 Built to last ; The author: Jim Collins
 Vietnam report 500 (VNR500)
 Documents and profile of 100 Vietnamese largest private enterprises
 “The CEO golden rules” author Mary key + Dennis Stearns
 Author: Susan Ward issued on website: About.com (a part of NY times
company)
5. Method
This study is an empirical research, which applied two methods:
 Review of related literature/documentation.
 Interview relevant people.
4

Review of Related Literature/Documentation: This will examine the
multidisciplinary theories of and empirical studies on corporate social
responsibility in the literature. Besides, it will help to compare between theory
and practical activities.
Interview: Questions will be developed and structured interviews are
conducted.
6. Significance and implications
This study will contribute to the body of knowledge and understanding on
Vision, Mission, and effective Leadership. It will also help Vietnamese
enterprises enrich their knowledge on Vision for better application in
cooperation with business activities.
7. Limitations
While the study examines the biggest companies, represented by 100 leading
corporations, there are limitations on data sources for analyzing and giving

connection with the Vision of Ho Chi Minh in term of creation and
transformation of visions, it will be the best lesson for Vietnamese
company.
Chapter 3: Conclusions and recommendations: Conclusions and
recommendations will be noticed for better implementation of Vision in
Vietnamese enterprises.
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CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL FOUNDATION
1.1 Vision’s definitions
“Vision” has been commonly used nowadays; however, it also has rarely been
understood right meaning. When someone has been asked “what is the
vision?” there is less people can understand the right meaning of this word or
can give the right definition of it, however almost of people know that it is the
goal, the long-term plan described the future.
In the nature, Vision suggests many different images. Vision also can be the
excellent achievements; a value to link the human of the society; huge goals
that can be encouraged almost people. Vision also can be perpetual things that
are the existing reason of one organization; promote all of us from inside; and
is our expectation. It is the matter, all of us know how is important of Vision,
but exactly what is it?
Thesis will extract some Vision definitions of some authors in the world to
bring out the general observation as well as basic meaning of Vision.
“Vision is the important part of Right Goals principle, because it
describes the future that you expect and become a supreme goal. Vision
answers the question: We see ourselves where we will go. Where we want
to stay within next ten years?”
Quoted on “The CEO golden rules” author Mary key + Dennis Stearns
“Vision includes two main parts: A core ideology and a future
perspective. Let pay attention to the symmetrical motivation is “Keeping

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1. It is the combination between cores values of organization with the
ambition that the organizations want to archive in the future.
2. The statement of the Vision is imagination about the future of its
organization. However, the imagination is not without basic it has been
raised from real abilities of organization in the present and the past.
3. Vision is not same with Mission that the purpose of Vision attends to
its organization and the member of its organization, purpose of Mission
attend to customer of its organization.
4. The statement of Vision will not present how to reach to it, it only show
the direction of other business plans. That is the reason why the
organization issues a statement of Vision while the Leader has to image
where his organization come to and has enough courage to dream of it.
Besides that, statement of Vision could catch the emotion of a Leader.
5. A good vision should have a strength to attract everybody in the
enterprise to together look forward to and achieve it in the future,
basing on the competence or characteristics that the enterprise is
owning. That means Vision should emphasize the strongest point of the
enterprise, what the enterprise needs to exploit it is to overcome the
desire of the enterprise itself.
1.2 Structure of Vision
This thesis has a special interest in a model or structure and elements of
“Vision” of an organization; thereby “Vision” includes Core ideology and
Future perspective. Following this vision means to create link of organization
and strategy to keep cores and push up advances for a future perspective.
Such link brings vitality and realizes initial vision.
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1.2.1 Core ideology:

 Merck: Protecting and developing human life.
We do not create the core ideology for the enterprise but the core ideology is
things that we “discover” it. To do this we have to look inside the
organization, not looking outside. That ideology should be real ideology, not
faked. Besides, you should not ask, “What core value should we keep?”
moreover should ask, “What core value do we really keep?” The role of the
core ideology is to guide and transmit inspiration not to create the distinction.
Thus, two companies can have the same core ideology. Core ideology only
needs to be meaningful and has an effect of boosting towards the main
members of the organizations only of the organization itself, it does not need
to cause influence to the people outside the organization. Only the members
of the organization that need to be boosted by the value and core target to
have the efforts, pledges for success in the long run of that organization. The
effect of core ideology on the people outside the organization is not as
important, and is not the deciding element when determining core ideology.
Because of this, core ideology plays a role in distinguishing between who are
in and out of the organization. A clear ideology will attract people of suitable
personal value with the value of the company, and vice versa, push out,
excluding those who do not have suitable value. Core ideology should be
consistent during the whole length of history of the organization; this
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consistency bears the historical characteristic extending through many
management generations of these companies.
Example about Core ideology:
Table 1.1: Case of core ideology
Company Name
Core ideology
Ford Motor
Humans are the core of the company strength.

important to lead the BHAG (long term 10-30 years) will become what is
very detailed, visible things on the member’s mind. Please consider the
example of Henry Ford, instead of saying the importance of cars and present
about his cars and company, he describe the future society with car, it is
looked very nice and excited society not only for society but also for his
employees.
The example about Henry Ford describes future perspective: “I will supply
cars for the majority of people. Cars should have reasonable prices, helping
any commuters can purchase them, using them comfortably with their
families. By then, anyone can have a car. Horse carriages will disappear
from the highways of our country, cars will be considered as an obvious
means of transport … and we will create jobs with high salaries for many
laborers.”
1.2.3 Vision:
Nature of the Vision as analyzed above is a combination between the present
and the future, any company’s Vision must be shown Core ideology and
BHAG. Some leaders seem to ignore the past or the present and only focus on
the future. If a leader respects things obtained by his organization or himself
and expresses respect for the persons who lay foundation for his position.
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This makes people of such organization feel unworried because they know
that they are members of an organization with historical depth and all their
efforts to be respected.
The example about Vision of Merck: “With the tools supplied by us, science
and knowledge will develop; people’s life will be free from diseases and
anxieties. We pledge to assist maximally so that the center will deserve our
belief. Let’s people fetch for truth, the laborers are hard-working for a better
world, those who always raise the torch of science and knowledge, having
more courage and feel that they are always assisted by us.”

The vision should be challenging but realistic. Hope is not a vision; vision has
to be realistic other than it will be an impractical ideal. Realistic of the vision
should increase faith on a leader. The vision should address basic assumption
about what is important for the organization, how it should relate to the
environment, and how people should be treated. Turning a vision into
realistic, it is not meaning turning it into challenge. If the vision not requires
all people have to try by their best, maybe they will ask themselves that their
contribution will be worth. A number of leaders may be afraid since
challenging his group. However, a challenge should interest the qualified
person want to have wingspan and take off as well as inflame enthusiasm of
conscientious person and make threats against emotionless person.
Challenging will support the people on the organization have to attempt by
their best to achieve the goals.
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1.3.4 Appealing and encouraging:
The vision should be appealing, compelling and encourage enough to evolve
the people. A successful vision should excite on value, hope, and idea of all
member on the organization as well as stakeholders who their contribution is
very necessary with the organization. The vision should emphasize distant
ideological objectives rather than immediate tangible benefits.
1.3.5 Concentrate:
It should be focused enough to guide decisions and actions, but general
enough to allow initiative and creatively in the strategies for attaining it. The
vision will state how to achieve the inspiration of enterprise however, it
should not show the detail any way or step.
1.3.6 Time factor:
To avoid becoming the ambiguous vision, a vision should include the time
factor; it means that the leader should estimate when his organization can
achieve the vision.

analysis suggests that a compelling and enduring vision usually requires
something more than a bland mission statement, a slogan, a list of value, or a
specific strategic objective.
1.4.1 Vision and mission:
The mission statement usually describes the purpose of the organization in
terms of the type of activities to be performed for constituents or customers. A
vision is concerned with what these activities mean to people. The core of the
vision is the organization’s mission, but different aspects of it may be
emphasized. A successful vision tells you not only what the organization
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does, but why it is worthwhile and exciting to do it. A successful vision
makes the typical dull, abstract mission statement come alive, infusing it with
excitement, arousing emotions, and stimulating creativity to achieve it.
In vision there usually includes Mission, thus in many cases Vision and
Mission are not clearly distinguishable or they can be one entity. However, it
is still recognizable of its basis and qualities, specifically: Vision is mostly
used internally of the organization whereas Mission is often used for objects
outside organization such as customers or partners.
1.4.2 Vision and core value:
A value statement is a list of the key values or ideological themes considered
important for an organization. The values usually pertain to treatment of
customers, treatment of organization members, core competencies, and
standards of excellence. Common themes include satisfying customers,
achieving excellence in products or services, and making important
contributions to society. A value statement provides a good beginning for
developing a more complete vision. However, just listing values does not
clearly explain their relative priority, how they are interrelated, or how they
will be expressed and achieved. An effective vision statement provides a
glimpse of a possible future in which all the key values are realized at the

investment), or the relative level of performance (e.g., becoming number one
in the industry or region, outperforming a traditional rival). Neither type of
objective is likely to involve enduring, ideological themes. Performance
objectives are useful to guide planning and facilitate evaluation of progress,
but the focus of a vision should be on values and ideological themes, not on
improvement of economic outcomes or outperforming rivals. If performance
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objectives are included in a vision, they should be regarded as milestones
along the way toward achieving ideological objectives.
1.4.5 Vision and project objective:
Project objective are defined in terms of the successful completion of a
complex activity (e.g., developing a new type of product, implementing a new
MBA program establishing a subsidiary in China). These objectives can
emphasize economic outcomes, ideological outcomes, or both. A limitation of
most project objectives is their relatively short time perspective. When the
project is completed, the vision is end. Project objectives can be included in
the long-term vision for an organization or a supplementary vision can be
built around an especially important project. However, no single project
should be allowed to eclipse the fuller, more enduring vision for the
organization.
Most of the evidence about the importance if a vision for successful change in
organizations comes from leadership research focused more in the process of
envisioning than on the content of the vision. The vision articulated by
effective leaders was sometimes elaborate and sometimes simple. A recent
descriptive study on the content of organizational visions found that most of
them were expressed in the form of a performance objective or value
statement that was very brief, strategic, and future oriented.
1.5 Procedures for Developing a Vision
It is extremely difficult to develop a compelling vision, and it cannot be