watsonwyatt.com
Human Resource Development
and Innovation in Thailand
By Tayat Sriplung
Agenda
 Innovation in Thailand
 What are the reasons of lack of “INNOVATION” in Thai Workplace
 What are the ways to improve “INNOVATION” in Thailand
Source: Wikipedia Online Dictionary
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Organization
Innovation in Thailand
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Infrastructuring Dimension
42
47
48
49
50
Sub-Factor Breakdown (Ranking)
 Basic Infrastructure
38
 Technological Infrastructure
48
 Scientific Infrastructure
53
 Health and Environment
48
 Education
48
Source: IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2006
Weakness
 Total Expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)
58
 Overall Productivity (PPP)** (GDP per person employed)
56
 Business Expenditure on R&D
55
Note: * From 61 Countries, ** Overall Productivity is in Business Efficiency Dimension, International Institute for Management
Development
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Agenda

Innovation in Thailand

What are the reasons of lack of “INNOVATION” in Thai Workplace

What are the ways to improve “INNOVATION” in Thailand
4
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What are the reasons of the lack of
“INNOVATION” In Thai workplace

There’re many factors affected the INNOVATION environment
in workplace
–
Organization
 Structure / Culture / Vision / Strategy
–
People
 Leader / Employee
 Customer / Business Partner / Community
–
Business Process / Knowledge Management /
Technology
5
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Attitude Survey in Workplace Innovation

Workplace innovation measures how well a company fosters
creativity, asks for suggestions and encourages employees to make
suggestion.

Asian employees rated their companies quite high, 52% of
respondents agreed that their companies encouraged them to make
suggestion.
Malaysia
41%
Thailand
42%
Singapore
50%
India
53%
Asia Pacific
52%
0%
10%
20%
Note: percentage of favorable responses
30%
40%
50%
60%
Source: WorkAsiaTM 2005 (WorkAsiaTM is employee attitude survey which had been conducted
across 11 countries covered 115,000 employees ).
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Attitude Survey in Workplace Innovation

Thai Employees rate the lowest score among developing
countries on question that “I’m encouraged to give suggestions to
improve business practices, process, and systems”.
My company provides employees
with resources to try new ideas
that will help the organization
boost revenue/reduce
expenditures
Thailand, 39%
Malaysia, 34%
Asia Pacific
Norm = 43%
Singapore, 43%
India, 48%
Management implements my
suggestions where feasible and
explains why they are not
implemented
Thailand, 39%
Asia Pacific
Norm = 46%
Malaysia, 39%
Singapore, 50%
India, 49%
Thailand, 47%
I’m encouraged to give
suggestions to improve business
practices, process, and systems
Malaysia, 57%
Asia Pacific
Norm = 59%
0%
10%
India
20%
Singapore
Singapore, 65%
India, 66%
30%
Malaysia
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Thailand
Source: WorkAsiaTM 2005 (Employee Attitude Survey), Watson Wyatt Worldwide.
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Attitude Survey in Teamwork

Asian employees rate teamwork in workgroup quite high. On the
negative side, employees strongly tied to their immediate teams
run the risk of becoming territorial and losing sight of the bigger
pictures (the company), not exception in Thailand.
Teamwork Within Department
100%
80%
60%
100%
India China
78% 74%
Singapore
64% Thailand
57%
India China
75% 74%
Singapore Thailand
57%
57%
80%
60%
India
61%
China
55%
Singapore
47%
Thailand
52%
India
66%
China
42%
40%
40%
20%
Teamwork Across Department
Asia Pacific
Norm = 66%
Asia Pacific
Norm = 68%
20%
Asia Pacific
Norm = 50%
Thailand
36%
Singapore
30%
Asia Pacific
Norm = 32%
0%
0%
My w ork group w orks effectively as a team People in my w ork group trust each other
India
China
Singapore
In my company, there is good teamw ork
across departments
Rate your company sharing information
and ideas across the company
Thailand
India
China
Singapore
Thailand
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IQ Comparison

The average intelligence quotient (IQ) of Thai people remains in
the “Low” score when ranked internationally.
Country
IQ Estimate
Hong Kong (China)
107
South Korea
106
Japan
105
Taiwan (ROC)
104
Singapore
103
China / New Zealand
100
USA / Denmark / France / Norway
98
Russia / Slovakia
96
Malaysia / Greece
92
Thailand
91
IQ Range
Classification
140 and over
Genius or near genius
120-140
Very superior intelligence
110-120
Superior intelligence
90-110
Normal or average intelligence
80-90
Dullness
70-80
Borderline deficiency
Below 70
Definite feeble-mindedness
Source: Wikipedia Online Dictionary
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Personality Test – Innovation trait

Refer to INNOVATION trait of personality score database (489 Thai
Executives), “Persistent” shows the highest score in this trait.
However, other innovation trait components (“Risk” and “Tempo”)
are quite low.
Persistent
10
8
Definitions
7.96
Persistent refers to tendency to be tenacious
despite encountering significant obstacles
6
4
7.89
2
Tempo
Creative
Thinking Risking refers to one’s level of comfort
0
5.29
High 8-10 pts
Creative Thinking measures the tendency to
try new things and new ways of doing things
related to business ventures that involve
uncertainty
4.53
Moderate 5-7 pts
Low 2-4 pts
Tempo refers to the degree to which a
person enjoys doing work that need to be
done quickly
Risking
Source: Personality Test Database, Watson Wyatt (Thailand)
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Employer Branding Survey

From Watson Wyatt Employer Attractiveness Survey, 4th year
students from top 4 universities clarified their personal priorities
during the first two years after graduation focusing on “Achieve
work-life balance”
56%
Achieve work-life balance
58%
Build social relationships
Develop new
products/services
37%
43%
33%
29%
Achieve personal growth
0%
20%
73%
30%
32%
Become a specialist
88%
30%
36%
Seek secure employment
88%
32%
65%
34%
40%
73%
63%
60%
Strong preference
Preference
80%
100%
Note: The 4 universities are Chulalongkorn, Thammasart, Kasetsart and King Mongkut Institute of Technology
Source: Employer Attractiveness Survey, Watson Wyatt (Thailand), 2006
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Strength and Weakness of Thai Employees

Management Level (Manager level up)
Strength
Weakness
1. Visioning (17.98%)
1. People Management (16.36%)
2. Negotiating (15.29%)
2. Inspiration (15.60%)
3. Business Well Rounded (12.52%)
3. Change Leadership (12.84%)
Source: Watson Wyatt HR Trend Survey Q2-2006

Employee level (Below Manager Level)
Strength
Weakness
1. Teamwork (Within department) (26.97%) 1. Communication (26.34%)
2. Problem Solving (14.33%)
2. Initiative (20.17%)
3. Learning (12.64%)
3. Planning & Organization (14.27%)
Source: Watson Wyatt HR Trend Survey Q2-2006
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Top 3 Difference Competencies for
Thai’s and Foreigner’s Employee

“Technology”, “Initiative”, and “Learning” are top three major
competencies which HR professional rated Thai employees’
competencies are lower than foreigners’.
Rank
General Level
%
1.
Technology
21.37
2.
Initiative
16.24
3.
Learning
11.97
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Concluded Reasons
There’re several reasons of the lack of “Innovation” in Thai workplace

Not like reading’s behavior in Thai people

No “Build on Top” Attitude, it’s called “Do it all over again”

Team culture problems, for example;

–
Jealousy
–
Ineffective in cross functional teamwork
Lack of knowledge transfer from generation to generation
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Agenda
 Innovation in Thailand
 What are the reasons of the lack “INNOVATION” in Thai Workplace
 What are the ways to improve “INNOVATION” in Thailand
15
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What are the ways to improve “INNOVATION”?

School/University

Workplace
–
Examine culture change program
–
Redefine role of supervisors (to be coacher)
–
Create an environment that encourages risk-taking and
greater sharing of ideas
–
Emphasize employee involvement
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Learning Organization
“Learning Organization” is where people continually expand their
capacity to crate the results they truly desire and where new and
expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured.
Organization
Level
System Thinking
Shared Vision
Team Level
Team Learning
Leadership
Mental Model
Culture
Knowledge
Management
Socialization
Personal Mastery
Org. Process &
Structure
Individual
Level
Coaching &
Feedback

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Questions and Answers
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Thank you
Watson Wyatt (Thailand) Limited
6th Floor Gaysorn Place
999 Ploenchit Road
Bangkok 10330
Thailand
Tel : 66 2 656 1470
Fax: 66 2 656 1469
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