Digital transformation for value chain development of mountainous OCOP products in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
Opportunities and challenges
Keywords:
cooperatives, digital transformation, e-commerce, mountainous communes, OCOP, rural development, Thanh Hoa, traceability, value chain, VietnamAbstract
This paper investigates the role of digital transformation in the management and development of value chains for OCOP (One Commune One Product) products in the mountainous communes of Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. The study employed a mixed-method design, combining a survey of 95 OCOP entities with semi-structured interviews involving 12 stakeholders, including commune officials, agricultural experts, and local producers. Descriptive statistics, SWOT analysis, and thematic analysis were applied to assess the structural features of OCOP entities, their readiness for digital adoption, and the opportunities and challenges they face. The results show that household producers dominate the OCOP structure, accounting for 61.1 percent of respondents, while cooperatives and small enterprises represent 27.4 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively. Agricultural products form the majority of outputs (71.6 percent), highlighting dependence on natural resources, while handicrafts and processed foods remain limited. Although awareness of digital transformation is widespread, actual adoption is constrained by low digital literacy, weak infrastructure, and financial barriers. Cooperatives and younger producers demonstrate greater openness to digital platforms, creating opportunities for collective initiatives and generational change.
Downloads
References
Ali, T., Zhou, B., Cleary, D., & Xie, W. (2022). The impact of climate change on China and Brazil’s soybean trade. Land, 11(12), 2286.
Arteaga-Ortiz, J., & Fernández-Ortiz, R. (2010). Why don’t we use the same export barrier measurement scale? An empirical analysis in small and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Small Business Management, 48(3), 395–420.
Bach, C. K., Pham, A. N. L., Huynh, A. H., Mai, N. H., Le, H. N., & Nguyen, K. D. (2024, August). The barriers of exporting OCOP products to foreign markets: A case study of OCOP business in the Mekong Delta regions. In International Conference on Applied Economics and Business (pp. 761–776). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Crick, D., & Crick, J. (2016). The first export order: A marketing innovation revisited. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 24(2), 77–89.
Do, V. C., Hoang, H. L., Chau, T. M. L., Nguyen, T. M. N., Duong, D. T., & Truong, T. T. (2022). Some results achieved in building a community-based OCOP model in Dak Lak Province. Tay Nguyen Journal of Science, 16(55). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7324504
Government of Vietnam. (2024, May 9). Decree No. 47/2024/ND-CP on the list of national databases and their exploitation and use.
Ho, K. L. P., Adhikari, R., Bonney, L., Teo, D. D., & Miles, M. P. (2023). Applying the community capital framework for social entrepreneurial ecosystem development: Vietnam’s One Commune One Product program. Community Development, 54(3), 382–394.
Hoang, T. H., & Nguyen, V. H. (2022). Vietnam’s One Commune One Product (OCOP) program: From theory to policy and practical implementation. Journal of Natural Resources and Environment Science, (41), 76–92.
Huang, Z., & Benyoucef, M. (2013). From e-commerce to social commerce: A close look at design features. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 12(4), 246-259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2012.12.003
Kahiya, E. T. (2013). Export barriers and path to internationalization: A comparison of conventional enterprises and international new ventures. Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 11(1), 3–29.
Kahiya, E. T., & Dean, D. L. (2015). Export barriers and business confidence: A quasi-longitudinal examination. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 27(2), 294–323.
Kahiya, E. T., & Dean, D. L. (2016). Export stages and export barriers: Revisiting traditional export development. Thunderbird International Business Review, 58(1), 75–89.
Karlsson, J. (2021). Temperature and exports: Evidence from the United States. Environmental and Resource Economics, 80(2), 311–337.
Leonidou, L. C., Katsikeas, C. S., & Coudounaris, D. N. (2010). Five decades of business research into exporting: A bibliographic analysis. Journal of International Management, 16(1), 78–91.
Lowe, P., Phillipson, J., Proctor, A., & Gkartzios, M. (2019). Expertise in rural development: A conceptual and empirical analysis. World development, 116, 28-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.12.005
Nguyen, T. M. T., Truong, N. T., Lai, P. T., Do, M. T., & Do, T. L. (2022). Solutions for developing the medicinal value chain in Yen Thuy District, Hoa Binh Province. Journal of Economics and Development, 305(2), 163–172.
People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa Province. (2021, December 8). Plan No. 268/KH-UBND on implementing the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, 2021–2025.
People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa Province. (2022). Plan No. 157/KH-UBND on promoting e-commerce development based on e-commerce platforms.
People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa Province. (2025). Plan No. 122/KH-UBND on the National Target Program for socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas in Thanh Hoa Province.
People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa Province. (2025). Plan No. 36/KH-UBND on implementing the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program in 2025.
People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa Province. (2025, February 11). Plan No. 23/KH-UBND on implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Development (NRD) in 2025.
Pouliot, S., & Sumner, D. A. (2013). Traceability, recalls, industry reputation and product safety. European Review of Agricultural Economics, 40(1), 121–142.
Prime Minister of Vietnam. (2020). Decision No. 749/QD-TTg approving the National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with orientation to 2030.
Prime Minister of Vietnam. (2022). Decision No. 411/QD-TTg approving the National Strategy for Digital Economy and Digital Society Development to 2025, with orientation to 2030.
Tran, T. (2023). Solutions for developing OCOP products associated with rural tourism in building new rural areas. Dong Thap University Journal of Science, 12(9), 88–96.
Trang, N. T., Luan, V. M., Le Thanh, S. O. N., Nguyen Do Nhu, L. O. A. N., Tu, V. H., & Yabe, M. (2024). Performance and investment decision-making among OCOP entities: Implications for sustainable rural development in Hau Giang Province.
Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Dong, J. Q., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of business research, 122, 889-901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022
Vo, H. T., & Nguyen, T. T. (2022). Solutions for developing the Cau Duc pineapple value chain in Hau Giang Province. Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science – Economics and Business Administration, 17(2), 138–151.
Widaryanti, W., Putra, A., & Timotius, E. (2021). The implications of digital transformation on developing human resources in business practice in Indonesian: analysis of the publication. International Journal of Business, Economics and Management, 4(1), 157-164. https://doi.org/10.31295/ijbem.v4n1.1425
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2025 International journal of business, economics and management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Articles published in the International Journal of Business, Economics & Management (IJBEM) are available under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Authors retain copyright in their work and grant IJBEM right of first publication under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles in this journal, and to use them for any other lawful purpose.
Articles published in IJBEM can be copied, communicated and shared in their published form for non-commercial purposes provided full attribution is given to the author and the journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
