Strategic Adaptation in Emerging Markets Samsung’s Model for Integrating FDI, CSR, and Media Engagement in Vietnam

This study examines how foreign firms strategically adapt to the political and socio-economic conditions of developing countries when entering local markets. Using the case of Samsung Electronics in Vietnam as a case study, it explores how multinational corporations integrate foreign direct investment (FDI), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and media communication to secure legitimacy and operational stability. In many late-developing economies, the success of FDI depend less on capital inflows than on firms’ ability to align with host-country institutions. Findings reveal that Samsung has deeply embedded itself within Vietnam’s development agenda through long-term investments in education, community welfare, and environmental sustainability, while cultivating close alignment with the state and its media apparatus. This integrated approach illustrates how MNCs in state-led environments combine economic, social and communicative strategies to sustain influence and legitimacy.