Dean’s Update, March 29, 2012

Special Issue on Vietnam in Journal of Macromarketing showcases Department of Marketing Faculty

In March 2012, the Journal of Macromarketing (Sage) published a special issue on Vietnam.  Guest edited by Clifford J. Shultz II (Loyola University Chicago), this issue included two articles by CBA Marketing faculty.

The first article “The Dark Side of Development in Vietnam: Lessons from the Killing of the Thi Vai River” was written by Hieu P. Nguyen (Marketing-CSULB) and Huyen T. Pham (National Economics University, Hanoi). The quest for fast economic growth in developing countries can result in loosened regulation over the operations of foreign investors, which may potentially lead to large-scale environmental degradation with profound adverse impact on the livelihood of local people. In light of a high-profile scandal involving Vedan, a Taiwanese company operating in Vietnam caught red in the poisoning of the Thi Vai River, the authors discuss the roles of stakeholders and provide recommendations for effective regulation and supervision of foreign investors operating in developing economies.

The second article “Vietnamese Weddings: From Marx to Market” was written by Thuc-Doan T. Nguyen (Marketing-CSULB) and Russell Belk (York University).  This article is part of her dissertation project. The paper explores the impact of changes in public policies on marketing and consumption of weddings in Vietnam during the country’s transition to a market economy. The authors found that weddings provide an excellent reflection of a changing present in a market economy. This article provides international marketers with insights into the broader marketing system of Vietnam through aspects of marketing and consumer behavior associated with the wedding ritual.

Terrence H. Witkowski (Marketing-CSULB) is the journal’s Editor-in-Chief.  Copies of the articles can be found at: http://jmk.sagepub.com/.