Management training and development needs of Vietnamese state enterprise managers during the transition to a market economy

摘要

This study focuses on how top-level managers at Vietnamese state-owned enterprises are transitioning to a market economy, and their needs on management training and development that will enable them to adapt to the new system. Forty Vietnamese state enterprise managers and 18 other people including Vietnamese state officials, and foreign businessmen were interviewed for this study.;Vietnamese state enterprise managers described their needs for training that will help them adapt to the changes created by the economic reform. Marketing, finance and accounting, and staffing were the top three areas of training identified by the managers. The rest of the areas included training in computer and information systems, planning, production management, communications, self-management, and problem-solving. The training needs of managers from the North and the South were displayed separately due to the different historical and economic backgrounds, which is explored in this study.;A training needs assessment model is developed from the research practices and findings of this study. This model guides the issues that needed to be examined in order to identify training needs.;This study also touched upon the cultural perspectives of the organizational culture of Vietnamese state enterprises and the cultural impact on training and development in terms of instructional methods and learning styles. The relationship between economic development and social change is evident in this study. This study observed the new and changing values and attitudes taking place in Vietnamese society as the market economy settles in.;For the current circumstances in Vietnam, the purpose of training is viewed as a solution for the shortage of skilled management. Most socialist countries confronted similar situations and problems in skills and knowledge of state enterprise managers during the transition to market economy. In dealing with management shortages, management education must be revised to respond to the changes and to effectively prepare a new generation of managers.