The study investigates the factors influencing the innovation activities in the enterprises in the Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. By employing the dataset from a survey in 200 typical enterprises in Binh Dinh and using the Exploratory Factor Analysis and regression analysis, we found that there are eight factor groups affecting the innovation activities of enterprises. They include management of innovation promotion; market research capacity; leadership inspiring innovation; culture of innovation; human resources for implementing innovation; network connection; disseminating/sharing knowledge; and impact of producing/serving technology. All these factors strongly affect the innovation activities, which plays an important role in promoting the sustainable development of the Vietnamese enterprises, with the statistical significance level at 1%. Moreover, findings also show that, among these factors, the market research capacity is the strongest determinant of the innovation activity in the enterprise. An increase of 1 point of capacity of market research will increase the innovation activities in the enterprise by 0.114 point. It is followed by the management of promoting innovation, leadership inspiring innovation, and disseminating and sharing knowledge, with 0.104, 0.103 and 0.102 score, respectively. On the other hand, network connection is the weakest factor, with the score of 0.07 point.

This study focused on researching the factors affecting retail banking efficiency of Vietcombank branches in the Mekong-Delta region. By collecting data from financial statements from 15 branches of VCB in the Mekong-Delta Region between 2015 and 2018, the paper applies DEA estimation to measure the effectiveness of retail banking activities and uses the Tobit regression model to identify factors affecting retail banking efficiency. The results demonstrate that the retail banking efficiency of branches averaged 52.5% during the period. The rating result shows the branches in An Giang, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Kien Giang, Long An, Phu Quoc and Tra Noc rank at the top technical efficiency. In group of medium efficiency, there are branches in Soc Trang, Tien Giang and Vinh Long. In the category of the poor efficiency are the branches in Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Chau Doc and Tra Vinh. The results also show that bank scale-related factors, capital adequacy, credit quality, time specific and region impact significantly the retail banking efficiency. The research not, only contributes to enriching the empirical research method but also is significant for the management activities in business developing strategies, improving the operational efficiency of Vietcombank in the region.

The research postulates the conceptualization of talent in the Vietnamese banking sector via examining the factors pertaining to the concept of talent and talent management (TM) in the sector. This study applied qualitative research methods. A total of 20 managers and directors of ten banks (three public, four private and three foreign banks) were recruited for semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that a combination of interconnected soft skills, learning ability, flexibility, technology adaptability, integrity and risk management skills contributes to talent identification. Managers in some private banks construed talent to be commensurate with high performance and high potential, whereas managers in public banks and foreign banks mainly relied on performance results in talent recognition. Moreover, talented employees holding sales-related jobs are given the most attention by management in the studied banks. Regarding practical implications, the banking community and practitioners’ focus should be imparted to soft skills development and integrity control in order to foster employee performance and attitudes. Attention should be paid not only to sales positions, but also to other positions within the bank. This study is one of a few which explores talent concepts and TM approaches in the banking sector in general and Vietnamese banking field in particular.

This study aims to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the stock markets of sixteen countries. Pooled OLS regression, conventional t-test and Mann-Whitney test are used to estimate the results of the study. We construct a weekly panel data of COVID-19 new cases and stock returns. Pooled OLS estimation result shows that the growth rate of weekly new cases of COVID-19 negatively predicts the return in stock market. Next, the returns on leading stock indices of these countries during the COVID-19 outbreak period are compared with returns during the non-COVID period. We use a t-test and Mann-Whitney test to compare the returns. The results reveal that investors in these countries do not react to the media news of COVID-19 at the early stage of the pandemic. However, once the human-to-human transmissibility had been confirmed, all of the stock market indices negatively reacted to the news in the short- and long-event window. Interestingly, we noticed that the Shanghai Composite Index, which was severely affected during the short-event window, bounced back during the long-event window. This indicates that the Chinese government’s drastic measures to contain the spread of the pandemic regained the confidence of investors in the Shanghai Stock Market.

The paper aims to facilitate a discussion around how big data technologies and data from citizens can be used to help public administration, society, and policy-making to improve community’s lives. This paper discusses opportunities and challenges of big data strategies for government, society, and policy-making. It employs the presentation of numerous practical examples from different parts of the world, where public-service delivery has seen transformation and where initiatives have been taken forward that have revolutionized the way governments at different levels engage with the citizens, and how governments and civil society have adopted evidence-driven policymaking through innovative and efficient use of big data analytics. The examples include the governments of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and India, and different levels of government agencies in the public services of fraud detection, financial market analysis, healthcare and public health, government oversight, education, crime fighting, environmental protection, energy exploration, agriculture, weather forecasting, and ecosystem management. The examples also include smart cities in Korea, China, Japan, India, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. This paper makes some recommendations about how big data strategies transform the government and public services to become more citizen-centric, responsive, accountable and transparent.

Income inequality is a problem that is not only faced by developing countries such as Indonesia, but also developed countries. The difference lies in the proportion of an inequality that occurs and the solution to the level of difficulty experienced. Thus, this study aims to empirically analyze the unequal distribution of population income in Java island, Indonesia, by including the human development index, open unemployment rate, foreign investment, and the degree of fiscal decentralization. The research model used in this study was multiple linear regression to analyze the panel data with a fixed-effect model approach. The results of the study showed that human development index, open unemployment rate, and the degree of fiscal decentralization had a positive and significant effect on income inequality in Java island. Meanwhile, foreign investment had a negative and insignificant effect on income inequality in Java. It is because the value of the investment is more invested in the capital-intensive sector. The government is expected to be more selective in accepting foreign investments that enter the country, especially in Java, and it should be labor-intensive investments. In addition, the government has to equalize locations for foreign investment without reducing good cooperation with these foreign investors.

Using primary data collected through semi-structured interviews conducted during February 2019, this article examines citizen’s awareness and knowledge of Khon Kaen Smart City (KKSC) among the residents of five contiguous municipalities within Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. A self-weighted sample of 420 respondents was selected through a two-stage, 30-cluster sampling process. In the first stage, a sample of 30 artificial clusters of 100 households each was selected. In the second, 14 households were randomly selected from each of these clusters. The head of household or, if unavailable, a resident aged 18 or over was interviewed. The study applies the “citizens as democratic participants” dimension of Simonofski et al.’s (2019) evaluative framework. Results found that, because of ineffective citizen engagement, the levels of awareness and knowledge about KKSC were low. However, multiple logistic regression found that, despite the low levels of awareness and knowledge, education and income could establish an independent effect on awareness of KKSC. Those who completed post- secondary school were more aware of KKSC than those who finished only secondary or primary education. Similarly, the analysis of data clearly indicated that educational attainment, solely and independently from all other socio-economic and demographic variables, could explain the positive effect of education on knowledge about KKSC.

The study seeks to understand the effects of boredom proneness on impulse purchasing and smartphone addiction of young consumers. Moreover, the possible mediating role of smartphone addiction is tested for the effect of boredom proneness on impulse purchasing. Nowadays, the effect of emotions on human behavior is generally accepted, and boredom is one of the important and common problematic feelings or moods at various levels of life due to factors like unemployment, not being able to work in a suitable job, not getting appropriate education matching individual abilities, monotony of tasks, and feeling life is meaningless. Investigating the effect of boredom on specific consumer behavior would increase our knowledge about consumer behavior. For the research, a survey was conducted 313 students from Kirikkale University, Keskin Vocational High School; the data were collected by convenience sampling method. The data were processed through statistical tools like exploratory factor analysis, coefficient alphas, and regression analysis. The results of the study reveal that boredom proneness affects impulse purchasing and smartphone addiction. In addition, it is understood that smartphone addiction plays a mediating role in the effect of boredom proneness on impulse purchasing. These results indicate that boredom can be an important factor affecting certain negative consumer behaviors.

Livelihood capitals have a clear influence on livelihood development. As for the livelihood results, it has been pointed out in the analysis of the poor households that the ability of people to escape poverty depends especially on the access to livelihood capitals. This study aims to analyze the impacts of livelihood capital on poverty among mountain people who depend on forests through human capital, social capital, natural capital, physical capital and financial capital. This research employs the model of binary regression function. Independent variables x1, x2, ..., xn are targets of livelihood strategy, vulnerability context, and livelihood capitals. These variables were selected to be included in the original model with dependent variable Y as poor and non-poor households. This study surveys households living in upland areas, near forests, and households of ethnic minorities. The results show that,out of the poor household rate, nearly 4% are newly-poor households or those falling back into poverty. Therefore, the government needs to pay more attention to this disadvantaged group and implements policies such as education and training policies, credit support policies, policies to support forest development, and payment for forest environmental services in the context of emerging countries like Vietnam.,

The purpose of the study is a theoretical and practical justification for building a mechanism for financing health facilities based on publicprivate partnerships from a pension fund in regions with environmental problems. The theoretical background is built on works of local and foreign authors on state and non-state pension provisions issues, pension funds’ assets management. This study provides an analysis of the health status of the population of the Kyzylorda region; it analyzes also the worldwide and Kazakhstan practice of investing pension funds and implementing projects. There has been legislative and methodological framework for financing health projects based on public-private partnerships in Kazakhstan. The scientific methods considered in this study made it possible to develop a mechanism for financial support for the modernization of a healthcare facility using the budget of pension funds. The authors point out possible risks in the implementation of projects in the field of healthcare and make recommendations on the construction a mechanism for financing healthcare facilities in the regions of Kazakhstan with environmental problems. In addition, they underline the key insights of the analysis, which are requisites for identifying the profitability of project for business and social effects for the public. Factors influencing efficacy, effect and implementation risks identified.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of subjective class consciousness on life satisfaction. This research aimed to not only analyze the relative explanatory power, but also the influence of satisfaction of life within the socioeconomic status where the elderly consider themselves to be an integral part. The elderly’s satisfaction in life was analyzed in comparison with demographic characteristics such as gender and age. The correlations of objective socioeconomic characteristics such as income level and education level were also observed. For this purpose, the Korea Labor Panel 17th data (2014) was used to conduct a one-way batch distribution analysis and a hierarchical regression analysis. It was seen that there was a correlation in the Korean elderly in terms of class consciousness and life satisfaction. The elderly with a lower subjective class consciousness showed lower life satisfaction. The relative influences were stronger than the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the elderly, and the explanatory power was much higher than the objective income levels. These results show that the subjective perception of their socioeconomic status has a significant influence on the level of life satisfaction of the Korean elderly, independent of the objective income level.

The study seeks to investigate the relationship between knowledge sharing and innovation in garment and textile enterprises. While previous research has found many factors influencing knowledge sharing, little research has been done about the influence of knowledge sharing on innovation in enterprises in developing countries like Vietnam. In particular, the textile industry plays an important role in export, but outsourcing is accounting for a high proportion of trade; it is necessary to increase innovation in order to increase the competitive advantage by internal capacity. The data is collected from a survey of 245 employees at 20 textile and garment enterprises in Vietnam to study the knowledge sharing influence on innovation. The methodology includes pilot study and quantitative method. The pilot study tests the questionnaire on the respondents. The quantitative method applies SEM analysis to measure the knowledge sharing influence on innovation. The results identify eight factors that positively impact knowledge sharing: rewarding, teamwork, management support, joy of knowledge sharing, communication, trust, commitment, and information technology. This study also shows that knowledge sharing affects innovation. The main findings are discussed for textile and garment enterprises to apply innovative capacity in the context of increasing global integration.

This study aims to analyze the digital performance of Kazakhstan through dynamic analysis of national statistics and international indices as Global Innovation Index and ICT Development Index. The research combines three stages: analysis of digital transformation policies performance, review of ICT industry development, and comparative analysis of the positions of Kazakhstan, Turkey and South Korea as a benchmark in the international indices. This research findings show that despite great efforts of Kazakhstan in digitalization, the ICT industry contribution does not increase, it even falls. The international indices demonstrate that the reason is the weakness of the country in skills, venture capital, and innovation linkages. This leads to low knowledge, technology outputs, and creative outputs. The enablers of digital and overall innovation advancement of economy are identified. According to the international rankings the country has been doing its best in Access and Use areas. Another enablers are good business environment, ease of starting a business, protecting minority investors, and FDI inflows. The findings help to draw recommendations for strategic directions in order to improve the digital performance in Kazakhstan. The main limitation of this study is a lack of dynamic information on positions of Kazakhstan in other international indices related to digitalization.

The paper seeks to explore the role of green finance in achieving sustainable development goals through the case of China, and address some issues of sustainable finance and environmental, social and governance concerns of green finance by introducing the episodes of green finance in China. This paper aims to provide some viewpoints about the following questions: 1) What are the latest trends in green finance? 2) What are the main challenges to the development of green finance? 3) What are policy recommendations for the development of green finance? 4) What are the roles of both the public and private sectors in promoting green finance? This paper identifies the mainstream to sustainable bonds, diversification of green finance, transition of corporates’ business models, transparency and disclosure, and harmonizing taxonomy and measurement of green finance for the emerging trends of green finance. As the results, this paper recommends some policy measures for the private sector such as greening the banking system, greening the bond market, and greening institutional investors. This paper also suggests some policy initiatives for the public sector such as developing policies and capacity, promoting market transparency and governance, and promoting private-public partnership for diversifying resources of green finance.