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This study aims to investigate specific professional competencies of teachers to implement education for sustainable development (ESD) in the contexts of Vietnam.

The authors carried out a Delphi study with eight ESD experts in Vietnam to collect their expertise viewpoints regarding teachers’ ESD professional competencies.

In total, 13 competencies related to three dimensions (content knowledge/cognitive, pedagogical and pedagogical content knowledge, motivation and volition) were highlighted by ESD experts.

The proposed teachers’ competencies were based on the ideas of a small group of experts, and the results need to be tested, refined and confirmed by further work. Besides, in this study, we have not defined the levels of achievement for each competency as well as developed assessment tools.

The specific professional competencies for teachers can be considered as a foundation for developing educational offers focusing on promoting the specific teachers’ professional competencies in basic ESD training.

Studies on educators’ professional competencies for ESD mostly were conducted in western countries. However, competencies do not exist independently; instead, they should be considered in specific contexts of teaching, school, culture and society. This research is among one of the first studies that contextualizes teachers’ competencies in a non-western context.

This study examines the impact of perceived value, materialism and tourist intention on willingness to pay a premium for ecotourism (WTPP).

Data were collected and conducted in Vietnamese National Parks. The dataset consists of 927 valid responses by domestic travelers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed relationships among perceived value, materialism, tourist intention and tourists' WTPP.

This study found a significant positive effect of perceived value on both tourist intention and their WTPP. The results also indicated that materialism is revealed to have a totally negative influence on WTPP for ecotourism; its indirect effect is transmitted through tourist intention. These findings highlight that tourists are mainly attracted when they received unique information about eco-destination. Therefore, they tend to participate in ecotourism and decide to pay for ecotourism.

First, the study findings contribute strategies for tourism providers in their marketing activities by segmenting the target market which can be based on tourists with materialistic and nonmaterialistic. Second, ecotourism marketers need to focus on increasing the unique image of ecological sites. These efforts will create a favorable action for tourists. Third, ecotourism providers might increase the prospective customer base among consumers who have materialistic behaviors. Furthermore, they can provide ecotourism promotion materials for targeting customers. Finally, government needs to consider strategies designed to enhance the eco-destination places and environmental intention.

First, the study has not compared the efficacy of two different measures which are affective and cognitive items in perceived value construct. Second, this research does not discuss about the interrelationships among other factors influencing tourists' WTPP. Third, the customers' demographic characteristics in this study did not explore because the difference on gender may be perceived differently in analyzing advertising. Fourth, this study was conducted in Vietnam, not in different countries and other different cultures.

This study investigates the impact of perceived value and materialism on ecotourism intention and tourists' WTPP for ecotourism. This study reveals the understanding of how individuals' concern about the value of ecological sites and influences their intention to actual behavior in engaging ecotourism. Significant practical implications are also provided for ecotourism providers, marketers and government. In general, government needs to consider strategies designed to enhance the eco-destination places and environmental intention. Ecotourism marketers need to focus on increasing the unique image of ecological sites. These efforts will create a favorable action for tourists. Otherwise, ecotourism providers might increase the prospective customer base among consumers who have materialistic behaviors. Furthermore, they can provide ecotourism promotion materials for targeting customers.

In many countries, innovation in building design for improving energy performance, reducing CO2 emissions and minimizing life cycle cost has received much attention for sustainable development. This paper investigates the importance of optimization tools for enhancing the design performance in the early stages of Vietnam's cooling-dominated buildings in hot and humid climates using an integrated building design approach.

The methodology of this study exploits the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) optimization algorithm coupled with building simulation to research a trade-off between the optimization of investment cost and energy consumption. Our approach focuses on the whole optimization problem of thermal envelope, glazing and energy systems from preliminary design phases. The methodology is then tested for a case study of a non-residential building located in Hanoi.

The results show a considerable improvement in design performance by our method compared to current building design. The optimal solutions present the trade-off between energy consumption and capital cost in the form of a Pareto front. This helps architects, engineers and investors make important decisions in the early design stages with a large view of impacts of all factors on energy performance and cost.

This is one of the original research to study integrated building design applying the simulation-based genetic optimization algorithm for cooling-dominated buildings in Vietnam. The case study in this article is for a non-residential building in the north of Vietnam but the methodology can also be applied to residential buildings and other regions.

Groundwater plays a critical part in both natural and human existence. When surface water is scarce in arid climates, groundwater becomes an immensely valuable resource. Dak Lak is an area that frequently lacks water resources for everyday living and production, and the scarcity of water resources is exacerbated during the dry season. As a result, it is critical to do study and understand about groundwater to meet the region's water demand. This study aims to extend the use of the MODFLOW model for groundwater simulation and assess the overall groundwater reserves and water demand in the highland province Dak Lak.

The MODFLOW model is used in this work to compute and analyze the flow, prospective reserves of groundwater from which to plan extraction and estimate groundwater variation in the future.

The application of the MODFLOW model to Dak Lak province demonstrates that, despite limited data, particularly drilling hole data for subterranean water research, the model's calculation results have demonstrated its reliability and great potential for use in other similar places. The use of the model in conjunction with other data extraction modules is a useful input for creating underground flow module maps for various time periods. The large impact of recharge and evaporation on groundwater supplies and water balance in the research area is demonstrated by simulations of climate change scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5.

None of the studies has been done previously to analyze water resources of Dak Lak and the scarcity of water resources is exacerbated during the dry season. Therefore, this study will provide useful insights in the water resource management and the conservation of Dak Lak. The groundwater in Dak Lak can meet the area's water demand, according to the results obtained and water balance in the study area. However, the management of water resources and rigorous monitoring of groundwater extraction activities in the area should receive more attention.

This study aims to address the reliability and construct validity of the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) in a Vietnamese context. Using the IWPQ as a measurement tool, this research also examined whether demographic features (such as gender, education level, work experience and position in a company) influenced employees’ work performance.

The Vietnamese IWPQ was validated via a two-step process of factor analysis, including an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The data collected were randomly divided into two subsamples to independently serve the EFA (n = 341) and CFA (n = 342). ANOVAs and t-tests were also used to examine the differences in individual work performance (IWP) among different demographic categories.

The results of the current study confirmed the applicability of the three-dimensional IWPQ in a Vietnamese context. In addition, they also indicated several demographic features that impacted employees’ patterns of responses to IWPQ dimensions.

This study focused on the construct validity of the IWPQ, without taking the content, face or criterion validity into consideration. Thus, future research should be conducted to yield a more comprehensive validation of the instrument, to measure the relationship between human resource development (HRD) practices and employee performance and to examine the relationship between strategic HRD and IWP and firm outcomes. In addition, the validated Vietnamese version of the IWPQ may inspire comparative studies on individual performance within and between units in an organization and among organizations and industries.

HRD practitioners can now use the validated IWPQ in the Vietnamese language to assess fluctuations in and analyze current staff performance, thereby facilitating human resource management and development. This study also offers recommendations for business leaders and HRD practitioners striving to implement strategic HRD aimed at reducing disparities in gender and between educational qualifications and job assignments at workplace, with the overarching goals of enhancing staff performance. These recommendations prove instrumental in improving staff performance, strengthening organizational efficiency and ultimately tackling the issue of low productivity in Vietnam and neighboring countries.

This study findings underscore the significance of embracing strategic HRD while taking into account individual, organizational and contextual factors that influence IWP. This approach serves to bridge current gaps related to IWP, including Vietnam’s comparatively lower productivity compared to neighboring nations, educational qualifications and role allocations within the workplace, as well as the prevailing work standards and strategic objectives.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this rigorously validated Vietnamese version of the IWPQ is the first of its kind in Vietnam, making a significant contribution to inclusivity initiatives and offering substantial evidence to affirm the IWPQ’s relevance across diverse contexts.

COVID-19 presents a serious and unprecedented challenge around the globe. Street vendors are the most vulnerable group during this pandemic regarding livelihood loss and contagion risk. This research aims to examine the roles of risk communication work in enhancing COVID-19 risk perceptions and adoption of COVID-19 preventive behaviors among street vendors.

The data were collected from the street vendors in urban Vietnam. A binary probit model was used for analyzing the relationships among exposure to risk communication, risk perception and adoption of preventive behaviors.

The analysis reveals the outreach of risk communication work to the street vendors. A rather large proportion of the respondents perceive high risks associated with COVID-19. All respondents adopt COVID-19 preventive behaviors; however, the proportion of regular adoption is moderate and even very low for most behaviors. Their frequent exposure to risk communication significantly raises their risk perceptions and encourages their regular adoption of preventive behaviors, particularly regarding the measures that are affordable and less detrimental to their livelihood.

This research is among the first attempts to examine risk communication to the vulnerable group, how they perceive risks and the extent to which they adopt preventive behaviors during a public health crisis. This research draws some implications for risk communication and social welfare policies to obtain sustainable development goals.

This paper aims to investigate the impacts of green bond issuance on the environment while taking into account the moderating role of issuing countries’ institutional quality.

The analysis is based on a longitudinal data set covering 171 countries and territories during 2007–2018. The authors rigorously account for endogeneity issues using two-stage least squares estimation and a set of instrumental variables for green bond issuance volume.

The overall results confirm the positive environmental impacts of green bonds in reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing renewable energy consumption rate and accelerating the progress towards sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, these effects are contingent upon the levels of institutional development of the issuing countries in a way that green bond issuance only benefits the environment when the institutional quality has reached a minimum level.

The results provide important policy implications for countries in their efforts to prevent environmental degradation and achieve SDGs.

This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a macro-level evaluation of the environmental impact of green bonds, hence, enabling policy implications to be drawn for countries to achieve their SDGs. The analysis is more comprehensive using a wide range of indicators for environmental performance. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is also one of the first attempts to examine the moderating effect of institutions on the environmental impact of green bonds.

This study aims to present the results of a comparative study on the most key reasons for the failure of sustaining activities of operational improvement (OI) methodologies from the different types of manufacturing enterprises that located in Vietnam.

This study presents survey results from 30 local manufacturing enterprises and 21 foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises located in Vietnam – a developing country. The authors utilize a combination method to collect data, including online and direct survey. The targeted interviewees selected to answer the questionnaire are manufacturing managers and top managers working in productivity, quality, engineering and other departments in respective firms. The developed questionnaire is verified by five experts to ensure the validity and soundness.

The study uncover that 21 local enterprises (70%) have not issued standard forms for OI deployment and supervision, while 17 foreign enterprises (81%) have adopted a systematic management and clearly indicators for evaluation of OI outputs. In addition, the top three reasons for OI failure are differences between local and foreign enterprises. In term of OI methodologies, most of participated enterprises implemented Lean tools and principles while only 7.8% of the participated enterprises applied Six Sigma. Three vital findings are uncovered, including, first, 30% of local enterprises standardize and supervise forms of OI.

There is a limitation in sample size, with the number of participants of 51 enterprises. Among the participants, 27% of local enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while 60% of FDI enterprises from large-sized group. This was limited to making a generated conclusion in the comparison of failure factors between two types of enterprises. This partly affects the radical comparison of failure factors between local and FDI enterprises.

To the best of the authors' view, this is the first empirical study that compares the reasons for the failure for sustaining OI between local and foreign enterprises in a developing country. The result from this study will make contributions for further research in considering OI failure factors and then enhance effectiveness of OI methodologies in manufacturing companies.

The purpose of this paper is to show the adaptation of participatory concept: “from passive to active community” which is the key point to achieve successes of the case study project – a cultural village in Tam Thanh, Tam Ky, Quang Nam, Vietnam. Its achievements result from the employment of three principal steps including identifying core issues in the community, creating changes in human perceptions and living conditions, and demanding operation and maintenance of the community further. The project can seem to be an outstanding showcase for the applicability and possibility of other community projects around Vietnam.

The paper uses the previous community projects developed in Vietnam. However, they are less effective for the community in long-term due to ignoring/underestimating the role of local people. The case study is an impoverished residential neighbourhood in Tam Thanh, Quang Nam. The authors along with the colleagues observed and conducted the workshops on site to understand the problems, values and expectations of people and the land. The paper likes as a summary for achievements and lessons extracted from that field study. The comparison to the previous projects shows the efficiency of participatory design with the active involvement of the local community.

The practical experiences to find successes for the community projects in Vietnam: collaboration of experts, architects, volunteers and local people; classification of roles for groups of participants; the involvement of the local government. engagement of a collaborative relationship with the community under the patience, comprehension and sympathy of all members of the community; and role of the architects involving the projects should be supported for people’s participation to come up with the idea instead of proposing strict ideas.

The appropriate approaches on the right subjects and right time are the key of successes and sufficiency for the community projects, particularly to the impoverished neighbourhoods or places with sensitive issues. The Tam Thanh village is a typical example and its experiences can be disseminated for the other projects. It indicates the active and respectful involvement of like-minded people (experts, volunteers, sponsors, managers and in particular local people) is very important to achieve the final expected destination in the purpose for/by/with the community.

The huge effect of community projects is directly on the local people. The approaching and understanding them is challenging. An achievable community project is that the real needs of the people are provided; they are aware of their roles and benefits; and finally, the values are retained and developed sustainably in long term. The community projects are characterised by the participation of many people in many different stages: analysis, design and implementation. Therefore, for the experts, volunteers and managers, they learn to listen to the voice of the local people and to avoid the forced thoughts and underestimation of local people’s involvement.

The value of the study is that the nature of participatory design method is shown through activities and results of the community project in Tam Thanh. The delivery from theoretical features to practical works is not easy and needs observation and understanding of local culture and life. Depending on each specific location, the application of this design theory is flexible and adaptive. An idea for every project is initiation; however, the participation of local people is key to the project’s achievement.

This paper aims to examine how social marketing intervention programmes to measure, evaluate and document social marketing impact.

A systematic review of 49 nutritional behaviour intervention programmes (2006–2020) was conducted. To examine the social marketing impact of the programmes, a logic model of social impact was used. The model comprises inputs (the resources used for an intervention programme), outputs (the direct products resulting from the use of resources), outcomes (short- to medium-term programme effects) and impacts (long-term programme effects on the individual, community or societal levels).

Most intervention programmes set the goal of encouraging their target audience to increase fruit and vegetable intake, choose healthy food items, drink less sugary beverages or consume low-fat diaries, while few others sought policy or systems change. Multiple criteria were used for impact evaluation (e.g. exposure and reach, changes in knowledge, awareness, attitudes, behaviours and body mass index). (Quasi) experiments were the most popular method used for impact measurement, followed by the pre-post model of impact. Positive changes were found in 33 programmes, often reported in terms of short-term outputs or outcomes. Long-term impact particularly on the broader societal level was not indicated.

This research offers a systematic review of how social marketing impact is measured, evaluated and documented. It also provides some guidance for social marketers on how to shift from a reductionist, behavioural outcome-focussed approach towards an “expansionist” impact approach that explicitly considers social marketing impacts on the quality of life of individuals, communities and societies.