Cambodian Green Economy Transition: Background, Progress, and SWOT Analysis
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The authors have produced a very well-documented and interesting study on the Cambodian Green Economy Transition: Background, Progress and SWOT Analysis. We appreciate that the following observations are necessary to be implemented to improve the quality of the study.
Introduction
Please add in the introduction the argumentation of the novelty and importance of the study as well as the contribution it brings to the specialized literature in the field.
Methodology
Please present the qualitative methods used in the analysis. We believe that it would be useful to apply the PRISMA method (http://www.prisma-statement.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1) for synthesizing the specialized literature (see lines 127-128)
Results
Please complete the entire study with economic data. An example of an incomplete expression can be found in line 669 "Cambodia has high economic growth with political stability". During the study, we did not find the necessary economic details and descriptive statistics to support this statement".
A SWOT diagram with the main conclusions of the study is required.
The conclusions
Please argue the achievement of the research objectives
Please make a parallel between the identified threats and the concrete way to reduce them by implementing the formulated recommendations.
Specialty literature
Please expand the study of specialized literature that captures economic and geopolitical aspects as well as proposed approaches regarding the transition to the green economy by studying the positioning of this study compared to the works already published in the field.
Author Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like to thank you very much for your time and efforts in reviewing my manuscript and providing insightful comments and suggestions. I am really appreciated them and tried to improve my manuscript accordingly. By incorporated your comments and suggestions, the manuscript is really strengthened in its quality and merit.
Furthermore, the manuscript was extensively revised its structure in order to incorporate all comments and suggestions from all three reviewers, especially your comments and suggestions. The following are the revised parts and improvements:
1) Abstract: improved by expanding the state of arts and SWOT indication.
2) Introduction: clarified research gaps/problems by expanding literature, and improved objectives and significance of the research.
3) Methods: clarified the methods by divided into sub-sections and added a figure.
4) Results and Discussion: Due to its relation, Background and Progress are presented together and within each period provided a short discussion regarding its transition. Furthermore, SWOT analysis was revised extensively to incorporate all Reviewers’ comments and suggestions, as well as updated progress of Cambodia green economy in February-April 2024. This revision presented the research up to date. A Summary, Discussion, and Implications of the research were demonstrated at the end.
5) Conclusions were revised accordingly.
The detailed revisions with addressing your comments and suggestions are as follows:
The authors have produced a very well-documented and interesting study on the Cambodian Green Economy Transition: Background, Progress and SWOT Analysis. We appreciate that the following observations are necessary to be implemented to improve the quality of the study.
Introduction
Please add in the introduction the argumentation of the novelty and importance of the study as well as the contribution it brings to the specialized literature in the field.
Response: Thank you for your suggestions. I revised the introduction accordingly with the literature in the fields to clarify and strengthen the novelty and importance of the study as well as the contribution it brings to the specialized literature in the field. Please see in lines 65-123.
Methodology
Please present the qualitative methods used in the analysis. We believe that it would be useful to apply the PRISMA method (http://www.prisma-statement.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1) for synthesizing the specialized literature (see lines 127-128)
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. I have revised the methods accordingly, especially divided into two sections to explain regarding the research threads while indicating Analytical Framework and Sources of Data. In particular, I drawn a figure of analytical framework to understand how this research conducted its SWOT analysis and its coverage with internal and external factors. Please see in lines 124-164.
Results
Please complete the entire study with economic data. An example of an incomplete expression can be found in line 669 "Cambodia has high economic growth with political stability". During the study, we did not find the necessary economic details and descriptive statistics to support this statement".
Response: Thanks for your suggestion. The new version, analysis was supplementing with the numerical data supporting the findings, especially in economic growth, GDP per capital, high employment rate, funding, etc. with also adding two figures to show these aspects.
A SWOT diagram with the main conclusions of the study is required.
Response: Thanks for your comment. I have done it accordingly. In the new version, the SWOT Analysis was extensively demonstrated with a summarized Figure 7 as the main conclusion of the study. This aspect also presented in the conclusion. Moreover, the section 4.5. Summary, Discussion and Implications discussed the findings with existing literature toward suggesting implications. So all the implication in previous conclusion moved to discuss in this section.
The conclusions
Please argue the achievement of the research objectives
Please make a parallel between the identified threats and the concrete way to reduce them by implementing the formulated recommendations.
Response: Thanks for your comments. I revised and presented the main achievements of the research objectives in the conclusion. Moreover, due to its alignment, I moved the recommendation into the discussion section right part before the conclusions and discussed the results with existing literatures, before suggesting implications and recommendations. Please see the new revised discussion and implication in section 4.5 and new revised conclusion in section 5.
Specialty literature
Please expand the study of specialized literature that captures economic and geopolitical aspects as well as proposed approaches regarding the transition to the green economy by studying the positioning of this study compared to the works already published in the field.
Response: Thank you for your suggestions. Literature has been extensively expanded to capture economic and geopolitical aspects and compared with numerous literatures in the fields; this revision covered all most all in Sections 3 & 4. Green economy transition by each period was also figured out by a short discussion under that period.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to improve my research and manuscript.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The article entitled 'Cambodian Green Economy Transition: Background, Progress and SWOT Analysis' takes up an interesting research thread. The author has oriented his attention to the institutions and support mechanisms for green growth in Cambodia.
The abstract of the article presents the general focus of the research, the methodology and the findings. The scope of the summary is de facto the first sentence to be elaborated. The rest of the discussion of institutional structures should be removed from the introduction. Most of this information appears later in the paper. In addition, it is worth highlighting already in the executive summary the research gap in response to which the study was written. In this respect, the executive summary should be refined.
The introductory section presents the general background of the study, indicating its rationale. This section outlines the direction and area of research. I believe it is worth discussing the green development aspect (in general) more strongly to move from global challenges to Cambodia's challenges against their background. The above will enable the literature to be expanded in the form of academic articles, of which there is not much in the way of regulations and source data from institutions. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to clearly articulate the research threads that need to be captured in the research model in the longer term.
The materials and methods section presents the form of the research and the source reference. In this section, I believe it is worth presenting the research model along with the research steps that will provide answers to the theses posed in the introduction.
Detailed threads on Cambodia's green development are presented in the section 'Background of Green Economy Transition in Cambodia'. This section is elaborated in detail and grouped thematically. Under the figure, the text should be completed - line 456. However, I believe that the content presented in this section should refer to the potential of opportunities and threats, weaknesses and strengths. The SWOT analysis presented in the next section is a result that requires a more precise discussion of the individual inputs to the analysis. The analysis of hypotheses, assumptions, findings should clarify these data. It would be very helpful to analyse the numerical data supporting the strengths or weaknesses of a given objective. Thus, the theory should be the input for further analysis according to the established model, and this is missing here. The SWOT analysis presented in the next section needs to be expanded in this respect.
It is necessary to add a "discussion" point and discuss the findings of the research results with existing findings.
Implications need to be strengthened.
References in terms of scientific articles should be strengthened.
In the conclusion, the article's contribution to theory and practice should be more strongly emphasised; the novelty of the article should be pointed out.
In conclusion, the article tackles an interesting topic, worthy of publication. Nevertheless, I believe that the study should be improved according to the comments indicated in the review before publication.
Author Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like to thank you very much for your time and efforts in reviewing my manuscript and providing insightful comments and suggestions. I am really appreciated them and tried to improve my manuscript accordingly. By incorporated your comments and suggestions, the manuscript is really strengthened in its quality and merit.
Furthermore, the manuscript was extensively revised its structure in order to incorporate all comments and suggestions from all three reviewers, especially your comments and suggestions. The following are the revised parts and improvements:
1) Abstract: improved by expanding the state of arts and SWOT indication.
2) Introduction: clarified research gaps/problems by expanding literature, and improved objectives and significance of the research.
3) Methods: clarified the methods by divided into sub-sections and added a figure.
4) Results and Discussion: Due to its relation, Background and Progress are presented together and within each period provided a short discussion regarding its transition. Furthermore, SWOT analysis was revised extensively to incorporate all Reviewers’ comments and suggestions, as well as updated progress of Cambodia green economy in February-April 2024. This revision presented the research up to date. A Summary, Discussion, and Implications of the research were demonstrated at the end.
5) Conclusions were revised accordingly.
The detailed revisions with addressing your comments and suggestions are as follows:
The article entitled 'Cambodian Green Economy Transition: Background, Progress and SWOT Analysis' takes up an interesting research thread. The author has oriented his attention to the institutions and support mechanisms for green growth in Cambodia.
Response: Thanks for your observation.
The abstract of the article presents the general focus of the research, the methodology and the findings. The scope of the summary is de facto the first sentence to be elaborated.
Response: The abstract is revised regarding the improved points.
The rest of the discussion of institutional structures should be removed from the introduction. Most of this information appears later in the paper.
Response: Thanks for your observation. I removed that information by replacing/strengthening it with literature in the field.
In addition, it is worth highlighting already in the executive summary the research gap in response to which the study was written. In this respect, the executive summary should be refined.
Response: Thanks for your observation. I reframed the executive summary, as well as like mentioned above, it is strengthened with literature in the field.
The introductory section presents the general background of the study, indicating its rationale. This section outlines the direction and area of research. I believe it is worth discussing the green development aspect (in general) more strongly to move from global challenges to Cambodia's challenges against their background. The above will enable the literature to be expanded in the form of academic articles, of which there is not much in the way of regulations and source data from institutions.
Response: Thanks for your comments. Our introduction is presented with general background of the study and indicating its rationale. In the new version, rationale was clarified while literature expanded to include more academic articles in the field, reduced those data from institutions. See in lines 65-99.
Furthermore, it is worthwhile to clearly articulate the research threads that need to be captured in the research model in the longer term. The materials and methods section presents the form of the research and the source reference. In this section, I believe it is worth presenting the research model along with the research steps that will provide answers to the theses posed in the introduction.
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. I have revised the methods accordingly, especially divided into two sections to explain regarding the research threads while indicating Analytical Framework and Sources of Data. In particular, I drawn a figure of analytical framework to be easier for readers to understand how this research conducted its SWOT analysis and its coverage regarding internal and external factors. Please see in lines 124-164.
Detailed threads on Cambodia's green development are presented in the section 'Background of Green Economy Transition in Cambodia'. This section is elaborated in detail and grouped thematically. Under the figure, the text should be completed - line 456. However, I believe that the content presented in this section should refer to the potential of opportunities and threats, weaknesses and strengths.
Response: Thanks for your observation. I have revised it accordingly. Especially, by presented Background and Progress together in the new version, it allows me to provide a short discussion of the potential of opportunities and threats, weaknesses and strengths regarding the transition within each period. Please see Section 3.2.2, 3.3.3, 3.4.5, and the whole Section 4.
The SWOT analysis presented in the next section is a result that requires a more precise discussion of the individual inputs to the analysis. The analysis of hypotheses, assumptions, findings should clarify these data.
Response: Thanks for your observation. The whole Section 4 provided a more precise discussion to the SWOT analysis with discussing with existing literature in the fields. The analysis of hypotheses, assumptions, findings are also clarified. Please see the whole section 4, especially 4.5. Summary, Discussion and Implications
It would be very helpful to analyse the numerical data supporting the strengths or weaknesses of a given objective. Thus, the theory should be the input for further analysis according to the established model, and this is missing here. The SWOT analysis presented in the next section needs to be expanded in this respect.
Response: Thanks for your suggestion. The new version, analysis was supplementing with the numerical data supporting the strengths or weaknesses, especially in economic growth, GDP per capital, high employment rate, funding, etc. with also adding two figures to show these strengths and weaknesses.
It is necessary to add a "discussion" point and discuss the findings of the research results with existing findings. Implications need to be strengthened.
Response: I have added discussion section and discussed the findings with literature in the section 4, especially section 4.5. Summary, Discussion and Implications. In the Implications have been strengthened.
References in terms of scientific articles should be strengthened.
Response: I have extensively reviewed and expanded the references in terms of scientific articles, made the current references reached 171.
In the conclusion, the article's contribution to theory and practice should be more strongly emphasised; the novelty of the article should be pointed out. In conclusion, the article tackles an interesting topic, worthy of publication. Nevertheless, I believe that the study should be improved according to the comments indicated in the review before publication.
Response: After improving based on your comments, I have restructured the conclusions and strongly emphasized SWOT factors presented in the novelty of the article to find out. In the new version, the conclusion presented the main findings of the research to reduce its lengths as well as identified limitation and possible future studies to be conducted.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to improve my research and manuscript.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The current scientific paper provides an extensive summary of the organizational process, while very little attention is paid to assessing the process and results gained. The research is supposed to incorporate qualitative methods to examine and analyze green economic development in the country. Neither the methods nor the analysis results (excluding SWOT analysis) are adequately explained and applied. I encourage the authors to improve this drawback significantly.
Moreover, the research paper does not demonstrate sufficient scientific literature analysis nor any considerable engagement with academic research sources and recent scholarship. To determine the research gap and explain the necessity of the current analysis, such a literature analysis is crucial and should be added to the research paper.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
n/a
Author Response
Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like to thank you very much for your time and efforts in reviewing my manuscript and providing insightful comments and suggestions. I am really appreciated them and tried to improve my manuscript accordingly. By incorporated your comments and suggestions, the manuscript is really strengthened in its quality and merit.
Furthermore, the manuscript was extensively revised its structure in order to incorporate all comments and suggestions from all three reviewers, especially your comments and suggestions. The following are the revised parts and improvements:
1) Abstract: improved by expanding the state of arts and SWOT indication.
2) Introduction: clarified research gaps/problems by expanding literature, and improved objectives and significance of the research.
3) Methods: clarified the methods by divided into sub-sections and added a figure.
4) Results and Discussion: Due to its relation, Background and Progress are presented together and within each period provided a short discussion regarding its transition. Furthermore, SWOT analysis was revised extensively to incorporate all Reviewers’ comments and suggestions, as well as updated progress of Cambodia green economy in February-April 2024. This revision presented the research up to date. A Summary, Discussion, and Implications of the research were demonstrated at the end.
5) Conclusions were revised accordingly.
The detailed revisions with addressing your comments and suggestions are as follows:
The current scientific paper provides an extensive summary of the organizational process, while very little attention is paid to assessing the process and results gained.
Response: Thank you for your observation and comments. I have revised the paper with paying attention in assessing the process and results gained. With this revision, it allows me to provide a short discussion of the assessing the process and results gained regarding the transition within each period. Please see Section 3.2.2, 3.3.3, 3.4.5, and the whole Section 4.
The research is supposed to incorporate qualitative methods to examine and analyze green economic development in the country. Neither the methods nor the analysis results (excluding SWOT analysis) are adequately explained and applied. I encourage the authors to improve this drawback significantly.
Response: Thank you for your suggestion. I have revised the methods accordingly, especially divided into two sections to explain regarding the research threads while indicating Analytical Framework and Sources of Data. In particular, I drawn a figure of analytical framework to be easier for readers to understand how this research conducted its SWOT analysis and its coverage regarding internal and external factors. Please see in lines 124-164.
Moreover, the research paper does not demonstrate sufficient scientific literature analysis nor any considerable engagement with academic research sources and recent scholarship. To determine the research gap and explain the necessity of the current analysis, such a literature analysis is crucial and should be added to the research paper.
Response: Thank you for your observation and suggestion. I totally agreed with this. In the new version, I provided sufficient literature to support the research gap and explain the necessity of the current analysis with expanded literature to include more academic articles in the field, reduced those data from institutions. Please see in lines 65-99. Moreover, the newly added Discussion section demonstrated sufficient scientific literature analysis and engagement with academic research sources and recent scholarship to discuss its results and finding. Please see section 4, especially section 4.5. Summary, Discussion and Implications.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to improve my research and manuscript.
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The paper was revised. iThenticate report detects 21 percent match. The article should be rejected.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The authors have revised the article.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
NA
Comments on the Quality of English Language
NA
Round 3
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The paper was revised. The iThenticate report was improved.
