Thang V. Nguyen, Garry D. Bruton and Binh T. Nguyen
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether competitor concentration relates to better customer acceptance of the firm’s offerings and better networking of the firm with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether competitor concentration relates to better customer acceptance of the firm’s offerings and better networking of the firm with competitors and government officials.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is conducted in the context of the transition economy of Vietnam, using a combination of methods. Qualitative interviews are followed by a survey of 199 small firms in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since competitor concentration is count data, Poisson regression is used to test the relationship between networking, customer acceptance, and competitor concentration.
Findings
The results show that locating in a competitor concentration area improves customer acceptance of the firm’s offerings and increases networking with competitors, while decreasing networking with government officials. Competitor concentration does not help improve firm performance.
Research limitations/implications
A sample of 199 businesses in the food, furniture, and jewelry sectors in Hanoi may not be representative of all private businesses in Vietnam. The use of cross-sectional data could not establish causational relationships among variables.
Practical implications
Small firms in transition economies should be aware of the trade-offs between initial customer acceptance and negative consequences of being in a competitor concentrated area. Thus, once the firm’s offerings are generally accepted by customers, the firm may consider moving out of competitor concentration areas to expand and differentiate.
Originality/value
This paper points out that in the absence of effective market institutions, businesses want to be located near a concentration of similar firms as a means of gaining initial customer acceptance. This initial acceptance does not necessarily help firms improve business performance beyond the firm’s survival.
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Vi Dung Ngo, Thang V. Nguyen and Achinto Roy
This article studies the moderating effect of institutional pressures on the impact of bank ties on the capital structure of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs).
Abstract
Purpose
This article studies the moderating effect of institutional pressures on the impact of bank ties on the capital structure of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses an unbalanced longitudinal dataset covering three years—2011, 2013 and 2015—from a project on small manufacturing enterprises in Vietnam. The sample consists of 7,680 firm-year observations.
Findings
Pressures from formal and informal institutions lessen the positive effect of bank ties on the capital structure of SMEs. These moderating effects are more salient in regions having lower institutional quality.
Originality/value
Empirically showing how institutional factors can be investigated together with relational factors to explain the capital structure of SMEs in a developing economy. Distinguishing between formal and informal institutional pressures and revealing their indirect effect on SMEs' capital structure through impacting the effect of bank ties.
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Tuan Anh Nguyen, Thi Thu Huong Tran and Thang Binh Hoang
This paper aims to design a PD controller for an active suspension system to improve the car’s moving smoothness.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to design a PD controller for an active suspension system to improve the car’s moving smoothness.
Design/methodology/approach
The controller parameters are optimized by an in-loop genetic algorithm (iL-GA). Unlike previous studies that only used conventional GAs to tune coefficients for the controller, the iL-GA designed in this paper provides outstanding efficiency when determining the optimal value range for the system. The optimal value range of parameters is determined by the in-loop algorithm based on criteria related to systematic errors. The optimal values are then calculated by the GA based on this range instead of an uncertain one.
Findings
Simulation results show that vehicle body acceleration and displacement values are significantly reduced when using the active suspension system compared to the conventional passive suspension system. The phase difference phenomenon does not occur in the iL-GA situation. In addition, the frequency domain investigation also shows the system’s stability when using iL-GA instead of conventional GA.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a new application that provides positive effects to the suspension controller. This algorithm can be applied to tune coefficients for direct controllers in the future.
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Binh Huu Nguyen and Huong Nguyen Quynh Le
This study aims to investigate the moderating role of sociodemographic factors, specifically age and education level, in the knowledge-attitude-behavior (KAB) model concerning…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the moderating role of sociodemographic factors, specifically age and education level, in the knowledge-attitude-behavior (KAB) model concerning information security awareness (ISA) amid growing technological threats.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a survey methodology, collecting data from 400 working individuals in Vietnam, to test the applicability of the KAB model and evaluate the moderating effects of age and education on the model’s established relationships. In addition, the theoretical model and hypotheses were evaluated using the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) approach.
Findings
This research confirms the relationships posited in the KAB model. Notably, it shows that younger employees showcase a more positive attitude and behavior toward information security compared with their older counterparts. In addition, higher education levels strengthen the positive association between information security knowledge and attitude. The findings underscore the imperative for organizations to consider sociodemographic variables when formulating strategies to enhance ISA.
Originality/value
This study extends the KAB model by exploring the impact of sociodemographic factors, focusing on age and education in ISA. Overcoming the oversight in current literature, particularly in the context of technological threats, the research uses PLS-SEM and targets a specific demographic in Vietnam.
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Huong Bui, Long Hong Pham, Ngoc Pham, Phuong Anh Dang, Quynh Bui, Dung Nguyen, Thuy T. Duong, Chung Nguyen and Hiroaki Saito
Vietnam has repositioned itself from a war-torn country to a popular tourist destination. Although research on Vietnam tourism has grown in number, a macro analysis of national…
Abstract
Purpose
Vietnam has repositioned itself from a war-torn country to a popular tourist destination. Although research on Vietnam tourism has grown in number, a macro analysis of national tourism governance and policies has largely been missing.
Design/methodology/approach
This synthesis paper offers a systemic analysis of Vietnam’s tourism accommodating intensified government intervention and dramatic market changes in recent decades. The authors offer a chronological analysis of tourism development along with the major political and economic turns of the country.
Findings
The patterns of tourism development reflect a compromise between centralization and decentralization of the governance system and a trade-off between economic and social objectives of development. Balancing these opposites, the internal strength of the domestic market and the resilience of communities and businesses become key assets for growth in circumstances where the socialist market economy continues to inform the current and future development of the industry.
Research limitations/implications
Although the case of Vietnam is unique, the adaptive mechanism of the tourism industry highlighted in this paper offers a useful lesson for other developing countries. The research addresses tourism in the political economy in developing countries, which is valuable for researchers, policy analysts as well as practitioners in tourism.
Practical implications
The practical contribution of the study is derived from authors’ academic and industrial backgrounds. Findings from the study serve as a useful reference for those who embark on the study of tourism governance and policy-making in developing countries and problems associated with the economic transitional process. Those problems of the disparity between centralization and decentralization of the political system might not be only significant in Vietnam, but also prevail in developing countries. Thus, this study offers a point of departure for future empirical and comparative research on the kindship of tourism and political economy in a full scale.
Social implications
The transitional economy as viewed through the tourism industry is prominently presented in the “evolutionary” approach to the transitional economy, which exhibits several unique features: the transition from a centrally planned (command) economy to a market economy and the manifestations of a socialist orientation in the modern economic management system (Vuong et al., 2019). While data from this study is mainly illustrative of the first point, the transition from a planned economy to a market economy, the second characteristic, the manifestation of a social orientation has only slightly been addressed and will need further elaboration in a future study. While Vietnam’s tourism positions itself in a socialist market-oriented economy might set a unique case, the study highlights the politics of tourism is shaped by the politico-economic system. The authors conclude that the adaptation of Vietnam tourism to a socialist market-orientated economy is better perceived as a social evolution achievement rather than a feature of capitalism.
Originality/value
The latest study on tourism governance (Bui et al., 2022) has outlined the evolution of the tourism administrative system and markets in the country; however, linkages of tourism to the broader political economic system have yet to be addressed. Addressing this gap, the authors carry out analysis of policies and governance from the insider’s viewpoint, when team members have been involved in numerous tourism planning and development projects, both on international and national scales. The practical experience along with thorough review of literature and statistical data contributes to shaping a fresh understanding of tourism in a transitional economy.
设计/方法论/途径
这篇综述对越南旅游业进行了系统分析, 包括近几十年来不断增强的政府干预以及巨大的市场变化。作者根据时间顺序分析了旅游业的发展以及该国的主要政治及经济的转变。此外, 政策文件的内容分析及旅游市场分析进一步说明了政治经济体系对旅游治理及政策的影响。
目的
越南已将自己从一个饱受战争的国家重新定位成备受欢迎的旅游目的地。尽管对越南旅游业的研究不断增多, 但对国家旅游治理和政策的宏观分析却被之前的探究所忽略。此研究通过展示越南转型经济中的旅游治理模式连接了两个学科, 并且丰富了政治经济学和旅游学的文献。
研究结果
旅游政策和市场分析反应了治理体系集权与分权之间的折中以及经济和社会发展目标之间的权衡。国内市场的内在优势以及社区及企业的韧性可以成为成长的关键资产来平衡这些对立面, 同时社会主义市场经济将继续影响产业的当前及未来的发展。因此我们的结论是, 越南旅游业适应社会主义市场经济应该被视为社会进化的成就, 而不是资本主义的特征。
研究局限/应用
考虑到一篇文章所能解决的问题有限, 作者无法就转型经济与中国进行比较研究。我们的研究为未来亚洲旅游与政治经济之间联系的实证和比较研究提供了一个出发点。
实践意义
研究结果为发展中国家旅游治理和政策制定研究提供了有益的参考。
社会影响
研究结果对于发展中国家旅游治理及政策制定研究具有重要参考意义。这项研究的成果对于发展中国家的旅游政策分析师, 特别是亚洲的研究人员来说很有价值。
原创性/价值
当前的研究弥补了政治经济学中的一个研究不足, 即马克思主义学说及其与旅游业的对话。知识转移是本研究的一个亮点, 它源自对国家政治经济议程中的旅游治理的批判性分析。
Objetivo
Vietnam ha pasado de ser un país devastado por la guerra a convertirse en un popular destino turístico. Aunque la investigación sobre el turismo en Vietnam ha crecido en número, ha faltado en gran medida un macroanálisis de la gobernanza y las políticas turísticas nacionales. Nuestra investigación ha enriquecido la literatura tanto de la economía política como del turismo tendiendo un puente entre ambas disciplinas al presentar las pautas de la gobernanza del turismo en la economía de transición de Vietnam.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Este documento de síntesis ofrece un análisis sistemático del turismo de Vietnam que abarca la intensificación de la intervención gubernamental y los drásticos cambios del mercado en las últimas décadas. Los autores ofrecen un análisis cronológico del desarrollo del turismo junto con los principales giros políticos y económicos del país. Además, el análisis del contenido de los documentos políticos y el análisis del mercado turístico ilustran mejor las repercusiones de los sistemas político-económicos en la gobernanza y las políticas turísticas.
Resultados
Las políticas turísticas y el análisis del mercado revelan un compromiso entre la centralización y la descentralización del sistema de gobernanza y un compromiso entre los objetivos económicos y sociales del desarrollo. Al equilibrar estos opuestos, la fuerza interna del mercado nacional y la resistencia de las comunidades y las empresas se convierten en activos clave para el crecimiento en unas circunstancias en las que la economía de mercado socialista sigue informando el desarrollo actual y futuro de la industria. Concluimos que la adaptación del turismo vietnamita a una economía socialista orientada al mercado se percibe mejor como un logro de la evolución social que como una característica del capitalismo.
Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigación
Dentro del limitado abanico de cuestiones que podrían abordarse en un solo artículo, los autores no pueden establecer un estudio comparativo con China, en lo que respecta a la economía de transición. Nuestro estudio ofrece un punto de partida para futuras investigaciones empíricas y comparativas sobre la conexión entre turismo y economía política en Asia.
Implicaciones prácticas
Las conclusiones del estudio sirven de referencia útil para quienes se embarcan en el estudio de la gobernanza y la formulación de políticas turísticas en los países en desarrollo.
Implicaciones sociales
Los resultados de la investigación son valiosos para los investigadores del sudeste asiático en particular y para los analistas de la política turística del mundo en desarrollo en general.
Originalidad/valor
La presente investigación contribuye a un área poco investigada de la economía política, a saber, la doctrina marxista y su diálogo con el turismo. La transferencia de conocimientos es un aspecto destacado de esta investigación, que se ha derivado de un análisis crítico de la gobernanza del turismo en la agenda económica política nacional.
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Nhat Lam Duyen Tran, Roberto F. Rañola,, Bjoern Ole Sander, Wassmann Reiner, Dinh Tien Nguyen and Nguyen Khanh Ngoc Nong
In recent years, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) was introduced to Vietnam to enhance farmers’ resilience and adaptation to climate change. Among the climate-smart agricultural…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) was introduced to Vietnam to enhance farmers’ resilience and adaptation to climate change. Among the climate-smart agricultural technologies (CSATs) introduced were water-saving techniques and improved stress tolerant varieties. This study aims to examine the determinants of farmers’ adoption of these technologies and the effects of their adoption on net rice income (NRI) in three provinces as follows: Thai Binh (North), Ha Tinh (Central) and Bac Lieu (South).
Design/methodology/approach
Determinants of adoption of CSATs and the adoption effects on NRI are analyzed by using a multinomial endogenous switching regression framework.
Findings
The results showed that gender, age, number of family workers, climate-related factors, farm characteristics, distance to markets, access to climate information, confidence on the know-how of extension workers, membership in social/agricultural groups and attitude toward risk were the major factors affecting the decision to adopt CSATs. However, the effects of these factors on the adoption of CSATs varied across three provinces. These technologies when adopted tend to increase NRI but the increase is much greater when these are combined.
Practical implications
It is important to consider first the appropriateness of the CSA packages to the specific conditions of the target areas before they are promoted. It is also necessary to enhance the technical capacity of local extension workers and provide farmers more training on CSATs.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to identify key determinants of adoption of CSATs either singly or in combination and the adoption effects on NRI in Vietnam.
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The benefits gained from the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are not consistent across related studies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to use the…
Abstract
Purpose
The benefits gained from the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are not consistent across related studies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to use the threshold model to explain this problem and further recognize the gains and losses of Taiwan’s commercial banks in participating in CSR.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses the data of listed banks during the period of 2008–2020 and applies the multi-threshold regression model for designing the model with debt ratio as a threshold variable. These thresholds are used to classify the data into three regimes; low, medium and high debt ratios for examining how banks’ participation in social responsibility affects their financial performance, costs and depositors' confidence.
Findings
The implementation of CSR can enable the low debt banks to reduce costs and generate positive effects on the growth of profitability and time deposits. Conversely, the commitment to CSR of the bank group with medium and high debt ratios negatively affects their profits, and their costs increase insignificantly. Besides, the depositors' confidence in bank groups with low and moderate debt ratios increase, but those of high debt ratio group decrease.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the existent literature in several ways: first, the nonlinear model is applied to eliminate the asymmetric of the data. Second, this paper highlights the importance of debt ratio in assessing the effectiveness of CSR engagement. Third, quality of loans is the key factor determining the bank's profitability and expenses. Fourth, depositors' confidence in commercial banks is lower when their debt ratio is too high.
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Phuc Canh Nguyen, Christophe Schinckus, Felicia Hui Ling Chong, Binh Quang Nguyen and Duyen Le Thuy Tran
This study examines how tourism contributes to employment.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines how tourism contributes to employment.
Design/methodology/approach
Using various econometric techniques for panel data, the study estimates the contribution of tourism to employment in a sample of 148 economies from 2002 to 2017. The analysis is also carried out for three sub-samples according to income levels.
Findings
This study has three significant contributions: Firstly, it shows that investment and consumption in the tourism sector have positive benefits for employment. Furthermore, the improvement of institutional quality boosts these positive gains. Secondly, there is a U-inverted relationship between the income level and total contributions of tourism to employment. The development of the tourism industry would therefore follow the pattern suggested by the Kuznets curve hypothesis. Thirdly, the positive effects of tourism investment and consumption in tourism are evidenced in all three sub-samples. In contrast, the effects of institutions seem to be weaker in higher-income economies (implying that there is a larger space for low-income economies to use institutional reform to boost the development and contribution of tourism in their economies). Finally, institutional quality appears to enhance the contribution of tourism to employment.
Originality/value
The study highlights the importance of the tourism industry in enhancing employment.
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Thi Thanh Binh Dao and Minh Chau Phan
This study, using stakeholder approach, aims to examine the impact of corporate governance and risk-taking on the performance of the top 100 nonfinancial listed firms in Vietnam…
Abstract
Purpose
This study, using stakeholder approach, aims to examine the impact of corporate governance and risk-taking on the performance of the top 100 nonfinancial listed firms in Vietnam from 2015 to 2019.
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical and empirical studies are reviewed for rational hypotheses development. Firm performance is represented by return on assets, return on equity and Tobin’s Q.
Findings
Specifically, concentrated ownership structure, large workforce, being a great workplace, quick sales growth, high receivables turnover, being funded by both the state and foreigners and high-risk exposure positively affect firm performance. However, a high level of state ownership or foreign ownership, more independent members on board, large board size and chief executive officer (CEO) duality show an inverse effect. Besides, an inverted U-shaped relationship with firm performance is recognized for liquidity ratios.
Originality/value
This study uses three triangles, including governance, risk, and performance. The paper offers some evidence-based recommendations to improve firm performance in Vietnamese businesses.
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Unsustainable logging and illegal logging for domestic and international trade and trafficking continue to lead to deforestation. It is crucial that Sustainable Development Goal…
Abstract
Unsustainable logging and illegal logging for domestic and international trade and trafficking continue to lead to deforestation. It is crucial that Sustainable Development Goal 15 ‘Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss’ is achieved to maintain the livelihoods of people and protect the planet. This is the case in Vietnam as well, where many people, including indigenous groups, rely on the forest for their survival. Drawing on semistructured interviews in Vietnam and a literature review, we investigate how the abuse of forest policies leads to human insecurity. From this, we propose solutions to (1) end unsustainable harvesting and illegal logging (SDG 15.7), (2) integrate the value of forests (culturally and economically) into national and local planning, the development process and poverty elimination strategies (SDG 15.9) and (3) improve the use of forest protection funding provided by international donors.