Perceptions of Leadership Competencies and the Acquisition of Them by CEOs in Vietnamese Small Enterprises

Abstract

Leadership competencies are expected to be critical factors for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to be successful and to lead their SMEs to play the role as the major driver toward economic development in Vietnam. This paper aims to understand the perceptions of CEOs of Vietnamese SMEs regarding the importance of some leadership competencies and the extent to which the competencies of knowledge, skills and attitudes have been acquired by these CEOs. This research was used them a large-scale survey and in-depth interviews method to solve those issues. The result of this research included the significant difference between the perceived importance and the level of acquisition of these competencies, particularly in Vietnam Small and Medium Entreprises. The result of this research can be seen as the important source for practioners in order to design effective training and development programs tailored for CEOs of SMEs.

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