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Institutions matter: The case of Vietnam

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  • Tran, Thi Bich
  • Grafton, R. Quentin
  • Kompas, Tom

Abstract

The paper investigates institutional reforms in Vietnam and their impact on the economic performance of firms. Using the provincial competitiveness index 2006 (PCI06) and firm-level data in Vietnam in 2005, the results show that provincial competitiveness is economically and statistically significant in explaining cross-province differences in firm performance. We find that a 1% point improvement in government practice could increase the daily value-added of an average firm by an amount equivalent to nearly three times per capita GDP per day. The results show that an improvement in providing market information, more secure land tenure and labor training assistance has a positive effect on firm performance. By contrast, weaknesses in the judiciary system and administrative reforms impede growth of non-state firms. The findings indicate that governance is an important obstacle to the development of the non-state sector in Vietnam.

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  • Tran, Thi Bich & Grafton, R. Quentin & Kompas, Tom, 2009. "Institutions matter: The case of Vietnam," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 1-12, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:38:y:2009:i:1:p:1-12
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    Cited by:

    1. Nguyen Van Bon, 2019. "The Role Of Institutional Quality In The Relationship Between Fdi And Economic Growth In Vietnam: Empirical Evidence From Provincial Data," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 64(03), pages 601-623, June.
    2. Nguyen, Thi Tuyet Mai, 2017. "An examination of independent directors in Vietnam," OSF Preprints ay6dv, Center for Open Science.
    3. Dang, Duc Anh, 2013. "How foreign direct investment promote institutional quality: Evidence from Vietnam," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 1054-1072.
    4. Thi Xuan Thu Nguyen & Javier Revilla Diez, 2017. "Multinational enterprises and industrial spatial concentration patterns in the Red River Delta and Southeast Vietnam," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 59(1), pages 101-138, July.
    5. Doan, Quang Hung & Vu, Hoang Nam & Dao, Ngoc Tien, 2013. "Sub-National Institutions and Firm Survival in Vietnam," MPRA Paper 63653, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Jabbar, Mohammad A., 2009. "Outlook for meat markets to 2020:Global and Southeast Asia regional perspectives," Research Reports 181855, International Livestock Research Institute.
    7. Van Bon Nguyen, 2021. "The relationship between FDI inflows and private investment in Vietnam: Does institutional environment matter?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 1151-1162, January.
    8. Malesky, Edmund J. & Nguyen, Thang V. & Bach, Thang N. & Ho, Bao D., 2020. "The effect of market competition on bribery in emerging economies: An empirical analysis of Vietnamese firms," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    9. The Nguyen Huynh, 2022. "Spatial effects of institutional quality on firm performance: evidence from Vietnam," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 36(2), pages 89-105, November.
    10. Tran, Hien Thu, 2019. "Institutional quality and market selection in the transition to market economy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 1-1.
    11. Nguyen, Thang V. & Le, Ngoc T.B. & Bryant, Scott E., 2013. "Sub-national institutions, firm strategies, and firm performance: A multilevel study of private manufacturing firms in Vietnam," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 68-76.
    12. Jayachandran, Seema & Olken, Benjamin & Bai, Jie & Malesky, Edmund J., 2013. "Does Economic Growth Reduce Corruption? Theory and Evidence from Vietnam," CEPR Discussion Papers 9677, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. Uchenna EFOBI & Xuan VINH VO & Emmanuel ORKOH, 2022. "Are there wages from “sin”? Working conditions spillover from paying bribe in Vietnam," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 1975-1995, April.
    14. Nam Tran-Quy & Almas Heshmati, 2009. "Measurements and Determinants of Pay Inequality and its Impacts on Firms Performance in Vietnam," TEMEP Discussion Papers 200930, Seoul National University; Technology Management, Economics, and Policy Program (TEMEP), revised Nov 2009.
    15. Man Zhang & Qian Gao & Hyuk-Soo Cho, 2017. "The effect of sub-national institutions and international entrepreneurial capability on international performance of export-focused SMEs: Evidence from China and South Korea," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 85-110, March.
    16. Thi Mai Phuong, Chu, 2018. "Impacts of Institutions on the Performances of Enterprises in Vietnam," Papers 1149, World Trade Institute.
    17. Le, Minh Son, 2014. "Trade openness and household welfare within a country: A microeconomic analysis of Vietnamese households," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 56-70.
    18. Dinh Thanh, Su & Hart, Neil & Canh, Nguyen Phuc, 2020. "Public spending, public governance and economic growth at the Vietnamese provincial level: A disaggregate analysis," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(4).
    19. Harbi, Sana El & Anderson, Alistair R., 2010. "Institutions and the shaping of different forms of entrepreneurship," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 436-444, June.
    20. The Nguyen Huynh, 2022. "Dynamic spatial effects of determinants of foreign direct investment: A case of the southern key economic region of Vietnam," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 436-454, September.
    21. Mai, Nhat Chi, 2021. "Determinants of successful adoption of the Balanced Scorecard in Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises," OSF Preprints 5hx2r, Center for Open Science.
    22. Thi Quynh Trang Do, 2009. "How firm characteristics affect the level of constrain to growth : An empirical analysis of micro and small firms in Vietnam," Post-Print halshs-00429732, HAL.
    23. Huong, Vu Van & Cuong, Ly Kim, 2019. "Does government support promote SME tax payments? New evidence from Vietnam," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    24. Yu Ri KIM & TODO Yasuyuki, 2019. "Are Politically Connected Firms More Likely to Export?," Discussion papers 19049, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Institution Transition Property rights Non-state firm;

    JEL classification:

    • B25 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Austrian; Stockholm School
    • B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Modern Monetary Theory;
    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • N01 - Economic History - - General - - - Development of the Discipline: Historiographical; Sources and Methods
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights

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