Chutiendat e

NEW CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE DISSERTATION
Subject: Consumer behaviors and the Marketing-mix strategy of mobile telecommunications enteprises in
Vietnam
Major:
PhD candidate:
Supervisors:
Training institution:

Business Administration (Marketing)
Code:
62340102
Chu Tien Dat
PhD candidate code: NCS29.17B1MA
1. Prof. Dr. Luong Xuan Quy
2. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luu Van Nghiem
National Economics University

1. Academic and theoretical contributions
The Research proposes a model for the study of consumer behaviors in the field of mobile
telecommunications in Vietnam; investigates comprehensively the impacts of the factors inside the “black
box” of the consumer and external factors, with specific research variables including the basic service
quality, value-added service quality (separated from the factor of quality), switching cost, and difficulty due
to customers’ fear of changing their mobile phone numbers when switching mobile service provider
(separated from the factor of switching cost); and thereby points out some specific characteristics of
Vietnamese consumer behaviors towards telecommunications services as follows:
- In terms of the “black box” internal factors or characteristics of the consumer, Vietnamese consumers
can be divided into four groups corresponding to four factors inside the “black box” of the consumer
as follows: 1. Novelty-fashion consciousness; 2. Quality consciousness; 3. Value consciousness
based on the balance between benefits and costs; 4. Habitual shopping. Among them, the
characteristics 1, 3, and 4 have direct effects on the consumer’s behavioral intentions.
- In terms of the marketing strategy of the business, there are six marketing factors, or factors outside

the “black box”, that have impacts on consumer behaviors. They include the corporate image, aftersales service—customer care quality, basic service quality, switching cost, service price, and valueadded service quality.
The Research also suggests the division of the market into four segments, according to the afore-mentioned
characteristics, as follows: novelty-fashion conscious customers segment, value conscious customers
segment, quality conscious customers segment, and habitual shoppers segment. Among them, the segmentof
novelty-fashion conscious customers is most influenced by the factors of value-added service quality and
promotion. The other groups are most influenced by the factors of corporate image and switching cost.
2. Conclusions and proposals based on research results
The Research has defined the customers’ future behaviors (or behavioral intentions) towards mobile services
as follows: 78.4% of the customers will not change provider in twelve months; 48.3% tend to introduce the
services they are using to their friend and relatives; 45.5% tend to speak well of their network providers.
The Research suggests Vietnamese mobile enteprises change the direction of their Marketing mix strategy,
from the distribution of resources in the order: promotion, price discount, quality, corporate image, and aftersales service—customer care, to one in this order: corporate image, after-sales service—customer care,
improved basic service quality, service cost, and improved value-added service quality. Simultaneously, it is
necessary for the businesses to have a Marketing mix strategy suitable with customer behaviors in each
market segment or customer group (novelty-fashion consciousness, value consciousness, quality
consciousness or habitual shopping), based on each marketing factor’s level of impact on consumer
behaviors.
The Research has proved that the customers’ fear of changing their mobile phone numbers when switching
provider has a direct impact on their behaviors, so the State management bodies’ application of the policy of
“changing networks, maintaining numbers”, which has been implemented in over 70 countries in the world, is
absolutely reasonable.

Supervisor

PhD candidate

Prof. Dr. Luong Xuan Quy

Chu Tien Dat