FDI Linkages, Absorptive Capacity, Innovation Capability, Supply Chain Upgrading, Government Support, and Firm Performance in Vietnam’s Supporting Industries
Description
This dataset contains firm-level survey data from 412 supporting-industry enterprises in four major industrialized locations in Vietnam: Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. It was developed to investigate how linkages with foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises contribute to knowledge absorption, innovation capability, supply chain upgrading, and firm performance, as well as the moderating role of local government support. The underlying research framework proposes a sequential mechanism: FDI linkages (FLK) → absorptive capacity (ABC) → innovation capability (INC) → supply chain upgrading (SCU) → firm performance (FPF). Local government support (GOV) is additionally examined as a boundary condition that may strengthen the relationship between FDI linkages and absorptive capacity. Data were collected from February to May 2026 through a structured cross-sectional questionnaire. Eligible firms were required to have current or previous business linkages with at least one FDI enterprise. Respondents were directors, deputy directors, production/technical managers, purchasing/supply managers, or other managers knowledgeable about firm operations and supply chains. Of 435 questionnaires distributed, 412 valid responses were obtained (94.71% response rate). No missing values were recorded. The dataset comprises 23 observed variables measuring six constructs: FLK (4 items), ABC (4), INC (4), SCU (4), GOV (4), and FPF (3). All items use a five-point Likert scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Illustrative PLS-SEM results show significant positive relationships for FLK→ABC (β=0.678), ABC→INC (β=0.741), INC→SCU (β=0.745), and SCU→FPF (β=0.730), all p<0.001. GOV has no significant direct effect on ABC (β=0.032, p=0.410), whereas GOV×FLK positively moderates FLK→ABC (β=0.141, p=0.001). The serial indirect pathway FLK→ABC→INC→SCU→FPF is also significant (β=0.273, p<0.001). These results should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects because the data are cross-sectional. The dataset can be reused for descriptive analysis, reliability and validity assessment, PLS-SEM, mediation, moderation, multi-group analysis, measurement invariance, IPMA, and predictive assessment. Accompanying files provide the questionnaire, codebook, SmartPLS outputs, and information needed to reproduce and extend the analyses.
Files
Steps to reproduce
The dataset can be reproduced and analysed using the accompanying Dataset.csv, Code Book, Questionnaire, and SmartPLS project and output files. Each row in Dataset.csv represents one firm and each column represents one observed variable. The 23 observed variables measure six constructs: FDI linkages (FLK), absorptive capacity (ABC), innovation capability (INC), supply chain upgrading (SCU), local government support (GOV), and firm performance (FPF). All measurement items are coded on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = “Strongly disagree” to 5 = “Strongly agree”. The dataset contains 412 valid observations with no missing values. To reproduce the reported PLS-SEM analysis, import the dataset or open the accompanying SmartPLS 4 project, specify the reflective measurement models according to the Code Book, and estimate the PLS algorithm. Assess indicator reliability, internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and collinearity using outer loadings, Cronbach’s alpha, rho_A, composite reliability, AVE, Fornell–Larcker criterion, HTMT, and VIF. Statistical significance of structural relationships and indirect effects can be assessed using bootstrapping with 5,000 subsamples. The moderating effect of local government support on the relationship between FDI linkages and absorptive capacity can be estimated using the two-stage approach. Predictive performance can be evaluated using PLSpredict and Q²predict. The accompanying SmartPLS project and output files can be used to reproduce and verify the analyses reported with this dataset.