A Comparative Analysis of Training Method Convergence vs. Divergence in East Asia

Abstract

This exploratory study examined the nature of convergence versus divergence among perceptions of 440 host country national employees in Thailand, Hong Kong, and PRC China related to widely recognized methods for conducting workforce training. Results revealed differences among five resulting major training method factors. In addition, the Hong Kong and PRC samples showed a more similar pattern, suggesting that shared Chinese ethnicity can have a stronger influence on perceptions of effective training practice than the pull toward convergence from globalization and exposure to Western practices. These results discourage assumptions of universal training method applicability and homogeneity among East Asian countries.