Dinh Thi Mung

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Export upgrading has become a pressing concern for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies. Digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) are often presented as fast-track solutions. Yet evidence on whether these technologies actually improve export performance remains inconclusive. In many industries, technology adoption does not automatically translate into stronger foreign market outcomes, especially where internal capabilities differ substantially.
The purpose of this study is to examine how digital transformation, AI adoption, innovation activity, labor productivity, and foreign direct investment (FDI) relate to SME export performance in Vietnam’s manufacturing sector over the period 2015–2023. Using industry-level panel data (63 observations) and pooled OLS and fixed-effects estimations, the analysis evaluates both internal capability factors and external structural influences.
The results reveal a clear pattern. Innovation is positively associated with export performance (β = 45.61, p < 0.01), and labor productivity exerts a significant positive effect (β = 24.57, p < 0.05). By contrast, digital transformation, AI adoption, and FDI do not display statistically significant direct effects in the baseline specification. The explanatory power of the model remains substantial (R² between 0.642 and 0.701), suggesting that capability-related factors account for a meaningful share of export variation across industries.
Taken together, the findings indicate that technology adoption alone is insufficient. In practice, SMEs cannot simply invest in digital tools and expect immediate export gains. Sustained innovation efforts and productivity-enhancing routines appear to be the more decisive foundations of export competitiveness.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
TikTok has become an influential social commerce platform where marketing communication, user interaction, and purchasing activities increasingly intersect. Despite growing attention to TikTok marketing, existing studies have predominantly examined individual communication tools, offering limited understanding of how different communication activities collectively shape consumer responses.
This study examines the relationships between TikTok-based marketing communication activities, brand trust, and purchase decision among Generation Z consumers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Data were collected from 290 TikTok users and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
The results reveal that brand trust exerts a strong positive effect on purchase decision (β = 0.745, p < 0.001). Among the examined communication dimensions, public relations (β = 0.384, p < 0.001), event-related activities (β = 0.158, p = 0.016), and influencer communication (β = 0.145, p = 0.038) significantly enhance brand trust. In contrast, advertising, creative content, and livestreaming do not exhibit statistically significant direct effects on brand trust. Additional mediation analysis indicates that brand trust significantly mediates the effects of event marketing, influencer communication, and public relations on purchase decision.
The findings suggest that communication effectiveness on TikTok depends less on promotional exposure alone and more on consumers’ perceptions of credibility, interaction quality, and relational trust. The study contributes to a better understanding of consumer behavior in short-video social commerce environments and offers practical implications for firms targeting Generation Z consumers.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
As economies become increasingly interconnected through digitalization while facing growing sustainability challenges, understanding the drivers of export competitiveness has become an important policy and research concern. This issue is particularly relevant in ASEAN, where digital infrastructure and renewable energy transition have progressed unevenly across member states. Despite growing interest in these transformations, their implications for export performance remain insufficiently understood. This study examines the relationships among digital infrastructure, the renewable energy transition, and export performance across eight ASEAN economies from 2010 to 2021. Using World Bank World Development Indicators data, a balanced panel of 96 country-year observations is analyzed through a fixed-effects model. Internet penetration and renewable energy consumption are specified as the main explanatory variables, while manufacturing value added and foreign direct investment are included as control variables. The results indicate that internet penetration, manufacturing value added, and foreign direct investment are positively and significantly associated with export performance, whereas renewable energy consumption exhibits a significant negative relationship. The estimated model explains approximately 63.5% of the within-country variation in export performance. These findings suggest that digital infrastructure, industrial capability, and foreign investment can strengthen export competitiveness. At the same time, the short-run effects of the renewable energy transition may reflect structural adjustment costs during the transformation process. The study contributes new evidence from ASEAN and highlights the importance of combining digital development with industrial upgrading and supportive policy frameworks to enhance long-term export performance.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the editors and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and dedicated guidance throughout the review process.