Young Entrepreneurs, Social Capital and Doi Moi in Hanoi, Vietnam

Young entrepreneurs establishing enterprises in Hanoi, Vietnam, are faced with an economic environment very different from that of their parents' generation, as doi moi (renovation) introduced in 1986 creates an increasingly capitalist market economy. Drawing on field studies in Hanoi we consider whether such entrepreneurs are able to take advantage of social capital networks-namely, bonding, bridging or linking, or indeed if they are disadvantaged by them in the establishment and operations of their enterprises. Our findings show that whilst bonding capital is an essential tool for 'getting by', albeit with negative consequences at times, bridging and linking social capital are not nearly as well formed.