A number of Vietnam’s companies are striving to operate under a Japan-style business philosophy which that the human factor is put the first and foremost.

Tran Thi Thu Trang, Director of Hanel Production and Import Export JSC (Hanel PT). Photo: Hanel PT

Japan-style corporate governance which is provided in Keieijuku courses has stressed the importance of manpower on the basis of respecting people who are both employees and customers, according to Tran Thi Thu Trang, director of Hanel Production and Import Export JSC (Hanel PT).

The human-centered philosophy has inspired the Vietnamese business community and Hanel PT in particular, conferring trust in people and therefore empowering them at work, Trang said in a recent interview with local media.

Keieijuku: Japan-style business philosophy

Keieijuku is a business training program formed under the support of the Japanese government. Keieijuku is provided by the Vietnam – Japan Institute for Human Resources Development (VJCC), which operates under the cooperation between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Foreign Trade University (FTU).

Keieijuku courses focus on training corporate executives based on Japan’s philosophy and advanced methods which combine theory and practical lessons learned from experience witnessed in Japanese companies and analysis of Vietnamese firms’ case study.

A 10-month course with a week every month covers a wide range of topics namely production, quality, finance, personnel, plans, strategies, vision, adaptive capability, lifestyle among others. Notably, learners have a two-week working trip to Japan to witness typical business models which intensify learning in practice.

Being one of Keieijuku learners, Trang now chairs Vietnam Keieijuku Club whose mission is to help one another in running the business and therefore spreads the Japanese-style business among Vietnamese companies.

Trang said the Japanese-style business puts clients at the top, considers employees valuable assets, and attaches importance to the quality of products and services as well as the provider’s prestige.

Such a philosophy is so important that inspires Keieijuku learners (Kei-ers) and the Vietnamese business community in general, Trang said, adding that good products and services quality lead to trust-based business culture, as a result, reinforces trust among people in the society in a broader way.

The spirit has enabled Kei-ers to support one another with constructive and straightforward recommendations for better operations. Many Kei-ers have obtained clearer vision and prospect after years of operations and understood more about social corporate responsibilities greatly thanks to such inspiration, she noted.

Hanel PT – a typical example of Keieijuku spirit

Hanel PT offers electronic products. Photo: Hanel PT

In an interview with Hanoitimes, Trang said the biggest lesson she learned from the course and applied to corporate governance is the importance of internal training. It means that humans must be given care first before creating products or services.

Hanel PT’s core business has been done in the spirit of “giving”, for the sake of others, of the society, and the nation. It treasures sustainable development.

Being inspired by Japan-style philosophy, Hanel PT operates based on two pillars that are professionalism at work and having a healthy lifestyle.

In reality, the company shows professionalism in each and every detail to offer products and services of high quality, growing up with prestige. Meanwhile, people from business leaders to employees are active, leading a healthy life, and encouraged to have critical thinking to contribute to business growth.

Being dedicated and creative at work, Hanel PT has produced high-quality products that meet the requirements of choosy Japanese clients. Sasaki is among the products. It is a smart accelerated freeze drying machine used in the agriculture sector. Offering short drying time, Sasaki saves electricity by 83% compared to other kinds while keeping the natural color, smell and flavor of products.

Sasaki is the combination of the company’s 20-year experience and Japanese expertise. With Sasaki, Hanel PT expects to contribute to the development of Vietnam’s agriculture sector.

Sharing some ideas to startups, Trang highlighted the purpose and the goal, saying that a thorough understanding of the destination, young people would know how to keep going on the given path. More importantly, pursuing the targets with a positive attitude and great love for others would empower young people because kindness will lead them on the right track without lost or doing bad things.

Echoes

In November 2019, JICA celebrated the 10th anniversary of Keieijuku training program in Vietnam. However, knowledge which Kei-ers learned from the courses would be helpful in the next decade thanks to the application and vision which Japanese experts have conveyed, Trang said.

The courses indeed enable learners to outline a clear vision and long-term strategies to address both opportunities and risks in a changing world, putting executives in a business ecosystem in which they share teamwork spirit and acknowledge the path ahead, she emphasized.

Accordingly, the training program will focus on three aspects namely spreading the human-centered spirit for sustainable growth, sharing experiences in promoting productivity for better competitiveness to contribute to Vietnam’s development, and building a community of businesses that treasure true happiness and success, Trang noted.