Purpose This study aims to analyse the consumption inequality between farm and non-farm households in rural Vietnam, using the data from the 2016 Vietnam household living standards survey. Design/methodology/approach The present paper applies the “recentered influence functions (RIF)” in “Oaxaca-Blinder (OB)” type decomposition as proposed by Firpo et al. (2018) to allow for the flexible distribution of the outcome variables and the non-randomness of non-farm employment that violates the classical linearity assumption. Findings Non-farm households have significantly higher per capita consumption expenditure than farm households for the entire distribution. The gap in expenditure is large at low percentiles and narrowing with higher percentiles. At 10th percentile, the gap is estimated at 27.1%, but it is decreasing to 11.1% at 90th percentile. Most of the gaps are explained by the differences in the observed characteristics between farm and non-farm households such as ethnicity, education, income, internal transmittances and household composition. Non-farm households are endowed with more productive factors that result in higher per capita consumption expenditure. Originality/value Gaps in ethnicity and education are found to be key predictors of the inequality in consumption expenditures between farm and non-farm households, then, government policies that are aimed at increasing access to non-farm employment and education for ethnic minorities and for rural poor households are pathways to improve rural household welfare and hence reduce inequality.

Purpose This study examines the relationship between partners' locus of control and their spouses' domains of job satisfaction (job satisfaction and its domains, personal income and promotion) among Australian couples. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics of Australia (HILDA) Survey. Various estimation strategies including ordinary least squares (OLS), Mundlak approach and instrumental variable (IV) method are used to reveal the relationship between spouse's locus of control and domains of job satisfaction. Findings To reduce sex heterogeneity, the analysis used in this study is disaggregated by sex. In particular, the findings of this study show that wives' locus of control positively influences husbands' satisfaction with pay and working hours, while there is no relationship between husbands' locus of control and wives' domains of job satisfaction. Social implications The study's findings emphasize the importance of locus of control in couples. A good work–life balance and a healthy marital relationship potentially facilitate positive effects of characteristics from the partner on employees' job satisfaction. Thus, on the organizational level, employers may consider creating a working environment that promotes a healthy marital relationship for their staff, including flexible working schedules, work from home options, family days or family-extended staff events. Originality/value This study is the first to reveal the relationship between spousal locus of control and domains of job satisfaction, enriching the current literature on this topic.

Purpose This study examines the relationship between exercise self-efficacy (ESE) and student commitment (SC) to address challenges in business school student engagement and retention. We aim to close the empirical gap between ESE and SC and explain the role of cultural values by exploring how individualism and collectivism (IC) shape the ESE–SC relationship within different cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach Over 1,300 undergraduate students from the United States of America and Vietnam participated in three studies. Study 1 used regression analyses to examine ESE–SC in a USA university. Study 2 investigated potential moderating effects of IC in Vietnam. Study 3 tested the replicability of findings with a diverse USA sample, further analyzing the relationship between ESE, SC and IC. Findings Study 1 found a negative ESE–SC relationship. Study 2 observed a positive ESE–SC relationship in Vietnam. Study 3 confirmed the positive ESE–SC relationship and demonstrated significant IC moderation. Research limitations/implications We used self-reported measures and a cross-sectional design with undergraduate student samples. Findings contribute to the self-efficacy and commitment literature, underscoring the instrumental role of cultural dimensions in moderating the relationship between ESE and SC, while advancing scholarship on commitment and providing evidence that ESE can be a significant predictor of academic outcomes. Practical implications For business schools, promoting ESE among students could serve as a strategic tool for enhancing SC, which ultimately supports and enhances their retention and accreditation targets. Originality/value Empirical support for an ESE–SC relationship reveals that cultural values moderate the ESE–SC relationship.