Research Studies Project Report (M.B.A.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2002

A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration, School of Management

Personal networks management in Vientiane is the new issue for entrepreneurs, while business environment is very competitive. Lacking of internal strength and weakness of this issue led to their loss of competitive advantage and to the difficult situation. It's therefore necessary for them to reassess their old business relationships, find out strategy and upgrade their knowledge not only general management knowledge, but also personal networks management. In combination of theoretical background, the questionnaire survey was designed and conducted with Vientiane entrepreneurs in 40 firms. The study analyzes the motivational driving forces, confronting problems, influencing actors in each stage of company development, effective factors and satisfaction of entrepreneurs on overall performance of the firms in order to find out the most critical factors that affect the management of personal networks. From overall factors assessment, the effective personal networks management is suggested to Vientiane entrepreneurial firms and also government especially on regulations and human resource development. Further research is also recommended for interested people who want to study in-depth on this issue; hopefully this will also be beneficial to them.