The 22-year-old had an underwhelming first season at Barca, scoring only nine goals in 26 league appearances. However, he has been instrumental for Brazil in reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup with four goals in as many games.
And Dunga believes the former Santos star has been given freedom by Scolari, allowing him to shine more than he does for the Catalan giants.
"Neymar is very important for Brazil. He is very focused, playing well, scoring goals," he told Marca.
"It's very important for a player of his level, not just to play well and create opportunities, but also to finish actions and score goals. That makes the difference.
"There's a big difference between the Neymar of Brazil and that of Barca. Neymar's way is to dribble the ball and go in and attack the opposition, and Barca's is one-touch football.
"So, Neymar in Barcelona, playing the ball, is like any other player. When it comes to the national side, though, Neymar has his freedom and it brings out the creativity he has."
The former midfielder, who coached Brazil at the 2010 World Cup and captained the country to glory at USA 1994, is happy to see the Selecao reach the last-eight of the competition, but feels there is room for improvement.
"Brazil are winning and in the quarter-finals, which is the most important thing," the 50-year-old added.
"But it is true that their performances have not been consistent and we have not seen the Brazil we all know.
"As long as they are getting through the play-offs, there is time for progress to be made."
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