This dissertation was performed at the Faculty of Management and Organization, Centre for Development Studies (CDS),the Faculty of Economics of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and the School of Economics and Business Administration (SEBA) of Cantho University in Vietnam. Numerous institutions, organizations and individuals contributed to this dissertation in one way or another, such as financial, intellectual, logistical and moral support. For this reason, it is my pleasure to express my thanks. First, I would like to extend my gratitude to NUFFIC organization and the University of Groningen for their financial supportand to Cantho University as well as SEBA for giving me the study leave to pursue a Ph.D. programme. On the intellectual side, this dissertation could have never seen the light of the day without the unstinting support and encouragement of my promotors Professor J. Wijngaard and Professor A.C. Waszink from the Faculty of Management and Organization. I would like to express my profound gratitude for opening the door for me to become a PhD candidate at this faculty. Without both of you, I would never have had that opportunity. I deeply thank you for your weekly supervision. I have enjoyed our discussions and have learned a great deal from you. My special thanks are devoted to Professor A.G. M. Steerneman for your statistical professional guidance and crucial comments. All three of you provide me with the freedom to exploreresearch directions and choose the routes that I wanted to investigate. I would also like to thank Professor C.T.B. Ahaus, Professor S.W.F. Omta, and Professor C. Schweigman for reading my manuscript and for giving me critical comments.