the improvement of the training and development program at bitis company

59 4.2.6 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of awareness on training process .... 61 4.2.8 The worker’s perception on the company’s trai

THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM AT BITIS COMPANY IN VIETNAM

A Research Proposal Presented to the Faculty of Graduate School Southern Luzon State University, The Philippines and Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree Doctor in Business Administration

PHAM DO DUNG

(JONATHAN)

July, 2013

Thai Nguyen University

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Southern Luzon State University Republic of Philippines

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

In grateful recognition and sincerest thanks for the encouragement, guidance and unselfish sharing of their knowledge, time, effort and skills, and for the untiring motivation that leads to the completion of this study, the Researcher acknowledges the following:

DR CECILIA N GASCON, Ph D., President of the Southern Luzon State University in the Republic of the Philippines, for her untiring effort and belief that this collaboration is possible thus enabling us to pursue the DBA degree;

DR NGUYEN THANH HAI, Vice Director of the International Training Center Thai Nguyen University of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, for his enormous pursuit to provide the Vietnamese people an opportunity to grow through education;

DR JOANNA PAULA A ELLAGA for her selfless guidance and assistance thereby making this paper a scholarly work;

MANAGERS and EMPLOYEES of Biti‟s company, my Respondents, for their patience and cooperation in answering the questionnaire and for other data given;

MY FAMILY and FRIENDS and to all who have contributed to make this study a success

ABSTRACT

Dissertation mentions the necessary of training, aims and objectives of studying According to experts, training is crucial element, such as maintaining the absorptive capacity of innovative firms, or a key part of the human resource management process and even improving the quantity and quality of future entrepreneurs Scientists also assert that there are a number of reasons for training In addition, the significantly impacts of training and training benefits are also been confirmed Finally, good results for the company have implemented well training programs is obvious evidences to emphasize the important of training

A number of methods were used in this studying Collecting primary data from books, journals, articles, research papers and reports, and based on these data, the author do questionnaires, sending to BITIS Company and collecting the feedbacks Then, a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyzing the primary research findings was chosen, with an emphasis on qualitative data.Questionnaires were chosen as the main tool to carry out the research Finally, the sampling method and pilot study are also approached in this project

Overview of BITIS have been mentioned covering the main background information

of company, the strength, the weakness and strategies that BITIS have done to achieve their goals and widely recognized in global market are described and explained Then, analyzing the results from questionnaires feedback is analyzed

Author has summarized the results of studying, and has confirmed that the targets of studying has achieved Some recommendations are suggested which hope these can

be applied in the BITIS company

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT 1

ABSTRACT 2

CHAPTER I 7

INTRODUCTION 7

1.1 The significance of study 7

1.2 Background of the Study 12

1.3 Aims of Study 13

1.4 Objectives of Study 14

1.5 Scope and limitations of Research 15

CHAPTER II 16

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 16

2.1 The importance of training and development 16

2.2 Transfer of training 20

2.2.1 Individual factors 21

2.2.2 Motivational factors 23

2.2.3 Environmental factors 25

2.3 Training methods 27

2.3.1 Videotapes 27

2.3.2 Lectures 28

2.3.3 One-on-one instruction 29

2.3.4 Role plays 31

2.3.5 Games/simulation 31

2.3.6 Case studies 32

2.3.7 Slides 33

2.3.8 Computer-based training 34

2.3.9 Audiotapes 35

2.3.10 Films 35

2.4 The factors influence the training 35

2.4.1 Internal factors 36

2.4.2 External factors 37

2.5 The brief overview of the steps of the training process follows 38

CHAPTER III 42

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 42

3.1 Research design 42

3.2 Research tool 44

3.3 Sampling method 46

3.4 Research technique 47

3.5 The Pilot Study 47

3.6 Procedure 48

3.7 Reliability and Validity 48

3.7.1 Reliability 49

3.7.2 Validity 49

3.8 Data analysis 50

CHAPTER IV 51

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 51

4.1 The background of Bitis company 51

4.1.1 Historical background 51

4.1.2 Organization’s framework 52

4.1.3 Bitis strategies 52

4.1.4 Human Resources Management and Development 54

4.2 Worker-respondent 55

4.2.1 Age 55

4.2.2 Gender 56

4.2.3 Length of service 57

4.2.4 Department assigned 58

4.2.5 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of policies and procedure 59

4.2.6 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of awareness on training process 60

4.2.7 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of attendance to a fomal training 61

4.2.8 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of training method 62

4.2.9 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of motivation to attend a training 64

4.2.10 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of usefulness of the training 65

4.2.11 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of gains acquired from the training 67

4.2.12 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of applicability of training to specific job/tasks 69

4.2.13 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of manager’s role in the training process 72

4.2.14 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development

program in terms of Influencing factors in the training process 74

4.2.15 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of commitment to attend trainings 76

4.2.16 The worker’s perception on the company’s training and development program in terms of suggestions to improved the training process 79

CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 81

5.1 Summary 81

5.2 Conclusions 81

5.3 Recommendations 83

5.3.1 In respect of training policy 83

5.3.2 With respect of methods training 84

5.3.3 With regard to training evaluation 85

5.3.4 In respect of commitment 86

5.3.5 With respect of working environment 86

5.4 Limitations of Research 89

5.5 Further Research 90

BIBLIOGRAPHY 91

APPENDIX 99

CURRICULUM VITAE 119

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The rapid growing and integration of global economy has extensively enhanced the demand for training and education Given this reason, it will be significant to recognise the role of training in economic development, particularly for companies which compete in competitive market Since training plan, method and trainee recognition is considered as the substantial predicator to measure the effectiveness and succeed of training program Therefore, training plan, method and trainee recognition have been received much attention from researchers as well as board of management in over the world;

1.1 The significance of study

People are the factors that constitute the organization, operation and determine the success or failure of the organization This is a valuable asset that every organization should know to take advantage and develop Furthermore, in integration of global economy, the training and development of human resources is considered as a vital task for every organization because strong human resources is the prerequisite to compete and survive in today's competitive environment Therefore, the improvement

of training quality takes an important part in development strategy

Training is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies

Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, and performance

In addition to the basic training required for a trade, occupation or profession, observers of the labor-market recognize the need to continue training beyond initial qualifications: to maintain, upgrade and update skills throughout working life

Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all employees, but many employers find the development opportunities expensive Employees also miss out on work time while attending training sessions, which may delay the completion of projects Despite the potential drawbacks, training and development provides both the company as a whole and the individual employees with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile investment

Training plan, method and trainee recognition have been received much attention from researchers as well as board of management in over the world:

Addressing Weaknesses: Most employees have some weaknesses in their workplace skills A training program allows you to strengthen those skills that each employee needs to improve A development program brings all employees to a higher level so they all have similar skills and knowledge This helps reduce any weak links within the company who rely heavily on others to complete basic work tasks Providing the necessary training creates an overall knowledgeable staff with employees who can take over for one another as needed, work on teams or work independently without constant help and supervision from others

Improved Employee Performance: An employee who receives the necessary training

is better able to perform her job She becomes more aware of safety practices and proper procedures for basic tasks The training may also build the employee's

confidence because she has a stronger understanding of the industry and the responsibilities of her job This confidence may push her to perform even better and think of new ideas that help her excel Continuous training also keeps your employees

on the cutting edge of industry developments Employees who are competent and on top of changing industry standards help your company hold a position as a leader and strong competitor within the industry

Consistency: A structured training and development program ensures that employees have a consistent experience and background knowledge The consistency is particularly relevant for the company's basic policies and procedures All employees need to be aware of the expectations and procedures within the company This includes safety, discrimination and administrative tasks Putting all employees through regular training in these areas ensures that all staff members at least have exposure to the information

Employee Satisfaction: Employees with access to training and development programs have the advantage over employees in other companies who are left to seek out training opportunities on their own The investment in training that a company makes shows the employees they are valued The training creates a supportive workplace Employees may gain access to training they wouldn't have otherwise known about or sought out themselves Employees who feel appreciated and challenged through training opportunities may feel more satisfaction toward their jobs

The overall objective of the training and development of human resources is to take advantage of existence human resources and improve the effectiveness of organization There are three reasons that training and development is needed

• To meet the needs of survival and development organizations

• To meet the learning demand of workers

• To create the business competitive advantage

The necessity of training and development has been the sustainably researched worldwide as the followings discussion

The intensity of competition and pace with which knowledge becomes obsolete are heralding an era where leadership, structure and control systems must increasingly focus on the management of knowledge and skills Such an environment requires management to systematically design an infrastructure that is tailored to the needs of

an increasingly mobile knowledge worker and supports organisational learning in areas of strategic concern(Cross and Funk,2007)

Many management theorists have paid tribute to today‟s knowledge worker and the dramatic paradigm shift that managing such an employee has brought to our society(Naisbitt and Aburdene,2000; Toffler,2000; Crawford,2001) As well articulated by Peter Drucker (2003), We are now in a knowledge society „knowledge society‟ where knowledge is quickly eclipsing traditional factors of production such

as labour, capital and land Nowhere is this more true than in high- end knowledge work sectors such as professional services, software development, financial services and technical product development- areas where an organisation‟s ability to tap the intangibles of employee judgment and creativity are critical To thrive and grow in today‟s dynamic business environment, it is increasingly important that businesses in such knowledge- intensive industries organise to leverage the collective intellect and creativity of its entire employee base(Cross and Fund,2007)

The rise of highly competitive, technology- based information society has caused a great need for skilled workers Studies by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) show that 62 per cent of reporting companies have a short- age of skilled workers and 73 per cent of manufactures believe entry- level workers lack the necessary skills to positively impact their company in Vietnam (Labour,2011)

Today‟s knowledge worker must exhibit judgment, creativity, technical expertise and interpersonal skills that promote knowledge creation- intangibles that often cannot be forced like a labour standard on an assembly line (Nonaka and Takeuchi,2005)

Vietnam is undergoing a transition from a centrally planned to a market- oriented economy A shortage of skilled labour exists in Vietnam, largely due to an antiquated educational system and the country‟s recent opening to major amounts of foreign investment This is a ubiquitous problem in Southeast Asia as a whole: skilled labour

is in demand, and managers who are available tend to be unfamiliar with new technologies This lack of technical know-how and language skills tends to hamper new investment Recently, this problem was illustrated in Intel Corporation‟s assertion that they will not pursue in country manufacturing due to the lack of a significant pool of skilled engineering labour and unreliable power supplies (Investment, 2010)

Therefore the acquisition of such skills is critical for today‟s workers if they expect to obtain and keep their jobs, as well as excel in a work environment and it is a way to attract the foreign investment while the Vietnamese government has implemented many investment incentives

Training is the key Traditionally, training and development were not viewed as an activity that could help companies create value and successfully deal with competitive challenges Today that view has changed Companies that use innovative training and development practices are likely report better financial performance than their competitors who do not Training and development also helps a company to meet competitive challenges As companies attempt to expand into foreign market places, their success will be determined by their employees‟ ability to work in a new culture (the global challenge) (Noe,2008)

1.2 Background of the Study

Bitis is a leading company in Vietnam in manufacturing footwear sector Founded in

1982, until now, Bitis has grown rapidly nationwide, including 4 commercial centres,

1 business centre, 4 branches and more than 4,500 agents - shops over 63 provinces Vietnam In addition, the company has more than 40 exporting markets in the world: Taiwan, South Korea, Israel,, England, Poland, Portugal, Brazil, Canada

However, in a long time, Vietnam's footwear market was overwhelming by Chinese footwear Although with lower quality than Bitis shoes but with various designs and prices are so much cheap, Chinese footwear has quickly won the hearts of Vietnamese consumers Facing the risk of losing market share to a strong competitor _ which is the world's largest footwear and the largest footwear manufacturer in the world, this was a hard situation for the Bitis management

The fact that Bitis management has applied several measures to stabilize the market for company but have not really succeeded

Many reasons have been reviewed, one of them is that education policy and human resources development in company

In fact, Bitis as well as other Vietnamese companies, especially the large one have invested in human resource development but it has not yet become strategic objectives

of the business The recruitment, employment and training new employees is executed only in a short time yet long-term goals Many businesses have to face with the continuous jumping labour, especially during economic instability Meanwhile, training and development of human resources are principally important since the majority of Vietnam's labor lack of knowledge and skills by the education system and professional training did not meet the requirements business

Bitis have faced a difficulty regarding quality of worker, the lack of high skilled workers is another weakness point of Bitis That is the results of low level professional in recruiting human resources for company Moreover, lower awareness and less responsible made by a small part of labor forces is still adverse impacting on company development

Therefore, I have selected topics: “THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE TRAINING

AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AT BITIS COMPANY” for my research With

a desire to make a small contribution to improving the quality of human resources at the company Bitis

1.3 Aims of Study

+ To evaluate the factors influence the training process at Bitis company

+ To recommend a best practice strategy for prevention of the negative influence for

training and develop human resource in organisation

+ To outline solutions for the process to improve the training and develop human resource at Bitis company

1.4 Objectives of Study

1 To know the respondent‟s profile in terms of the following

1.1 Company – respondent

1.1.1 Historical background 1.1.2 Organization‟s frame work 1.1.2 Strategies

1.1.3 Human resources and development 1.2 Worker – respondent

1.2.1 Age 1.2.2 Gender 1.2.3 Length of service 1.2.4 Department

2 To determine the worker‟s perception on how the company conducts training and development program in terms of the following aspects

2.1 Policies and procedures

2.2 Awareness of employees on training process

2.3 Attendance to a formal training

2.4 Training method

2.5 Motivation to attend a training

2.6 Usefulness of the training

2.7 Gains acquired from the training

2.8 Applicability of training to specific job/tasks

2.9 Manager‟s role in the training process

2.10 Influencing factors in the training process

2.11 Commitment to attend trainings

2.12 Suggestions to improved the training process

3 To design an improved training and development program for the company

1.5 Scope and limitations of Research

The study concentrated on one organisation only, Bitis company This was due to the fact that the author was unable to gain access to employees at any other organisation The study was also limited to research in one geography area, Hanoi This introduced regional bias and consequently the sample is unrepresentative and generalisations to the wider population should be taken with caution Therefore, only further research in other organisations across a greater geographical spread could prove or disprove the research findings It was hoped that the sample size would have been larger than that which was achieved

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter aims to briefly criticise previous literature review about training and development First, the concepts and importance of training and development is looked at Second, the transfer and method training is discussed Third, the factors influences the training are mentioned Finally, this chapter presents the summary of the steps of training process

2.1 The importance of training and development

Training and Development helps in optimizing the utilization of human resource that further helps the employee to achieve the organizational goals as well as their individual goals Training and Development helps in increasing the job knowledge and skills of employees at each level It helps to expand the horizons of human intellect and an overall personality of the employees

Training and Development helps in increasing the productivity of the employees that helps the organization further to achieve its long-term goal Training and Development helps in inculcating the sense of team work, team spirit, and inter-team collaborations It helps in inculcating the zeal to learn within the employees

Training and Development helps to develop and improve the organizational health culture and effectiveness It helps in creating the learning culture within the organization Training and Development helps building the positive perception and feeling about the organization The employees get these feelings from leaders,

subordinates, and peers Training and Development helps in improving upon the quality of work and work-life

Training and Developmenthelps in creating the healthy working environment It helps

to build good employee, relationship so that individual goals aligns with organizational goal Training and Development helps in improving the health and safety of the organization thus preventing obsolescence

Training and Development helps in improving the morale of the work force Training and Development helps in creating a better corporate image Training and Development leads to improved profitability and more positive attitudes towards profit orientation

Training and Development aids in organizational development i.e Organization gets more effective decision making and problem solving It helps in understanding and carrying out organisational policies Training and Development helps in developing leadership skills, motivation, loyalty, better attitudes, and other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display

Training in the workplace has been highlighted as an essential element in maintaining the absorptive capacity of innovative firms (Prince, 2002) Indeed, training is now seen as a key part of the human resource management process (Gunnigle et al., 2005), where workers are viewed as a source of wealth creation, rather than a cost to the company (Walley, 2003)

Organisations provide training for many reasons They orient new hires to organisation or teach them how to perform in their initial assignment They improve the current performance of employees who may not be working as effectively as

desired or prepare employees for future promotions or for upcoming changes in design, processes or technology in their present jobs (Fisher et al., 2009) Training can help an organisation succeed in a numbers of ways Traditionally, training facilitates the implementation of strategy by providing employees with the skills and knowledge needed to perform their jobs Training also assists in solving immediate business problems, such as when a team of managers in an action learning programme studies

a real problem and recommends a solution Finally, to keep ahead in a highly competitive and turbulent environment, it has been suggested that the training function must foster a continuous learning culture and stimulate managers to reinvent their corporation (Martocchio and Baldwin, 2007)

Therefore from company‟s perspective training and development of company employees is essential for organisational operation, and organisational advancement From an employee perspective, these factors are both crucial and critical for skill development and for career advancement

Moreover, training employees leads to increased employee satisfaction, facilitates the updating of skills, leads to an increased sense of belonging and benefit, increased

employee commitment to the organisation (Bushardt et al., 2004), and strengthens the

organisation's competitiveness (Hughey and Mussnug, 2007; Burden and Proctor, 2000) Job-related training increases an employee's ability to perform job-related tasks Job satisfaction is an important motivator for employee performance and is negatively related to turnover (Mak and Sockel, 2009)

In addition, retention of employees, and the retention of valued skill sets, are important for continued business achievements (Mak and Sockel, 2009) The successful retention of employees leads to knowledge preservation within the

organisation (Cappelli, 2010) Employee turnover may lead to a loss of human resources weakening competitive positions At a company level, mechanisms that allow for and promote knowledge transfer amongst employees can help minimize the effect of the loss of skilled staff to other companies (Cappelli, 2010)

In short, employers and employees both gain from increased investment in training Recent research has indicated that there is a significant impact of training on productivity in the private sector (covering 1993-2006) and that the effects of training

on productivity are larger than the effects of training on wages An increase of one percentage point in the proportion of employees trained is associated with about a 0.6% in productivity and a 0.3 % increase in wages (Dearden et al,2005)

Recent changes in the business environment have made the Human Resource Development function even more important in helping organisations maintain competitiveness and prepare for the future(Goldstein and Gilliam, 2000)

The pressure of competition and customers are demanding high- quality products and services in addition, technological innovations require training, with employees often needing more sophisticated skills in trouble shooting and problem solving than they did previously For instance, increasing number of organisations have been providing quality management and customer service and employees must understand how to monitor and improve the quality of goods and services in an attempt to keep up with rising consumer expectations(Belize and Piontkowski,2000; Lee, 2001) Training is seen as pivotal in implementing organisation- wide culture change efforts, such as developing a commitment to customer service, adopting total quality management or making a transition to self-directed work teams(Berry,2000; Wellins and George,2001)

Several authors have developed methods of quantifying the benefits of training programmes(Swanson and Gradous,2008) For instance, one study estimated that the net return to a bank(over a five- year period) of a four-day training programme for 65 supervisors would be $ 148,400(Mathieu and Leonard,2007), Cascio (2008) provides another example of the impact of training on productivity and performance at Cigna Corporation, an insurance company A seven -day training programme in basic management skills yielded extra investment income of $ 150,000 per year Based on a recent survey of more than 4000 companies and in- depth case studies of training in seven firms Watson Wyatt, the HR consulting firm, concluded that companies that link employee skill development to business strategy have 40 per cent higher total shareholder return (TSR) than companies that do not (Baron and Kreps, 2009)

Since technological change influences the rate at which human capital obsolesces and

in creases the uncertainty associate with human capital investments, training may increase or decrease at higher rates of technological change At higher rates of technological change, the training gap between the more and less educated narrows, low- skilled non- production workers receive significantly more training than higher- skilled non-production workers and the proportion of individuals receiving training increases(Bartel and Sicherman,2008)

Training has been regarded as an expensive investment However, we are more concerned about how to ensure the transfer of learned skills to the work situation

2.2 Transfer of training

Transfer of training can be defined as the application of knowledge, skills and attitudes learned from training on the job and subsequent maintenance of them over a certain period of time (Baldwin and Ford, 2008; Xiao, 2006) This definition broadens the traditional meaning of transfer that only concerns the effective learning in a training programme

To explicate training effectiveness, it is crucial to identify and measure how individual characteristics, job attitudes and work environment affect the transfer of

training process (e.g Baldwin et al., 2001; Clark et al., 2003; Facteau et al., 2005; Ford et al., 2002; 2008; Gist et al., 2001; Martocchio, 2002; Mathieu et al., 2002; Saks, 2005; Tannenbaum et al., 2001; Tesluk et al., 2005; Tracey et al., 2005; Tziner

et al., 2001)

2.2.1 Individual factors

Trainee characteristics (e.g personality, trainee ability, motivation effects) were originally identified by training practitioners as factors affecting transfer of training (Baldwin and Ford, 2008) Notwithstanding, further empirical testing of these characteristics was very rare in earlier transfer studies During the 1990s, the study of these characteristics had been increasing This section will describe the effects of such major characteristics as personality and self-efficacy on training transfer while motivational factors will be identified in the next section under its own heading

Among various personality variables, locus of control was hypothesised in many

earlier studies to affect the transfer process (e.g Baumgartel et al., 2004; Noe and

Schmitt, 2006) Locus of control is defined by Rotter (1996) as a generalised expectancy that organisational outcomes in terms of rewards and reinforcements in

life are controlled either by an individual's own actions (internality) or by other forces (externality) In a training situation, trainees with a strong belief that they can control the provision of organisational outcomes are more likely to facilitate the application

of training content on their jobs Such outcomes can be recognition, promotions,

salary increases and job enlargement The recent study of Tziner et al (2011)

indicated that those with an internal locus of control who benefited from a relapse prevention module exhibited higher levels of mastering the training contents They were more likely to use trained skills and transfer strategies and were shown to transfer those trained skills to the workplace

The effects of self-efficacy on transfer have been widely studied recently efficacy is defined as "people's judgements of their capabilities to organise and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances" (Bandura, 2006, p 391) It is clear that trainees with a high level of confidence in attaining anticipated performance and behaviour change will be more likely to apply what they have learned from training on the jobs Empirically, self-efficacy was shown to be positively related to pretraining motivation (Quinones, 1995), training

Self-performance in various training programmes (Gist, 2009; Gist et al., 2001; Tannenbaum et al., 2001) and posttraining behaviour (Latham and Frayne, 1999; Gist, 1999; Mathieu et al., 2002; Saks, 2005; Tannenbaum et al., 2001), transfer performance (Ford et al., 2008) and skill maintenance (Stevens and Gist, 2007) Seyler et al (2008) further found that trainees with a high level of confidence to

training were more motivated to transfer the newly acquired knowledge and skills

2.2.2 Motivational factors

Many motivational factors proposed to affect transfer of training were tested This is because trainees with inadequate motivation are likely to be poor in mastering the training content and subsequent training performance The following paragraphs will list the testing of such motivational variables that are grouped into four major dimensions: career and job attitudes; organisational commitment; decision and reaction to training; and posttraining interventions

Career and job attitudes generally refer to the cognitive state of psychological identification with one's career and job Actually, career and job attitudes have been tested separately in various conceptualisations and operationalisations However, trainees who frequently engage in cognitive or environmental search activities are expected to have a better understanding of their strengths, weaknesses and interests (Noe, 2006; Noe and Schmitt, 2006) In fact, they recognise the importance of

learning new skills and refining current skills (Facteau et al., 2005) so that such skills

can match with the requirements of the new job settings Empirically, career and job attitudes were shown to affect pretraining motivation Trainees who had both good career planning and a high level of job involvement were more likely to be motivated

to learn (Mathieu et al., 2002; Williams et al., 2001)

Organisational commitment is originally defined by Porter et al (1994, p.604) as "the

relative strength of an individual's identification with and involvement in a particular organisation" It represents the extent of an individual's belief in and acceptance of organisational goals and value, willingness to exert considerable work effort and

desire to maintain organisational membership (Mowday et al., 2002) Tannenbaum et

al (2001) recognised that, in a training situation, the level of employees'

organisational commitment affects their views on the usefulness of training, both to themselves and to the organisation, and the expected outcome of early training experiences Two recent studies showed that commitment influenced pretraining

motivation (Tannenbaum et al., 2001) and the application of training on performing core job activities (Tesluk et al., 2005) In fact, trainees with a high level of

organisational commitment were more optimistic to perceive the likelihood of positive organisational change

Additionally, employees being offered opportunities to provide input into the training decision were more likely to perceive the training as useful for their jobs which, in

turn, resulted in higher levels of pretraining motivation (Baldwin et al., 2001; Clark et al., 2003; Mathieu et al., 2002) The pretraining motivation was said to be related to actual learning in a training programme (Baldwin etal., 2001; Mathieu et al., 2002) and subsequent training performance (Mathieu et al., 2002) Moreover, trainees'

reaction to training was shown to affect their learning and subsequent training

performance (Mathieu et al., 2002; Martocchio, 2002) Specifically, trainees who

perceived training as having high job and career utility were more likely to be

motivated to learn (Clark et al., 2003) and those who perceived training to be relevant had higher level of immediate skill transfer (Axtell et al., 2007)

Finally, some post training interventions (i.e feedback and relapse prevention) might influence trainees' motivation to transfer new acquired skills and knowledge back to their jobs The study of Martocchio and Webster (2002) indicated that trainees receiving negative feedback resulted in less learning over time than those receiving positive feedback Martocchio (2002), in his own study on a training intervention, supported that positive feedback could reduce posttraining computer anxiety which, in

turn, helped trainees improve their training result Quinones (2005) found that the training assignments (for either remedial or advanced purpose) could provide feedback concerning past performance and resulted in different attitudinal and motivational levels being incorporated into the actual training programme The study

of Tziner et al (2001) revealed that a relapse prevention module included in a training

programme helped increase the likelihood of the predictive power of internal locus of control and a supportive environment on the use of trained skills and transferring them to the job More recent studies have supported the importance of posttraining interventions on skill transfer and maintenance Burke (2007) found that relapse prevention, significantly, positively affected the trainees' ability to transfer and desire

to transfer Stevens and Gist (2007) further found that a posttraining programme that incorporated a performance-oriented intervention (e.g goal-setting instruction) could improve the maintenance of trained interpersonal skills

2.2.3 Environmental factors

Although practitioners stress the importance of the work environment in creating positive transfer, empirical research focusing on this dimension was limited (Baldwin and Ford, 1998) Recently, more studies have been based on such work-environment variables as supports-in-organisation, continuous-learning culture and task constraints

(e.g Facteau et al., 2005; Tracey et al., 2005)

The supports-in-organisation variables come from the concept of social support that is said to be influential when employees believe that other client systems in the organisation (e.g their supervisors and peers) provide them with opportunities for practising new skills and knowledge in the job settings (Noe, 2006) Opportunity to practise ensures that when trainees have plenty of chances to apply what they have

learned to their jobs, a larger amount of training content can be transferred (Ford et al., 2002) Some researchers have used the term "transfer climate" to represent the

social supports from the organisation (e.g Tracey, 2002) Basically, there are four major sources of social support - subordinate, peer, supervisor and top management

(Facteau et al., 2005)

Tziner et al (2001) found that supportive environment alone could not influence

trainees' use of trained skills Rouiller and Goldstein (2003), using a sample of managers of fast-food restaurants to study the effect of transfer climate on posttraining behaviour, further found that transfer climate was not significantly related to learning Yet, some authors' findings indicated that a positive transfer climate encouraged transfer of behaviour in the job setting (Olsen, 2008; Rouiller and

Goldstein, 2003; Tracey et al., 2005) Other studies showed that support from supervisors and peers moderately affected pretraining motivation (Facteau et al.,

2005) but significantly affected the perceived transfer of training (Xiao, 2006) Seyler

et al (2008) revealed that opportunity to transfer and peer support were related to motivation to transfer, while Axtell et al (2007) found that trainees' motivation to

transfer was a key predictor of both immediate (one month) and longer-term (a year)

skill transfer Moreover, subordinates' support (Facteau et al., 2005) and management

support (Brinkerhoff and Montesino, 2005) could facilitate transfer of training Brinkerhoff and Montesino (2005) also found that strong relationships built by involved parties (i.e trainers, trainees and managers) before, during, and after training could ensure a positive transfer

Continuous-learning culture is defined as "a pattern of shared meanings of perceptions and expectations by all organisational members that constitute an organisational value

or belief" (Tracey et al., 2005, p 241) Such shared meanings involve individual, task

and organisational characteristics In consequence, employees working in a continuous-learning environment share the perceptions and expectations that learning

is essential to them and associated with their work According to their empirical study, continuous-learning culture was directly related to posttraining behaviours

Another major component of work environment is task constraints Mathieu et al

(2002) found that task constraints were shown to be negatively, but only marginally,

related to training motivation Furthermore, the study of Facteau etal (2005) revealed

that manager's perceptions of task constraints in the environment were not significantly related to their pretraining motivation and perceived training transfer

2.3.1 Videotapes

The use of videotapes can be effective or ineffective depending on how they are used

It has been pointed out that the presentation of information is not enough to guarantee learning If trainees are allowed to watch videos in a passive manner, the learning will

be ineffective To be effective, the video should be stopped at certain points so the trainer can ask questions of the audience This leads to active participation and feedback

It should be noted that video does not hold attention as well as lecturing in person To overcome this, video must rely on its strong points: colour, motion, drama and the incorporation of graphics [ Mayo, G.D., Dubois, P.H., 2007., p 128]

Video ranks high in the number of senses involved In fact, it ranks second only to simulation When used properly it can also rank relatively high in the activity of, and feedback to, the trainee Couple these with people's predisposition to watching television and you can see why video is a popular and effective training method

Its main disadvantages may be complexity and cost Producing an in-house training video or having an outside consultant do it can be an expensive process

2.3.2 Lectures

Strictly speaking, the lecture alone is a poor training tactic This is due to two primary weaknesses: lack of trainee involvement and lack of feedback to the trainee Like the use of video, the lecture can be effective if it is used in a way that elicits involvement from the audience

One way to do this is to stop the lecture periodically and ask the trainees to draw some conclusions from the information presented These conclusions should relate to the objectives of the training All the information necessary to reach the conclusion should be contained in the lecture but the conclusion itself should not be directly stated This forces the trainee to formulate an answer rather than simply recall it

Feedback can then be provided by comparing conclusions among trainees through group discussion This method is probably more accurately labelled "presentation-discussion" rather than lecture

The lecturer plays a key role in determining how effective the presentation is Some people are naturally good public speakers, others are not The following four suggestions can be used to improve the oral presentation: provide inspiration by being enthusiastic, simplify complex topics, make sure information is up to date, and introduce topics in a dramatic fashion [Mayo, G.D., Dubois, P.H., 2007 p 67]

Following these suggestions will go a long way towards capturing the attention of the audience and encouraging participation

2.3.3 One-on-one instruction

One-on-one instruction can be classified as on-the-job training or off-the-job training On-the-Job refers to any training that occurs while the employee is actually working Off-the-job training is performed away from the employee's work area The distinction is important because each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages

In on-the-job training, the employee is doing actual work in the actual work environment under normal working conditions This is important because it ensures that skills taught in training can be readily transferred to the job Also, since the employee is being productive during training, the associated cost may be less The qualifter "may be less" is key here because while an employee is learning, resources will be inefficiently used, initial performance will be low, and costly errors may be made [Sims, R.R., 2010, p.118]

Individualized off-the-job training is rarely used primarily due to its cost The production capacity of two individuals is lost when this method is employed Most companies seek to maximize the use of the trainer by having him or her instruct more than one individual at a time Another disadvantage is the trainee is isolated from the actual work environment This makes it questionable whether skills acquired in training will be transferred to the job This method of training is used primarily when the potential cost of errors made while training on-the-job exceed the cost of off-the-job training or safety is a concern

Individualized training usually involves a senior employee training a junior employee The task of trainer may be assigned to the employee who is considered the best at the required skill or it may be assigned to the employee's supervisor The problem with this is that neither of these people may be trained as a trainer As a result, the trainer may not be motivated to train or willing to accept the responsibility for training: thus, the training may be haphazard There is also the possibility that the trainer may perform the job well but lack the ability to teach others how to do so Many people put in the position of trainer complain that they do not have the time to train and may omit important elements of the training process[Sims, R.R., 2010, p.118]

The greatest advantage of individual training is that it enables each participant to determine the speed with which training can proceed [ Lynton, R.P., Parreek, U.,

2000, p 152] Less time can be spent on skills that are easily mastered and more can

be devoted to difficult areas Also, because of this individualized attention, it ranks high in trainee activity and feedback The disadvantages associated with the trainer can be eliminated by carefully selecting and training the trainers

2.3.4 Role plays

In role playing, the trainees act out certain roles in the context of a situation that is

applicable to the training objectives Role playing provides a good opportunity for

personal involvement and practical experience It is similar to the case study method

that will be discussed later except that it is superior in portraying the aspects of

interaction among people It is most useful in gaining insight into the viewpoints or

feelings of others

Role play lends itself well to group discussion and therefore encourages active

participation and feedback It is important that role play be confined to training

situations in which mistakes are treated with tolerance by both the trainer and fellow

trainees This is to ensure that reinforcement is mostly positive

2.3.5 Games/simulation

Games and simulation are considered together although they are not identical Rather,

they represent a continuum with simulation at one end and games at the other In

between are exercises that combine a little bit of both Simulation is aimed at

capturing elements of the real situation that are important to the training objectives

Characteristics that are not of interest are ignored Games may only indirectly relate

to the real world They usually involve competition between individuals or groups

with the outcome influenced by the choices made, player's skill, or chance

The application of pure simulation training is somewhat narrow The best example is

the computerized flight simulators used by commercial airlines and the military The

main advantage of simulation is that it allows trainees to get experience in handling

new situations while avoiding unacceptable risk You can walk away after you crash a simulator The biggest disadvantage is cost Developing a simulator that approximates real experiences is both complex and expensive

The use of simulation games is more widespread One reason for their popularity is that they are fun People are more highly motivated and more likely to participate when they are having a good time Games are useful in that they can teach more than one idea at a time For example, the game "Desert Survival" has trainees work out survival skills first as individuals then as groups The open objective is to learn how to survive A hidden objective is to demonstrate that co-operation and mutual assistance greatly enhance the probability of survival [ Mayo, G.D., Dubois, P.H., 2007., p 86]

There are some disadvantages to the use of games The game can be too simplistic and therefore provide an incomplete or inaccurate view of reality Since the game is played for fun, trainees may not take them seriously Decisions and actions will be treated lightly since they have no consequences in real life, because some of the objectives are often hidden, participants may leave a training session unaware of what was learned

For these reasons, the game must be carefully designed to meet training objectives The trainer must play a key role in setting the stage at the beginning of the game and leading a post-game discussion to be sure the objectives were met

2.3.6 Case studies

The use of a case study can really stimulate interest because it brings some strong realism into the training session A case study usually includes the description of an actual problem and leaves the solution of the problem to be developed by the trainees

The problem description may contain all the facts needed to form a solution, or it may leave out certain important facts so that different solutions can be generated depending on the key assumptions made

The purpose of a case study may be to stimulate discussion so that various points of view are explored In this case, the group decision may not be the same every time

Or, the purpose may be to illustrate a point and help trainees discover certain predetermined principles or solutions

In either case, the effective use of the case study method contains three steps: a discussion in which the trainees and the trainer participate; an effort to understand the reasons for the actions taken by the people involved in the case, and the generation of

an acceptable solution [ Mayo, G.D., Dubois, P.H., 2007., p 70]

Because of the importance of the group discussion to provide participation and feedback, this method is best suited to small group training It may be applied to larger groups if they can easily be divided into smaller subgroups

2.3.7 Slides

Slides are more of a training aid than a training method They are usually used in conjunction with the lecture Their purpose is to use graphics to help simplify the presentation and capture the attention of the audience

Since more senses are involved and audience attention is enhanced, the training is likely to be more effective The use of slides in a lecture has the same faults as the lecture itself Trainee participation and feedback are extremely low Again, combining the lecture with slides and group discussion is much more effective

2.3.8 Computer-based training

Computer-based training can be divided into two groups; computer-assisted instruction and computer-managed instruction In computer-assisted instruction, the computer acts as a tutor Training takes place during a dialogue between the trainee and the computer Information is presented via the monitor and the trainee responds to questions asked by typing on the keyboard Under this system, one terminal is needed for each trainee

Computer-managed instruction differs in that most training takes place off-line The computer assigns each trainee individualized instruction modules that are completed away from the terminal After completion, the computer evaluates the trainee's learning, diagnoses areas of weakness, and prescribes additional work as needed The benefit of managed instruction is that less time is spent online so a single terminal may be used by many trainees This can significantly reduce the cost of the training programme

The advantage of both types of computer-based training is that the programme can easily be tailored to the needs of the individual trainees Those who need additional instruction can get it without slowing down the training process for others

The biggest disadvantage is cost Both the hardware and the software needed to support the system can be expensive The time and money needed to develop the computerized instructional material can be substantial For these reasons, computer-based training is best suited for training courses with a large enrolment and stable content

2.3.9 Audiotapes

The use of audiotapes as a stand-alone training method has some severe limitations The activity level of the trainee is low, feedback is low, and only one sense is involved Audiotapes are frequently used to present the same information that could appear on a printed page The problem is that tables and diagrams that could help explain the material cannot be included In addition, it usually takes longer to listen to the information than it would to read it Thus training time is increased

For these reasons, audiotapes are better used in conjunction with some visual aid such

as printed material or slides Combining these two can be an effective way to develop

an individualized training programme The benefit is that audiotapes are relatively inexpensive and easy to use when compared to other individualized methods

2.3.10 Films

The use of films has the same advantages and disadvantages as the use of videos Both can be either effective or ineffective depending on whether the trainee participates actively or passively

The use of films and video has additional advantages that relate to the subject being taught They can be used to reduce or enlarge a process that is not normally visible due to its size They can also slow down or speed up a process or activity to assist in analysis and understanding Through animation and other graphic techniques, they can display what is essentially invisible such as an abstract idea [ Mayo, G.D., Dubois, P.H., 2007., p 124]

2.4 The factors influence the training

2.4.1 Internal factors

There is no doubting the positive effects brought about by success Management expects a contribution from training which justifies the expenditure of money, time and other resources on it If that contribution is realized, it sees the training department as a force to be reckoned with and one which deserves continued support and encouragement And the management‟s attitude to training is usually demonstrated by its willingness to vote the necessary funds to the activity

In organizations where a management training centre exists, for example, the training department‟s contribution is usually valued Introducing such a centre involves a good deal of initial research and evaluation and the financial commitments involved discourage the management from taking lightly the decision to provide it Moreover,

if they are prepared to make such an investment, the decision may be reasonably interpreted as an acceptance that the training department is sufficiently competent to assume responsibility for all aspects of management training

If management is unable to see positive results, the function may lose credibility and support may no longer be forthcoming The department may find itself ignored and eventually it may be re-formed, or in the worst case disbanded Lack of professionalism to carry out its role effectively On the other side of the coin, an over- demonstrative display of confidence, characterized by over- zealous publicity for one‟s activities, will be viewed with suspicion and will most likely prove counter- productive

It is fairly obvious that a dearth of resources is a serious demotivator, if training staff are unable to achieve their targets for lack of money or time, they become frustrated

and disheartened An unwelcome effect, too, is that other employees can either see them as lacking in competence to carry out their commitments or, if they know the true reasons, believe that the department has lost the confidence of the management

Managements and indeed people generally, are more impressed with those who produce the desired results with quiet efficiency than with those who indulge in excessive self- praise

2.4.2 External factors

The impact of government legislation on training has been considerable, in particular since the year 2008 to now, the technical, vocational education and training in Vietnam is under the administration of the two relevant ministries namely ministry of Education and Training(MOET) and Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) MOET is responsible for professional secondary Education and MOLISA

is responsible for vocational training The TVET system is characterized by many training providers at central and local levels of Government since the system was developed in the past as a supply-driven one to serve a variety of state ministries and enterprises these line ministries are responsible for management of TVET frame curriculum to meet the specific needs of their sectors

The Government will earmark VND119 billion for providing vocational training services for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the next five years

At present, the country has many vocational training centres which provide services and assistance for SMEs in all areas, including business administration and finance The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) is the largest agency specialising in organising training courses for SMEs, thanks to assistance and co-

operation with foreign organisations and governments VCCI has organised more than

600 training courses for more than 20,000 participants from SMEs More than 500 other courses to strengthen SMEs capacity building have been also organised for 15,700 participants.(Economist,2012)

In a recent survey conducted by VCCI, 92 percent of the 700 SMEs questioned said the training courses were very useful and nearly 70 percent wanted to continue to attend refresher courses

The Vietnam Co-operatives Alliance also reported that SMEs are in need of training

in building business approaches, business administration, financial management, human resource development and marketing skills To date, the alliance has conducted thousands of courses for the owners of enterprise and co-operatives

2.5 The brief overview of the steps of the training process follows

Identify needs: The process starts off by identifying the business needs and turning these needs into training requirements

Evaluate needs: A check is made to ensure that the requested, or mandated, training is suitable for the people concerned A check is also made to make sure training can meet the identified need In the case where training is not a suitable approach the need has to be analysed further so that alternatives to training can be suggested

Select courses: Given that the business need is one where training can make a contribution, the next step is to identify suitable courses The choice will be between:

- Using an existing company course

- Buying- in an external course

- Developing a new course

Develop courses: If no suitable course are available, new course have to be developed and piloted

Determine workload: At this stage you should be able to make your first estimate of the resources you will require to meet the training need

Recruit trainers: If you do not have sufficient trainers to meet the expected workload, you will need to start the process of recruiting new trainers, it often takes three months or more to recruit a new trainer so you will need to start this step as early as possible

Select trainers: Before a course can be delivered suitable trainers need to be identified

Develop trainers: It is likely that the trainers you select to run new courses will need further development of their own skills and knowledge It is even more likely that trainers recruited from outside will require development If you are developing people

to be trainers, you will need to put them through a programme of training and experiences before you allow them to train unassisted Depending on the level and frequency of the courses, this could take from three months to a year

Certify trainers: If a course is new to the trainers, they should undergo a programme

of observation and practice to ensure that they reach the required standard before they are allowed to deliver the course by themselves

Identify location and resources: Before advertising the dates of the proposed courses make sure that appropriate locations and resources are available