This study aims at identifying the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the competitiveness of tourist enterprises in an emerging tourism region – Mekong Delta in Vietnam with an empirical case of Ben Tre Province. Combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, we conducted a survey of 250 respondents including directors, deputy directors, managing and running tourism businesses. Through statistical tests of scale reliability, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, we found that there are five perspectives of CSR significantly affecting the enterprise competitiveness, including (1) human-oriented CSR, (2) social activity–oriented CSR, (3) partner-oriented CSR, (4) environment-oriented CSR and (5) product and service quality–oriented CSR. Especially, this study identified the important roles of three new elements discovered through our expert interviews and group discussions, including ‘connection between business culture development strategy and the local and native cultures’, ‘tourism products/services promoting local special features’ and ‘tourism products/services promoting green environment’. From these findings, we proposed some managerial implications for policymakers to have proper policies in promoting CSR among tourist enterprises and improving their competitiveness.

The purpose of the study is to provide an assessment of both how consumers adopt mobile tourism apps and how consumers use those apps to orient customer intentions to visit tourism destinations. The technology acceptance model (TAM) is used to explore customer intentions to adopt tourism apps. A survey of 630 tourism respondents found that the e-servicescape environment and e-word-of-mouth communication play major roles in determining intentions to adopt tourism apps and to visit tourism destinations. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness tend to be moderators of the effects of the e-servicescape environment and e-word-of-mouth communication on attitudes towards using apps. The results may be important references to conduct further validations, and critical for marketing managers when designing specific criteria to enhance mobile apps and their adoption. The different managerial implications – including apps to differential marketing tools, improving attitudes towards using tourism apps, and segmenting customers in order to design marketing strategies – are considered.

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It is argued that ports are playing a crucial role in developing nations’ economy. Still, solutions to improving port service quality (PSQ) to boost ports’ competitive capacity is questionable. Hence, this study aims to investigate port service quality (PSQ) by using integration of the extension Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) from port users’ perspectives. From the relevant literature and expert interview, the hierarchical structure of PSQ embracing six dimensions with 29 criteria was first established. To test the research model, the Dong Nai port joint stock company (DNPC) and their port-service users were empirically investigated. It is found that: (1) the importance degree of dimensions is ranked as follow: empathy (21.07%), tangibles (20.15%), assurance (15.97%), reliability (15.54%), responsiveness (12.53%), diversity (14.74%); (2) for criteria of PSQ, top five criteria concerned by shipping companies and ocean freight forwarders comprise: "proactive provision of vessel schedules", "cargo handling facilities and equipment", "detailed schedule", "accuracy and consistency of schedules", and "geographical location"; (3) there are four service attributes (SAs) needing to prioritize for improvement, including "perfect transportation of cargos", "ability in dealing with cargo damage", "willingness in helping customers", "provision of special cargo-related services". The practical policy is that port authorities should transfer the limited resources from SAs in Quadrant IV to Quadrant II to enhance the PSQ.

The paper aims to examine the factors affecting brand and student decision in buying fresh milk. Combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, this study used self-completed questionnaires to investigate 520 students in Ho Chi Minh City. The results of the study show that that there are five key determinants affecting the dairy brand and student decision in buying fresh milk, including: (1) product quality, (2) fair price, (3) product promotion and customer services, (4) product convenience, and (5) reference group's attitude to the brand. In addition, it is also found that product brand has a direct and positive impact on the student decision. The finding in this study is quite different from other existing literatures in terms of the importance level of the determinants of the student decision in buying fresh milk; specifically, in deciding to buy their fresh milk, students are often interested in the promotion and customer service, the product convenience, and the reference group for the purchase, more than in the quality and price of the product. From these findings, some managerial implications are proposed for policy-makers and relevant enterprises to have appropriate policies and strategies for their business development.

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This paper studies the factors affecting university and industry collaboration in education in the hospitality industry in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) from a company perspective. The authors use qualitative method and quantitative research to study the matters, specifically using scales and data collected for Cronbach alpha reliability testing, analysizing the discovery factor of EFA, CFA and verifying the regression models through AMOS software with SEM linear modeling. The study proposes four factors: (1) organization factors, (2) contextual factors, (3) process factors, and (4) cooperation perspective impacting on the benefits factors and university and industry collaboration in education. In addition, it is also found that benefits factors has a direct and positive impact on the collaboration in education. The results suggest that the process factor had the strongest positive, followed by the contextual factor. The findings revealed that the benefit factors were significantly related to collaboration in education, which affects university and industry hospitality alliances. This finding confirm that the cooperation perspective (QD) and contextual factors (HC) are critical in collaboration between university and industry. A new point of interest is also identified that the benefits of training links are quite dependent on the linking perspective from tourism businesses.

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