The impact of research and development (R&D) investment on firm performance is interesting, but it is not easy to conduct this topic in emerging markets due to the data unavailability. We investigate this topic in the context of Vietnam, a fast-growing developing country with impressive progress in economic and social development by employing a unique panel data set of 343 listed companies during the period 2010–2018. We estimate the panel data with two different techniques, including the fixed effect model and the two-stage least squares (2SLS) model. We find that investment in R&D has positive impacts on revenues, profits, return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). In addition, regression results suggest that firms with high R&D outperform those with low R&D in terms of profit, revenue and ROA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper examining the impacts of R&D on firm performance in Vietnam. We propose that Vietnamese firms should invest more on R&D activities, such as the production of fundamental research and applied research to have better performance and enhance their competitiveness in the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted individuals to spend more time searching for information on social media channels. Although most countries have entered a new normal, these channels still play a crucial role in people's decisions. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the relationship between electronic word of mouth and the attitude, motivation, and travel intention of potential tourists. To achieve this objective, an online survey has gathered 431 valid responses for analysis. Structural equation modeling was employed to investigate the relationships between variables in the proposed model. We find evidence to show that eWOM positively affects potential tourists’ travel intentions, while attitude and motivation play positive mediating roles in the effect of eWOM on customers' travel intentions. These results suggest the received information from online reviews, along with optimistic attitudes and motivations, can promote potential tourists’ decisions. Moreover, while eWOM can be a useful source to grasp customers’ demands, it may also spread unfavorable reviews about the destination. Hence, stakeholders should try to well manage eWOM because if eWOM conveys positive messages, it can help boost tourism in the post-coronavirus pandemic. The paper contributes to the current literature by identifying a critical variable affecting customers’ travel intention during the post-pandemic era.

Purpose: Consumer green behavior is a spotlight topic in both theoretical and practical business environments. This study aims to investigate the primary drivers of green intention behaviors among Generation Z customers by integrating the Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior. Additionally, perceived environmental responsibility serves as a moderating factor.Design/methodology/approach: The study polled 283 Generation Z people who have purchased green products in Vietnam. Using the PLS_SEM model, we employ mediation and moderation analysis to investigate and evaluate the hypotheses.Findings: Our findings reveal that both environmental concern and perceived marketplace influence have direct effects on attitudes toward green products as well as indirect effect on green purchase intention. Unlike previous studies, perceived environmental responsibility behaves as a moderated factor, driving the relationship between consumers' attitudes and green purchase intentions.Practical implications: The outcomes of this study provide helpful implications for managers in improving green products based on the green purchase behavior of young customers.Originality/value: By merging the Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior to analyze the antecedent variables of attitude and intention, this study contributes to the pro-environmental literature. It explains the underlying mediation processes of organisms and behavioral reactions, emphasizing the role of perceived environmental responsibility in regulating these frameworks. The results are critical in promoting green production and consumption in communities.

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, mass media play a vital role in containing the outbreak of the virus by quickly and effectively delivering risk communication messages to the public. This research examines the effects of risk communication exposure on public understanding and risk perception of COVID-19 and public compliance with health preventive measures.Design/methodology/approach: Data from Vietnam during COVID-19 social distancing and path analysis model are used for empirical analysis.Findings: This analysis finds that exposure to risk communication in mass media encourages public compliance directly and indirectly through the mediating roles of public understanding and risk perception. Further investigations also find that exposure to risk communication in both online media and traditional media facilitates public compliance. In addition, exposure to risk communication in online media only raises public risk perception, whereas exposure to risk communication in traditional media only raises public understanding.Research limitations/implications: This research implies that traditional and online media should be combined to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of government risk communication work.Originality/value: This research is among the first attempts that examine the role of mass media (both traditional and online) in enhancing public compliance with preventive measures directly and indirectly through the mediating roles of public risk perception and understanding.

This paper aims to determine a threshold level in the relationship between inflation and economic growth in Vietnam. Our paper is considered as one of the first empirical studies on inflation threshold in Vietnam - a country in transition from a communist centrally-planned to a market economy. The research applied three regression methods including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Two-Stages Least Squares (2-SLS) and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) with annual data for the period of 1986 - 2013. The results consistently concluded that the inflation threshold is about 7 percent, which means inflation will be detrimental to economic growth if inflation rate exceeds 7 percent. Therefore, the policy-makers in Vietnam need to define a target inflation rate lower than this level to stabilize economic growth. The results also indicated that the Government should increase investment as well as enhance the effectiveness of investment to foster economic growth. Finally, Vietnam should stabilize trade balance to favor economic growth in long term.