Do Corporate Social Responsibilities Support Its Financial Performance? Evidence of the Listed Firms in Vietnam

In the latest decades, corporate social responsibilities (CSR) are incrementally noticed in emerging countries regarding to the surge of globalization and the advance of social concerns. However, there exist opposing arguments on how CSR practices influence a firm’s financial performance (CFP), either in theoretical or empirical perspectives, causing many managers’ hesitation in CSR engagement. This study, therefore, examines the impacts of CSR on CFP, considering the individual effect of each CSR endeavor by using the data from listed firms’ financial statements during the period 2015-2019 and panel regression analysis methods. The findings reveal inconstant effects of different CSR activities on CFP. Specifically, a firm’s fulfillment of shareholders’ and customers’ interests contributes to raise its profitability, while its engagement in the benefits of employees and creditors causes a reduction in financial returns. Interestingly, the correlations between firms’ responsibilies towards regulators and suppliers and CFP are statistically insignificant. Furthermore, we make pairwise marginal comparisons to identify the distinctions of CSR-CFP relations across industries. The results only indicate that listed firms in Utilities sector have the lower level of CSR intensity than those in Consumer Discretionary and Consumer Staples sectors. The implications and limitations are also discussed in this study

A Study on the Impact of the Usage of Cost Information on Business Performance of Enterprises in Vietnam

Purpose: The primary objective of the research was to investigate the correlation between the utilization of cost information and business performance of enterprises in Vietnam, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.   Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted, involving a sample of 380 participants consisting of CEOs, CFOs, managers, board of directors, and individuals in charge of accounting and finance departments. The study employed a structure equation model to analyze the relationship between the use of cost information and business performance.   Findings: The study revealed a significant and positive impact of cost information utilization on business performance among the surveyed enterprises in Vietnam. Additionally, the study provided recommendations for enterprises in Vietnam on how to make use of cost information for various purposes, including planning, evaluating, decision-making, and cost control, to optimize their business performance.   Research, Practical & Social implication: The study's results suggest that utilizing cost information effectively can lead to improved business performance and may provide valuable insights for Vietnamese enterprises on how to navigate the challenging and competitive post-Covid-19 economic environment.   Originality/value: The research employed a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, and a test for univariate normality demonstrated an outstanding critical skewness ratio value. Furthermore, the kurtosis indicated that the data followed a normal distribution, making it suitable for analysis. Since SEM employs rigorous criteria to evaluate model fit, it can be inferred that the measurement model exhibited a high level of fit. The findings affirm the beneficial impact of utilizing cost information on business performance and offer significant recommendations for Vietnamese businesses in the current post-COVID era

The Impact of Personal Financial Literacy on the Choice of Lending Channel by Vietnamese Householders Who Just Escaped Poverty

Purpose: The Newly-Escaped-Poverty-List householders (NEPLH) in Vietnam served as the survey subjects for this study, which sought to determine the impact of "Personal Financial Literacy" on "The Probability of Using Lending Services of Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (P_VBSP)" and "The Probability of Using Informal Private Lending Services (P_ILC)".   Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were collected from 186 respondents, by structured online questionnaire with convenient non-probability sampling technique.  Aspects of personal financial literacy (FLi) such as personal financial knowledge (FL1), personal financial skills (FL2), personal financial attitude (FL3), and personal financial behavior (FL4) are measured. When respondents were divided into groups based on subgroup criteria (CVj), such as gender, age, marital status, role in the family, career, education level, religion, and number of years since being removed from the list of poor households, ANOVA techniques were used to examine differences in various aspects of personal financial literacy. The impact of FLi and subgroup variables (CVj) on P_VBSP and P_ILC was assessed using the binary logistic regression analysis technique.   Findings: Research results show that  there is a statistical difference in the average score of FL1, FL2, FL3 and FL4. The research findings also show that FL2, FL4, and "Career Status – CAR" have a positive impact on P_VBSP, while "Aged group - AGE", "Education level - EDU", and "Number of years since being removed from the list of poor households - YEAR" have a negative impact on P_VBSP. Meanwhile, the P_ILC is positive influenced by the AGE factor and moves in the opposite direction of FL2, FL4, EDU, and YEAR.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The research findings provide the basis for governance implications as well as policy recommendations to promote financial literacy among the NEPLH in Vietnam, encouraging them access policy lending services from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, and at the same time help them stay away from informal private lending services, thereby helping them to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable economic development family.   Originality/value: A theoretical framework for personal finance literacy, including (i) financial knowledge, (ii) financial attitude, (iii) financial skills, and (iv) financial behavior, has been developed by the authors after reviewing earlier studies. At the same time, it is more significant to measure financial literacy by objective assessment than relying on the subjective self-assessment of each respondent in the context of actual study in Vietnam. In the model analyzing the influence of personal financial literacy on the decision of Newly-Escaped-Poverty-List householders in choosing the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies or Informal Private Credit Channels, the authors also took into account additional factors including gender, age group, marital status, role in the family, career, education level, religion, and number of years since being removed from the list of poor households

The Potential of Beauveria against Root Mealybugs Formiccoccus sp. (Homoptera: Pseudococidae) Black Pepper in Dak Lak Province of Vietnam

Root mealybugs Formicoccus sp.(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) currently emerge as an economically important soil-borne insect pest in the production of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in Dak Lak province of Vietnam. Entomopathogenic fungi can be used in agricultural production as feasible safe biocontrol agents and plant growth promoters. This study aimed to isolate, select and identify the local Beauveria sp. strains from the black pepper fields, as well as evaluate the effects of the selected strains on the growth of black pepper. The results showed that the frequency of positive Beauveria sp. soil samples collected from organic black pepper fields was significantly higher than that from conventional black pepper fields. Twenty-one Beauveria sp. strains in black pepper organic fields and four Beauveria sp. strains in black pepper conventional fields were successfully isolated, among them, the Beauveria bassiana BB1 was examined and evaluated for its biocontrol potential against Formicoccus sp. and its ability to promote the growth of black pepper seedlings. In the laboratory experiments, the mortality of both adults and first instar nymph root mealybugs Formicoccus sp. caused by B. bassiana BB1 culminated 100% at 21 days after treatments. In the nethouse, at 6 months after treatment, the efficacy of B. bassiana BB1 against black pepper root mealybugs reached 99.18%. The levels of photosynthetic pigments in the leaves of the black pepper seedlings increased about 2 times compared to the control. Moreover, B. bassiana BB1 strain also remarkably promoted the growth of the black pepper seedlings under the nethouse conditions

Impact of Vocational Education and Training On Decent Job Opportunities Regarding Information and Communication Technology

Vocational education and training plays a crucial part in the creation of decent job. The fast growth of information and communication technology (ICT) during the past ten years has increased work opportunities for laborers. This research uses the yearly labor force survey data to study the impact of vocational education and training on decent job opportunities for employees in the context of Vietnam's information and communication technology development. The logit model results indicate that the 2020 rate of decent jobs is still low, at approximately 25.6 percent. However, vocational education and training and the advancement of ICT positively affect decent job opportunities. This long-lasting impact affects laborers in various areas, regions, and industries. These findings suggest that vocational education and training and ICT must play a significant role in transitioning from precarious to more secure employment, so laborers must acquire professional knowledge and information technology skills

Synthesis of new simplified hemiasterlin derivatives with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety.

International audienceIn this Letter, we report a convenient and efficient method for the synthesis of new simplified derivatives of hemiasterlin in which the α,α-dimethylbenzylic moiety A is replaced by α,β-unsaturated aryl groups as Michael acceptor. Most of these derivatives have a strong cytotoxic activity on three human tumor cell lines (KB, Hep-G2 and MCF7). Analogs 17b and 17f showed a high cytotoxicity against KB and Hep-G2 cancer cell lines comparable to paclitaxel and ellipticine

Synthesis of new bioisosteric hemiasterlin analogues with extremely high cytotoxicity

International audienceIn this article, we report a convenient and efficient method for the synthesis of new simplified derivativesof hemiasterlin in which the α,α-dimethylbenzylic moiety A is replaced by α,β-unsaturated aryl groupsas Michael acceptor. Most of these derivatives have a strong cytotoxic activity on three human tumorcell lines (KB, Hep-G2 and MCF7). Analogs 17b and 17f showed a high cytotoxicity against KB andHep-G2 cancer cell lines comparable to paclitaxel and ellipticine

Effect of fertilizer on lead (Pb) accumulation ability of Polygonum hydropiper L.

Polygonum hydropiper L. was cultivated on alluvial soil (Pb = 2.6 mg/kg, dry weight) and Pb contaminated soil (Pb = 1,380 mg/kg dry weight) without and with amendment of 2 g organic fertilizer/kg soil and 2.5; 5.0; 10.0 g NPK fertilizer/1kg soil. After 45 days of cultivation, the growth in height and biomass of P. hydropiper in Pb contaminated soil without amendment of fertilizer was lower than that in alluvial soil, but the Pb content in the above-ground part of the P. hydropiper was higher. In the formula 4, on Pb contaminated soil (Pb = 1,380 mg/kg dry weight), when amending 2 g of microbiological organic fertilizer + 5 g NPK fertilizer per 1 kg of soil (with the total nutrients amended were: N = 0.25, P2O5= 0.52, K2O = 0.15, and organic matter = 0.21 g/kg soil), growth of P. hydropiper was optimal (its height and biomass were up to 244.0% and 284.9% in comparison to that of before experiment) and their Pb extraction potential was promoted to the highest level among the formulae used. The average level of Pb accumulated in the above-ground part of P. hydropiper cultivated at formula 4 was 1,098.3 mg/kg dry weight (DW) after 45 days of cultivation that was 1.6 time higher than the one of formula 2 without fertilizer amendment (687.8 mg/kg DW). The potential of Pb extracted and stored in the above-ground part of P. hydropiper cultivated at formula 4 after 45 days was 479.2 g/ha that was 2.85 time higher than the one of formula 2 without fertilizer amendment (168.02 g/ha).Nghể răm Polygonum hydropiper L. được trồng theo 5 công thức trên đất phù sa không ô nhiễm chì (Pb = 2,6 mg/kg khô) và đất ô nhiễm chì (Pb = 1380 mg/kg khô)không bón phân và có bón phân với các liều lượng 2 g phân hữu cơ vi sinh/1 kg đất và 2,5; 5,0; 10,0 g phân NPK /1 kg đất. Sau 45 ngày thí nghiệm trồng cây, tăng trưởng về chiều cao và sinh khối của cây trên đất ô nhiễm Pb không bón phân thấp hơn trên đất phù sa, nhưng hàm lượng Pb trong phần trên mặt đất của cây cao hơn. Ở công thức (CT) 4, trên đất ô nhiễm chì (Pb = 1380 mg/kg khô) khi bón phân với liều lượng 2 g hữu cơ + 5 g NPK/1 kg đất (với tổng hàm lượng dinh dưỡng được bón là: N = 0,25, P2O5= 0,52, K2O = 0,15, và chất hữu cơ = 0,21 g/kg đất) thì tăng trưởng của câynghể răm đạt tối ưu (chiều cao và khối lượng đạt 244,0 % và 284, 9% so với trước thí nghiệm) và tiềm năng hút thu Pb của chúng cũng được thúc đẩy cao nhất trong số các công thức được sử dụng. Lượng Pb trung bình tích lũy trong phần trên mặt đất của nghể răm ở CT 4 đạt 1.098,3 mg/kg khô sau 45 ngày trồng, cao gấp 1,6 lần so với cây ở công thức 2 không bón phân (687,8 mg/kg khô). Khả năng loại bỏ Pb từ đất ô nhiễm của nghể răm khi được bón phân ở CT4 đạt 479,2 g/ha sau 45 ngày trồng, cao gấp 2,85 lần so với cây ở CT 2 không bón phân (168,02 g/ha)

Effect of deposition time on gold nanodendrite porous structure and on signals of Hg(II) in environment

The influences of deposition time (tdep) for Au nanodendrite preparation on carbon cloth electrodes on the surface structure, electrochemical behavior and voltammetric signal for Hg(II) detection have been studied. The obtained results showed that from 60 s to 300 s, the longer deposition time, the larger dendrite length as well as the more increased density of dendrite structure became. Calculated from data showed that the electroactive surface area approached to the maximum value of 3.686 cm2 with tdep = 300 s. The typical electrochemical behaviour of the prepared electrodes was mass transfer diffusion to the electrode surface and being considered as planar diffusion. Using DPASV technique, the peak height of Hg(II) could appoach to 52 µA with tdep = 60 s. Keywords. Gold nanodendrite, deposition time, surface structure, electrochemical properties, mercury