PUNCHIKA PUKNIAM
A THEMATIC PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF MANAGEMENT
COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY
2014
COPYRIGHT OF MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY
SOFT SKILL MANAGEMENT AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN A JAPANESE MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION
was submiitted to college of Management, Mahidol University for the degree of Master of Management
on
December 21, 2014
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Miss Punchika Pukniam Candidate
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Asst. Prof. Winai Wongsurawat Ph.D.
Advisor
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Assoc. Prof. Annop Tanlamai, Ph.D.
Dean
College of Management Mahidol University
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Asst. Prof. Peter De Maeyer , Ph.D.
Chairperson
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Assoc. Prof. Nathasit Gerdsri, Ph.D.
Committee member
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout the Master Degree of the College of Management, Mahidol University. First of all, I would like to pass my sincerely appreciation and thankful for all of academic faculty instructors who have provided me valuable knowledge and thoughtfulness, as well as academic staff of the College of Management, Mahidol University who supported academic equipment and handouts during each semester. With the great support of my classmates with their aspiring guidance and support which we have been gone thru all of unforgettable experiences during the pass one year and eight months. I have to express my sincerely thankful to my company, Sumitomo Corporation Thailand, Ltd who provided a full scholarship and support to me to be success in this Master Degree. I also would like to thank you to all of my colleagues who have been supporting, encouraging and full understanding my condition during my study. Last but not least, my great families who have always being my back up to achieve all difficult situations.
Punchika Pukniam
SOFT SKILL MANAGEMENT AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN A JAPANESE MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION
PUNCHIKA PUKNIAM 5649135
M.M. (INNOVATION AND MANAGEMENT)
THEMATIC PAPER ADVISORY COMMITTEE: ASST. PROF. WINAI
WONGSURAWAT, Ph.D., ASST. PROF. PETER DE MAEYER, Ph.D., ASSOC. PROF. NATHASIT GERDSRI, Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
Now a day we understand that the world become small because of globalization. Japanese is one of the most successful countries in term of global management. Although they are not an English native speaker, but they have other soft skill management, which I would like to call “Art of Management” to run their global business efficiently. They dispatch their human resources to everywhere in this world dynamically to be either managerial level or trainee staff. Dispatch duration is variant depend on company policy, but approximately around two to six years. Those dispatched staffs are “the face” of the company and they trust them to be their management representative, and to be able to give and gain knowledge from other offices in other countries. This research will focusing on soft skill management of Japanese trading business in Thailand which I would like to choose
“Sumitomo Corporation”, the top three biggest trading company in Japan to be my case study. The study will focus in the area of “communication skill for knowledge sharing”.
KEYWORDS: Japanese Trading Company / Sumitomo Corporation / Soft Skill / Communication / Knowledge sharing
22 pages
CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
ABSTRACT iii
LIST OF FIGURES v
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION & MOTIVATION 1
1.1 Introduction & Motivation 1
1.2 Problem Statement 5
1.3 Research Objective 5
1.4 Research Benefit 5
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 6
2.1 Knowledge Sharing Management Theory 6
2.2 Communication Skill Theory 8
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY & DATA COLLECTION 10
3.1 Research Methodology 10
3.2 Framework 12
3.3 Data Collection 13
CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDING 14
4.1 Create Thinker mindset 15
4.2 Create Feeler mindset 15
4.3 Create Knower mindset 17
4.4 Experience knowledge with support from supervisors 17 4.5 Visualize ideas and engagement multiple levels of people 18
4.6 Integrate knowledge and be role model 19
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION 21
5.1 Conclusion 21
5.2 Recommendation 22
REFERENCES 23
BIOGRAPHY 24
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1.1 Sumitomo Corporation Thailand Organization Structure 3 1.2 Sumitomo Corporation Thailand Organization hierarchy (sample) 4
3.1 Framwork 12
4.1 Development of soft skill in communication for knowledge sharing 14 in Sumitomo Corporation
4.2 Integrity Corporate Strength 20
CHAPER I
INTRODUCTION & MOTIVATION
1.1 Introduction & Motivation
I am personally always impressed with the achievements of the Japanese;
the ways they run global business professionally no matter they are not English native speaker. Personally, I have a very good opportunity to work with one of the biggest Japanese trading firms in Thailand, Sumitomo Corporation Thailand. I have been working with them for almost eight years; my current position is Deputy Manager of Automotive and Construction Equipment Department. My direct supervisor is Japanese Manager, taking this opportunity I have learned many knowledge and gained direct experiences working closely with Japanese Managerial level from both of Sumitomo’s Japanese and our counterparts. Surprisingly, many Japanese managerial people especially engineering manager who work inside factory, they rarely have English communication skill, but they know how to run global business and communicate professionally. I am always curious. However, I have learned a lot in term of soft skill management styles. I remember the first day that I joined Sumitomo, I attended department regular meeting. At that meeting, my Japanese boss asked our team, what is the meaning of “Professional People”? The answer is one word
“responsibility”, you do not have to be an expert or to be outstanding person, but as long as you take full responsibility of your job, you are the professional one. This is the first lesson that I have learned from Sumitomo Thailand and many more later on.
Explanations of Japan’s success may not come from one single conceptualization, but consist of many combinations of theories. However, I would like to focus on soft skill management technique of Japanese, and focus more into “Sumitomo Corporation Thailand”.
Who is Sumitomo Corporation Thailand?
Sumitomo Corporation Thailand is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation (Japan) a global trading and investment Company who run the business for more than 400 years. Cores businesses and products are such as Metal, Chemical, Transportation
& Construction Systems, Organic & Inorganic, Consumer Goods & Services and etc.
(http://www.sumitomothailand.co.th/) The company generates business from connectivity and integrity. The company provides many kind of function such as expertise consultation, financial support, logistics arrangement, negotiation support and etc. Most valuable asset of the company is human resources, and philosophy of the founder is to not generate easy gain business. Meaning that Sumitomo people must have value added function not only a good relation to run businesses, but the staff must be able to giving an advice, a consultation or being an expert in the working area they are located. The most importance is to be professional in the area that they are doing. The person in charge should have well understanding the whole transaction and have good knowledge in whatever related to their job, for example; accounting and financing knowledge, logistic and legal knowledge, risk management knowledge etc.
The person does not have to be an expert in all dimensions, but they should understand basic concept of those importance issues.
Figure 1.1 Sumitomo Corporation Thailand organization structure
Figure 1.2 Sumitomo Corporation Thailand organization hierarchy (sample)
What is Japanese’s role in Sumitomo Corporation?
Japanese staff will be allocated and assigned to station in each country approximately around two to six years depend on the assignments. They will be assigned to be managerial level to generate new businesses and to guide and educate local staff to have a better knowledge and practice. Each assignment are assigned by purpose, in order to improve business management and knowledge, Japanese managerial staff will be assigned to the area that the company require. There are several reasons for allocation such as; to develop knowledge in the same field, to use their portfolio to enter to new business, to develop weak knowledge of such person, to integrate functionality and ability, or to gain new experiences in new field. As you can see from the diagram showing above, organization hierarchy is not very complex, and Japanese people will be in charge in high position of the company.
The problem of this research will examine why Japanese organization successes in global business what kind of soft skill strategy they have and how they apply it. Some people may understand that many global organizations success because they have good English communication skill and other business strategies, but for Japanese organization, it’s obviously that they rarely have perfect English skill but they could success in globally. One importance factor for running global business is to have a skill to deal with people. Therefore, the question is; if they want to be a successful global company with long milestone, what kind of soft skill they have in the area of communication and knowledge sharing.
1.3 Research Objective
The objective of this research is to find factors or combinations of soft skill management of Japanese trading organization which can be used as lesson learn for other organizations. To study from true case study how Japanese people develop their communication and knowledge sharing in the area of soft skill. To investigate factors which lead those skill to be organization’s norm or behavior.
1.4 Research Benefits
The research benefit is to be a good example for other organization in term of soft skill management for any organization who would like to enhance their business into global business strategy and to long life organization in the future.
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature review is a knowledge background to support this thematic paper consists of; how importance of knowledge sharing, and why organization needs to have it. The literature will be study deep down into soft skill area how they to create thinking, feeling, and knowing skill. Another theory in this research will focus on how importance of communication and nature of this issue related to organization operation. The literature will create framework for this research for analysis and understanding.
2.1 Knowledge Sharing Management Theory
According to seminar of “The importance of knowledge sharing.” (Dr Sjur Baardsen, 2011), he shared the reason why Knowledge Sharing is importance is because of three main reasons. First reason, we are living in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) world, amount of information is increase rapidly, because of education improvement, Research and Develop improvement. New information or knowledge occur or even take place old information. No one can live long enough to keep and use those information or knowledge by themselves. Second reason, we need to increase specialization, it’s necessary to increase pool of knowledge in order to use all knowledge for new development. In order to achieve one work, there are more than one knowledge to be used, therefore; only single individual knowledge cannot achieve all new development. Third reason, we are all a life-long experience, knowledge explosion impact our society, new knowledge sharing has been doing from many generations and it is become permanent knowledge. Those are the reason why knowledge sharing is importance.
However, in term of share soft skill knowledge, how to think, feel, know, or to have “gut” in the same way that organization want them to be is very difficult to
mentions that there is no blueprint for success, but it is come from perfect combination and appropriate blending of all the talents that the team should have. The team should have “Primary Thinkers” who have systematic, logical and structural thinking style.
Thinkers will help the team to get organized, and set rules for team. “Primary Feelers”
will bring energy, sympathy, emotion, creativity and relationship to the team. Last but not least “Primary Knowers” will lead the team to get the job done or move forward.
In football game, we need “Thinkers” to clearly understand rules and positions of each players, he / she should know roles of every people in the team, and provide technical support to enhance team performance. We also need “Feelers” who convert rules into real action. No one can teach Feelers to weight or balance ball while he / she is running. Feelers need to feel it and learn from it by themselves. Feelers will also create relationship in the team, it is not easy to make relationship happened, but time is needed to be invested, and let each team member to express who they are and how they can be together. “Knowers” who set vision and direction of the team, it is not about strategy or business plan, but a common destination that all teams members want to go and willing to sign up to. Think-Feel-Know model means the team has to be clear on rules, plan and structure with a combination of good relationship of each team member and to get the mutual willing goal together.
Sumitomo Corporation Group’s management principles was generated since 400 years ago by the founder Mr. Masatomo Sumitomo (1585-1652), the most importance thing for the organization to live long is “integrity”, and the most valuable asset of the organization is “human resources”, we aim to benefit ourselves, but other, public and entire nation shall be benefited as well. While society is changed, we aim to adapting to such change with the society. (www.sumitomocorp.co.jp)
Sumitomo’s milestone is more than 400 years; the organization has gone thru more than zillion problems in term of multigenerational workforce, world change, technology change, and human resources change. Knowledge sharing is one of the most importance topics of the organization, they need to set the best well manage to deal with changes. Moreover, characteristic of Japanese is Risk Avoidance (Hofstede, G, 2010), therefore, to transfer or share their knowledge to others is one of the solutions to reduce risk of the organization and the person in charge.
2.2 Communication Skill Theory
“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, they won’t get you anywhere.” said Lee Iacocca
Watson Wyatt Worldwide’s Communication ROI Study researched that the company will be benefited once internal communication is effective.
(Demitropoulos, 2010). Good communication in organization will enhance the business in many dimensions such as employees can have a better engagement in the business, the companies will be able to keep key talents and provide professional standard value to the customers, and be trusted by the shareholders. This research shows that the firm who has effective communication could bring back their 47%
shareholder higher than the firm that has least effective communication. They also surprised to know the secret of good communication is that; it can increase employee’s morale to the higher level, for example, if financial department is open and honest with staff, the staff will show their morale to the company and reduce the mistake.
(Kenneth Laurence, 2014)
Internal communication can help you bring you know-how and creativity into an action and to drive your plan to an action. In term of multigenerational workforce, there is no best communication method to reach all of employees. The management should pay their intension to develop communication skill in the organization, to enhance employee engagement the meaningful of their current job.
There are many importance components to support a good communication in the organization which are the top-down management and budget to support communication scheme. The best way to practice good communication strategic are consist of; One, identify quantity to be supported by the employers (Mary Schafer), management needs to identify the total compensation statement (TCS), whatever format will be whether direct training, role plays, stimulation, the business game to learn to manage team and solve problems, the employees should be able to learn and use those experiences and adapt in real life. Second, one size does not fit for all, management cannot apply one single method of communication to communicate with all of the employees because there are many combinations of gender, age, experiences, habits and much more. The good communication should be designed to suit with the type of people that they want to communicate with. Third, engage your employee in
familiar with technology or e-mail or even smart phone for young generation, so that all of them can access and receive the message of the company. Forth, there must be a better way (Desmond Evans, 1977), on the job training somehow learner can learn and adapt it in their own way.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY & DATA COLLECTION
3.1 Research Methodology
This study will use a qualitative research approach, by interview experiences peoples to collect information, their understanding and their perception.
This research will not conduct a survey, but oriented interview only. The interview will be arranged with small five peoples individually. Target group will be the persons who have been working with Sumitomo Corporation for more than five years; the person should have long learning experiences a communication technique from Japanese to see development of communication techniques starting from when they first join Sumitomo until become a managerial or supervisor. Target interviewees will be selected from two sections, first section is Business Unit staffs who has been working with Sumitomo for more than 5 years. Qualification of the interviewee is the person who has experiences working with suppliers, customers or counterparts to compare development of communication skill / technique for knowledge sharing. List of interviewees are as follows;
1. A Thai Senior Manager from Business Unit Department, he has been working in Japanese Trading Business in a beginning of his career life, and Sumitomo is a second places and now it has been more than ten (10) years’ service. The interview was arranged in October 2014 after working hours. Interview duration was around one and a half hour.
2. A Thai Manager from Business Unit Department. She has been working with Sumitomo for 11 years. Career life background of this manager, she used to work with Thai Hotel for three (3) years as a Reception, and move to Thai Construction Company for another four (4) years. The interview was arranged in a weekend in October 2014.
Interview duration was around one and a half hour.
working with the company for almost 8 years. Her career background is; she used to work with Thai Logistics Company for two (2) years.
The interview was arranged in a weekend in October 2014. Interview duration was around one and a half hour.
A second section is Corporate Unit staffs who has to support Business Unit in term of compliance, provide all concerned issues to support Business Unit to run a correct business scheme. Qualification of this group is similarly to the first group. The interviewees must be the person who has been working with Sumitomo for more than five years, and must have an experiences guideline business unit and receiving knowledge from Japanese people.
4. A Thai Manager of Corporate Planning and Investment Department, after graduated from University in Japan in the major of Administrative with the first honor, Sumitomo is her first job. She was twenty-two (22) years old with no working experiences. The interview was arranged in a weekend in October 2014. Interview duration was around one and a half hour.
5. A Thai Assistant staff, she used to work with Thai Insurance Company, responsible for customer services for two years, then decided to move to Sumitomo and has been working with Sumitomo for almost five (5) year already. The interview was arranged in October 2014 after working hours. Interview duration was around one and a half hour.
Since, Sumitomo Corporation has flat organization in term of operational management; consist of Managerial level, Non-Managerial level, and Assistance level.
This research will select 1-2 persons from each group who has similar experiences which required as stage above to understanding their perception, because each level will receive a different treat or correspondence from Japanese managerial staff.
Interview questions are sequenced from beginning of their career life, starting from background before they started working with Sumitomo Corporation, how they feel about working style of the Japanese once they firstly join the company.
The interviewees were requested to explain in specific example or situation; it should be not only in general feeling. The interviewees should compare Japanese management with their past experiences. After initial stage of working, they should descript the feeling and specific example after they were blend into the organization they were requested to show another example of experiencing Japanese soft skill management, and in the end, if he or she become a role model, they should share the experience as well.
3.2 Framework
Figure 3.1 Framework
Data was collected from conversation by face to face interview. The question to be used is open-ended questions such as general information and background of each person and responsibility, experiences dealing with Japanese person and what did they learn from Japanese management. Interviews were arranged during or after working hour depend on availability of interviewee. The interviewer will not ask question a specific question which could lead to identification name or title of the related parties, but for general experiences only. However, the example should be explained in clear form of such situation. However, limitation of this study would be a small group of people who experiences things and share for this research.
The result may not be stereotype or represent the whole organization behavior. This interview will try to lead the interviewees to avoid personal comment or conflict which can mislead the content. The interviewee will be the person who has been working with Japanese peoples for more than 5-6 years.
This interview will consist of three main areas which are (1).General information of interviewee, (2). Development of method that Japanese treat to the person starting from the beginning when they join the company, and develop until they become managerial level, and (3).Their suggestion or comment to apply or adapt those skills in real life and pay it forward to other. Personal information of interviewee will not be disclosed in the report, because the objective of this interview is for educational purpose.
CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDING
Research Finding
Three stages of soft skill development that Japanese applied for Sumitomo Corporation for develop communication for knowledge sharing
Figure 4.1 Development of soft skill in communication for knowledge sharing in Sumitomo Corporation
A Thai Manager from Corporate Planning and Investment Department, after graduated from University in Japan in the major of Administrative with the first honor, Sumitomo is her first job. She was twenty-two years old with no working experiences, her first responsibility was to handle investment project of the company supervised directly by Japanese Manager. At that time, she was assigned to study investment situation of all of subsidiary companies. She needs to find information about investment, to analyze financial statement, etc. “In order to gain trust from other people, you need to understand what you are doing and what it is about, you cannot just rely on others”, said her boss. Learning method was started; she learned that she needs to think about what she knows, what she does not know, and what she should know. Then, gather all information as much as possible whether from documents, websites, and people in the organization or consult with experts. Be ready for meeting with other people, she needs to be well prepared, what she should ask and what she should reply if the opposite side throw her questions. “What if they ask...” is the key question that she needs to prepare answers for those possible questions. Besides receiving information, but she has to develop herself to be a knowledge provider for educate people in the organization to understand investment concept as a consultation for other department who would like to study this issue.
4.2 Create Feeler mindset
To create a good relationship in the organization and outside organization, you need to respect other people as well as understand people. “Ji-Seki” & “Ta-Seki”
concept was taught. “Ji” means we, “Ta” means other people and “Seki” means responsibility. “Ji-Seki” means our responsibility and “Ta-Seki” means their responsibility. Once there is any problem “Ji-Seki” must come first. This lesson taught to look at ourselves first before complaining others. For example, if the assistance forgets to book a ticket, the first question must be whether or not we remind our assistance, and whether or not we follow up the ticket status, etc. We have to be responsible in every area that our job is related to. We need to look at ourselves first
whether we did everything completely perfect or not, did we really handle that situation carefully before blaming others.
Relationship and respectfulness of Japanese culture are very interesting issues. People respect other no matter they are a supplier or a customer, Japanese people normally adds a word “san” (means Mr. / Ms.) at the end of the name including of company name, for example, Toyota san, Nissan san, Sato san, etc. to respect people, things, and counterparts. As mention earlier she began her career life from twenty-two years old, but she had to be a company representative to visit affiliated companies and to meet Presidents or Board of Management people. The Japanese boss taught her that do not afraid to deal with those big guys, because she is not talking on behalf of herself, but on behalf of Sumitomo, the great 400 years company.
Professional business partners must respect a company representative to show a respectfulness dealing business with each other.
Consider organization as a big team, to understand team members is very important things that each team member should have. There was one new Japanese boss who is not really concentrating in personal issue, but work only. His subordinate was taking a maternity leave for three months, after she resumed to work, her health condition was not as good as before. She had to take many sick leaves to cure her Thyroid or to be with her baby when the baby was sick. Unfortunately that it was not noticed by her boss. The boss received a complaint from a Vice President to care more about his team living quality. He was requested to ask her whether or not she needs any support company such as time, facility, or human resources to support her workload, in order to keep a quality staff with the company.
As a global company “internal and external compliance” are big concerned issues. There is one philosophy of the company for “not persuade for easy gain” to remind all employees about consequents which can causes a big impact for the whole employees losing their jobs, their action can effect someone career life. Most of the time, we see that Japanese has never stop sending e-mail and consult each other even they are located opposite side of the world. The maid idea was to work as a team, and the team should have same understanding and direction. Before making hard decision or big impact decision, Japanese people need to have consensus understanding and acceptance from all team members to secure whole group business. More than a hundred of e-mail communications are sent back and forward among the team every day to share situation, emotion and alert team to beware status of the issue. Once the whole team has the same understanding and direction, then the person in charge will take next action.
4.4 Experience knowledge with support from supervisors
A Manager from Business Unit Department, he has been working in Japanese Trading Business since a beginning of his career life; Sumitomo is a second places and now it has been more than ten (10) years working with Sumitomo. He is a first staffs of the company who receives an assignment to be dispatched to affiliated company which run motorcycle leasing business. This assignment duration for two years, objective is to learn leasing business and to have ability to manage human resources. His position during rotation period is a President’s Assistant Manager. He has very good English skill, he graduated a Master degree from USA in the major of Communication, and so he was assigned to be linkage between Thai staffs and Japanese staffs. This assignment is a great experience for him dealing with a very difficult working environment in term of people. To explain the nature of motorcycle leasing business, there are one nature conflict between Sales Department and Debt Collecting Department, nature of these two businesses are difference, aim of Sales Department is to obtain maximum customers to achieve Sales target, but Debt Collecting Department does not want it at all, because they have to collecting more
debt account. Work responsibility conflict lead to personal conflict. Japanese President hoped that he could be a bridge between himself and local staff, and tried to reduce communication gap in the organization. The President would like to understand a real conflict and situation in the organization. He assigned him to be trained in each department including of Debt Collection. Hidden agenda from this assignment is to put him to learn more difficult working environment, when he return to Sumitomo he should have more knowledge dealing with people, he should have compromising skill, listening skill and managing emotional intelligent skill.
4.5 Visualize ideas and engagement multiple levels of people
A Manager of Business Unit Department who has been working with Sumitomo for eleven (11) years, but Sumitomo is not her first job. She used to work with Thai Hotel for three (3) years as a Reception, and move to Thai Construction Company for another four (4) years, then eleven (11) years experiences with Sumitomo. She found that Japanese has a better skill in explanation things and visualizing things starting from prioritize what should be introduction, background, topics and question or summary. Japanese people always share many things to each other (detail oriented) (R. Kennard), so for senior manager he/she possibly receives a hundred or two hundred e-mails per day. Lesson learn is to make a report in one page (if possible) and try to visualize it as much as possible, unless it’s really necessary to make a clear formal written explanation. There are generation gap in the organization, but based on believe that if you can explain it in a simple way, everybody can understand. One Japanese Manager said “Sumitomo is a training company”, this statement reflects organization behavior, the company conducts more than 20-30 training courses per year, and attendances will be a combination of several generations, departments, and positions. Hidden purpose for club many level of people in the same training is for help staff to know each other, sharing idea or their own best practice and understand each other, so that the job will run smoother, and increase process improvement.
There is no single hero / heroine of the company; we need to use a lot of knowledge of peoples to apply. As a trading company, the company has to do a lot of import, export and triangle business transactions. There is one automotive business case; Japanese supplier supplies their products to Malaysia automotive customer thru the service of Sumitomo Corporation. One day, the Malaysia customer had an idea for cost reduction to remove Sumitomo Corporation out of the business loop, and make a direct deal with the supplier. Sumitomo team members were very upset about this news and needed to find an immediate countermeasure to prevent greater negative impact from this decision. The team was thinking about how to stop this issue, and one of the team member come up with the idea of involving one colleague from India office who is an expert of the product and he has long relationship with the supplier.
Although India office is not one of the party in the normal transaction, but he was invited to help Sumitomo other teams to solve the problem. The result of integrate knowledge of this Indian colleague could help the company to secure this business.
Besides providing knowledge, but to share knowledge as a role model is very importance to the business. There is one Japanese Managerial Staff was assigned to station in Thailand to taking care Corporate Division, at the first time, people thought that he will be in charge in overall corporate area, but it was not his major assignment.
This Japanese often called a Thai Department Head from Treasury Department for face-to-face discussion and checking into very deep details of payment and exchange rate booking transaction. That was a very painful moment of this Thai Department Head. Looking back to the background of this story, this Thai Department Head from Treasury Department was a very first Thai group of people who had been promoted to be Department Head; she has been working for Sumitomo for more than 15 years with full experiences of financial skill. Sumitomo gave her a chance to be promoted to Department Head. After this assignment, there is one hidden agenda Sumitomo Head Office to send one specific Japanese Management to come and train this lady for having a Treasury Department Head mind set. The complaints that were given to this lady were for teaching her to have good examples and create mindset of management because Treasury Department role is very importance role to the company. It is a strategy of Japanese to be a good example and create learning environment by giving a
very good or painful experiences on the job training period. Many people believed that this Thai Manager was seriously thinking about resignation every day, but there is one interesting strategy which considered as bread and butter strategy which is; Vice President often gave her an encouragement, full understanding and appreciation which could help her to pass thru those unpleased situation
Figure 4.2 Integrity Corporate Strength
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Conclusion
From research finding, this paper found that for trading business, human resources is one of the most importance success factors for company to be success and sustainable. Nature of trading business, they do not have their own produces, but human resources in the organization which is considered as products of the company.
Besides having a full knowledge and experiences in the responsible areas, human resources need to have several management soft skills which has been transferred and taught from one generation to another generation.
The organization needs to create good organization norms and behaviors starting from the first moment that new member join the organization. They must starting from personal mindset, how to integrate him or herself to be a part of organization. What organization would like to have is “Thinkers”, “Feelers” and
“Knowers” mindset. First, staffs should have ability to be Thinker to understand rule, regulation and structure of what they are dealing with and how they are going to make the job done correctly. Staff should have mindset of initiative thinker not follower.
Second, staff should have ability to understand other feeling, sympathy and take other people’s opinions into consideration, and create a good relationship in the team. Third, they should have Knower mindset to be scope and workforce to achieve goal under mutual understanding and acceptance of the team. Whatever decision of the team will be, it will impact every single person in the team. Personal mindset is needed to be created so that people can understand that they are now working alone, but they need to work with others with understanding and thoughtfulness for others.
Once the organization creates good mindset in each staff, then the next step will be a developing process to release knowledge and communication from one person to another person which is starting from explain the knowledge in a simple way. Visualize personal knowledge into simple picture or explanation, so that any
generation, position or colleagues from other department can understand it easily.
Learn by listening or reading might not enough, but organization needs to provide or support staffs to have a chance to experience real situation. However, without support from supervisor, the staff might not successfully achieve such learning experiences.
Once the staffs have their own knowledge and experiences, they need to share or integrate their knowledge or experiences to other for benefit the organization.
Arrange brainstorm to achieve team’s goal, and being role model for educating other people.
5.2 Recommendations
Human feeling and perception are very important factors to reflect willingness or engagement between the staff and their job or their organization. This paper would recommend the organization to create “Positive Environment” program to the organization, such as arrange one “Thank you and Appreciation” board from receiver to giver who share valuable knowledge, experiences and times. This board will create positive environment an atmosphere in the organization and enhance people to provide their knowledge more the organization. Enhance environment of
“Sharing and Long-Lift Learning” to remind staff to never stop learning, but also sharing knowledge in organization. Moreover, to create one meeting to share creative idea to improve operation and communication in the organization, this meeting will not block or judge whether the idea is right or wrong, because main purpose is to encourage staff to share their ideas. One more recommendation from this paper is to create “I’m listen to you” meeting. This meeting will not disclose talker and listener, the voice can be changed using available equipment to transform tone of voice, and then this meeting will be similarly to confession or consultation invisible meeting. The listener should be the person who can take an action and solve such problem (in case it is solvable).
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Dr Sjur Baardsen, (2011), a seminar of “The importance of knowledge sharing.” of the International Year of Forests: European and global forests – which way for the future?
Evans Desmond, “Communication — a vital business skill”, Education + Training, Vol. 19 Iss 4 pp. 124 – 126, 1977
G., Hofstede & M. Minkov (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind (Rev. 3rded.). New York: McGraw-Hill. For translations see www.geerthofstede.nl and “our books”
Hyland Clive, (2013),"Building thinking, feeling and knowing teams", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 45 Iss 6 pp. 359 – 361
Kenneth Laurence Neal, “Six Key Communication Skills for Records and Information Managers”, CP Chandos Publishing first published in 2014, p.21-22 R. Kennard, Japanese product development process Journal of Product Innovation
Management, Volume 8, Issue 3, Pages 184-188
Schafer Mary, “Effective Benefits Communications Make Good Business Sense”, ADP, Inc, Workforce Solutions Review Magazine (www.ihrim.org)
Sumitomo Corporation Company Mission Statement,
http://www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/english/company/policy/principles/
