2019, Duong, Dao H., Swierczek, Fredric

In the dynamic economy of Vietnam, the financial industry plays a crucial role. Vietnamese banks need to innovate to support economic growth. The research focuses on the key factors that increase innovation in banks. The relationships between the quality of the Top Management Team, Organizational Culture and Process Innovation, Product/Service Innovation in Vietnamese banks are analyzed. The results are based on 15 leading banks in Vietnam including 354 high executive officers. The analysis shows the quality of the Top Management Team and the Organizational Culture of banks significantly increase Product/Service Innovation and Process Innovation.

2018, Monta, Theerawut, Swierczek, Fredric

Cloud computing is emerging as key a technology platform for banking operations globally. In Asia, the progress of cloud application is relatively slow. This paper considers the major factors which influence a bank’s decision to contract with a technology service provider to implement a cloud-based strategy. This research study identifies the trends in applying cloud computing in global banking with a focus on banks in Thailand. It will analyze the criteria IT executives in banks use to decide on the selection of technology service providers. Banks require the service provider to meet specific requirements for a cloud implementation project in a bank. A survey approach was used to identify the important criteria IT executives in banks use to select an IT technology provider for cloud applications. The sample included 367 bank IT executives and professionals in Thai and international banks based in Bangkok. SEM was used to analyze the data. Interviews were conducted with 21 IT executives for insights into their decision criteria. Service quality which is based on the conventional SERVQUAL indicators strongly influence the decision to choose a technology service provider. This selection is also influenced by the capability of service provider, their technical capability and the cloud application features. There are few studies in the literature on the decision criteria that banks use to select a provider for cloud computing application.

2018, Nagabhatla, Nidhi, Hung, Ngo Tho, Tuyen, Luong Thi Tuyen, Cam, Vu Tran Ngoc, Dhanraj, Juliet, Thien, Nguyen Thi, Swierczek, Fredric

Coastal ecosystems contribute significantly to socio-economic development in the Southeast Asia Region. The emerging question is how to achieve sustainable development through innovative thinking, smart planning and better insights derived from an ecosystem-based approach (EbA). Based on experience gained while implementing the Sustainable Management and Governance of Coastal Ecosystems (ENGAGE) project funded by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), we contribute to addressing this question by proposing an emerging EbA as a complementary concept for implementing Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). A strong emphasis on strengthening the capacity of development actors and local communities remains pertinent in formulating this eco-centric policy for resource governance. This synthesis is described in three sections presenting an overview of EbA and ICZM in selected countries in the region. The first section reflects the review of coastal management frameworks and institutions, with a focus on policy strengths and gaps in the integration of EbA, particularly in the context of climate change adaptation. The second section explains different procedures adopted or proposed in the region for sustain able development of coastal ecosystems. The third section demonstrates how regional-scale initiatives like ENGAGE can facilitate the exchange of data, information, and knowledge, and stimulate cooperation for realizing the 2030 Agenda for Transformation, and the coastal zone-related SDGs and targets.