Inaugural implementation of the Management Training Program for Vietnamese Staff Working at SMEs in Kansai(Jul.-Aug., 2014)

PREX played a central role in the Management Training Program for Vietnamese Staff Working at SMEs in Kansai, which was held from July 15 to Aug. 1 with the cooperation of instructors at Creation Co., Ltd. For the two-week seminar, a curriculum was prepared in the Vietnamese language so that the participants could appreciate in a structured way the characteristics of Japanese corporate management and the true significance of on-site efforts responding to the feedback from Kansai SMEs that tackle globalization. Experiences drawn from human-resource activities implemented to date by PREX in emerging countries were used. In the passages below, I introduce some feedback from participating companies.

A visit to Nakagawa-sangyo co., ltd.

Why was it aimed at Vietnamese employees?

When PREX was established in 2008, it studied what specific initiatives it should tackle, after drawing up its vision of “aiming to be indispensable to emerging countries and Kansai.” A part of this was human-resource development projects serving for the globalization of Kansai’s core and SMEs. 

While these activities were being materialized, the existence of the non-Japanese and native employees became important. These were local people, and they could be appointed to manage overseas bases after their launch and when activities are promoted locally. This became evident while we visited the SMEs that provide day-to-day support when the seminars are implemented, and when we listened to their issues and needs. However, we found out the companies were struggling with the development of such humanresources due to language problems and insufficient nurturing capabilities within the companies.

PREX has been building up its track record ever since it was established. It has utilized its experiences from seminars that are aimed at the managerial class at companies in emerging countries. For foreign employees of SMEs in Kansai, PREX has devoted itself to holding seminars that nurture managers so that human resources can be developed who can be expected to serve in leadership positions. 

This seminar was the first of its kind for PREX. The reason for targeting Vietnamese employees is that many Kansai SMEs are interested in the country. In reaction to this, a variety of institutions in Kansai are concentrating their efforts on projects related to Vietnam. Furthermore, many Vietnamese employees are actually working at these SMEs. There was the view that PREX, given its position, should play a role in order to turn the globalization and overseas expansion by Kansai companies into a mega trend.

The participants who were affected by the Management Training Program

Five Vietnamese employees from three SMEs in Osaka participated. They were all leaders at each of the worksites involved or are tasked with the important role of being the planned representatives of factories in Vietnam. 

For the 10 days, the curriculum was structured around four broad themes:
1) management philosophy,
2) Kaizen/quality control/ 5S,
3) teamwork/motivation/target-management systems, 
4) human-resource development/passing on skills and techniques/employee satisfaction. Visits to related companies were held in conjunction with lectures. Some of the participants had to contend with busy schedules. They attended the seminars while dealing with daily arrangements for their work, instructions and confirmations, as well as going to work at their companies every day before and after the seminars. Even so, they brought a great deal of motivation to their lectures.

In opinion surveys and on the final day when presentations were given, we received such feedback as: “I was able to appreciate the necessity of management philosophy and true objectives of 3S activities;” “My thinking was changed, from only wanting to work for money to wanting to contribute to the company and society, as I felt a sense of challenge and responsibility;” “In the seminar, I was able to experience a variety of things, so it was good I was able to attend.” The comments make us feel that the aim of holding the seminar had been conveyed to the participants.

PREX want to be utilized by companies that have needs!

Although this is the first effort of its kind for PREX, the participants’ reactions have given us an acute sense of how there are needs in this kind of seminar for SMEs, which are planning to nurture foreign employees and develop globally. We would also like to study seminars for countries other than Vietnam. We think there are needs for the same kind of seminars that target not just the Vietnamese but people in mainly in the other ASEAN member countries, which would match the companies’ global expansion. 

On the other hand, we sense some difficulty in PR activities that would involve pinpointing companies with such needs, informing others on the significance of our efforts, and having them participate. Ahead of the next round of implementation, we want to proceed with preparations so that we can be utilized by everyone for whom the seminars are needed, while we inform large numbers of people about the evaluation of our seminars and successful results.

Emiko Setoguchi, International Department

Voice of a Participant

Company President, Nakano Manufacturing Co. Daisuke Nishijima

Our company has been employing Vietnamese technical interns and workers from way back, and currently 10 Vietnamese people are working for us. As we maintain contacts with such people, we are considering expanding into Vietnam. Our review of this issue has been proceeding. As a result, we launched a factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in spring this year. 

Two employees who participated in the latest seminar are central to our company, and each has more than six years experience. From this year, they have been entrusted with leadership roles at worksites. Also, their promotions came in the same period when three new Vietnamese people joined the company. The new senior members/ bosses are tasked with the role of providing guidance to them.

On the other hand, troubles have apparently occurred due to differences in Vietnamese and Japanese management approaches.

By taking the Manager Training Seminar, the employees have appreciated the significance of the initiatives undertaken at the worksites in the past and are eager to use them in their own duties or for guidance to their subordinates. Since participating in the seminar, their positive nature and attitude toward cooperation at work has clearly seen a big change. I have heard a positive evaluation from their direct boss that they appreciated the importance of educating subordinates and upgrading their own skills, and at the same time, they have been able to learn about small day-to-day issues, such as Kaizen and 5S activities, through to the grand way of thinking that forms in the background of such activities. 

The number of companies participating in the seminar may be small, but for businesses like ours that launch overseas bases, I am convinced there are needs related to the training of human resources to become leaders. We would definitely like such companies to participate in the future seminars.