The Influence of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems on Entrepreneurs' Perceptions and Business Success

Entrepreneurship continues to grow and receives a great deal of interest from business researchers and practitioners for its importance in the modern economy. This study aims to contribute to the body of knowledge that the entrepreneurial ecosystem correlates with founders' perceptions and startup success. Data were gathered from surveys of 200 founders or CEOs of SMEs and startups in Tay Ninh City (Vietnam), who have operated their own companies for at least five years. The primary data analysis was performed using the partial least squares (PLS) technique. Five out of six ecosystem factors significantly affect entrepreneurs' perceptions and startups’ success, based on the results of the empirical data. Besides, the founders' perceptions also positively affect the success of a startup. The implications show the need to enhance entrepreneurship in a nation

The role of risk factors, partner compatibility, organizational creativity and co-creation value on firm performance: evidence from SMEs in Vietnam*

Ovo istraživanje analizira kako rizik i kompatibilnost partnera utječu na organizacijsku kreativnost, vrijednost zajedničkog stvaranja i na uspješnost tvrtke u gospodarstvu u razvoju. Metoda PLS-SEM korištena je za obradu i procjenu skupa podataka koji se sastoji od 454 važeća slučaja vlasnika nekretnina, izvršnih direktora, potpredsjednika, pomoćnika i voditelja odjela malih i srednjih poduzeća u Vijetnamu. Rezultati su potvrdili veze između varijabli rizika, kompatibilnosti partnera, organizacijske kreativnosti, vrijednosti zajedničkog stvaranja i uspješnosti tvrtke. Ova studija dodatno unapređuje dosadašnju bazu znanja u području odabira partnera i pruža vrijedne uvide koji se mogu primijeniti u menadžerskom kontekstu. Tvrtke moraju uzeti u obzir vanjske čimbenike poput rizika i kompatibilnosti partnera kako bi poboljšale organizacijsku kreativnost, vrijednost zajedničkog stvaranja i učinak tvrtke. Iako su faktori rizika, kompatibilnosti partnera, organizacijske kreativnosti, vrijednosti zajedničkog stvaranja i poslovne uspješnosti privukli značajnu pozornost u akademskim krugovima na globalnoj razini, postoji manjak studija koje istražuju međuodnose između ovih pet fenomena. Ovo je istraživanje jedno od početnih istraživanja koje predstavlja cjeloviti model koji pojašnjava međusobne veze između različitih kategorija.This research aims to analyze how risk and compatibility between partners affect organizational creativity, co-creation value, and firm performance in a developing economy. The PLS-SEM method was utilized to process and evaluate a dataset of 454 valid cases from property owners, chief executives, vice presidents, broad assistants, and department managers of SMEs in Vietnam. The results validated the connections between risk variables, partner compatibility, organizational creativity, co-creation value, and firm performance. This study further enhances the current knowledge base in the realm of partner selection and provides valuable insights that can be applied in managerial contexts. Companies must consider external factors like risk and partner compatibility to improve organizational creativity, co-creation value, and firm performance. While risk factors, partner compatibility, organizational creativity, co-creation value, and business performance have garnered significant attention in academic circles globally, there is a shortage of studies exploring the interrelationships among these five phenomena together. This research is one of the initial studies that presents a complete model elucidating the interconnections between different categories

Kognitivne perspektive, inovativnost i konkurentska prednost stratega: empirijska studija u Vijetnamu

The main aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between strategists’ intuitive and analytical thinking, innovation, and corporate competitive advantage. This study not only proposes the new model to the academic world but also provides the empirical investigation on the direct and indirect effect of a strategist’s analytic reasoning perspective and strategist’s generative reasoning perspective on innovation and competitive advantage as well as the mediating role of innovation between the strategist’s cognitive perspective of reasoning and corporate competitive advantage. This study conducted questionnaires of 382 samples in state-owned companies, FDI, and private companies in Vietnam. Structure equation modelling was applied through smart PLS to analyse the valid data. The results provide substantial evidence of significant relationships between strategists’ cognitive perspectives of reasoning, innovation, and competitive advantage in the context of State own, FDI, and private companies in Vietnam. Besides, the findings also show that there are non-relationships in the direct effect between product innovation and competitive advantage and between marketing innovation and competitive advantage. Moreover, the research results imply various managerial implications regarding how organizations successfully increase their competitive advantage by increasing their leader’s cognition in management.Glavni cilj ove studije je istražiti odnos između intuitivnog i analitičkog razmišljanja stratega, inovativnosti i konkurentske prednosti poduzeća. Ova studija ne samo da predlaže novi model akademskom svijetu, već također pruža empirijsko istraživanje izravnog i neizravnog učinka analitičke perspektive razmišljanja stratega i perspektive generativnog razmišljanja stratega o inovacijama i konkurentskoj prednosti, kao i o posredničkoj ulozi inovacije između kognitivne perspektive razmišljanja stratega i konkurentske prednosti poduzeća. Ovim istraživanjem provedena je anketa s 382 uzoraka u državnim tvrtkama, izravnim stranim ulaganjima i privatnim tvrtkama u Vijetnamu. Modeliranje strukturnih jednadžbi primijenjeno je putem pametnog PLS-a za analizu valjanih podataka. Rezultati pružaju bitne dokaze o značajnim odnosima između kognitivnih perspektiva razmišljanja, inovativnosti i konkurentske prednosti stratega u kontekstu državnih poduzeća, izravnih stranih ulaganja i privatnih tvrtki u Vijetnamu. Osim toga, nalazi također upućuju na ne postojanje veze s izravnom učinkom ni između inovacije proizvoda i konkurentske prednosti niti između marketinške inovacije i konkurentske prednosti. Štoviše, rezultati istraživanja upućuju na različite menadžerske implikacije o tome kako organizacije uspješno povećavaju svoju konkurentsku prednost povećanjem kognitivnih sposobnosti svog lidera u upravljanju

Factors affecting Chinese tourist’s loyalty towards Ho Chi Minh City - A mediation analysis of tourists’ perceived value

The purpose of this research was to examine empirically the causal relationships among push factors, pull factors, risk perception, tourists’ perceived value and loyalty of Chinese tourists travelling to Ho Chi Minh City. A survey was conducted investigating 470 Chinese tourists to collect the primary data. As a result, Chinese tourists’ loyalty towards Ho Chi Minh City could be predicted by some of their push motivation, pull motivation and their perceived value about the trip or tourists’ services received. Consequently, business organizations and tourism companies should consider the crucial roles of push and pull factors to attract more potential repeated visitors and increase their perceived value and loyal to Vietnam, especially to Ho Chi Minh City in the near future

Učinci zelene prakse restorana na namjeru kupca da kupe ekološki prihvatljive proizvode: Dokazi iz Vijetnama

This research aims to identify how green practices affect customer intention to purchase green products via customers’ emotional attachment. Using the PLS-SEM to analyze 358 restaurant guests to find customer intention to purchase green products is a fundamental constituent of a restaurant’s success. The results reveal that the application of recycling and composting, energy and water management activities have a positive significant impact on customer intention to purchase green products and pro-environmental emotional attachment, and the application of organic food-green products and materials have a significant impact on emotional attachment, but not trigger on customer intention to purchase green products. Meanwhile, the application of eco-friendly supplies did not affect emotional attachment and customer intention to purchase. Pro-environmental emotional attachment is a key mediator of the customer intention model. The results provided both knowledge and theory of green practices by adding customers\u27 emotional attachment into the theory of planned behavior to understand customer behavior toward green restaurants. It proposes managerial recommendations and building strategies for the long term to increase customer intention to purchase green products in the restaurant industry.Cilj je ovog istraživanja utvrditi način na koji zelene prakse utječu na namjeru kupca da kupi ekološke proizvode putem emocionalne povezanosti kupaca. Korištenje PLS-SEM-a za analizu gostiju iz 358 restorana kako bi se utvrdila namjera kupca da kupi ekološke proizvode temeljni je dio uspjeha restorana. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na to da primjena recikliranja i kompostiranja, aktivnosti gospodarenja energijom i vodama imaju pozitivan utjecaj na namjeru kupca da kupi zelene proizvode i pro-ekološku emocionalnu privrženost te da primjena organske hrane –zelenih proizvoda i materijala na ekološku proizvodnju imaju značajan utjecaj na emocionalnu privrženost, ali ne i na namjeru kupca da kupi zelene proizvode. U međuvremenu, primjena ekološki prihvatljivih zaliha nije utjecala na emocionalnu privrženost i namjeru kupaca za kupnjom. Emocionalna vezanost za zaštitu okoliša ključni je posrednik modela namjere kupaca.Rezultati su osigurali i znanje i teoriju zelene prakse dodajući emocionalnu privrženost kupaca teoriji o planiranom ponašanju kako bi se razumjelo ponašanje kupaca prema zelenim restoranima. Predlažu se menadžerske preporuke i strategije izgradnje za dugoročno povećanje namjere kupca da kupi zelene proizvode u ugostiteljstvu

Factors affecting employee performance through a mediation of job satisfaction. An empirical study of hospitality industry in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The research was conducted to explore the relationships between the factors of career development, team spirit, relationship at work, compensation and benefit, working environment, job stress and the factor of employee performance through a mediation of job satisfaction in Hospitality Industry in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Based on previous theoretical and empirical studies, the research conceptual framework and hypotheses were constructed. The primary data was collected from a questionnaire survey with 711 respondents. Multiple regression and Path analyses were conducted to test the research hypotheses, the results showed that career development, team spirit, relationship at work, compensation and benefit, working environment, and employee job satisfaction positively and directly impacted on employee performance. In addition, all factors indirectly influenced employee performance through job satisfaction. Hence, organizations operating in hospitality industry in Ho Chi Minh City should understand better employee expectations to efficiently and effectively improve and manage their human resources

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions

Television

This research aimed to identify the factors affecting to customer satisfaction in PayTelevision (PayTV) industry in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Quantitative approach was employed with sample size n=325. Structured questionnaires weredirectly delivered to householders who are using services of Saigon Tourist Cable Television Company (SCTV) in Ho Chi Minh City.The results showed that assurance, bundle of services, responsiveness and tangibles were the significant factors in creating customer satisfaction, and the factors of empathy, switching costs, reliability and prices also indirectly influenced customer satisfaction. The findings of the research indicated that to satisfy customers, the company should continuously improve these significant attributes consisting of bundle of services, tangibles, responsiveness, assurance. In addition, through the value and the service quality which customers have perceived, the company should pay more attention to factors such as prices, switching costs, empathy, reliability to improve the customer satisfaction