Van T.C. Ha, Mark J. Holmes and Trang M. Le
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between export performance and firm size.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between export performance and firm size.
Design/methodology/approach
Analysing a large sample of firms in the Vietnamese manufacturing sector, the authors employ a quantile regression approach to asses whether or not the relationship between exporting and firm size is dependent upon the extent of exporting that firms already undertake.
Findings
The authors find that increased firm size leads to higher export volumes. However, in sharp contrast to literature that largely focuses on considering a linear relationship between these two variables, the authors further find that the positive relationship becomes weaker as the extent of exporting activity increases.
Originality/value
In contrast to the earlier literature, a key novelty of the approach is that the authors obtain new insights in terms of establishing a nonlinear relationship between firm size and export performance in the case of Vietnamese manufacturing.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the different factors of destination quality in explaining European tourist satisfaction in Nha Trang city, which…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the different factors of destination quality in explaining European tourist satisfaction in Nha Trang city, which has one of the 29 most beautiful bays in the world and more than one million international tourists per year. The authors will also make some recommendations to attract more European visitors to Nha Trang and to increase satisfaction, as measured by their intention to return in the future.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 356 European visitors participated in this study. A structural equation modelling was applied in order to test the relationship between the constructs, and to evaluate their reliability and validity.
Findings
The results indicate satisfactory reliability and validity of the constructs and support the five hypotheses within a structural equation modelling. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating the roles of different factors in explaining tourists’ satisfaction. Specially, in some previous studies, the composition of the destination quality such as accommodation, food services, the retail and souvenir shops and destination attractions has a great impact on domestic tourist’s satisfaction. While the study found that the biggest factor affecting European tourist’s satisfaction was the friendliness and hospitality of the local people in Nha Trang city.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies should test the difference in satisfaction with the quality of destinations of European tourists to Nha Trang city. Research sample surveys should be collected in order to the magnitude and priority of key European tourist markets such as Russia, England, France, Spain and Germany. In addition, future studies should include more representative samples in other cities and include both domestic and international visitors. The proposed model intends to combine some components of tourism behaviour dimensions (value, involvement, knowledge, ambivalence, certainty, preference, trust, etc.) to test the satisfaction and destination intentional loyalty within this multidimensional perspective in a tourist destination context. The study has not considered the relationship between the increase of Russian tourists to the Nha Trang city in recent years and the decline of the European tourists (England, France, Spain, and so on). Thus, future studies should extend the model to have a more comprehensive picture about the cultural differences and cultural conflict in explaining the loyalty destination of European tourists.
Practical implications
Based on the research findings, the paper strongly recommends the city government to build an image of Nha Trang with friendly and hospitable people. Schools, tourism companies, and local authorities should pay attention to education and training to raise public awareness for tourism development and respect for tourists. The local government needs to develop activities to help the city residents become the typical citizen in the eyes of European tourists, contributing to the sustainable development of tourism in the city.
Originality/value
This study explores and tests the different factors of destination quality in explaining European tourists’ satisfaction. The research findings confirm that different dimensions of perceived destination quality are important variables to explain European tourist satisfaction.
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Nguyen Tuan Anh, Christopher Gan and Dao Le Trang Anh
This study simultaneously explores the nexus among formal, semiformal and informal credit markets and farm households' credit demand determinants in Vietnam.
Abstract
Purpose
This study simultaneously explores the nexus among formal, semiformal and informal credit markets and farm households' credit demand determinants in Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a multistage stratified random sampling process for a survey of 648 smallholder farmers in the Red River Delta (RRD), Vietnam. The trivariate probit model (TVPM) is used to address the interdependence of farm households' credit demands in different credit markets.
Findings
The results reveal complementary relationships among two pairs of credit markets (formal versus informal and semiformal versus informal). There are dissimilarities among the determinants (household characteristics, household head's characteristics, credit history and geographic factors) of farm households' credit demands in different markets, reflecting segmentation of Vietnam credit markets.
Practical implications
The study's empirical findings are important for policymakers and credit providers to enhance farm households' access to credit for agriculture and to improve the operations of the three credit markets.
Originality/value
This is the first empirical study in Vietnam and one of few in other developing countries simultaneously exploring the determinants of credit demand in and interrelationships among all three credit markets to provide more comprehensive and accurate results.
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Dao Le Trang Anh and Christopher Gan
This study explores the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and its following lockdown on daily stock returns in Vietnam, a fast-growing emerging market that successfully revived…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and its following lockdown on daily stock returns in Vietnam, a fast-growing emerging market that successfully revived after the pandemic lockdown.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses panel-data regression models to evaluate the influence of the daily increase in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases during pre-lockdown and lockdown on daily stock returns of 723 listed firms in Vietnam from 30 January to 30 May 2020.
Findings
The study confirms the adverse impact of the daily increasing number of COVID-19 cases on stock returns in Vietnam. The study also discloses that the Vietnam stock market before and during the nationwide lockdown performed in opposing ways. Though COVID-19 pre-lockdown had a significant, negative impact on Vietnam's stock returns, the lockdown period had a significant, positive influence on stock performance of the entire market and the different business sectors in Vietnam. The financial sector was hardest hit on the Vietnam stock market during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Research limitations/implications
The study indicates investors' confidence and trust in the Vietnam government's decisions to combat COVID-19 and favorable stocks prices were the main reasons that the Vietnam stock market rebounded during and after lockdown.
Originality/value
This is the first study to examine the impact of COVID-19 during the pre-lockdown and lockdown periods on stock performance in Vietnam, a rapidly developing economy that was successful in controlling the pandemic with a rejuvenated stock market after lockdown.
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This research aims to adopt competitiveness theory to analyse the effects of leadership competencies on the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to adopt competitiveness theory to analyse the effects of leadership competencies on the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This research collected data from 200 participants, who are in management positions of tourism SMEs in Vietnam. Structural equation modelling was applied.
Findings
The results indicate satisfactory reliability and validity of the constructs and support for two models within a structural equation modelling to evaluate the influence of leadership competencies on the competitiveness of SMEs. The data from both customers and competitors show that the competitiveness and the performance of the enterprise are affected by hands-on experience; relationships building competencies; strategic vision; operations management competencies. Furthermore, customers also value professional knowledge of the enterprises' leaders.
Practical implications
The study suggests that the government agencies and tourism SMEs themselves should focus more on leadership. Training courses, exchange programs, seminars and workshops should be provided for SMEs leaders to improve their leadership competencies.
Originality/value
The research findings provide a more comprehensive view of internal and external factors affecting the competitiveness of SMEs in the tourism sector in Vietnam. This also contributes to competitiveness and leadership research by presenting the positive linkage between leadership competencies and the competitiveness of SMEs.
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Thai Hong Le, Tram Anh Luong, Sergio Morales Heredia, Trang Thuy Le, Linh Phuong Dong and Trang Thi Nguyen
This paper aims to investigate the sentiment connectedness among 10 European stock markets between January 2020 and July 2022, associating such connectedness with the level of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the sentiment connectedness among 10 European stock markets between January 2020 and July 2022, associating such connectedness with the level of the geopolitical risk index.
Design/methodology/approach
For this purpose, a time-varying parameter vector autoregressive connectedness framework is used.
Findings
Results show a high degree of sentiment connectedness. Overall, the sentiments of Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Italy are net transmitters of shocks while those of Poland, Sweden, Norway and Romania are net receivers. Additional evidence indicates that when geopolitical risks increase, the sentiment connectedness tends to decrease. However, the reverse holds under extremely high levels of geopolitical risks.
Originality/value
Overall, this study provides some significant contributions to the literature. First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first few studies to examine the dynamic connectedness among stock market sentiment across countries. This issue needs special consideration for European countries because of their close geographical distance and strong integration due to the European Union’s co-development strategies. Second, the association of sentiment connectedness with geopolitical risk is examined for the first time. This is even more meaningful in the context of growing geopolitical risks stemming from the Ukraine war, which could affect international financial markets.
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Huy Van Le, Le Chi Cong and Mark A.A.M. Leenders
This research aims to explore the role of awareness of harm and responsibility for environmental protection in reducing pollution from single-use plastic bags (SPBs) in coastal…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to explore the role of awareness of harm and responsibility for environmental protection in reducing pollution from single-use plastic bags (SPBs) in coastal communities (CCs). To this end, this study develops and tests a unique model that explains residents’ intention to reduce the use of SPBs in coastal regions.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was used to collect data from 721 coastal residents in Vietnam. Structural equation modeling and moderation analysis were applied to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that awareness of the impact of SPBs on the environment and human health and awareness of the responsibility to protect the coastal environment significantly affect attitudes and intentions to reduce the use of SPBs. Moreover, such awareness of responsibility strengthens the attitude-intention relationship.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that CCs should not receive a lower priority in campaigns and efforts to reduce SPBs. In this regard, providing residents with free environmentally friendly bags and education programs on the impact of SPBs could be implemented.
Originality/value
CCs are directly impacted by pollution from SPBs. However, little is known about how this affects their polluting behavior. This study shows that CCs are not immune to polluting behaviors and that SPBs can be significant among residents. It also demonstrates that awareness of harm and feeling responsible for the environment are essential drivers of (intended) sustainable behaviors.
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Vuong Tran, Giang Nguyen Hoang Le and Trang Le Thuy
In response to COVID-19 global outbreaks, Canada, and Australia, two favored destinations by international students, as the contexts of this essay, have enacted different…
Abstract
In response to COVID-19 global outbreaks, Canada, and Australia, two favored destinations by international students, as the contexts of this essay, have enacted different international education policies, which will be investigated through the narratives. The authors discuss transnationality and mobility as key terms in the internationalization of higher education (HE) studies through their experiences as three Vietnamese doctoral students in Canada and Australia. Transnationality is attended through a narrative of a Vietnamese returnee struggling with bringing unfamiliar knowledge of gender and sex education from the West into a Vietnamese HE context. Mobility is unpacked through stories of a Vietnamese doctoral student in Canada stuck in Vietnam due to the COVID-19 despite inviting policies from the Canadian government to international students. This experience is connected to another Vietnamese student’s experience in Australia about a controversial act to discourage international students from staying in Australia if they cannot support themselves during the pandemic. The authors’ stories are created and retold personally for introspective and contemplative reflections on what the authors have experienced and offer considerations for how transnationality and mobility in international and comparative education could be understood through education, equity, and inclusion.
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Dao Le Trang Anh and Christopher Gan
The purpose of this paper is to measure profitability and marketability efficiencies as well as examine the efficiencies’ determinants of listed manufacturing firms in Vietnam.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to measure profitability and marketability efficiencies as well as examine the efficiencies’ determinants of listed manufacturing firms in Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a bootstrap two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach to investigate the profitability and marketability efficiencies of 102 listed manufacturing firms on Vietnam stock market from 2007 to 2018. The study also applies fractional regression models (FRM) to identify the determinants of Vietnam manufacturing firms’ efficiencies.
Findings
The results reveal that Vietnam manufacturing firms obtain higher average profitability efficiency scores (0.888) than marketability efficiency scores (0.527) from 2007 to 2018. The high-tech firms achieve better profitability and marketability efficiencies than the traditional (resource-intensive and labour-intensive) Vietnam manufacturing firms in recent years (2016–2018). Further, the financial and non-financial factors have heterogeneous impacts on Vietnam manufacturing enterprises’ profit and market valuation efficiencies.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the nature of DEA technique that requires every decision-making unit to have available data of all inputs and outputs, the listed Vietnam manufacturing firms that have incomplete data or go public after 2007 are not included in the data set.
Practical implications
This study provides a reference for Vietnam manufacturing managers to position their firms competitively in the market as well as make wise operating, financing and management decisions.
Originality/value
This is the first study that attempts to combine bootstrap two-stage DEA and FRM, which are considered advantageous methods for DEA scores’ measurements and determinant evaluations in the current literature.
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Dao Le Trang Anh, Quang Thi Thieu Nguyen, Christopher Gan, Tung Duy Thai and Tu-Anh Nguyen
This study explores the impacts of COVID-19's strictest lockdown on Vietnamese citizens' living habits, wellbeing and work-from-home effectiveness.
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the impacts of COVID-19's strictest lockdown on Vietnamese citizens' living habits, wellbeing and work-from-home effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a survey questionnaire to gather relevant data from Vietnamese adults during the most recent, strictest lockdown in their cities/provinces since July 2021. The study employs ordinal regression and mediation models to examine the effects of the strict lockdown difficulties on the changes in living habits, wellbeing and work effectiveness of Vietnamese respondents.
Findings
The empirical result demonstrates that the strictest lockdown adversely affected the living habits of Vietnamese citizens, thus impacting people's wellbeing. Work-from-home lockdown difficulties led to unexpected health issues that bring produce lower working effectiveness.
Originality/value
This is the first study to investigate the changes in citizens' living habits, health and working conditions in adherence to Vietnam's strictest COVID-19 lockdown. This is also the first study to examine the impacts of lockdown difficulties on human wellbeing with the mediating effect of changes in living habits, and the influence of work-from-home lockdown difficulties on work effectiveness, with the mediating effect of lower wellbeing based on the literature. Our study suggests solutions to improve Vietnamese people's health and working productivity during and after a strict lockdown.