Maximizing human capital in Asia: from the inside out

213 Pages·2009·1.653 MB·English

by  Martin-Chua, Elizabeth

Maximizing Human
Capital in Asia
From the Inside Out
Maximizing Human
Capital in Asia
From the Inside Out
Elizabeth Martin–Chua
JohnWiley& Sons (Asia)Pte. Ltd.
Copyright©2009JohnWiley&Sons(Asia)Pte.Ltd.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: LessonsLearned:From Personnel
Management to Talent War 1
Chapter1: What is HR? 7
HR EvolutioninAsia 7
CustomerInsight of AsianEmployees 9
The EVP:A ModelTestedinChina 12
Buildinga Good EVP inAsia 14
What isHR? Frequently Asked Questions 16
Chapter2: Personal Growth and Business
Growth 19
Organic Growth 20
Inorganic Growth:Mergersand
Acquisitions 20
Keysto M&A SuccessinAsia 26
LinksamongLeadership,HR Processes,
and BusinessGrowth 27
PersonalGrowthand BusinessGrowth:
Frequently AskedQuestions 28
Chapter3: Leadership 31
Good Leadership 31
Why isLeadershipHighinthe EVP? 34
Why isEngagement Important? 35
v
vi Contents
D&I 38
IsInclusive LeadershipBecomingMore
Important? 46
What MakesGoodLeadersinAsia? 48
How are LeadersAcquired? 51
360-Degree Feedback 52
Successionof Leaders 57
AsianLeadershipCompetencies 60
Leadership:Frequently AskedQuestions 63
Chapter4: Company Culture 67
What isCompany Culture? 67
Customers’ Experience and Employees’
Experience 73
TurningEmployees’ Experience into a
Good EmployerBrand inAsia 75
Measuringthe Successof a Company’s
Culture 78
Company Culture:Frequently Asked
Questions 79
Chapter5: Acquisition 85
Staffing 86
Strategic Acquisition(Recruitment) 96
A Checklist fora StrongAcquisition
FunctioninAsia 97
Acquisition:Frequently AskedQuestions 98
Chapter6: Development 101
Importance of Development 101
How Do CompaniesinAsia Do
Development? 103
Management and Talent Development
Review 110
Coaching 112
Why isCoachingImportant? 113
Mentoring 116
Contents vii
Key Elementsina Development
FunctioninAsia 118
Development:Frequently AskedQuestions 119
Chapter7: Performance Management 121
The Role of Performance Management 121
IsForced RankingNecessary? 123
Target Setting 125
Improvinga Performance Management
System 126
Key Elementsina Performance
Management SysteminAsia 127
Performance Management:
Frequently Asked Questions 129
Chapter8: Rewards Management 131
The Importance of Rewards
Management inAsia 131
Performance Rewards:Pay for
Performance 134
Dosand Don’tsinRewards
Management inAsia 135
RewardsManagement:Frequently
Asked Questions 136
Chapter9: How is HR Organized in Asia? 139
HR Roles 139
BusinessHR 141
FunctionalExperts 143
Administrative Experts,Shared Services
Centers 153
Outsourcing 160
Pitfallsto Avoid inOrganizingHR Rolesin
Asia 162
How isHR Organized inAsia? Frequently Asked
Questions 163
viii Contents
Chapter10: Summary: How to Succeed in
Asia 165
GlobalFramework,LocalContent
(GlobalforLocalApproach) 165
LocalforLocalApproach 167
LocalforGlobalApproach 169
ConcentratingonStrengths 171
LaborLegislationand Good Industrial
Relations 176
Attractive Rewardsand Incentives 178
Speed and Freedomto Act 178
D&I 179
How to Succeed inAsia? Frequently
Asked Questions 181
Chapter11: The Future of HR in Asia 187
Changing Roles 187
The Future of HR inAsia:Frequently
Asked Questions 194
Conclusion Food for Thought 197
Company Valuesand Culture 198
Distributionof Wealth 200
Job Descriptionsand RewardsPackages 201
Protectionism 202
D&I 202
Bibliography 205
Index 209
Acknowledgments
T
o my former employer, Royal Philips Electronics, I owe my
immense gratitude for the freedom and support to realize my full
potential.TothePresidentofPhilips,GerardKleisterlee,theoppor-
tunity of seeing his wisdom at work toward talent management
and support of growth in Asia. To my bosses, Hayko Kroese,
DavidChang,andPatrickKung,Ithankthemforthepatienceand
frequentexchangesofthoughtsandideas.Fromtheirleadership, I
have learned a great deal and I could not have succeeded without
theirtrustinme.
My thanks also go to my HR colleagues in Philips Asia, in
particularFrankOng,DavidZhang,GohChorLim,LindaMCLee,
Jane Chen, Vera Liu, Amy Chong, Yeo Lay Lay, and Crystal Lim.
Without all of them, it would not have been so enjoyable putting
the events and consequences on record. To Mourad Mankarios,
Low Peck Kem, Sally Tan, Ong Yen Her, and many more, for
their friendship and the sharing of many trials and tribulations,
and for contributing material for this book. Last but not least, my
husband, Roderick, and his assistant, Catherine; my son, Darryl,
and daughter, Victoria, for their unwavering support and belief
inme.
Above all, I owe the strength and inspiration for writing this
book to our Lord Jesus Christ. Without His blessings, I would not
havebeenabletoseethisbookthrough.
ix
Maximizing Human Capital in Asia from the Inside Out
By Elizabeth Martin–Chua
Copyright © 2009 JohnWiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Lessons Learned: From Personnel
Management to Talent War
I
t was 1970 and the graduation ceremony at the University of
Singaporewasunderway.
I was finally graduating from the university with an honors
degree in economics and was joining the workforce. I could not
suppress my excitement and was busy with thoughts about the
career I was about to embark on. Going into the real world and
becomingfinanciallyindependentwassomethingIhadbeenlong-
ingfor.Anxiously,IwaitedformynametobecalledsothatIcould
proceedtothestagetoreceivemyscroll,asymbolofmyacademic
achievement and the mark of having completed my tertiary edu-
cation. This was a fulfillment of not only my dreams but also my
parents’.
The keynote speaker, the Dutch chief economic advisor to the
SingaporeGovernment,Dr.AlbertWinsemius,wasintroduced.He
wastodelivertheevent’smainaddress.Forthenexthalfhour,Iwas
spellbound. He spoke about the economic dreams of Singapore,
and how education was contributing to turn these dreams into
reality.Heurged ustostep into theworld withconfidence,and to
make our contribution to a society that had made our education
possible. He reminded us that the education we had received was
aprivilegeandwasnottobetakenforgranted.Thisurgingstruck
achordinme.
1
2 MaximizingHumanCapitalinAsia
I was touched. On that occasion, I learned my first lesson. The
lessonwasthattheeducationIhadreceivedwasindeedaprivilege
andgoingtoworkwasalsoaprivilege.Byvirtueofmyeducation,
I would not be starting my career at the bottom rung: I would be
appointed to a supervisory position, and I had a fair chance of
enjoyingmyself.
A couple of months later, I joined the Economic Development
Board of Singapore, a statutory board. I was promptly sent to the
Training Division of the National Productivity Center in the new
JurongIndustrialEstateasanassistantindustrialrelationsofficer.
My responsibilities were to train newly recruited workers
employed by companies to adapt to life in the factory. I had to
educate them on the role of industrialization, the organization of
a typical factory, employee relations, rules and regulations, health
and safety, and so on. This was my first encounter with factory
employees, and the experience I had with them was enriching. It
preparedmewellforthepersonnelmanagementjobthatItookup
ayearlater.
The first challenge of the job at the Training Division was
getting the workers to understand the role they played in the
industrialization process. Many oftheworkers possessed acouple
of years of secondary education. Consequently, their interest
tended to gravitate toward compensation matters such as pay,
benefits, working hours, shift patterns, and transport. Also,
theywere anxious to learn about the impending relationships that
they would have to build with their supervisors and co-workers.
They sought my advice on proper workplace behavior, behavior
that would allow them to facilitate relationships with their
co-workersandsuperiors.Incontrast,atthispoint,theirinterestin
theircareerprogressionwasscant.
In this Training Division, I learned another important lesson.
Besides pay, the relationship with bosses was the main concern of
allnewemployees.Allotherconcernsweresecondary.
Another of my responsibilities at the division was to mediate
between employer and employees whenever there was a conflict
thatcouldnotberesolvedwithintheJurongIndustrialEstate.This
responsibility gave me my first taste in industrial relations. From