The purpose of this paper is to review the strategic management of Vietnamese higher education institutions.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the strategic management of Vietnamese higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examined the external environment of the country’s education system based on the five forces framework by Michael Porter and inspected the strategies of universities and colleges.
Findings
It was concluded that lack of environmental analysis from both the government and higher education institutions themselves diminishes the intended effectiveness of the reforms; problems of skill shortage in the labor market, staff insufficiency and poor quality are prevalent; and that strategies developed by the institutions are purely responsive to the State’s direction without considering sustainability.
Research limitations/implications
Lack of literature on Vietnamese higher education limits timely analysis.
Practical implications
Strategic planning based on a thorough investigation of the environment is imperative to enhance the performance of the education system generally as well as of academic institutions individually. The government plays a key role in developing initiatives to enhance staff capabilities and improve quality of educational outputs.
Originality/value
There has not been any paper that approached Vietnam’s higher education management under such an analytical framework.
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This paper intends to analyze a social enterprise as a case example of fulfilling social missions and achieving financial profitability at the same time. This paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper intends to analyze a social enterprise as a case example of fulfilling social missions and achieving financial profitability at the same time. This paper aims to illustrate a business partnership that helps to bridge the gap in business and employment opportunities between megacities and suburban areas and examine value-creating activities that generate healthy income stream for the business.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper follows a quantitative methodology in the form of case study. The data are collected through interviews, personal observation and document analysis; direct quotes from interviewees are used to describe the phenomenon. Value chain framework is adopted to analyze company activities and deduce key success factors as well as value creations of the company.
Findings
The case demonstrates that social enterprises can be self-sustained financially, which would help them to better fulfill their social missions. Financial profitability can be achieved through good management of production, marketing and sales activities. Besides, value creation achieved through activities in the value chain is not only for customers but also for suppliers – a beneficiary within the social impact created by the case company.
Practical implications
The case demonstrates the necessity of establishing strong alliance with suppliers and customers in ensuring business success, which implies that leaders need to equip themselves with good business skills. Entrepreneurship support should include educational and training assistance besides the usual legal and financial support.
Social implications
The case provides an exemplary partnership model that helps social enterprises to achieve financial security and social mission at the same time. This model can be applied anywhere in the world to create benefits for vulnerable communities.
Originality/value
The case study contributes to the limited understanding of social entrepreneurship in Vietnam, and demonstrates a social innovation in business partnership that helps to diminish the inequality of income and employment opportunities between suburban areas and big cities.
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Minh Ngoc Do and Phuong Hoai Lai
The purpose of the study is to explore the interrelation between internal factors of learners and the external environment. The results of this study help to design a learning…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to explore the interrelation between internal factors of learners and the external environment. The results of this study help to design a learning environment that improves students' self-efficacy and consequently self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviors of students.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a quantitative approach to explore the relationship between learner's self-efficacy, self-regulation behavior and three factors in the online learning environment: course design, learning activities and relationship with instructors and peers. Participants of the study are 350 students in two universities in Vietnam.
Findings
The study finds that factors in the learning environment namely course design, learning activities and relationship within class significantly affect students' self-regulation. Moreover, results show that students' self-efficacy plays the mediating role in the relationship between learning environment and self-regulation.
Research limitations/implications
Samples are taken by convenience sampling method, which may lead to sampling bias, and results may, to some extent, be misleading. The study was conducted in only two universities with limited student populations. A larger sample of students from other institutions may contribute to a better explanation of the relationships.
Practical implications
The study has a practical implication of contributing to the limited understanding of learners in an underdeveloped-research country context. The study also implies necessary changes to the long-standing, prevalent yet ineffective teaching and learning style.
Social implications
The study calls for a renovation in the nation's traditional educational practices, having a social implication of creating a learning environment beneficial for learners.
Originality/value
This study is the first to investigate the impact of online learning environment and students' internal factors on their learning behaviors in Vietnam. The study is among the very few empirical research studies on the country's education generally and on self-regulation specifically, contributing to better understanding of learning experiences and the improvement of teaching.
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Hang Thanh Pham and Minh Ngoc Do
University students often encounter academic challenges and setbacks, which can impact their beliefs about their capabilities, leading to a phenomenon known as learned…
Abstract
Purpose
University students often encounter academic challenges and setbacks, which can impact their beliefs about their capabilities, leading to a phenomenon known as learned helplessness. This study explores the antecedents of learned helplessness through the interaction between teacher support, self-efficacy, and cultural dimensions such as power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from constructivism, the authors empirically examined a conceptual model utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM). A total of 268 university students completed a self-survey on learned helplessness via a Google Form.
Findings
The study shows that LH is influenced by personal attributes, perceived support, and cultural context. Higher self-efficacy is linked to lower LH scores, while teacher support indirectly affects LH through self-efficacy. Power distance and uncertainty avoidance also directly impact LH. Additionally, cultural influences indirectly affect LH through perceived support and self-efficacy. However, the hypothesized connections between masculinity and LH were not supported.
Originality/value
The study advances LH literature by exploring it among university students using a multidimensional, constructivist approach, providing valuable insights for educational authorities. We illuminate how individual, social, and cultural factors influence LH, underscoring the serial mediation between self-efficacy and perceived teacher support. Existing literature frequently overlooks the intricate interplay among cultural dimensions and other factors, limiting the formulation of comprehensive solutions. Our research breaks new ground in quantitative LH examination within education, delving into Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and suggesting strategies to mitigate uncertainty and power distance for student well-being and success.
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Ngoc Minh Nguyen, Hoang Huong Giang, Ngoc Thi Minh Vu and Son Anh Ta
This paper examines the moderating effects of online reviews on the relationship between country image, product image, and purchase intention of products from two developed…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the moderating effects of online reviews on the relationship between country image, product image, and purchase intention of products from two developed countries in Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach
This current research used a cross-sectional design. Data was collected via questionnaires, and 305 responses were left after refining. The collected data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and multi-group analysis methods.
Findings
Affective country images do not directly affect purchase intention when online review quality and positivity are high. Cognitive country images still directly affect purchase intention when online review positiveness is low. However, online review quantity does not moderate the effects of country images on product images and purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
Cognitive country image consistently affects purchase intention through the central route independent of online reviews. In contrast, the affective country image will likely affect purchase intention through the peripheral route when online reviews are insufficient for customers.
Practical implications
Firms can mitigate the adverse effects of country image, especially cognitive country image, in foreign markets by improving online review quality and positiveness.
Originality/value
Our study extended existing literature by providing a better understanding of the nature of country image and the roles of country image dimensions in shaping product image and purchase intention in the context of the increasing popularity of online reviews.
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Thanh Tiep Le, Tien Le Thi Cam, Nhan Nguyen Thi and Vi Le Ngoc Phuong
The purpose of the research is to investigate whether corporate social responsibility awareness (pCSR), environmental concerns (EC) and consumer environmental knowledge (CK) will…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the research is to investigate whether corporate social responsibility awareness (pCSR), environmental concerns (EC) and consumer environmental knowledge (CK) will have an impact on sustainable purchase intention (SPI). Furthermore, this paper also contributes to surveying the mediating impact of consumer attitudes (CAs) between intention and the three factors mentioned above.
Design/methodology/approach
SmartPLS (version 4.0) structural equation modeling (SEM) and quantitative methods were used to analyze 457 responses from consumers. The survey sample consisted of individuals between the ages of 18 and 34, with a male-to-female ratio of 70 to 30. The study aims to examine and put into practice new directions for manufacturing firms in the fields of fashion, food and consumer products. At the same time, provide more convincing evidence about the use of these fields in the research.
Findings
The study showed a favorable link between pCSR, EC, CK and SPI through the proposed hypotheses. The research additionally showed that CAs mediate between the aforementioned variables.
Originality/value
The important and distinctive results of this study encourage both consumers and enterprises to make changes in their perceptions of society. Consumers should gradually change their daily lifestyle by consuming more sustainable products. As a result, this outcome will provide the impetus for manufacturing businesses to alter their operational procedures in order to support the shift from the production of products to more friendly processes, with the help of all levels of management within the business.
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Nguyen Minh Ha, Bui Hoang Ngoc and Duc Hong Vo
The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among financial development (FD), economic growth, urbanization and human capital (HC) in Vietnam.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among financial development (FD), economic growth, urbanization and human capital (HC) in Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses various wavelet tools, including wavelet coherence, wavelet correlation and scale-by-scale Granger causality test, to re-visit the lead–lag structure among economic growth, FD, urbanization and HC in Vietnam from 1980 to 2017.
Findings
The main findings indicate that economic growth and urbanization improve HC at the medium and low frequencies, whereas FD negatively affects HC from 1989 to 2017. Furthermore, the scale-by-scale Granger causality results confirm a uni-directional causality relationship between economic growth to HC at low and high frequencies. In contrast, a bi-directional causality relationship between urbanization and HC is found in the long run.
Research limitations/implications
Policy implications have emerged based on the empirical results from this study. The Vietnamese Government should continue supporting economic integration, implementing investment promotion policies and focussing on foreign direct investment using green technologies.
Originality/value
The impact of FD on HC at different time scales has largely been ignored in Vietnam. This study substantially contributes to the existing literature regarding HC and FD. This analysis is one of the earliest attempts to examine the effects of economic indicators on HC in the time-frequency analysis.
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Ngoc Minh Nguyen, Giang Huong Hoang, Ngoc Thi Minh Vu, Linh Duy Bui and Anh Son Ta
This paper aims to examine how differently cognitive and affective country image affects brand loyalty of smartphone brands from two developed countries in Vietnam and how product…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine how differently cognitive and affective country image affects brand loyalty of smartphone brands from two developed countries in Vietnam and how product image mediates these effects.
Design/methodology/approach
This research used the cross-sectional design. Data was collected via questionnaires and 517 responses were left after refining. The confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied to analyze the collected data.
Findings
The effects of the cognitive country image on brand loyalty are totally transmitted through product image. The effects of affective country image on brand loyalty are divided into direct and indirect effects transmitted through product image.
Research limitations/implications
Affective country image and product image have complementary effects, whereas cognitive country image and product image have substituting effects on brand loyalty.
Practical implications
International companies from countries with unfavorable country images should concentrate more on improving their product images to improve brand loyalty in foreign markets.
Originality/value
The findings support previous studies, which have shown that cognitive and affective country images are distinctive dimensions of country image and affect consumer cognition and responses toward products/brands through different mechanisms.
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Chau Huy Ngoc and Mai Thi Kim Khanh
Cham Muslims are both an ethnic and religious minority group. Although reports indicate a bleak situation regarding school attainment and success, little research has been…
Abstract
Purpose
Cham Muslims are both an ethnic and religious minority group. Although reports indicate a bleak situation regarding school attainment and success, little research has been conducted exclusively on the experiences of Cham Muslims in Vietnam’s educational system. This study aims to investigate the challenges and supports that Cham Muslims may encounter during their years in public education. Additionally, this study explores how Islamic elements are received in various educational settings.
Design/methodology/approach
Using qualitative methods and purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Cham Muslim students enrolled in two Vietnamese universities. The data were analyzed to address the research questions and were interpreted through the lens of Bourdieu’s concepts of field and capital, as well as Appadurai's (2004) notion of “capacity to aspire.”
Findings
The findings of this study suggest that Cham Muslim students may encounter unique challenges compared to other ethnic groups residing in mountainous regions. Various forms of support, both from the state and individuals, have been identified as facilitators of educational engagement. However, this study also highlights the challenges associated with Islamic practices in both pre-collegiate and university environments.
Research limitations/implications
Given the exploratory nature of this study, the findings should be interpreted cautiously to avoid overgeneralization. While additional sources were consulted for substantiation, the small sample size limits the generalizability of the results. However, this study can serve as a foundation for future research investigating the experiences of Cham Muslims in Vietnamese education institutions. Larger-scale studies conducted in multiple locations would contribute to the literature on ethnic and religious minorities, which often requires in-depth analysis using various theoretical approaches.
Originality/value
This study is among the pioneering efforts to investigate Cham Muslims’ educational experiences in Vietnam, which has the potential to contribute to both the ethnic and religious minority studies.
Details
Keywords
Ngoc Le Chau, Ngoc Thoai Tran and Thanh-Phong Dao
Compliant mechanism has been receiving a great interest in precision engineering. However, analytical methods involving their behavior analysis is still a challenge because there…
Abstract
Purpose
Compliant mechanism has been receiving a great interest in precision engineering. However, analytical methods involving their behavior analysis is still a challenge because there are unclear kinematic behaviors. Especially, design optimization for compliant mechanisms becomes an important task when the problem is more and more complex. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to design a new hybrid computational method. The hybridized method is an integration of statistics, numerical method, computational intelligence and optimization.
Design/methodology/approach
A tensural bistable compliant mechanism is used to clarify the efficiency of the developed method. A pseudo model of the mechanism is designed and simulations are planned to retrieve the data sets. Main contributions of design variables are analyzed by analysis of variance to initialize several new populations. Next, objective functions are transformed into the desirability, which are inputs of the fuzzy inference system (FIS). The FIS modeling is aimed to initialize a single-combined objective function (SCOF). Subsequently, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system is developed to modeling a relation of the main geometrical parameters and the SCOF. Finally, the SCOF is maximized by lightning attachment procedure optimization algorithm to yield a global optimality.
Findings
The results prove that the present method is better than a combination of fuzzy logic and Taguchi. The present method is also superior to other algorithms by conducting non-parameter tests. The proposed computational method is a usefully systematic method that can be applied to compliant mechanisms with complex structures and multiple-constrained optimization problems.
Originality/value
The novelty of this work is to make a new approach by combining statistical techniques, numerical method, computational intelligence and metaheuristic algorithm. The feasibility of the method is capable of solving a multi-objective optimization problem for compliant mechanisms with nonlinear complexity.