Ngan Collins

Human factors in East Asian virtual teamwork: a comparative study of Indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam

Abstract There has been considerable research into the technical aspects of virtual teams. By contrast, few studies have focused on their ‘human factors’, such as the way team members cooperate within the context of cross-national boundaries. This study applies a ‘mixed method’ approach to research virtual teams in three Asian economies: Indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam. We find that critical human factors, including individual cultural intelligence, cultural openness and self-efficacy, significantly influence team member knowledge sharing willingness in cross-national virtual teams. However, a positive relationship between team member knowledge sharing willingness and knowledge sharing behaviour is not supported because other elements, such as interpersonal trust, leadership, team interaction and member language ability, can significantly affect the effect of the above mentioned factors on virtual team knowledge sharing. Our study offers a new model to improve the study of virtual teamwork and provides practical applications for managing cross-national teams, especially in the selection, training and development of team members.

Leadership self-development in China and Vietnam

The transition towards a socialist market-oriented economy has presented many challenges to both China and Vietnam. One of the key human resource challenges has been to develop business leadership skills in a flexible, timely and cost-effective manner. This paper focuses on the self-initiated approach to professional development that has been introduced by managers at a grassroot level to improve business leadership (referred to as self-development). Given the limited research on self-development in China and Vietnam, the intention of this paper is to enrich understanding of why managers in a complex and dynamic transitional environment undertake self-development activities. The findings of this study suggest that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ paradigm to understand self-development across contexts. First, the western model of leadership competencies at the different management levels do not necessarily fit the needs that managers are targeting in their self-development activities in China and Vietnam. Second, despite some similarities between China and Vietnam, the Chinese managers were more interested in technical leadership skills than the Vietnamese managers whose self-development foci were centred on improving their moral standards. Such differences highlight each countrys stage of economic and social development while reinforcing the influence of contextual factors. It also suggests that self-development is best understood as a process within a specific context.

Member satisfaction, communication and role of leader in virtual self-managed teamwork: case studies in Asia-Pacific region

Numerous researchers have focused on discussion of the relationship between information technology and virtual team performance. However, the relationship between the role of leader and member satisfaction at the individual level, such as individual attitudes and feelings on cross-national collaboration, has been rarely discussed. Our research addresses this gap by investigating how a virtual working environment influences team members satisfaction for the interaction. Using a literature review, the influence of telecommunication and the lack of leaders role in self-managed virtual teamwork is discussed in order to develop research propositions. This research combines a case-study approach with a quasi-experimental design and collects different sources of evidence, such as observation, face-to-face interviews and surveys, in order to obtain a better understanding of such virtual team phenomena in the Asia-Pacific region. Our research results show that team members may not be willing to collaborate actively in teamwork if there is a lack of guidance from a leader and supportive technology. Based on these findings, recommendations are provided for helping organizations to manage virtual teams more effectively.

The contribution of human capital to a holistic response to climate change: learning from and for the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract The Mekong Delta has been identified by the International Panel on Climate Change as one of the three most vulnerable areas in the world as sea levels rise due to climate change. The Vietnam Government has implemented a range of policies to assist migration in order to address these environmental problems. While much research has focused on the environmental causes of, and responses to, climate change there has been less research on the impact of environmentally motivated responses to climate change on labour force and human capital factors. This paper examines the experience of the Vietnam Government in encouraging internal migration from vulnerable agricultural areas to urban industrial cities, to explore the human capital effects of these environmentally motivated response to climate change. The paper first presents the environmental argument for migration in response to climate change, together with examples of what the Vietnam Government has done to encourage migration from the rural (originating) areas to other rural resettlement and city (receiving) areas. It then uses data collected as part of recent study into the impact of government encouragement for internal migration to explore the labour force and human capital impacts in both the originating region and receiving areas. The findings suggest that while there are social and economic advantages there are challenges, including ensuring that job opportunities are available, migrants and appropriate skills, and that labour contracts provide for job security and healthy and safe working result in improved living conditions. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a more integrated approach that acknowledges and addresses associated human capital (skills upgrading) and business development needs and integrates these with environmentally-motivated policies.