When NIKE arrived in Vietnam in 1995, the country was just emerging from two decades of post-war isolation. Vietnam ranked as one of the world’s poorest and most overpopulated countries. But it had a semi-literate work force that was already earning praise from pioneering foreign investors for diligence. Freedom of association was illegal, meaning workers could not form their own unions or strike at will. And the authoritarian, communist government was eager to manufacture for export. NIKE and Vietnam looked like a perfect match. The company quickly became the largest foreign-invested employer in Vietnam with 10 subcontracted factories and 35,000 to 40,000 jobs.