Tuong-Minh Ly-Le | Van Lang University (original) (raw)
Papers by Tuong-Minh Ly-Le
Health & New Media Research, 2024
This research examines the digital literacy and misinformation vulnerability among senior citizen... more This research examines the digital literacy and misinformation vulnerability among senior citizens in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to understand how senior citizens navigate the infodemic and identify factors contributing to their susceptibility to misinformation.
The study utilizes participant observation and interview methodologies to explore the experiences of senior citizens with digital literacy and the impact of COVID-19 misinformation. The findings highlight the challenges faced by senior citizens in accessing accurate information and discerning misinformation. Lack of familiarity with news and social media platforms, and concerns regarding trust, privacy, and security hinder their digital literacy skills. Moreover, senior citizens are particularly vulnerable to misinformation, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to enhance their digital literacy and empower them to navigate the infodemic effectively.
DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 2024
This study aims to explore how effective internal communication influences the job satisfaction o... more This study aims to explore how effective internal communication influences the job satisfaction of Vietnamese Gen Z employees, and to understand whether good internal communication can enhance Gen Z employees’ comprehension of their job roles, promotion opportunities, relationships with supervisors, and co-worker interactions, ultimately leading to increased job satisfaction.
The research comprises two phases: a pilot survey and in-depth interviews. The pilot survey confirmed the importance of internal communication and its perceived influence on job satisfaction. Subsequently, in-depth interviews provided nuanced insights into how internal communication practices affect their understanding of work nature, promotion opportunities, relationships with supervisors, and co-workers.
The findings indicate that effective internal communication positively affects Gen Z employees’ understanding of their job roles, increases their awareness of training and promotion opportunities, enhances relationships with supervisors, and fosters productive co-worker interactions. While it did not directly influence salary levels, these internal communication efforts significantly improved job satisfaction.
Advances in marketing, customer relationship management, and e-services book series, Jun 28, 2024
International journal of management in education, 2024
This research explores the landscape of higher education branding in Vietnam, investigating commu... more This research explores the landscape of higher education branding in Vietnam, investigating communication strategies and challenges faced by 30 universities. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of higher education branding in Vietnam and its implications. By conducting interviews with representatives from various Vietnamese universities, the study uncovers that while some institutions have developed comprehensive brand communication plans, others struggle with fragmented approaches and a lack of a unified vision, often focusing on direct marketing for student recruitment. Resource constraints, particularly limited budgets, pose a significant hurdle, hindering comprehensive campaigns and skilled personnel recruitment. The findings emphasise the need for innovative resource allocation and a shared leadership vision. For universities and researchers, this study provides valuable insights into higher education branding dynamics, encouraging a collaborative effort to navigate complexities and contribute to the discourse on effective university branding.
International Journal of Management in Education, 2024
This research explores the landscape of higher education branding in Vietnam, investigating commu... more This research explores the landscape of higher education branding in Vietnam, investigating communication strategies and challenges faced by 30 universities. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of higher education branding in Vietnam and its implications. By conducting interviews with representatives from various Vietnamese universities, the study uncovers that while some institutions have developed comprehensive brand communication plans, others struggle with fragmented approaches and a lack of a unified vision, often focusing on direct marketing for student recruitment. Resource constraints, particularly limited budgets, pose a significant hurdle, hindering comprehensive campaigns and skilled personnel recruitment. The findings emphasise the need for innovative resource allocation and a shared leadership vision. For universities and researchers, this study provides valuable insights into higher education branding dynamics, encouraging a collaborative effort to navigate complexities and contribute to the discourse on effective university branding.
Communitas, 2023
This study investigated the coverage of COVID-19 in Vietnam to understand what types of informati... more This study investigated the coverage of COVID-19 in Vietnam to understand what types of information can be published, how accurate it is, and if media bias exists. The results show that media biases are more clearly presented during the gathering and editing stages of news production. Although COVID-19 received a heightened frequency of reporting, news articles on this topic indicated the limited use of sources, provided mostly general information and statistics, and lacked scientific quality. These results are intended to provide public health authorities and news audiences with an understanding of how a health event is presented in the media.
Social Science Research Network, 2014
IRGC is an independent organisation whose purpose is to promote the understanding and governance ... more IRGC is an independent organisation whose purpose is to promote the understanding and governance of systemic risks that have impacts on human health and safety, the environment, the economy and society at large. IRGC's mission includes developing concepts of risk governance, anticipating major risk issues, and providing risk governance recommendations for key decisionmakers. As with all IRGC concept notes, this document has the purpose of providing a brief overview of some of the issues that IRGC believes are important and aims to address in the course of future project work. Communication is an essential component of risk governance, and social media is now a critical element in the broad communication space. Social media and social networking are changing the way organisations and the public communicate about, and even manage, risk and crisis. IRGC sees that social media represents an opportunity for both the public and private sectors to engage effectively with stakeholders and in particular with affected populations. There are opportunities and challenges that this concept note aims to summarise, focusing on experience-based practices and emerging policies in crisis communication. This paper was written to provide context and suggest questions for discussion during a joint OECD-IRGC expert workshop on crisis communication by governments that was held on 29 June 2012. It was then revised and further developed, with some implications for risk governance in more general terms. Contents Introduction .
DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 2023
This research article aims to examine the entrepreneur’s roles during the business growth stage a... more This research article aims to examine the entrepreneur’s roles during the business growth stage and their exit routes, with a focus on the public relations industry in Vietnam. The findings highlight the transition of entrepreneurs from hands-on involvement in all aspects of the business to assuming strategic roles during the growth stage. Founders play a crucial role in setting the company’s vision, establishing a solid organizational culture, and fostering innovation. The decision of whether to maintain control or delegate management responsibilities is critical, with some entrepreneurs choosing to retain control due to their emotional attachment, while others recognize the need to delegate to professional managers.
Journal of Management Development, 2023
Purpose With the growing importance of small and medium entreprises (SMEs), especially in As... more Purpose
With the growing importance of small and medium entreprises (SMEs), especially in Asia Pacific, the demand for research on these topics continues to grow. This study examines the growth challenges faced by Vietnamese entrepreneurs by exploring the founders' challenges, decisions and motivations during their company's growth stage. The study aims to expand the body of knowledge about entrepreneurship in an emerging Asian market, Vietnam, as well as to give practical advice to entrepreneurs and businesspeople in Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted an inductive, grounded theory approach, using a series of in-depth interviews with public relations agencies' founders in Vietnam.
Findings
The study found that founders in Vietnam's public relations industry are challenge-driven, firmly attached to their founded consulting businesses. These founders appreciate learning and earning opportunities more than company growth or control; thus, they did not demonstrate the growth dilemma usually seen in SME founders.
Practical implications
This study provides guidance to nascent entrepreneurs in Vietnam, especially those in the public relations sector. As founders in this industry usually lack a business management background or experience, understanding what lies ahead in the start-up venture will help them better prepare themselves and avoid failure early in their business.
Originality/value
The study findings challenge the widely-held assumption that all entrepreneurs pursue growth and typically experience the growth versus delegation crisis. The study also contributes by expanding the limited body of knowledge about Vietnamese entrepreneurship, an area that has not been well studied and the Vietnamese public relations agencies.
Athens Journal of Business & Economics, 2023
Purpose: This study focuses on entrepreneurship in Vietnam. It explores a founder's motivations, ... more Purpose: This study focuses on entrepreneurship in Vietnam. It explores a founder's motivations, challenges, and growth strategies through concrete examples from public relations.
Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts an inductive, grounded theory approach and collects data through a series of in-depth interviews.
Findings: The results of this study show that most Vietnamese public relations industry founders are reluctant to make decisions based on their needs. At first, none of them had sufficient management skills or considered managerial tasks to be the most difficult. They are also less likely to make the changes their companies need to grow. They prefer to run small businesses because moderate growth is considered more sustainable and manageable.
Originality: Despite the rising importance of entrepreneurship and public relations in Vietnam, there are only a few studies on Vietnam’s public relations industry, and no previous work has explored why an entrepreneur decides to venture into public relations. Inadequate attention to the field calls for better understanding and research on this topic.
Practical implications: This study expands the body of knowledge on Vietnamese entrepreneurship and provides practical implications and suggestions for businesspeople in Vietnam by providing insights into the founders’ startup and management journey.
Keywords: entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial motivation, business growth, SME, public relations, Vietnam
Styles of Communication, 2022
During health threats like COVID-19, people always expect accurate information and updates from t... more During health threats like COVID-19, people always expect accurate information and updates from the mass media. However, the mass media are often criticized for framing and providing biased information. This study examined how COVID-19 information is presented in the Vietnamese media, using content analysis on the COVID-19 news stories collected from three of the largest publications in Vietnam. The findings showed that news about the COVID-19 pandemic in the Vietnamese media is polarized and focused on providing quick updates, cold facts, statistics, and the negative impact of the pandemic, rather than research on treatments, vaccines, or in-depth analysis of the situation. This practice can cause overwhelming, confused, or negative emotions in the public. This is the first study to examine the extent of health-related coverage in Vietnam and to challenge the effectiveness of the media in Vietnam. It is expected to provide both public health authorities and recipients of information (the community) with an understanding of how a health event is presented in the media and how the communication could be improved.
Journal of Management Development, 2022
Purpose: Gender diversity, or in-diversity, has long been a problem in the tech industry. Until n... more Purpose: Gender diversity, or in-diversity, has long been a problem in the tech industry. Until now, significant gaps and barriers still exist. This paper examines how recruitment practices within the technology sector can contribute to gender inequality and how recruitment practices can be improved to support a gender-diverse organization
Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopted library research and case study as paper's methodologies.
Findings: There are many benefits of gender diversity, including better performance, better financial returns, and lower volatility. However, most tech companies do not make diversity a priority, and usually display conscious or unconscious gender biases. Some of the recommendations to overcome this diversity issue are to make diversity a goal, offer unconscious bias training, and expand recruitment efforts
Practical implications: The findings imply that companies not pursuing a diverse workforce are in danger of experiencing lags in innovation and could be left behind. The findings also show that a technology company can increase the diversity of the company's workforce by applying practices that have already proven to be successful.
Originality/value: This paper confirms that gender parity is not just a social mission nor is gender parity solely a public relations initiative to improve a company's image. Technology companies must be continually innovating to thrive in companies' highly competitive and rapidly changing industry.
This research examined the usefulness of social media for crisis communication in Vietnam from th... more This research examined the usefulness of social media for crisis communication in Vietnam from the perspectives of public relations practitioners and stakeholders to develop an understanding of how and whether social media channels could be used to better respond to stakeholder needs and uphold organizational reputation. Only internal crises that began or were amplified on social media were considered. The research consisted of interviews with 24 practitioners and 13 stakeholders, and survey responses from 50 practitioners and 370 stakeholders. Practitioner questions were developed using three aspects of Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory: (1) the advantages of using social media compared to traditional media, (2) the compatibility of using social media with current norms and values of Vietnamese public relations practitioners and organizations, and (3) the paths by which organizations adopt social media for communicating crises. Compatibility was operationalized by using Hofstede's cultural dimensions of power distance and uncertainty avoidance. Stakeholder questions were developed using Schultz, Utz, and Göritz's networked crisis communication theory (NCCT), which holds that the channel through which a crisis is communicated affects stakeholder reactions. The research found that although social media may be advantageous in pre-crisis and postcrisis stages, most organizations do not engage in monitoring the social media space as Vietnamese public relations is concerned more with marketing than stakeholder relations, and practitioners find social media channels complex to manage. For crisis response, the speed, reach, interactivity, and transparency of social media channels were found to be both advantageous and limiting. An organization would be likely to use social media in addition to traditional media if the organization aimed to quickly reach as many stakeholders as possible, be truthful, receive a positive reaction from stakeholders, prevent rumors, signal willingness to communicate, and make information available to the press. As the results of this study show, social media should be used in addition to traditional media firstly because stakeholders find traditional media more credible, and secondly because any subsequent dialogue would preferably occur offline. If an organization had a strong need to control information, it would likely not select social media. Most stakeholders expressed a preference for well-considered responses in traditional media to quick responses on social media, although many stakeholders want a response in social media, too. As the message matters more than the channel, Vietnamese practitioners should consider the message more thoroughly.
Styles of Communication, 2022
During health threats like COVID-19, people always expect accurate information and updates from t... more During health threats like COVID-19, people always expect accurate information and updates from the mass media. However, the mass media are often criticized for framing and providing biased information. This study examined how COVID-19 information is presented in the Vietnamese media, using content analysis on the COVID-19 news stories collected from three of the largest publications in Vietnam. The findings showed that news about the COVID-19 pandemic in the Vietnamese media is polarized and focused on providing quick updates, cold facts, statistics, and the negative impact of the pandemic, rather than research on treatments, vaccines, or in-depth analysis of the situation. This practice can cause overwhelming, confused, or negative emotions in the public. This is the first study to examine the extent of health-related coverage in Vietnam and to challenge the effectiveness of the media in Vietnam. It is expected to provide both public health authorities and recipients of information (the community) with an understanding of how a health event is presented in the media and how the communication could be improved.
Journal of Communications Media Studies, 2015
As traditional media commonly cover social media content, this study compares the news articles i... more As traditional media commonly cover social media content, this study compares the news articles in traditional and social media to see how they differ in influences, agendas, and coverage. In doing so, this article and seeks to understand the relationship between social media voices and traditional news coverage. By analyzing the Danlait crisis in Vietnam, this case study finds that a triggering event occurred within the participatory culture of social media, from which an online media hype developed. Traditional media then picked up the story, though the routines that constrain traditional media content clearly distinguish it from the social media agenda. The research also leaves room for further case studies and qualitative approach to understand why and how traditional media chooses to cover a social media content, and how social platforms and users impact news coverage in traditional media outlets.
Asian Journal of Applied Communication, Jun 30, 2019
Social media has grown in importance among Vietnamese people in the past five years, and as a res... more Social media has grown in importance among Vietnamese people in the past five years, and as a result it has become common for stakeholders to use it to connect to companies. As a consequence of this new paradigm, various business crises have arisen on social media platforms. Some companies have even begun using social media as their primary crisis response method, but research has yet to explore how social media has changed crisis communication in Vietnam, particularly from the point-of-view of stakeholders. Most stakeholders expressed a preference for well-considered responses in traditional media to quick responses on social media, although many stakeholders want a response in social media, too. As the message matters more than the channel, Vietnamese practitioners should consider the message more thoroughly.
Inquiries Journal, 2015
Vietnam is becoming an increasingly inviting market for foreign investment. However, working with... more Vietnam is becoming an increasingly inviting market for foreign investment. However, working with foreigners and expanding business abroad can be risky for all parties involved. The diversity among business cultures frequently leads to confusion, misunderstanding, and failure in cross-cultural endeavors. It is therefore important to study business negotiation in a cross-cultural setting. This paper addresses nonverbal communication during negotiations between Vietnamese and American businesses. The proxemics within traditional Vietnamese companies are examined, with specific consideration given to the choice of negotiation site and the room arrangement of that site to further determine how American people perceive them and how these factors might affect the negotiation process.
DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 2021
A better understanding of entrepreneurship in different sectors and its motivations, roles, and c... more A better understanding of entrepreneurship in different sectors and its motivations, roles, and challenges offer new opportunities for entrepreneurs to start their business and participate in the national and global economy. This research studied the different entrepreneurial factors that influence the growth stage of public relations companies in Vietnam. In particular, the research examined how the founder's role shifted during the growth stage, and the motivations behind the founder's decision to retain or release their control in this stage.
Using the inductive, grounded theory approach to explore the decision of a founder in Vietnam’s public relations industry during a company’s growth stage, this study found that public relations founders in Vietnam are generally driven by the accomplishments and challenges picked up from their entrepreneurial journey. Their journey mainly revolves around managerial experience, as the managerial tasks would be more complicated and require better managerial skills to address the challenges. They are also open to delegating their role to a professional manager, who already possesses the required management skills, to support the business.
DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 2020
In Vietnam, social media has become an emerging and popular communication platform. Despite the p... more In Vietnam, social media has become an emerging and popular communication platform. Despite the powerful effect of social media in conditioning a crisis, and the trend to integrate social media into crisis management strategies in many countries, Vietnamese companies have often ignored or underutilized these channels. Therefore, this study seeks to fill the gap, to understand how Vietnamese companies perceive the importance and use of social media in crisis communication. The focus of this study is to compare the perceptions of Vietnamese and American public relations practitioners. As America has always been considered a role model and primary influencer for Vietnam's public relations practice, this study compares the perception of social media in Vietnam to that in the U.S. This study aims to understand the underlying factors contributed to that perception and to evaluate the perceived importance of social media in Vietnam's crisis communication.
ABSTRAK Di Vietnam, media sosial telah menjadi platform komunikasi yang berkembang dan populer. Terlepas dari pengaruh kuat media sosial dalam mengkondisikan krisis, dan tren untuk mengintegrasikan media sosial ke dalam strategi manajemen krisis di banyak negara, perusahaan Vietnam sering mengabaikan atau kurang memanfaatkan saluran ini. Oleh karena itu, studi ini betujuan untuk mencari tahu perihal permasalahan tersebut, untuk memahami bagaimana perusahaan Vietnam memandang pentingnya dan penggunaan media sosial dalam komunikasi krisis. Fokus studi ini adalah membandingkan persepsi praktis dari public relations di Vietnam dan Amerika. Karena Amerika selalu dianggap sebagai panutan dan pemberi pengaruh utama untuk praktik PR di Vietnam, penelitian ini membandingkan persepsi media sosial di Vietnam dengan di AS. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami faktor-faktor mendasar yang berkontribusi terhadap persepsi tersebut dan untuk mengevaluasi pentingnya persepsi media sosial dalam komunikasi krisis Vietnam. Kata Kunci: media sosial, krisis komunikasi, respon krisis, Vietnam, U.S.
Health & New Media Research, 2024
This research examines the digital literacy and misinformation vulnerability among senior citizen... more This research examines the digital literacy and misinformation vulnerability among senior citizens in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to understand how senior citizens navigate the infodemic and identify factors contributing to their susceptibility to misinformation.
The study utilizes participant observation and interview methodologies to explore the experiences of senior citizens with digital literacy and the impact of COVID-19 misinformation. The findings highlight the challenges faced by senior citizens in accessing accurate information and discerning misinformation. Lack of familiarity with news and social media platforms, and concerns regarding trust, privacy, and security hinder their digital literacy skills. Moreover, senior citizens are particularly vulnerable to misinformation, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to enhance their digital literacy and empower them to navigate the infodemic effectively.
DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 2024
This study aims to explore how effective internal communication influences the job satisfaction o... more This study aims to explore how effective internal communication influences the job satisfaction of Vietnamese Gen Z employees, and to understand whether good internal communication can enhance Gen Z employees’ comprehension of their job roles, promotion opportunities, relationships with supervisors, and co-worker interactions, ultimately leading to increased job satisfaction.
The research comprises two phases: a pilot survey and in-depth interviews. The pilot survey confirmed the importance of internal communication and its perceived influence on job satisfaction. Subsequently, in-depth interviews provided nuanced insights into how internal communication practices affect their understanding of work nature, promotion opportunities, relationships with supervisors, and co-workers.
The findings indicate that effective internal communication positively affects Gen Z employees’ understanding of their job roles, increases their awareness of training and promotion opportunities, enhances relationships with supervisors, and fosters productive co-worker interactions. While it did not directly influence salary levels, these internal communication efforts significantly improved job satisfaction.
Advances in marketing, customer relationship management, and e-services book series, Jun 28, 2024
International journal of management in education, 2024
This research explores the landscape of higher education branding in Vietnam, investigating commu... more This research explores the landscape of higher education branding in Vietnam, investigating communication strategies and challenges faced by 30 universities. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of higher education branding in Vietnam and its implications. By conducting interviews with representatives from various Vietnamese universities, the study uncovers that while some institutions have developed comprehensive brand communication plans, others struggle with fragmented approaches and a lack of a unified vision, often focusing on direct marketing for student recruitment. Resource constraints, particularly limited budgets, pose a significant hurdle, hindering comprehensive campaigns and skilled personnel recruitment. The findings emphasise the need for innovative resource allocation and a shared leadership vision. For universities and researchers, this study provides valuable insights into higher education branding dynamics, encouraging a collaborative effort to navigate complexities and contribute to the discourse on effective university branding.
International Journal of Management in Education, 2024
This research explores the landscape of higher education branding in Vietnam, investigating commu... more This research explores the landscape of higher education branding in Vietnam, investigating communication strategies and challenges faced by 30 universities. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of higher education branding in Vietnam and its implications. By conducting interviews with representatives from various Vietnamese universities, the study uncovers that while some institutions have developed comprehensive brand communication plans, others struggle with fragmented approaches and a lack of a unified vision, often focusing on direct marketing for student recruitment. Resource constraints, particularly limited budgets, pose a significant hurdle, hindering comprehensive campaigns and skilled personnel recruitment. The findings emphasise the need for innovative resource allocation and a shared leadership vision. For universities and researchers, this study provides valuable insights into higher education branding dynamics, encouraging a collaborative effort to navigate complexities and contribute to the discourse on effective university branding.
Communitas, 2023
This study investigated the coverage of COVID-19 in Vietnam to understand what types of informati... more This study investigated the coverage of COVID-19 in Vietnam to understand what types of information can be published, how accurate it is, and if media bias exists. The results show that media biases are more clearly presented during the gathering and editing stages of news production. Although COVID-19 received a heightened frequency of reporting, news articles on this topic indicated the limited use of sources, provided mostly general information and statistics, and lacked scientific quality. These results are intended to provide public health authorities and news audiences with an understanding of how a health event is presented in the media.
Social Science Research Network, 2014
IRGC is an independent organisation whose purpose is to promote the understanding and governance ... more IRGC is an independent organisation whose purpose is to promote the understanding and governance of systemic risks that have impacts on human health and safety, the environment, the economy and society at large. IRGC's mission includes developing concepts of risk governance, anticipating major risk issues, and providing risk governance recommendations for key decisionmakers. As with all IRGC concept notes, this document has the purpose of providing a brief overview of some of the issues that IRGC believes are important and aims to address in the course of future project work. Communication is an essential component of risk governance, and social media is now a critical element in the broad communication space. Social media and social networking are changing the way organisations and the public communicate about, and even manage, risk and crisis. IRGC sees that social media represents an opportunity for both the public and private sectors to engage effectively with stakeholders and in particular with affected populations. There are opportunities and challenges that this concept note aims to summarise, focusing on experience-based practices and emerging policies in crisis communication. This paper was written to provide context and suggest questions for discussion during a joint OECD-IRGC expert workshop on crisis communication by governments that was held on 29 June 2012. It was then revised and further developed, with some implications for risk governance in more general terms. Contents Introduction .
DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 2023
This research article aims to examine the entrepreneur’s roles during the business growth stage a... more This research article aims to examine the entrepreneur’s roles during the business growth stage and their exit routes, with a focus on the public relations industry in Vietnam. The findings highlight the transition of entrepreneurs from hands-on involvement in all aspects of the business to assuming strategic roles during the growth stage. Founders play a crucial role in setting the company’s vision, establishing a solid organizational culture, and fostering innovation. The decision of whether to maintain control or delegate management responsibilities is critical, with some entrepreneurs choosing to retain control due to their emotional attachment, while others recognize the need to delegate to professional managers.
Journal of Management Development, 2023
Purpose With the growing importance of small and medium entreprises (SMEs), especially in As... more Purpose
With the growing importance of small and medium entreprises (SMEs), especially in Asia Pacific, the demand for research on these topics continues to grow. This study examines the growth challenges faced by Vietnamese entrepreneurs by exploring the founders' challenges, decisions and motivations during their company's growth stage. The study aims to expand the body of knowledge about entrepreneurship in an emerging Asian market, Vietnam, as well as to give practical advice to entrepreneurs and businesspeople in Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted an inductive, grounded theory approach, using a series of in-depth interviews with public relations agencies' founders in Vietnam.
Findings
The study found that founders in Vietnam's public relations industry are challenge-driven, firmly attached to their founded consulting businesses. These founders appreciate learning and earning opportunities more than company growth or control; thus, they did not demonstrate the growth dilemma usually seen in SME founders.
Practical implications
This study provides guidance to nascent entrepreneurs in Vietnam, especially those in the public relations sector. As founders in this industry usually lack a business management background or experience, understanding what lies ahead in the start-up venture will help them better prepare themselves and avoid failure early in their business.
Originality/value
The study findings challenge the widely-held assumption that all entrepreneurs pursue growth and typically experience the growth versus delegation crisis. The study also contributes by expanding the limited body of knowledge about Vietnamese entrepreneurship, an area that has not been well studied and the Vietnamese public relations agencies.
Athens Journal of Business & Economics, 2023
Purpose: This study focuses on entrepreneurship in Vietnam. It explores a founder's motivations, ... more Purpose: This study focuses on entrepreneurship in Vietnam. It explores a founder's motivations, challenges, and growth strategies through concrete examples from public relations.
Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts an inductive, grounded theory approach and collects data through a series of in-depth interviews.
Findings: The results of this study show that most Vietnamese public relations industry founders are reluctant to make decisions based on their needs. At first, none of them had sufficient management skills or considered managerial tasks to be the most difficult. They are also less likely to make the changes their companies need to grow. They prefer to run small businesses because moderate growth is considered more sustainable and manageable.
Originality: Despite the rising importance of entrepreneurship and public relations in Vietnam, there are only a few studies on Vietnam’s public relations industry, and no previous work has explored why an entrepreneur decides to venture into public relations. Inadequate attention to the field calls for better understanding and research on this topic.
Practical implications: This study expands the body of knowledge on Vietnamese entrepreneurship and provides practical implications and suggestions for businesspeople in Vietnam by providing insights into the founders’ startup and management journey.
Keywords: entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial motivation, business growth, SME, public relations, Vietnam
Styles of Communication, 2022
During health threats like COVID-19, people always expect accurate information and updates from t... more During health threats like COVID-19, people always expect accurate information and updates from the mass media. However, the mass media are often criticized for framing and providing biased information. This study examined how COVID-19 information is presented in the Vietnamese media, using content analysis on the COVID-19 news stories collected from three of the largest publications in Vietnam. The findings showed that news about the COVID-19 pandemic in the Vietnamese media is polarized and focused on providing quick updates, cold facts, statistics, and the negative impact of the pandemic, rather than research on treatments, vaccines, or in-depth analysis of the situation. This practice can cause overwhelming, confused, or negative emotions in the public. This is the first study to examine the extent of health-related coverage in Vietnam and to challenge the effectiveness of the media in Vietnam. It is expected to provide both public health authorities and recipients of information (the community) with an understanding of how a health event is presented in the media and how the communication could be improved.
Journal of Management Development, 2022
Purpose: Gender diversity, or in-diversity, has long been a problem in the tech industry. Until n... more Purpose: Gender diversity, or in-diversity, has long been a problem in the tech industry. Until now, significant gaps and barriers still exist. This paper examines how recruitment practices within the technology sector can contribute to gender inequality and how recruitment practices can be improved to support a gender-diverse organization
Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopted library research and case study as paper's methodologies.
Findings: There are many benefits of gender diversity, including better performance, better financial returns, and lower volatility. However, most tech companies do not make diversity a priority, and usually display conscious or unconscious gender biases. Some of the recommendations to overcome this diversity issue are to make diversity a goal, offer unconscious bias training, and expand recruitment efforts
Practical implications: The findings imply that companies not pursuing a diverse workforce are in danger of experiencing lags in innovation and could be left behind. The findings also show that a technology company can increase the diversity of the company's workforce by applying practices that have already proven to be successful.
Originality/value: This paper confirms that gender parity is not just a social mission nor is gender parity solely a public relations initiative to improve a company's image. Technology companies must be continually innovating to thrive in companies' highly competitive and rapidly changing industry.
This research examined the usefulness of social media for crisis communication in Vietnam from th... more This research examined the usefulness of social media for crisis communication in Vietnam from the perspectives of public relations practitioners and stakeholders to develop an understanding of how and whether social media channels could be used to better respond to stakeholder needs and uphold organizational reputation. Only internal crises that began or were amplified on social media were considered. The research consisted of interviews with 24 practitioners and 13 stakeholders, and survey responses from 50 practitioners and 370 stakeholders. Practitioner questions were developed using three aspects of Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory: (1) the advantages of using social media compared to traditional media, (2) the compatibility of using social media with current norms and values of Vietnamese public relations practitioners and organizations, and (3) the paths by which organizations adopt social media for communicating crises. Compatibility was operationalized by using Hofstede's cultural dimensions of power distance and uncertainty avoidance. Stakeholder questions were developed using Schultz, Utz, and Göritz's networked crisis communication theory (NCCT), which holds that the channel through which a crisis is communicated affects stakeholder reactions. The research found that although social media may be advantageous in pre-crisis and postcrisis stages, most organizations do not engage in monitoring the social media space as Vietnamese public relations is concerned more with marketing than stakeholder relations, and practitioners find social media channels complex to manage. For crisis response, the speed, reach, interactivity, and transparency of social media channels were found to be both advantageous and limiting. An organization would be likely to use social media in addition to traditional media if the organization aimed to quickly reach as many stakeholders as possible, be truthful, receive a positive reaction from stakeholders, prevent rumors, signal willingness to communicate, and make information available to the press. As the results of this study show, social media should be used in addition to traditional media firstly because stakeholders find traditional media more credible, and secondly because any subsequent dialogue would preferably occur offline. If an organization had a strong need to control information, it would likely not select social media. Most stakeholders expressed a preference for well-considered responses in traditional media to quick responses on social media, although many stakeholders want a response in social media, too. As the message matters more than the channel, Vietnamese practitioners should consider the message more thoroughly.
Styles of Communication, 2022
During health threats like COVID-19, people always expect accurate information and updates from t... more During health threats like COVID-19, people always expect accurate information and updates from the mass media. However, the mass media are often criticized for framing and providing biased information. This study examined how COVID-19 information is presented in the Vietnamese media, using content analysis on the COVID-19 news stories collected from three of the largest publications in Vietnam. The findings showed that news about the COVID-19 pandemic in the Vietnamese media is polarized and focused on providing quick updates, cold facts, statistics, and the negative impact of the pandemic, rather than research on treatments, vaccines, or in-depth analysis of the situation. This practice can cause overwhelming, confused, or negative emotions in the public. This is the first study to examine the extent of health-related coverage in Vietnam and to challenge the effectiveness of the media in Vietnam. It is expected to provide both public health authorities and recipients of information (the community) with an understanding of how a health event is presented in the media and how the communication could be improved.
Journal of Communications Media Studies, 2015
As traditional media commonly cover social media content, this study compares the news articles i... more As traditional media commonly cover social media content, this study compares the news articles in traditional and social media to see how they differ in influences, agendas, and coverage. In doing so, this article and seeks to understand the relationship between social media voices and traditional news coverage. By analyzing the Danlait crisis in Vietnam, this case study finds that a triggering event occurred within the participatory culture of social media, from which an online media hype developed. Traditional media then picked up the story, though the routines that constrain traditional media content clearly distinguish it from the social media agenda. The research also leaves room for further case studies and qualitative approach to understand why and how traditional media chooses to cover a social media content, and how social platforms and users impact news coverage in traditional media outlets.
Asian Journal of Applied Communication, Jun 30, 2019
Social media has grown in importance among Vietnamese people in the past five years, and as a res... more Social media has grown in importance among Vietnamese people in the past five years, and as a result it has become common for stakeholders to use it to connect to companies. As a consequence of this new paradigm, various business crises have arisen on social media platforms. Some companies have even begun using social media as their primary crisis response method, but research has yet to explore how social media has changed crisis communication in Vietnam, particularly from the point-of-view of stakeholders. Most stakeholders expressed a preference for well-considered responses in traditional media to quick responses on social media, although many stakeholders want a response in social media, too. As the message matters more than the channel, Vietnamese practitioners should consider the message more thoroughly.
Inquiries Journal, 2015
Vietnam is becoming an increasingly inviting market for foreign investment. However, working with... more Vietnam is becoming an increasingly inviting market for foreign investment. However, working with foreigners and expanding business abroad can be risky for all parties involved. The diversity among business cultures frequently leads to confusion, misunderstanding, and failure in cross-cultural endeavors. It is therefore important to study business negotiation in a cross-cultural setting. This paper addresses nonverbal communication during negotiations between Vietnamese and American businesses. The proxemics within traditional Vietnamese companies are examined, with specific consideration given to the choice of negotiation site and the room arrangement of that site to further determine how American people perceive them and how these factors might affect the negotiation process.
DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 2021
A better understanding of entrepreneurship in different sectors and its motivations, roles, and c... more A better understanding of entrepreneurship in different sectors and its motivations, roles, and challenges offer new opportunities for entrepreneurs to start their business and participate in the national and global economy. This research studied the different entrepreneurial factors that influence the growth stage of public relations companies in Vietnam. In particular, the research examined how the founder's role shifted during the growth stage, and the motivations behind the founder's decision to retain or release their control in this stage.
Using the inductive, grounded theory approach to explore the decision of a founder in Vietnam’s public relations industry during a company’s growth stage, this study found that public relations founders in Vietnam are generally driven by the accomplishments and challenges picked up from their entrepreneurial journey. Their journey mainly revolves around managerial experience, as the managerial tasks would be more complicated and require better managerial skills to address the challenges. They are also open to delegating their role to a professional manager, who already possesses the required management skills, to support the business.
DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 2020
In Vietnam, social media has become an emerging and popular communication platform. Despite the p... more In Vietnam, social media has become an emerging and popular communication platform. Despite the powerful effect of social media in conditioning a crisis, and the trend to integrate social media into crisis management strategies in many countries, Vietnamese companies have often ignored or underutilized these channels. Therefore, this study seeks to fill the gap, to understand how Vietnamese companies perceive the importance and use of social media in crisis communication. The focus of this study is to compare the perceptions of Vietnamese and American public relations practitioners. As America has always been considered a role model and primary influencer for Vietnam's public relations practice, this study compares the perception of social media in Vietnam to that in the U.S. This study aims to understand the underlying factors contributed to that perception and to evaluate the perceived importance of social media in Vietnam's crisis communication.
ABSTRAK Di Vietnam, media sosial telah menjadi platform komunikasi yang berkembang dan populer. Terlepas dari pengaruh kuat media sosial dalam mengkondisikan krisis, dan tren untuk mengintegrasikan media sosial ke dalam strategi manajemen krisis di banyak negara, perusahaan Vietnam sering mengabaikan atau kurang memanfaatkan saluran ini. Oleh karena itu, studi ini betujuan untuk mencari tahu perihal permasalahan tersebut, untuk memahami bagaimana perusahaan Vietnam memandang pentingnya dan penggunaan media sosial dalam komunikasi krisis. Fokus studi ini adalah membandingkan persepsi praktis dari public relations di Vietnam dan Amerika. Karena Amerika selalu dianggap sebagai panutan dan pemberi pengaruh utama untuk praktik PR di Vietnam, penelitian ini membandingkan persepsi media sosial di Vietnam dengan di AS. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami faktor-faktor mendasar yang berkontribusi terhadap persepsi tersebut dan untuk mengevaluasi pentingnya persepsi media sosial dalam komunikasi krisis Vietnam. Kata Kunci: media sosial, krisis komunikasi, respon krisis, Vietnam, U.S.
![Research paper thumbnail of Nâng cao hiệu quả truyền thông nội bộ tại các trường đại học Việt Nam [Improving internal communication effectiveness at Vietnamese universities]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/119987581/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Proceedings of the “Digital Convergence in Economics, Society and Technology – DCEST 2024” Conference, 2024
Nhiều nghiên cứu đã nhấn mạnh vai trò của truyền thông bên ngoài để thu hút sinh viên, tuy nhiên ... more Nhiều nghiên cứu đã nhấn mạnh vai trò của truyền thông bên ngoài để thu hút sinh viên, tuy nhiên hoạt động thông tin tới công chúng nội bộ như giảng viên, nhân viên, và sinh viên hiện tại vẫn chưa được chú trọng đúng mức. Nghiên cứu này nhằm đánh giá các hoạt động truyền thông nội bộ hiện đang được sử dụng tại các trường đại học Việt Nam và đề xuất giải pháp nhằm tăng cường gắn kết giữa các bên liên quan trong nội bộ nhà trường để có thể góp phần xây dựng chiến lược truyền thông tổng thể hiệu quả hơn. Nghiên cứu sử dụng phương pháp định tính, với 15 cuộc phỏng vấn các cán bộ truyền thông và cán bộ quản lý các trường đại học tại Việt Nam.
Kết quả cho thấy truyền thông nội bộ thường mang tính chất tự phát, thiếu định hướng chiến lược, và phần lớn các trường đại học ưu tiên truyền thông bên ngoài phục vụ cho việc tuyển sinh. Tại các trường đại học đầu tư vào truyền thông nội bộ cán bộ, giảng viên, sinh viên, chuyên viên (công chúng nội bộ) gắn bó với nhà trường hơn và thấu hiểu hơn mục tiêu, sứ mạng của nhà trường. Tuy nhiên, giảng viên và sinh viên vẫn chưa trở thành đại sứ thương hiệu của nhà trường.
Để xây dựng một chiến lược truyền thông toàn diện, các trường đại học Việt Nam cần sử dụng hiệu quả các kênh truyền thông nội bộ và thu hút tốt các đối tượng liên quan tham gia vào các hoạt động xây dựng thương hiệu.
While many studies have emphasized external communication for student recruitment, internal communication with stakeholders such as faculty, staff, and current students has not been adequately addressed. The objective is to evaluate current internal communication practices at Vietnamese universities and explore how improving engagement with internal stakeholders can contribute to more effective overall communication strategies. The study employs a qualitative approach, conducting interviews with communication officers and administrative staff from 15 universities across Vietnam.
The results show that internal communication is often spontaneous and lacks strategic direction, with most universities prioritizing external communication for recruitment purposes. Universities that invest in internal communication report better staff engagement and alignment with organizational goals. However, faculty and students are not yet fully utilized as brand ambassadors.
To develop a comprehensive communication strategy, Vietnamese universities must formalize internal communication channels and better integrate internal stakeholders into branding efforts. This will help create a unified institutional identity and strengthen the overall communication framework.
![Research paper thumbnail of Một số hoạt động truyền thông tuyển sinh tiêu biểu hiện nay [Some common practices in current student recruitment communication]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/106608494/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Proceedings of the “Một số kinh nghiệm truyền thông của trường đại học trong bối cảnh hiện nay” [“University communication experiences in the current context”] Conference, 2023
Trong bối cảnh chính phủ tăng cường tự chủ và quốc tế hóa giáo dục đại học, các trường đại học tạ... more Trong bối cảnh chính phủ tăng cường tự chủ và quốc tế hóa giáo dục đại học, các trường đại học tại Việt Nam trong khoảng 10 năm trở lại đây bắt đầu đối mặt với cạnh tranh trong tuyển sinh và quan tâm nhiều hơn tới hoạt động marketing, truyền thông. Tại Việt Nam có nhiều mô hình trường đại học: Đại học quốc tế, đại học dân lập (Việt Nam), đại học công lập tự chủ tài chính, Đại học công lập đang trong quá trình chuyển sang tự chủ và đại học công lập chưa tự chủ. Mô hình của nhà trường có ảnh hưởng quan trọng tới mô hình của phòng truyền thông (một số trường đặc biệt là các trường chưa tự chủ hoặc chuẩn bị tự chủ chưa có phòng truyền thông trong khi các trường đại học quốc tế hoặc các trường đại học ngoài công lập lại có trung tâm marketing, quan hệ công chúng lên tới hai mươi người). Bài báo cung cấp thông tin về các hoạt động truyền thông tuyển sinh phổ biến mà các trường đang dùng hiện nay và các công cụ truyền thông đi kèm (trang web, mạng xã hội, ấn phẩm in…), dựa trên dữ liệu phân tích 20 cuộc phỏng vấn chuyên viên truyền thông các trường đại học tại Việt Nam.
In the context that the government enhance higher education autonomy and internationalization, in the past 10 years, universities in the country are facing increasing competition in enrollment and have to pay more attention to marketing and communication activities. In Vietnam, there are several university models: international universities, private universities, public universities that are either financially autonomous, or preparing for autonomy or not yet autonomous. The university model has a significant impact on the communication office's model: some universities, especially those that are not yet autonomous or preparing for autonomy, may not have a dedicated communication office, while international universities or nonpublic universities may have marketing and public relations centers with up to twenty staff members. This article provides information on current popular enrollment communication activities that universities are bringing into action and accompanying communication tools (websites, social media, printed materials...), based on data analysis from 24 interviews with communication specialists from universities in Vietnam.
Social media has changed the way information is sought and collected. Everyone has potential to i... more Social media has changed the way information is sought and collected. Everyone has potential to influence others through social media. Therefore, social media is used increasingly in crisis communication. Crisis managers must be able to identify warning signs and enact effective strategic responses faster and more accurately. However, research on social media in crisis communication is mostly focusing on how management and public relations forces use social media to respond to a crisis. In most research, stakeholders, media and general audiences are neglected. This paper examines the use of social media by those other publics during crisis, through a case study of Danlait’s milk crisis in 2013, to evaluate the importance of social media in crisis communication in Vietnam, and to understand what factors contributed to the becoming of a social media crisis in Vietnam.
Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Business Management (ICEBM 2020), 2021
With the increased importance of SMEs, especially in the Asia Pacific region, the demand for rese... more With the increased importance of SMEs, especially in the Asia Pacific region, the demand for research on these topics continues to rise. The focus of this study is on the motivations of the founders behind their decisions for a growing business in an emerging Asian market, Vietnam. The findings of this study present that the public relations founders in Vietnam are generally driven by the accomplishments and challenges picked up from the entrepreneurial journey. They are not as focused on company control or economic gain from founding a company. They are also open to delegating their role to a professional manager, who already possesses the required management skills, to support the business. This study contributes to the scholarship of entrepreneurship and SMEs by exploring the entrepreneurial experience and decisions during the company growth stage. It challenges the assumption that entrepreneurs pursue growth and usually experience the growth versus delegation crisis.
Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Business, Management and Accounting (IBSM 2018), 2018
Social media is considered one of the most popular communication platforms in Vietnam. Recently, ... more Social media is considered one of the most popular communication platforms in Vietnam. Recently, organizations in Vietnam have seen a rise of social media usage during crises when stakeholders seek and share news about a corporate crisis on social media, and organizations start to response on this same channel. This study examines the use of social media for crisis communication in Vietnamese organizations. Little research has dedicated to exploring this topic, on the use of social media in PR or in crisis communication in a Vietnamese setting. To address this gap, this research employs the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the networked crisis communication theory (NCCT) to identify the many influences on social media adoption for crisis communication within organizations.
Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Business, Management and Accounting (IBSM 2018), 2018
With the growing importance of social media for the Vietnamese people, in the past five years, Vi... more With the growing importance of social media for the Vietnamese people, in the past five years, Vietnam has seen many company or brand crises that started on social media, and some organizations have started to use social media for crisis response. However, little research has explored the use of social media in PR or in crisis communication in a Vietnamese setting, and even fewer studies were dedicated to exploring the stakeholders’ viewpoint. Therefore, this research examines the use of social media for crisis communication in Vietnamese organizations from a stakeholder’s viewpoint. By using the networked crisis communication theory (NCCT) and through a survey with 370 people in Vietnam, this research aims to understand how Vietnamese stakeholders perceive the organizations’ effort of using social media in crisis response and what they think the organizations should have done with social media during crises.
Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Entrepreneurship and Business Management (ICEBM 2017), 2017
In Vietnam, social media has become one of the most popular communication platforms. With the gro... more In Vietnam, social media has become one of the most popular communication platforms. With the growing importance of social media for the Vietnamese people, in the past five years, Vietnam has seen a number of organizational or brand crises that started on social media. A single post online could be shared virally and attract enough attention to become a full crisis. However, while social media has been widely used in marketing and promotional activities, Vietnamese organizations have often ignored or underutilized these channels in their crisis communication efforts. Organizations focus their crisis communication through traditional media outlets and paid little to no attention to social media outlets, even if the crisis had started on social media channels. Little research has dedicated to exploring this topic, on the use of social media in PR or in crisis communication in a Vietnamese setting. To address this gap, this research aims to identify what facilitates and hinders the use of social media in crisis communication in Vietnamese organizations.
JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION, 2015
Vietnam has joined the globalization trend to make itself an inviting market for foreign investme... more Vietnam has joined the globalization trend to make itself an inviting market for foreign investment. However, working with foreigners and expanding business abroad can be a risky venture. The diversity among business cultures frequently leads to confusion, misunderstandings, and failures in cross-cultural endeavors. There is hence a need to study business negotiation in a cross-cultural setting. Among the investing countries, America has always been on top of the list, with a strong strategic partnership for years and billions of U.S. dollars in registered invested capital. Many studies have been conducted to understand this important partner, yet none of them so far have addressed nonverbal communication during negotiations between Vietnamese and American businesses. This paper examines through reviewing related studies on the proxemics within a traditional Vietnamese company, specifically the choice of negotiation site (e.g. location) and the room arrangement of that site to see how American people perceive them and how they affect the negotiation process.
This book explores the nexus between social media use among young people and political participat... more This book explores the nexus between social media use among young people and political participation in Vietnam, which presents a novel case example for examining whether social media can expand the public sphere to become involved in everyday politics. With an estimated 72 million Vietnamese on Facebook, the country is the seventh-largest user base in the world. This social media platform alone has created a virtual public sphere outside of and beyond the scope of the ruling Communist Party and its state-owned media outlets. The authors analyse the paradox of a complicated balancing act of digital participation in an authoritarian state, promoting a new understanding of social media in non-Western societies. The book generates a considerable body of empirical findings relating to political engagement amongst the youth in the digital age, and develops the theory of the public sphere beyond Habermas within this context. In its examination of the role of social media in society and in political communication generally, and the role of social media in authoritarian states, specifically, this book is of interest to students and scholars researching social media, political communication, and media theories. It is also relevant to those studying the intersection of media and politics in Southeast Asia, and in authoritarian states globally.