The Dark Side of Development in Vietnam

Abstract

Vietnam has become an attractive destination for foreign investors looking to maximize economic gains due to an increasingly young and educated population, a fast growing middle class, political stability, low labor cost, and loose operational standards. The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) has brought many positive outcomes to Vietnam, but its dark side is beginning to emerge. This article discusses one of the negative aspects of FDI-driven economic development in Vietnam through a high-profile, ongoing scandal involving Vedan, a Taiwanese company caught in the poisoning of the Thi Vai river. The authors provide implications for policy making and future research.

Firms’ Sustainability Marketing Commitment: The Roles of Chief Marketing Officers’ Future Focus and Prosocial Motivation

“…However, the sustainability effort is still in its embryonic stage, far from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Thoibao Nganhang 2023; VnExpress 2020). Some infamous events, particularly violations of environmental standards by some organizations resulting in serious water and air pollution (Nguyen and Pham 2012), underscore this reality. For example, the incidents caused by Vedan at the Thi Vai river (Tuoi Tre Online 2009) and Formosa at the central coast of Vietnam (Tien Phong 2016), and the “yellow card” issued by the European Commission for seafood companies (VnExpress 2021).…”

Identifying the moral–practical gaps in corporate social responsibility missions of Vietnamese firms: An event‐based analysis of sustainability feasibility

“…Along the same line, the growing popularity of the shared mobility model, known as ride‐hailing apps such as Grab and Uber, in Vietnam is also believed to have positive environmental impacts (Huynh et al, 2020). Overall, scholars confirm that the adoption of green strategies, such as GSCM and green bank, has resulted in improving public image, saving cost, reducing waste and emission, and gaining tax incentives and marketing advantage (Khoi et al, 2016; G. N. T. Nguyen & Sarker, 2018; H. P. Nguyen & Pham, 2011; T. T. H. Nguyen, Yang, Nguyen, Johnson, & Cao, 2019; Tu & Yen, 2015). These findings highlight the practical nature of such strategies.…”

“…Scholars generally confirm that the adoption of green strategies, such as GSCM and green bank, has resulted in improving public image, saving cost, reducing waste and emission, gaining tax incentives and marketing advantage (Khoi et al, 2016;G. N. T. Nguyen & Sarker, 2018;H. P. Nguyen & Pham, 2011;T.…”

Local interest group activity and environmental degradation in authoritarian regimes

“…These trade-offs can be especially poignant for low-income countries, where economic development is critical for improving livelihoods but environmental degradation represents an existential threat for some communities (Nguyen and Pham, 2012). For example, O'Rourke's ( 2001) study of the Tan Mai paper factory outside Ho Chi Minh City paints a vivid picture of a divided community that both depends on the factory for income and is injured by its activities.…”