On the afternoon of January 22, 2025, the National Economics University (NEU) organized the doctoral dissertation defense for doctoral candidate Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, majoring in Business Administration (E-PhD Program), with the dissertation topic: "The Attitude-Intention-Behavior Gap in Organic Food Purchasing."
The doctoral dissertation was supervised by Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh from the National Economics University.
The ceremony was attended by members of the Defense Committee, including representatives from the National Economics University: Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu – Committee Chair, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Huy Thong, and Dr. Le Thi Thu Mai. External committee members included: Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam from the Banking Academy, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen from the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Van Trang from the University of Commerce, and Associate Professor Dr. Le Anh Tuan from the Electric Power University.
Additionally, the ceremony was attended by the supervising faculty member, colleagues from the candidate's workplace, friends, and family members of the PhD candidate.
Under the chairmanship of Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, the Defense Committee reviewed the candidate's academic credentials, research achievements, academic progress, and scientific research outcomes throughout the dissertation process. Committee members highly praised the candidate's academic achievements, research contributions, and dedicated efforts during this period.
Subsequently, doctoral candidate Nguyen Thi Thu Trang presented her research findings to the Defense Committee.
In her doctoral dissertation, Nguyen Thi Thu Trang conducted research on "The Attitude-Intention-Behavior Gap in Organic Food Purchasing." The study made significant initial contributions in academic and theoretical aspects. First, this dissertation provided explanations for the discrepancy between attitudes and intentions regarding organic food purchasing. The dissertation employed Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) (Westaby, 2005) to examine the role of both supporting and opposing reasons, which were overlooked in previous theories, to explain the difference between attitudes and intentions. Furthermore, the dissertation extended BRT by incorporating subjective norms into the model as a moderating factor in the attitude-intention relationship.
Second, the dissertation contributed to existing knowledge about the inconsistency between intentions and actual organic food purchasing behavior. The dissertation provided an investigation into the volitional phase of organic food purchasing, which has been largely neglected in the literature. The dissertation integrated key elements from the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model (Schwarzer, 2008) and Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1997) to construct a comprehensive model of the volitional phase, where intentions are more effectively translated into actual actions in the context of organic food purchasing.
The dissertation's key findings have been published in international scientific journals indexed in ISI/Scopus databases.
According to the Committee members' evaluation, the dissertation reflects the serious academic and research process undertaken by doctoral candidate Nguyen Thi Thu Trang. The research findings demonstrate high scientific value and practical applicability.
After deliberation, the Defense Committee conducted a closed session, resulting in a unanimous approval vote of 7/7 present members. Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, on behalf of the Committee, congratulated doctoral candidate Nguyen Thi Thu Trang on her successful dissertation defense.
Before concluding the ceremony, doctoral candidate Nguyen Thi Thu Trang delivered remarks expressing her gratitude to the Graduate School, the Institute for Sustainable Development, her supervising faculty, colleagues, friends, and especially her family for their continuous support, encouragement, and optimal conditions that enabled her successful dissertation defense and attainment of the doctoral degree.
Some images from the ceremony:
Article and photos: Institute for Sustainable Development
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