Nghiên cứu sinh Nguyễn Đình Sơn bảo vệ luận án tiến sĩ
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE DISSERTATION
Dissertation title: Consumer behavioral intention in the circular economy: A study of smartphones in Vietnam
Specialization: Business Administration (E-PhD) Specialization code: 9340101
PhD candidate: Nguyen Dinh Son
Supervisor(s): Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Dinh Toan
Institution: National Economics University
Original contributions on academic and theoretical aspects
This study contributes to circular economy and consumer behavioral intention literature by examining purchase intention toward refurbished smartphones in Vietnam. It integrates environmental awareness, environmental concern, social influence, consumer preference, and trust into a unified framework.
The study distinguishes between trust in the refurbished smartphone and trust in the retailer, reflecting both product reliability and seller credibility. It also positions trust as a moderating mechanism in the relationships among environmental factors, social influence, consumer preference, and purchase intention. By focusing on Vietnam and including gender and demographic characteristics as control variables, the study provides context-specific evidence on consumer acceptance of refurbished smartphones in an emerging circular economy market.
Recommendations derived from the findings of the dissertation
The dissertation suggests that firms and policymakers should strengthen product-related trust, retailer credibility, and market transparency to encourage consumer adoption of refurbished smartphones. Businesses should not only communicate the environmental benefits of refurbished smartphones, such as reducing e-waste and conserving resources, but also make these benefits personally relevant to consumers. Since consumer hesitation is strongly linked to uncertainty about product quality and retailer reliability, firms should provide clear information about product condition, testing procedures, grading systems, quality certifications, warranty policies, and after-sales services. Retailers should also build credibility through transparent communication, consistent service, and accountable business practices. In addition, companies should use customer reviews, testimonials, peer recommendations, and credible social media communication to normalize refurbished smartphones and reduce perceived stigma. Policymakers and industry stakeholders should support this process by developing clearer standards, certification systems, and consumer protection mechanisms for refurbished products. Finally, communication strategies should be adapted to different consumer groups, as demographic differences shape how consumers respond to environmental, social, and trust-related messages.
