Production In Vietnam Research Articles

Business linkage and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises: A case study of enterprises engaged in exporting agricultural products

Purpose: Recently, Vietnam’s agricultural exports have been on a steady rise making a substantial contribution to the country's economic development in the most challenging times. This study aims to analyze the determinants of business performance among agricultural exporters in the context of international economic integration.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: The data were obtained from 253 enterprises in Vietnam using a structured questionnaire. The data analysis was carried out using SPSS 20.0 and AMOS software for structural equation modeling method (SEM) analysis to find the cause-and-effect relationship between exogenous and endogenous variables.
 Findings: The research findings indicate that market factors have the most significant impact on business performance (BP) followed by linkages and networks, management capacity and human resources in enterprises. Additionally, the study examines the moderating role of gender and the management experience of business owners in the relationship between factors and business performance.
 Conclusion: The results show that there is a statistically significant relationship between the eight proposed factors that determine the business success of SMEs operating in the field of export agriculture. There is no significant difference between age, sex and education level in the impact of factors determining the business performance of SMEs exporting agricultural products in Vietnam. Meanwhile, management experience and the number of years of export have the effect of regulating the impact relationship in the model.
 Research Limitations and Implications: This study was conducted on a national scale but the number of units participating in the survey is not really representative mainly concentrated in the northern and central Vietnamese exporters. Meanwhile, the South has a large number of export SMEs, so the sample coverage is insufficient.
 Practical Implications: Research results provide insight for businesses, state management agencies, credit institutions and associations on policy-making and appropriate solutions to support and develop exporting SMEs and enhance the effectiveness of agricultural export activities in the future.
 Contribution to Literature: The study has an important contribution both in theory and practice when fully systematizing and logically interpreting the determinants of BP for SMEs exporting agricultural products in Vietnam. In terms of practice, the relationship has been explained and management implications have been proposed especially in demand research and market access, building linkages and cooperation mechanisms between parties to strengthen the power of exporting SMEs.

Efficiency of intensive tilapia culture in earthen ponds applied biofloc technology (BFT), probiotics and off-flavor control methods

The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of Nile and red tilapia cultured in intensive systems applied a combination of biofloc technology (BFT) and probiotics in earthen ponds with different methods to control the off-flavor problem. A growing-out experiment was conducted for 150 days in which both Nile tilapia (5.88 ± 0.59 g) and red tilapia (9.72 ± 0.72 g) fingerlings were randomly allotted into three replicates of earthen ponds which were subdivided into four treatment groups, including: off-flavor controlled by algae management in Nile tilapia ponds (NT - AM) and red tilapia ponds (RT - AM), and off-flavor controlled by active water exchange in Nile tilapia ponds (NT - WE) and red tilapia ponds (RT - WE). The results showed that water quality was maintained in suitable ranges for fish growth. There were no significant differences in growth performance (final weight, daily weight gain and specific growth rate) among all treatments (P < 0.05). Feed conversion ratio of Nile tilapia (1.28 - 1.31) was significantly lower than that of red tilapia (1.35 - 1.37) (P < 0.05). The survival ratio (about 80%) and extrapolated yield (21.50 tons/ha in 150 days) of fish was similar and high for both Nile and red tilapia. The quality of the harvested fish in term of condition factor, size even and off-flavor intensity was also excellent. The economic efficiency of red tilapia farming in this system was higher as compared to cage systems. This study clearly demonstrated that the technique of combined BFT and probiotic application in earthen ponds could contribute to the sustainable development of tilapia production in Vietnam by reducing production cost, saving water resource and avoiding environmental pollution.

Evaluating the Consumer Attitude and Behavioral Consumption of Green Products in Vietnam

For the past few years, environmental degradation has become increasingly worse. Most nations, particularly developing nations, are experiencing excessive economic expansion, which has decreased natural resources and increased environmental pollution. Numerous nations have created plans to safeguard the environment and lessen harmful human effects on its resources. Transforming to using green products is the most powerful strategy to protect the environment. This study aims to investigate Vietnamese consumers’ decision to buy green products by assessing influencing factors, typically consumer consciousness. Data were collected from consumers across several major cities in Vietnam and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The primary factors include consumer awareness, consumption trends, reference groups, government policies, demand for green products, and economic factors. Research results show that most of the variables have a positive impact on the transition to green product consumption. Consumer awareness strongly impacts the transition to the consumption of green products and environmental responsibility on green purchase intention. The findings also reinforce the current view that pro-environmental factors override self-interest in buyer decision-making. Research results also show that government policies also affect green consumption behavior. Therefore, the government needs to develop policies to encourage green consumption.

The role of technology in international trade of Vietnam’s high-tech products

An increase in the international trade value of high-tech products is seen as an important demonstration of Vietnam’s transformation of the international trade structure from labour-intensive to technology-intensive. Focusing on the export aspect of international trade, this study analyzes the impact of national technological achievements on our country’s exports of high-tech goods. The Augmented gravity model was applied to the sample of Vietnam and 49 major trading partners in the period 2009-2018. The estimation results show that the export value of high-tech products in Vietnam is significantly impacted by the technological achievements of our country while not affected by the technological achievements of the partner countries.

Component and Content of Lipid Classes and Phospholipid Molecular Species of Eggs and Body of the Vietnamese Sea Urchin Tripneustes gratilla.

Sea urchins (Tripneustes gratilla) are among the most highly prized seafood products in Vietnam because of their nutritional value and medicinal properties. In this research, lipid classes and the phospholipid (PL) molecular species compositions from the body and eggs of T. gratilla collected in Hon Tam, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, were investigated. Hydrocarbon and wax (HW), triacylglycerol (TG), mono- and diacylglycerol (MDAG), free fatty acid (FFA), sterol (ST), polar lipid (PoL), and monoalkyl-diacylglycerol are the major lipid classes. In PL, five main glycerophospholipid classes have been identified, in which 137 PL molecular species were detected in the body and eggs of T. gratilla, including 20 inositol glycerophospholipids (PI), 11 serine glycerophospholipids (PS), 22 ethanolamine glycerophospholipids (PE), 11 phosphatidic acids (PA), and 73 choline glycerophospholipids (PC). PI 18:0/20:4, PS 20:1/20:1, PE 18:1e/20:4, PA 20:1/20:1, and PC 18:0e/20:4 are the most abundant species with the highest content values of 38.65-48.19%, 42.48-44.41%, 41.21-40.03%, 52.42-52.60%, and 7.77-7.18% in each class of the body-eggs, respectively. Interestingly, PL molecules predominant in the body sample were also found in the egg sample. The molecular species with the highest content account for more than 40% of the total species in each molecular class. However, in the PC class containing 73 molecular species, the highest content species amounted to only 7.77%. For both the body and egg TL samples of the sea urchin T. gratilla, a substantial portion of C20:4n polyunsaturated fatty acid was found in PI, PE, and PC, but C16, C18, C20, and C22 saturated fatty acids were reported at low levels. The most dominant polyunsaturated fatty acid in PI, PE, and PC was tetracosapolyenoic C20, while unsaturated fatty acid C20:1 was the most dominant in PS and PA. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the chemical properties of TL and phospholipid molecular species of the PoL of Vietnamese sea urchin (T. gratilla) have been studied.

Effects of varieties and seasons on cost efficiency in rice farming: A stochastic metafrontier approach

Rice production costs vary substantially across rice varieties and cropping seasons; however, the effects of rice varieties and cropping seasons on the cost efficiency of rice farming have not been given much attention by researchers. In this paper, we attempt to examine these effects on the cost efficiency of rice production in Vietnam. We use a stochastic metafrontier approach to compare the cost efficiency of rice production between two rice variety groups (a high-quality rice variety and a conventional rice variety group) and three cropping seasons (Winter-Spring, Summer-Autumn, and Autumn-Winter). The data consist of 918 observations collected from rice farmers in the Mekong River Delta, the main rice-cultivation region of Vietnam. The results show that there is statistical evidence for the effects of rice varieties and cropping seasons on cost efficiency. High-quality rice variety adopters performed less efficiently (0.837) than non-adopters (0.864). Rice farmers exhibited a lower mean cost efficiency in the Winter-Spring season (0.883) than in the Summer-Autumn (0.907) and Autumn-Winter (0.905) seasons. This research suggests that policies should support inefficient rice farmers to reduce their inefficiency in the Winter-Spring season as well as support high-quality rice variety adopters to catch up with the cost-efficiency level of conventional rice variety farmers.

The Impact of Viral Marketing on Emotion and Impulse Buying Behavior: A Case Study of Online Fashion

Impulsive online shopping is becoming a habit for many young consumers, especially for fashion products. This study aims to analyze the influence of viral marketing on emotions and impulsive online shopping behavior of young people for fashion products in Vietnam. The results showed that viral marketing with characteristics such as entertainment, source credibility, visual appeal, informativeness, and irritation all had a significant impact on emotions and impulsive online shopping behavior. Therefore,some suggestions are proposed for applying viral marketing to promote impulsive online shopping behavior for fashion products. Keywords: Viral marketing, Impulse buying behavior, Online shopping, Emotions, Fashion. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/15-7-03 Publication date: April 30 th 2023

Circular Supply Chain: Situation and Implementation Solutions For Agricultural Products in Vietnam

Circular supply chains are suitable for many economic sectors from agricultural to industrial products. Currently, some localities in Vietnam have initially applied the circular supply chain to agricultural products, thereby creating many value-added products. This paper uses qualitative approach and the desk research to review systematically theories and publications related to circular supply chain. In addition, interviews were conducted with farmers, firms and local authorities in agricultural farming areas in Vietnam such as Son La, Phu Tho, Ha Noi, Ha Nam, Can Tho, Tien Giang, Gia Lai for collecting information about current situation of agricultural supply chain according to fundamental components of a circular supply chain. Two case studies of Musa Pacta and Minh Tien were analyzed as representatives of current agricultural circular supply chain in Vietnam. Based on collected data and the two examples, the paper proposed recommendations to enhance circular supply chain management in various agricultural segments.

Price transmission in shrimp production in Vietnam

Under the trade international integration, vertical price transmission in agri-food export supply chains is an essential issue that needs attention. This study analyses the price transmission from export prices to farm-gate prices of the black-tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp production in Vietnam. Monthly price series of black-tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp were collected from January 2015 to October 2020, from the Department of Aquaculture of Ca Mau, Soc Trang, Kien Giang, Ben Tre provinces; Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, and Vietnam market analysis and forecast joint stock company. The Johansen cointegration test, the Toda-Yamamoto Granger causality test, the Engle-Granger’s two-stage estimation, and the asymmetric error correction model using the Houck and Ward approach were applied. The results showed a long-term relationship between the farm-gate prices and export prices for both black-tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp. The export prices were the price leader. In the long run, the price transmission from export prices to farm-gate prices in both black-tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp was incomplete; however, the white-leg shrimp’s price transmission was noticeably better than black-tiger shrimp’s. In the short run, there was no statistically significant effect of export prices on farm-gate prices of black-tiger shrimp; while the price transmission of white-leg shrimp was significant but relatively slow rate. The price transmission for black-tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp was symmetric in the short run and the long run. The findings of this study are useful for farmers in developing production and business strategy. Symmetric price transmission in both the short run and the long run is a positive signal for farmers to invest in sustainable production approaches and to meet stringent standard requirements of the export market.

Development of Livestock Farming System and Technical Efficiency: A Case Study on Pig Production in Vietnam

Development of Livestock Farming System and Technical Efficiency: A Case Study on Pig Production in Vietnam

Trade liberalization and firms’ productivity in Vietnam: the role of local business environment

ABSTRACT This paper examines how frictions in the local business environment where firms operate alter the productivity gains from trade. Using Vietnamese firm-level data from 2006 to 2012, the analysis provides robust evidence of a positive effect of trade opening on firms’ efficiency. However, distortions that operate through certain local market features in the form of unenforceable property rights, an ineffective land-titling system, bureaucratic hurdles and labour market frictions play a crucial role in the transmission of trade liberalization shocks. These findings have important policy implications because they suggest that complementary policies addressing local market constraints need to be implemented alongside trade reforms.

Role of consumer ethnocentrism on purchase intention toward foreign products: Evidence from data of Vietnamese consumers with Chinese products

This study aims to determine the influence of consumer ethnocentrism and general country image on Vietnamese consumers' perception of product origin and purchase intention toward Chinese goods. The research model is developed based on consumer ethnocentrism and country image perception theory. Analysis results by structural equation modeling from 448 consumers in three regions (North, Central, South) showed that consumer ethnocentrism harms the country’s image perception and purchase intention of Vietnamese consumers toward Chinese imported products. However, consumer ethnocentrism does not significantly affect the product country image perception. On the contrary, both the general country image and product country image positively impact Vietnamese consumers' intentions to buy Chinese imported goods. Finally, the study also points out some limitations and implications for later studies and marketers dealing with domestic products in Vietnam.

Toward Sustainable Development and Consumption: The Role of the Green Promotion Mix in Driving Green Brand Equity and Green Purchase Intention

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and social consequences of their purchases. Research on the green promotion mix, green brand equity, and green purchase intentions has been fragmented. This study used the stimulus–organism–response framework to test the direct influence of green promotion tools on green brand equity dimensions and green purchase intention. A survey-based questionnaire was utilized to gather the data from participants who purchased milk products in Vietnam (n = 780). We analyzed the data using the partial least squares (PLS) method, a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, with the assistance of SmartPLS computer program 3.0. The results reveal that green promotion tools have a significantly positive influence on green brand equity dimensions as well as green purchase intention. The results also reveal a relationship between green brand equity components, which is important for understanding corporate branding. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into how attitudes toward green advertising and sponsorship affect various elements of green brand equity, green purchase intention to generate and manage green brand equity, and green purchase intention.

Bio-diesel Fuel Material Supply in Vietnam and Its Current and Future Potentiality with a Focus on Rubber Seed Oil.

Diesel fuel usage in Vietnam is increasing rapidly, but most of it is imported from overseas. In this study, we investigated the possibility of popularizing bio-diesel fuel (BDF) made from Vietnamese origin resources as a sustainable energy solution. The world's energy cost fluctuates significantly depending on economic or political movements, especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. This caused energy prices soar, attacking the global economy in a short period and requiring a wide range of energy supply sources. We aim to promote commercial BDF production in Vietnam for future energy security and contribution to the Vietnamese economy. Eight necessary factors were investigated to choose suitable material for BDF production. The factors are as follows: 1) material with Vietnamese origin, 2) sufficient and continuous supply volume, 3) sufficient quality to run diesel engines, including common-rail diesel engines, 4) inedibility, 5) low enough freezing point, 6) ease of collection, 7) affordability, and 8) availability of valuable elements in the material. If a suitable material candidate is not stable, it may be changed over time. In this study, the focus material was rubber seed oil. Because rubber production in Vietnam is quite stable with over 900,000 ha plantation area, and there is a potentiality to collect seeds and produce about 50,000 tons of BDF annually. In addition, the quality of rubber seeds based BDF is very high, such as low enough freezing point, etc. However, most of those rubber seeds are currently not collected and used.

Measures Used for Water Quality Management in Intensive Pangasius Catfish Production in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta: Experiences from Household Practices and Gender Roles

Intensive aquaculture on a household-scale in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region often decreases the quality of the water. The consequences are a negative effect on the yield of Pangasius catfish, which in turn reduces the income generation potential. Water quality management has become an important consideration, not only for sustaining livelihoods from household-scale aquaculture but also for mitigating the impacts on the surrounding water bodies. The purposes of this paper are to identify strategies for improving water quality management in households practicing aquaculture and to understand the role gender plays in water management in the Mekong Delta. The effectiveness of existing household approaches to water quality management was found through analyzing data gathered through interviews. The primary data consisted of interviews with 32 operators of different household-scale aquaculture systems. It was found that in 46% of these households, water quality had declined over the last three years. Several causes were identified including the accumulation of chemicals and antibiotic residues, excessive stocking rates, and a lack of a water treatment system. Several strategies to better manage water quality in these ponds were identified including changing the clean water more frequently, removing sediment after each harvest, planting trees around the ponds, and applying lime to the base of the pond, or using potassium permanganate for disinfection before use. Although many water quality management approaches were in use by households, more than 90% of these activities were implemented by men.

The Influence of Sports Activities on Workplace Productivity in Vietnam: The Mediating Role of Stress Management and Work-life Balance.

Objectives: Workplace productivity has always been affected by a high-stress level and lack of sports activities. This aspect requires the researchers' emphasis and the present research performs this role by examining the much neglected impact of sports activities, stress management, and work-life balance on workplace productivity of manufacturing firms in Vietnam. The study also investigated the mediating impact of stress management and work-life balance among sports activities and workplace productivity of manufacturing firms in Vietnam. Methods: The primary data was collected through survey questionnaires from the employees of manufacturing companies in Vietnam. The research also applied the PLS-SEM using Smart-PLS to check the reliability and association among variables. Results: The outcomes indicated that sports activities, stress management, and work-life balance have a positive linkage with the workplace productivity of manufacturing firms in Vietnam. The outcomes also revealed that stress management and work-life balance significantly mediate among sports activities and workplace productivity of manufacturing firms in Vietnam. Conclusion: This research guides the policymakers in making policies related to workplace productivity improvement using sports activities, work-life balance, and stress management.

Effects of Land Quality on Land Use: Farm-level Panel-data Evidence from Viet Nam

The sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF) is a comprehensive way to study agricultural issues. So far, to our best knowledge, no study has applied the SLF to examine the influence of land quality on land use intensively. The current research examines the effects of land quality on farmers’ decision-making on land use in Vietnam by modifying the sustainable livelihoods framework and using the fixed effects regression model. The method controlled the household and commune-level unobserved invariant characteristics and resulted in more robust estimates than pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation. The sample is a five-wave panel dataset of 2008-2016 with 1,534 farm households. The results reveal that land quality affects land-use choices through several aspects of land quality. More specifically, regarding topography, plot fertility level, plot locations, and soil and water conservation, results show that their effects reflect the cultivating practices for each land-use type in the sample. Findings also show that the irrigation system positively affects rice production in Vietnam. Policymakers should consider various aspects of land quality when designing policies and programs relating to land use, irrigation distribution, and especially the master plan for agricultural production and rural development. Flexible guidance for land uses of each type is closely connected with land quality in each region that may be most suitable for sustainable agriculture development.

Smart Technology Prioritization for Sustainable Manufacturing in Emergency Situation by Integrated Spherical Fuzzy Bounded Rationality Decision-Making Approach

The delays and disruptions during the pandemic have awakened interest in the sustainability and resilience of production systems to emergencies. In that context, the deployment of smart technologies has emerged as an almost mandatory development orientation to ensure the stability of manufacturing. The core value of smart technologies is to reduce the dependence on human labor in production systems. Thereby, the negative impacts caused by emergency situations are mitigated. However, the implementation of smart technologies in a specific production system that already exists requires a high degree of suitability. Motivated by this fact, this study proposes an integrated spherical fuzzy bounded rationality decision-making approach, which is composite of the spherical fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (SF DEMATEL) and the spherical fuzzy regret theory-based combined compromise solution (R-SF CoCoSo) method. The proposed approach reflects both the ambiguities and psychological behaviors of decision-makers in prioritization problems. It was applied to prioritize seven smart technologies for manufacturing in Vietnam. The results show that reliability, costs, and maturity are the most important criteria for choosing smart technology which is suitable for an existing production system in Vietnam. Our findings seem to suggest that the automatic inspection, remote machine operation, and robots are the most suitable smart technologies to stabilize and sustain production in Vietnam for emergency situations.

On the practice of keeping and rearing bamboo rats (Rodentia, Spalacidae, Rhizomys) in Vietnam

Bamboo rats are members of the subfamily Rhizomiinae, of the family Spalacidae. These animals are widely distributed in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and China. Due to their larger size compared to other rodents, in recent years they have been bred in captivity and have brought a certain economic value. With the survey results of 16 bamboo rat farms in 2 Northern provinces and 3 Southern ones, a preliminary overview of the current situation with bamboo rats production in Vietnam presented. More than 1000 individuals were surveyed and only two species of bamboo rats have been found in captivity, exactly R. pruinosus and R. sumatrensis. R. sinensis was not recorded, although this species quite common in the north. Bamboo rats are usually kept in cages made of ceramic bricks about 50 cm high and 0.25 - 0.8 m wide. Each cage usually contains 1 adult male or 1 female, sometimes both male and female are seen in the case with juveniles in the same flock. The survival rate of young bamboo rats is very high, only 3-5% of the total herd dies before reaching the weight of 300g. The source of food depends on the locality, but the main food is bamboo, sugarcane, cane or bran. The average annual income may vary from 30-50 for small farms to 100-120 million VND for large farms.

A Study on the Influence of Eco-Labels and Green Advertising on Green Brand Equity in Emerging Market

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and social consequences of their purchases. Consequently, marketers and businesses are increasingly incorporating more detailed environmental information into their offerings, such as eco-labels and green advertising. This study examines the influence of eco-labels and green advertising on green brand equity in emerging markets, such as Vietnam. Data were gathered from 870 consumers who purchased milk products in Vietnam. The results revealed that eco-labels and green advertising have a positive and significant influence on green brand equity components. Furthermore, the results reveal the relationship between green brand equity components, which is important for understanding corporate branding efforts. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the effects of eco-labels and green advertising on different elements of brand equity to generate and manage brand equity.