Gambling and Death in Vietnam (a)

Abstract

What should a manager with a multinational corporation do when his employee confides that he may have accidentally killed someone? The plant where they work is located in Vietnam; the employee, a native, is hesitant to face the charges given his concerns about the fairness of the local legal system. He is seeking both advice and help. The B case (UVA-E-0324) updates the situation and provides additional fodder for discussion.

Excerpt

UVA-E-0323

GAMBLING AND DEATH IN VIETNAM (A)

It was 8 on a Monday morning, and I had just sat down at my desk with a cup of coffee. I knew it was going to be a long day. Business had slowed down during the past few months, and our cash flow was extremely tight. That day, our suppliers expected payments of VND2 billion (approximately USD129,000), but we had only about 50% of that at our disposal. As I struggled to think of a good solution to our cash shortage, Hung Nguyen, our commercial director, entered my office. I could see by the look on his face that something was terribly wrong.

“Paul, something terrible happened yesterday,” said Hung. “I think I killed someone.”

Astonished, I dropped my cup of coffee. As I watched it puddle on the floor, I imagined for a second that it was blood.

“What happened?” I asked. “Did you have a car accident?”

. . .

Keywords: ethics, international business, human resources management, Vietnam