Motivation and outcome of nondegree executive education for mid level managers a case study in vietnam

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY NGUYEN MINH PHUONG MOTIVATION AND OUTCOME OF NONDEGREE EXECUTIVE EDUCATION FOR MID-LEVEL MANAGERS: A CASE STUDY IN VIETNAM MASTER'S THESIS VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY NGUYEN MINH PHUONG MOTIVATION AND OUTCOME OF NONDEGREE EXECUTIVE EDUCATION FOR MID-LEVEL MANAGERS: A CASE STUDY IN VIETNAM MAJOR: GLOBAL LEADERSHIP CODE: 8310210.01QTD RESEARCH SUPERVISORS: Prof Dr KAZUO KURODA Prof Dr PHAM QUANG MINH Hanoi, 2021 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study could not have been accomplished without the cooperation and assistance of numerous people I would like to take this opportunity to show my gratitude to those who helped me in many ways throughout the course of my studies First and foremost, I appreciate my research supervisors, Prof Dr Pham Quang Minh and Prof Dr Kuroda Kazuo, for their input and active participation at every stage of my research I would like to thank you for your guidance, understanding, and inspiration in assisting me in overcoming the obstacles I am eternally grateful to Dr Ryu Jung Hyun and Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Tuan Anh for their unwavering patience, insightful comments, and inspiration I would like to dedicate my research to the MGL board of directors, as well as MGL academics, particularly Prof Pham Hong Tung and Prof Katsuma Yasushi, for providing me with incredibly helpful feedback throughout my time at VJU I am grateful to Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, our MGL program Assistant, for her continuous support and high responsibility for helping me complete my dissertation Thanks to all my classmates who inspire and remind me to take care of myself on a daily basis I cannot express my gratitude enough to JICA and VJU administration for assisting and graciously supporting us in gaining a competitive and professional academic environment and help I'm also grateful to Mr Sukegawa Koichi, my respectful leader at DT Development Vietnam LLC, for pushing and facilitating me to join VJU; Mr Negishi Yasuhiko and coworkers for being patient with me during my hectic schedule of working and studying at the same time Above all, none of my efforts would have been possible without my beloved family's and friends’ support, empathy during my busiest two-year-time They are the most significant accelerators for my fulfillment ABSTRACT The interconnected and globalized globe has accelerated a fast-paced, demanding society in which business leaders must retain their competitive edge and avoid being left behind in a dynamic economy Market pressure and competition push many businesses to develop their future leaders, as well as people to study and strive for greater success in their careers In Vietnamese corporations, the emphasis is on Mid-level manager to create future leaders rather than continuing to grow current executives The number of professionals who want to continue working while taking Executive Education (EE) and Non-degree Executive Education (NDEE) courses has soared, and it has become a trend in Vietnam since 2000s As a result, the goal of this study is to look at the development of NDEE and assess it through perception of Vietnamese mid-level managers, focusing on their learning motivation and outcomes It also seeks to offer a unique socioeconomic background for Vietnam that differs from that of other nations' previously examined studies Furthermore, it analyzes whether participants’ expectations are met in the NDEE Finally, it will establish a conceptual framework for evaluating NDEE for mid-level managers in Vietnam Based on these findings, the study provides suggestions for NDEE policies and practices in Vietnam This paper will engage with mix method by conducting a survey and interviews An online survey questionnaire was used to collect samples for a quantitative study Participants in this study included Vietnamese mid-level managers who are currently involved in Non-degree Executive Education The results of quantitative and qualitative analysis in this study revealed that NDEE helps to enhance knowledge and intensive skills for qualified mid-level managers, hence contributing to productive employment, decent work and sustainable economic growth in Vietnam Social and cultural motivations have a significant influence on mid-level managers' decision to enroll in NDEE courses, whereas economic factors influence the decision to pursue further learning pursuits Key words: Executive Education, Non-degree Executive Education, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG8, SDG4), Mid-level managers TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .i LIST OF FIGURES ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.2 Research motivation 1.2.1 Practical necessity 1.2.2 Theoretical necessity 1.3 Operationalization CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The development of EE in the world 2.2 The development of EE in Asia since the 2000s 2.3 Vietnam context and the development of EE and NDEE in the 2000s 10 2.4 The advantages and disadvantages of EE and NDEE 15 2.5 The mid-level managers and NDEE 17 2.6 Motivations and outcome of EE for mid-level managers 20 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN 22 3.1 Conceptual framework 22 3.2 Research questions 22 3.3 Research objectives 23 3.4 Significance 23 3.5 Expected outcome of the research 24 3.6 Analytical framework 24 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY 27 CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 30 5.1 Data presentation 30 5.1.1 Data overview 30 5.1.2 Demographic data 34 5.2 Descriptive Analysis 37 5.2.1 Motivation 37 5.2.2 Expected and actual outcome 38 5.3 Interview interpretation 41 5.3.1 Motivation 41 5.3.2 Outcome 45 CHAPTER 6: IMPLICATION 49 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION 50 CHAPTER 8: LIMITATIONS 51 REFERENCES 52 Appendix Questionnaire in English 55 Appendix Questionnaire in Vietnamese 61 Appendix Interview guide in English 67 Appendix Interview guide in Vietnamese 69 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Authors’ illustration, adapted from UN Sustainable Development Goals, Part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 25 Table 3.2 Analytical framework created by the author for evaluation of outcomes 25 Table 5.1 Compare the effect of Cultural/Social Motivation and Economic Motivation 38 i LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Employment by Sector in ASEAN, 2000-2015 11 Figure 2.2 Mid-level managers’ involvement in organizational strategy, implementation and outcome of process 19 Figure 2.3 Mid-level manager and their motivation for continuing learning 19 Figure 3.1 Conceptual framework created by the author 22 Figure 5.1 NDEE programs that participants attended 30 Figure 5.2 Main NDEE providers 31 Figure 5.3 Objective factors impact the decision to attend NDEE programs 31 Figure 5.4 Subjective factors that impact the decision to attend NDEE programs 32 Figure 5.5 Level of importance of these NDEE towards participants 32 Figure 5.6 Level of agreement on the statement 33 Figure 5.7 Willing for recommendation 33 Figure 5.8 Respondents' gender 34 Figure 5.9 Respondents' current residential location 34 Figure 5.10 Respondents' marital status 35 Figure 5.11 Participants' company business segment 35 Figure 5.12 Participants' age 36 Figure 5.13 Participants' education and qualifications 36 Figure 5.14 Participants’ current monthly income 37 Figure 5.15 Social/cultural motivation before joining NDEE 37 Figure 5.16 Economic motivation before joining NDEE 38 Figure 5.17 Achievement from NDEE 39 Figure 5.18 Satisfaction level of the actual outcome in comparison with expected outcome 39 Figure 5.19 Improvements after NDEE participation 40 ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations CAGR – Compound Annual Growth Rate EE – Executive Education ESD – Education for Sustainable Development GATS - General Agreement on Trade in Services HE – Higher Education MBA - Master of Business Administration MM - Mid-level Manager MOET - Ministry of Education and Training MOLISA - Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs NDEE - Non degree Executive Education ROI - Return on investment SDG - Sustainable Development Goals TVET - Technical and Vocational Education and Training UN - United Nations UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICON – Consortium for University-based Executive Education VUCA - Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity WTO - World Trade Organization iii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This chapter gives an overview of the subject to be explored in this thesis including background, research motivation, operationalization and significance 1.1 Background Lifelong learning and high-quality education have had a great influence on not only personal and professional growth, but also on society's overall quality of life and long-term development Thus, lifelong learning has evolved from a competitive advantage to a business necessity Because the composition of the workforce is changing, an aging society requires the creation of new forms of education and management orientation for managers To achieve modernization, industrialization, and long-term growth, the government must reform its labor market by implementing programs for lifelong learning and universal access to TVET and tertiary education, as well as ensuring that labor market institutions are prepared to respond to changing labor market conditions (Ilo, 2012) EE programs are defined as customized, open, and optional enrollment programs for management and business executives that lead to certifications or degrees (Leventoff, 2018) EE courses are offered in a variety of global, regional, and mid-sized universities and business schools throughout the world The first criticism of NDEE is that private education providers' liberal activities make their EE programs less recognized; the second is state universities' inability to deliver effective and practical information; and the third is the illegality of free market providers who provide NDEE without legitimacy and state recognition Furthermore, there has been criticism of EE in the past when colleges launched EE early in history but it lacked practical and real-world application, generally due to a mismatch between businesses' talent management demands and university lecture halls (Lloyd & Newkirk, 2011) Therefore, the accountability for EE and NDEE education quality in Vietnam still has been tested This study will undertake more research from MOLISA's institution and policy in order to offer a more comprehensive picture of Vietnam's condition How EE and NDEE link to SD8 and SDG4  Sustainable Management  Other (please specify) [2/24] Which organization provide the courses to you?  Public university  Private university  Domestic private firm  Foreign private firm [3/24] Please choose the answer that seems to describe the level of importance of these NDEE towards you      [4/24] What are the objective factors that impact your decision to attend NDEE programs?  Suitable time/duration  Suitable tuition fee  Suitable objectives or curriculum of the courses  Reputation of teacher or program provider  Motivation from friends or upper managers  Other (please specify) [5/24] What are the subjective factors that impact your decision to attend NDEE programs?  Challenge or improve self-competency  Seek refreshment  Develop personal identity or profile  Get self-fulfillment  Insecure feeling in keeping current position  Other (please specify) [6/24] What are your economic motivation before joining NDEE?  Profit maximization 56  Promotion, bonus, salary, more opportunity  Save time  Save money  Increase productivity  Other (please specify) [7/24] What social dynamics helped you choose these courses?  Recognition of upper managers or subordinates or colleagues  Personal prestige enhancement  Social status or personal influence enhancement  Social networks enlargement  Teamwork effectiveness increase  Higher engagement to organization  Surpass colleagues or other degreed candidates  Preparation for next degreed programs  [8/24] Please choose the answer that seems to describe your agreement on the statement: "Before attending the NDEE courses, I believed that these courses meet my expectations":      Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree [9/24] What did you get from these NDEE course?  Better communications skill  Better leadership competency  Better problem-resolution skill  Better expertise  Other (please specify) [10/24] Please choose the answer that seems to describe your satisfaction level for the actual outcome in comparison with expected outcome: 57      Very dissatisfied Very satisfied [11/24] Has your knowledge been broaden after finishing courses?  Yes  No [12/24] Has your skill been upgraded after finishing courses?  Yes  No [13/24] Has your experience been added after finishing courses?  Yes  No [14/24] How has your organization changed since you finished the courses and returned to work?  No change  Little change  Change a lot [15/24] Do you want to introduce this NDEE for others??  Yes  No [16/24] Your age:  Below 22  22 – 27  28 – 32  33 – 38  40 - 49  Above 50 [17/24] Your gender:  Male  Female 58  Do not want to say [18/24] Your current residence:  Hanoi  HCMC  Other (please specify) [19/24] Your marital status  Single  Married  Divorced  Other (please specify) [20/24] Education and qualifications:  Vocational/High school  College  Bachelor  Master degree  Doctorate degree  Other (please specify) [21/24] Your current monthly income:  Below 10 mil/month  From 11-20 mil/month  From 21- 40 mil/month  From 41-60 mil/month  Above 60 mil/month [22/24] How long have you been working as mid-level manager?? ……………………………………………………………………………………… [23/24] Your company scale?? ……………………………………………………………………………………… 59 [24/24] Your company business segment?  Manufacturing  Trading  Service  Other (please specify) 60 Appendix Questionnaire in Vietnamese [Nghiên cứu Động lực tham gia kết đạt từ khóa học quản trị thực hành cấp chứng mà không cấp lãnh đạo cấp trung Việt Nam] [Dành cho Anh/Chị quản lý cấp trung học khóa học Quản trị cấp chứng mà không cấp bằng] Kính gửi Anh/Chị, Trước hết, xin phép cám ơn Anh/Chị dành thời gian để đọc phần giới thiệu bảng khảo sát Tên em Nguyễn Minh Phượng, học viên Thạc sĩ chương trình Lãnh đạo tồn cầu Trường đại học Việt Nhật, ĐHQGHN Hiện tại, em thực luận văn tốt nghiệp Thạc sĩ, với chủ đề liên quan đến Các quản trị thực hành cấp chứng mà không cấp lãnh đạo cấp trung Rất mong Anh/Chị giữ vị trí quản lý tầm trung dành chút thời gian để giúp em trả lời bảng khảo sát Bảng câu hỏi gồm 24 câu hỏi, dự kiến cần phút để trả lời Thông tin liệu thu thập bảo mật không cung cấp cho bên thứ ba Xin chân thành cảm ơn Anh/Chị dành thời gian hỗ trợ em hoàn thành đề tài Nguyễn Minh Phượng [1/24] A/C tham gia khóa học khóa học quản trị thực hành cấp chứng mà không cấp sau đây?  Quản trị thân: tư tưởng kĩ  Lãnh đạo đội nhóm  Quản trị chiến lược  Quản trị hệ thống tổ chức dự án  Quản trị rủi ro kiểm soát nội  Quản trị nhân hoạc Huấn luyện đào tạo Kiến tạo văn hóa doanh nghiệp  Quản trị tài - kế toán  Quản trị chuỗi cung ứng 61  Quản trị truyền thông Quan hệ công chúng  Đào tạo giám đốc - CEO chuyên nghiệp  Quản trị ngành du lịch khách sạn  Quản trị doanh nghiệp phát triển bền vững  Khác: Vui lòng cho biết tên khóa học [2/24] A/C tham gia khóa học đơn vị sau cung cấp?  Trường Đại học công lập  Trường Đại học tư thục  Công ty sở tư nhân nước  Cơng ty sở tư nhân nước ngồi [3/24] A/C vui lòng đánh giá tầm quan trọng khóa học anh chị?      Không quan trọng Rất quan trọng [4/24] Nhân tố khách quan sau khiến A/C định tham gia khóa học quản trị thực hành cấp chứng mà không cấp trên?  Thời gian phù hợp  Học phí phù hợp  Mục tiêu giáo trình khóa học phù hợp  Danh tiếng giáo viên đơn vị cung cấp chương trình  Sự khuyến khích bạn bè cấp  Khác (vui lòng rõ) [5/24] A/C vui lòng đánh giá mức độ tác động nhân tố chủ quan sau tới định tham gia khóa học quản trị thực hành cấp chứng mà không cấp trên?  Thử thách cải thiện lực thân  Khám phá điều mẻ  Xây dựng thương hiệu cá nhân tốt  Cảm giác thành công  Lo lắng vị trí cơng việc 62  Khác (vui lòng rõ) [6/24] Động lực kinh tế giúp A/C lựa chọn khóa học này?  Tăng thu nhập  Thăng tiến công việc  Tăng hội phát triển nghiệp  Tăng kĩ chuyên môn suất lao động  Tăng sáng kiến áp dụng vào công việc  Chuẩn bị khởi nghiệp (start-up)  Khác (vui lòng rõ) [7/24] Động lực xã hội giúp A/C lựa chọn khóa học này?  Sự cơng nhận từ cấp đồng nghiệp  Tăng cường uy tín cá nhân  Nâng cao địa vi xã hội tầm ảnh hưởng cá nhân  Xây dựng mối quan hệ xã hội  Tăng hiệu làm việc nhóm  Tăng gắn bó với cơng ty  Bắt kịp với đồng nghiệp trẻ người có cấp  Chuẩn bị cho việc học lên cao với chương trình có cấp  Khác: (vui lòng rõ) [8/24] A/C đánh nhận định sau đây: "Trước tham gia khóa học tơi tin tưởng khóa học đáp ứng tốt kì vọng mình"      Hồn tồn khơng đồng ý Hồn tồn đồng ý [9/24] Khóa học giúp anh chị đạt điều gì?  Giao tiếp hiệu  Lãnh đạo tốt  Xử lý tình tốt 63  Hiểu biết chun mơn cao  Khác: vui lòng cho biết chi tiết [10/24] A/C cho biết mức độ hài lòng so với kì vọng sau kết thúc khóa học?      Không hài lịng Rất hài lịng [11/24] Sau tham gia khóa học, Kiến thức A/C có tăng lên khơng?  Có  Khơng [12/24] Sau tham gia khóa học, Kĩ A/C có tăng lên khơng?  Có  Khơng [13/24] Sau tham gia khóa học, Kinh nghiệm A/C có tăng lên khơng?  Có  Khơng [14/24] Tổ chức/Cơng ty A/C thay đổi sau A/C áp dụng kĩ kiến thức từ khóa học vào cơng việc?  Khơng thay đổi  Thay đổi  Thay đổi nhiều [15/24] A/C có định giới thiệu chương trình (khóa học này) cho người khác ?  Có  Khơng [16/24] A/C vui lịng cho biết độ tuổi mình:  Dưới 22  22 - 27  28 - 32  33 - 38 64  40 - 49  Trên 50 [17/24] A/C vui lịng cho biết giới tính mình:  Nam  Nữ [18/24] A/C vui lòng cho biết nơi mình:  TP Hà Nội  TP HCM  Khác [19/24] A/C vui lịng cho biết tình trạng nhân mình:  Chưa kết  Đã kết hôn  Li hôn  Khác [20/24] A/C vui lịng cho biết trình độ học vấn mình:  Trung cấp  Cao đẳng  Đại học  Thạc sĩ  Tiến sĩ  Khác [21/24] A/C vui lịng cho biết khoảng thu nhập mình:  Dưới 10 triệu/tháng  Từ 11-20 triệu/tháng  Từ 21- 40 triệu/tháng  Từ 41-60 triệu/tháng  Trên 60 triệu/tháng [22/24] A/C giữ vị trí quản lý từ năm nào? ……………………………………………………………………………………… [23/24] Cơng ty A/C có người? 65 ……………………………………………………………………………………… [24/24] Công việc A/C thuộc lĩnh vực sau đây?  Sản xuất trực tiếp  Thương mại  Dịch vụ  Khác 66 Appendix Interview guide in English [Motivation and outcome of non-degree executive education for mid-level managers: A case study in Vietnam] Name Interview code Age/Gender / Date Current company Format Current job title File name INTERVIEW CONTENT Motivate interviewee to give honest answer and sharing for below questions: 1.What are the course names and content of NDEE? COGNITIVE 2.Can you name out some courses that you attended? or will attend in the future 3.Which one bring the most effectiveness and advantages? A ECONOMIC 4.MOTIVAT ION B SOCIAL that push you to choose C.CULTURAL NDEE? 5.Which of the motivation drive you the most? 6.OUTCOM E A EXPECTED 67 Before and B ACTUAL after joining the NDEE courses Does the actual outcome match with expected outcome? Why and how? Talk about your experience in NDEE classes 9.Have you faced up with any barriers to bring the knowledge and skill achieved from these NDEE to life? 10 Limitations of the courses 11 What is your suggestion in adding skills to NDEE courses if you can re-attend? 12 How you think about the ways to create a good NDEE program? 13 How to help these NDEE programs be recognized in a larger scale of supported by government policy? (Within the time frame, ask the interviewee to share further base on the flow of conversation) 68 Appendix Interview guide in Vietnamese Nghiên cứu Động lực tham gia kết đạt hệ đào tạo quản trị điều hành cấp chứng (không cấp bằng) lãnh đạo cấp trung Việt Nam Mã vấn Tên Tuổi/ Giới tính / Ngày thực Đon vị cơng tác Hình thức hiên Chức vụ Tên file NỘI DUNG PHỎNG VẤN Đề nghị người tham gia vấn chia sẻ cách chân thật cho câu hỏi sau đây: 1.Các khóa học quản tri cấp chứng bao gồm khóa học nội dung ? NHẬN 2.Nêu tên khóa học quản trị điều THỨC hành cấp chứng mà anh chị tham gia khơng? 3.Khóa học mang lại lợi ích hiệu nhiều nhất? A.KINH TẾ 4.ĐỘNG LỰC khiến anh chị B.XÃ HỘI tham gia khóa học gì? C.VĂN HĨA 5.Động lực có ý nghĩa định NHẤT A/C? Vì sao? 69 6.KẾT QUẢ Trước sau A.MONG ĐỢI tham gia khóa học quản trị cấp chứng B THỰC TẾ 7.Kết thực tế có đáp ứng giống kết mong đợi khơng? Vì sao? 8.Trải nghiệm A/C khóa học quản trị cấp chứng nào? 9.A/C có gặp phải trở ngại áp dụng kĩ kiến thức từ khóa học quản trị vào sống? 10.Hạn chế khóa học gì? 11.Nếu học lại, A/C khuyến nghị gia tăng thêm kĩ gì? 12.Theo A/C làm để xây dựng chương trình tốt? 13.Theo A/C làm để chương trình cơng nhận rộng rài hoăc nhà nước cơng nhận hợp thức mặt sách/quy chế? (Trong phạm vi thời gian cho phép, đề nghị người vấn chia sẻ thêm dựa nội dung hội thoại 70 ... Vietnam as a new action learning form of education because of the rising demand for highly competent managers Vietnam has joined a variety of regional and international economic and trade organizations,... 19 2.6 Motivations and outcome of EE for mid- level managers The roles of mid- level managers include coordinating, collaborating, and managing various demands made on their superiors, colleagues,.. .VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY NGUYEN MINH PHUONG MOTIVATION AND OUTCOME OF NONDEGREE EXECUTIVE EDUCATION FOR MID- LEVEL MANAGERS: A CASE STUDY IN VIETNAM MAJOR: