Case 1 – A small scale start up
Background
Co. X is a medium-sized domestic manufacturer of electric
components located in Japan. Company executives recognized
two separate language training needs
- communication with their foreign machine operators was
having a negative effect on productivity;
- the company was planning to set up an Indonesian joint
venture.
The strategic needs were clear, but the company had neither
the experience nor budget to set up a formal training program.
TOZAI’s support:
- Needs analysis clearly defined the company’s needs
and expectations
- Strategic Synchronized Scheduling assured the Indonesian
joint venture staff had a clear
training schedule. The foreign worker situation was ongoing
and did not have any particular
timing requirements.
- Self-study was chosen, as the company had no formal language
training budget. Staff was explained the situation and volunteer
participants formed two programs: Indonesian and Japanese
training. Trainees agreed to pay for their own studies,
and the company promised (a) to help them find training
alternatives and (b) a bonus increase linked to the meeting
of a benchmark for language skill increase.
- Standardized tests, paid for the trainees, were performed
for both the Indonesian and Japanese programs, for level
checking purposes.
- Instructor Search identified five recommended training
providers.
- Trainees were provided with a list of target language
skills to clarify their needs for themselves to the training
providers.
- Standardized tests were repeated after the decided training
periods to confirm progress and results were reported to
all stake holders.
Results: The first term’s success
rate was high enough to motivate the company to continue the
two programs. The number of training volunteers increased,
the success rate remained satisfactory, and the company later
established a formal training budget to support those trainees
who had shown extraordinary progress. These special trainees,
in turn, were identified as “fast track” career
employees.
Conclusion: Despite start up costs related
to TOZAI’s services that were higher than if the company
had tried to start up
by itself, the company agreed that this investment was worth
it, because
- the solution did not burden the company with program
running costs,
- common goals, progress related bonuses, and improved
internal communications boosted staff morale, and
- the strategic needs were met with favorable cost performance.
日本語版 / Japanese
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