A randomized controlled trial of short-term management training for small manufacturers was conducted in two study sites in Vietnam and collected follow-up data repeatedly for
two years to assess longer-term impacts than the existing studies of management training.
The training programs introduced participants to Kaizen, a common-sense approach to production management. In both sites, many participants started to recognize the importance of learning about management and improved their management skills. The impacts on management skills were statistically significant two years after the programs. The results
suggest that the training program increased participants’ value added in one of the two
study sites, likely because they learned how to eliminate wastes in production
Sustained impacts of Kaizen training
Policy implications
A few on-site consulting sessions based on the Kaizen methodology overperforms a three-weeks in-class Kaizen training, by triggering similar rates of business practices and allowing for medium term effects on firms value added.Support schemes based on Kaizen seem more suited for firms that can easily implement modifications in their production processes, like firms in the light industry.
Offering a free training plus consulting programme to SMEs that would not participate if they had to pay for it increases their willingness to pay for similar support in the future.
Reference
Higuchi, Y., Nam, V. H., & Sonobe, T. , 2015.. Sustained impacts of Kaizen training. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 120, 189-206.