Human Resources dissertation sample，Title of the proposed investigation

Evaluation ofHuman Resources Training for New Employees--- A Case Study of the Lenovo Group, China

Key words:
Human Resources Training
New Employees
Lenovo Group
Evaluation
Globalisation / Multinational companies

1. Introduction
1.1 Aims of the research

As competition becomes more and more severe, enterprises face the challenges how to effectively manage human resources. A number of researches puts different aspects of HRM as its focus, some emphasize theoretical analysis; others are engaged in particular field or industry. Employee Training and Development is one of important aspects in human resources management. Mathis and Jackson (2002) indicate that organizations need to keep fresh and dynamic to compete and be flexible to change and that HR training and Development is one of the most effective ways to improve and update the skills and capabilities of employees.

Human Resources dissertation sampleHowever, employee Training and Development is still a topic too big for this dissertation to cover all. What’s more, new employee training has significant meaning for the companies and employees. First, the new staff training is significant for enterprises. If the recruitment is the beginning of new employees’ management, then the new staff training is the continuation of the management of new employees. The importance of this management is to introduce enterprise development lies in the history, development strategy and operation characteristics and enterprise culture and management system to new employees, which has a great stimulation for new employees to engage in the work. After new employees clearly know the rules and regulations of the enterprise, employees can realize self management, save the management cost. Through the training required by the positions, new staff training can quickly be competent for jobs, and improve work efficiency, and achieve good work performance, achieve maximum result with little effort. Through the new employee training managers become more familiar with new employees, which lay the foundation for the future management. Second, the new employee training is meaningful for the individual. The new staff training for individual is a process to understand and be familiar with enterprise, through understanding the enterprise, for one thing can alleviate the strangeness of the new environment and the resulting mental pressure of new employees, on the other hand, it can reduce the impractical ideas of new employees on enterprise, correctly look at the enterprise working standards, requirements and treatment, moreover, do long-term work in the enterprise. The new employee training is a new employee career new starting point, the new employee training means new employees must give up the original values, norms and behavior, and adapt to the new organization behavior targets and work style. That is why the training for new employees is chosen as specific topic in this research.#p#分頁標題#e#

The main aim of this proposed research is to make an evaluation of the programme of human resources training for new employees applied by Lenovo. China and make recommendations for strategies of training for new employees to be used by other Chinese companies. The case study of Lenovo will help to recognize the advantages and disadvantages in the existing strategies of HR Training for new employees in Chinese companies.

1.2 Background

Human being is the core of the organization, which is considered as one of the most valuable resources. It should be noticed that compared with some developed countries, HRM in China is still very young. The study on the HRM of Chinese enterprises appears far from sufficient (McLean, 2006). China suffers from shortage of skilled and capable human resources, though the population is huge and the labor cost is low. However, with the rapid economic growth of China, Chinese companies are dedicated to chase their western competitors in HRM. Zhu (2005) indicates in his research that more and more Chinese companies begin to realize the important role of HRM and make efforts to put the western HRM theories into practice, under the competitive pressure from the transnational companies and the joint ventures. However, blind adoption of these theories without fully considering the local condition will no doubt do harm to the Chinese companies. Hence, it is very necessary to study the most appropriate method for the HRM in Chinese companies. Considering all of above, this research plans to take Lenovo Group, one of the most successful IT companies of China as its focus.

The history of the company is recorded together with the big events of IBM on its official website. When IBM has been a PC giant, Lenovo seemed still a baby in the cradle. However, the speed of its development is amazing. Founded in 1984 with only US $25,000 and 10 staff, nowadays, Lenovo has been a leading company dedicated to “building exceptionally engineered personal computers”. In 1990, it launched the very first PC of the company in Chinese market. Six years later, it became the market share leader in China. Lenovo played as a pioneer in going abroad, and became the top PC vendor in the Asia-Pacific region and headed the Chinese national Top 100 Electronic Enterprises ranking in 1999 (Lenovo, 2010). The next five years of the new century is the period for Lenovo to accumulate capitals, techniques, and management experience. 2005 is the remarkable year for the company. In this year Lenovo successful completed the acquisition of IBM's Personal Computing Division, “making it a new international IT competitor and the third-largest personal computer company in the world”. Today, the company is engaged in providing “the high quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide”, and in 2010, the company “achieves its highest ever worldwide market share and becomes the world’s fastest growing major PC manufacturer.” (2008/09 Annual Report Lenovo Group Limited, 2010). With more than 20,000 global employees, how Lenovo keeps its sharpness in employees' capability and knowledge could be lessons for other Chinese enterprises.#p#分頁標題#e#

1.3 Research Questions / Hypothesis

This dissertation targets Lenovo Group, one of the most successful enterprises in China. It focuses on the training for new employees, one of the hot issues in HR. On the base of the main research purpose, some questions are proposed to help to reveal the critical issues about the training programme for new employees in Lenovo Group of China, These research questions include:

1. What’s the situation of new employee training in Lenovo, China?
2. What are the problems of new employee training in Lenovo, China?
3. What are the reasons for new employee training in Lenovo, China?
4. What are the measures to improve new employee training in Lenovo, China?

1.4 Data Collection

In this project, the relevant and reliable data will be collected through the appropriate methods. Primary data will play a main role in this research. Focusing on the programme of human resources training of new employees in Lenovo Group, both questionnaire and interview will be applied in this project.
On the one hand, questionnaire has some merits in this project. It is an efficient and cheap way to get people’s opinions in anonymity. This project needs to get the data in a limited time through an economical way. Therefore, questionnaire is an effective research method. To get a thorough research result, the questionnaire will be designed with structured questions which will be carefully considered to collect data from the employees of Lenovo Group. The answers of the questions will not be designed with yes or no, true or false only, instead, with some details about the practice of the training programme. On the other hand, interview is another important method in data collection. Interview can obtain comprehensive information, which is more penetrative than questionnaire (Bryman & Bell, 2007). In this project, the interview is expected to be made with the manager of HR department in charge of the new employees training programme, who will provide professional view on this topic.

Sample size plays a critical role in researches. According to Bryman (2004), sample size is always greatly influenced by time and cost. Although Hazeligg (2004) points out that the larger the size of sample drown from a population the more likely (x) converge to u, which means that the lager the sample size the greater the precision (Bryman, 2004, p. 180). In real cases, the decision about sample size always have to compromise between the constrains of time and cost.

Convenience sampling is one type of non-probability sampling. The biggest advantage of this method is its accessibility. Bryman (1989a:113-114) indicates that” in the field of organization studies, it has been noted that convenience samples are very common and indeed are more prominent than are samples based on probability sampling.”

In this project, the study about Lenovo Group is constrained by time, cost and the permission of the company. These constrains decide that the survey cannot be conducted with large sample size. Considering the accessibility, convenience sampling is used in this case study. Thus, this research is planned to be carried out in Beijing, the headquarter of Lenovo Group in China in July. By contact with Lenovo Beijing, 100 employees are permitted to participate in the survey. With the aid of HR department of the company, the researcher can receive all the questionnaires back, but considering that there are some questionnaires will be invalid, so in order to increase valid rate of questionnaire and to insure enough samples, the author aims to send as many questionnaires as the research needs, then that the valid samples rate will reach the scientific value, most scholars think that 85% or above is better. Obviously, the problem of this strategy is that it may not generalize the findings. However, with the purpose of providing a “springboard for further research or allow links to be forged with existing findings in an area”, the data and findings of this project is meaningful.#p#分頁標題#e#
The survey will be conducted by the supervised mode, which will provide the researcher with the first-hand data about how Lenovo carries out its HR training for new employees. The aim of this project focus on “the training for the new employees”, which refers to the training in the first couple of weeks or months to make the staff familiarize the company and grasp the necessary skills. That is to say, except those who are being trained right now, employee, no matter male or female, old or young, with or without working experience, has experienced this phase. Thus, data from each participant is valid. Because of the limitation of time and the regulation of the company, the participants of the questionnaire target the employees mainly in several departments. In terms of choosing the participants, as the constructor and the executor of the new employees training programme, HR officers hold different views on the same topic of those trainees from other departments. Their opinions or attitudes reflect the core concept or the intention in HR training for new employees in Lenovo. So survey from HR department is necessary in this project. However, the effects of this training programme should also be revealed by attitude of employees from other departments, which could be more objective. As the trainees, the employees in other department will present an all-around profile about the practice in Lenovo Group. Thus, this survey targets both the HR department and non-HR departments in Lenovo. In connections with Lenovo Beijing during prophase, three departments are permitted to conduct the survey by the company. They are HR department, administration department, and sales department.

In addition, the same questionnaire will be sent out to the three departments so as to see clearly the different attitudes from the employees from HR department and other departments, and better compare and analyze the data,. Meanwhile, it is expected that the seniors officials in charge of recruitment and training in headquarter of Lenovo will be involved in this project. However, since Lenovo is a transnational company, the sample cannot be big enough to provide a definite and objective result of HR training for new employees in Lenovo.

Secondary data and primary data will play complimentary functions in this project. The secondary data of the proposed study will be collected by abundant reading and thinking about the relevant studies on human resources management made by the previous researchers.

1.5 Methodology

Inductive and deductive methods will be flexible used so as to achieve the research purpose in this project. Because each of the approaches has both advantages and disadvantages (Saunders et al., 2003). Inductive approach plays a key role meanwhile deductive approach serves as guidance. The method of case study is selected to investigate the human resources training for new employees in Lenovo Group provide possibility to focus on one specific field and go in-depth analysis (Stake, 1995).#p#分頁標題#e#

Questionnaire is used as the main method of primary data collection, because it has the following advantages. First, it is time saving and low cost. Second, questionnaires are easily accessible to most people. Third, the majority of questionnaires take use of anonymous means, which guarantee the objectivity and the authenticity of the research (Kumar, 2005). The use of structured questions makes the respondents do not have to contemplate the answers, and simplify the researcher’s analysis (Race et al., 2005).

With the secondary data and primary data collected, qualitative method will be mainly applied in analyzing the survey from the questionnaire. Thanks to the development of IT, software is used in transcribing, examining, and evaluating the data. Because this research does not involve big sample size, Microsoft excel is the mainly tool applied to make relevant analysis in form of table, charter, diagram, etc.

2. Literature review
2.1 Some definitions
2.1.1 Human resource
"Human Resource (HR)" this concept is firstly introduced and defined by Peter Drucker in 1954 in his book "the management practice “. In the book of “the practice of management”Drucker says that HR distinguishes from other resources, because it is the ‘speical asset’ that managers must consider. Managers can use other resources, but human resources have to use by themselves, people have the absolute complete autonomy to decide whether working or not. It requires management personnel in the design work should consider people's spirit and social demands, and must take positive action to motivate employees, to create challenging work for employees, and to develop personnel. Currently, researchers consider that the human resources are generally regarded as one of laborers’ abilities to promote the development of economy and society, it includes the laborer of physical, mental, employee knowledge and skills these four aspects, it is one of the basic resources essential to the social production. Human resources take laborers themselves as the carrier, generally have six aspects, namely biological characteristics, kinetic, dynamic, intelligence, reproducible and sociality.

Drucker thinks that the current human resource has the qualities that no other resources do not have, which are “coordination, integration, judgment and imagination.” Therefore, when the managers design work, they have to take into account the mental and social needs, to take positive action to enhance staff incentive for the staff to create a challenging work and the staff development
Human resource refers to the people of normal intelligence. Narrowly speaking, human resource has the following two definitions: (1) human resource is the sum of people who can promote economic and social development and are with Intelligence ability and work ability. Human resource includes quantitative and qualitative aspects. (2) Human resource is labor resource, which means the total population in a country, or region that has the ability to work. #p#分頁標題#e#
Human resource is composed by the quantity and quality. The qualities of human resource include some physical, intellectual, knowledge, skills, and attitudes of workers in labor. Moreover, compared to the quantity of human resource, the quality is even more important. The quality of human resources is also important that lies in its internal alternative aspect. Generally speaking, the alternative from quality of human resources to the quantity is stronger, while the alternative from quantity to quality is poor, sometimes it even cannot be substituted. Human resources development is intended to improve the human resources quality.
2.1.2 Human resources management
Human resources management refers to a series of enterprise human resources policies and the corresponding management activities. These activities include enterprise HR strategy formulation, the staff recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation management, employee relationship management, occupational protection, etc. Namely enterprises use modern management methods of human resources, to access (selecting candidates), develop (educating people), maintain (holding people) and use (utilizing people) and so on, and plan, organize and command, control and coordinate a series of activities, and finally reach the goals of enterprise development, so it can be said as a management behavior. Human resource management can be understood from human resources two aspects of quality and quantity, its purpose all is to coordinate the human resources of enterprises, and other economic resources equilibrium configuration through improving the enterprise human resource advantages, realize the maximum economic benefits. Human resources management is general of comprehension and practical, developing, nationality and sociality of the five aspects. Since human resources’ core status in social production, to improve human resource management is the inevitable demand to promote economic development and enhance the competitiveness of the organization, its management objectives and tasks are usually located to obtain the biggest human resources full use value, to fully play human resources’ carrier, namely the laborers’ subjective initiative as well as training the comprehensive people these three aspects.

Different manage style will give different decisions within the organisation. Different human resource management style of the organisation will choose different HRM strategy of the organisation. Different chosen of the HRM strategy will influence the organisational structure on two arrangement: different stratagem demand the organisation operate different business and use different human resource, it will influence the design of the management positions; on the other hand, if the strategic focus changed it need the organisation change the working focus, and then, the departments and positions within the organisation will be changed, therefore the organisational structure need be adjust.#p#分頁標題#e#

Human resource management means refers to the use of scientific methods to coordinate people and events, deal with the relationship between people and their contradictions, fully play people’s potentials, make the best use of people’s abilities, and make the personnel affordable in order to achieve the goals of the organization. In short, HRM refers to human resource’s acquisition, integration, motivation and control adjustments (James Kelly, John Gennard, 2007).
In the author’s opinion, Human resources management refers to the use of modern scientific methods, and does training to human resources, which combine with certain material resources, organizing and deploying human and material resources to keep the best coordination, and giving full play to their initiatives to achieve organizational goals. Its core is an effective allocation of internal human resources. Specifically, it refers to the high quality of human resources, to arrange suitable posts.
2.1.3 Employee training
Employee training is a certain organization using various ways to cultivate and train the employees with targts and plans for business and cultivating talents. It is the training and training management activities, its goal is to make staff constantly to update knowledge, to increase skills, to improve employee motivation, attitude, and behaviors, which adapt to the new requirements for the present, better to be competent for work or higher level of position, so as to promote the efficiency of the organization and organizational goal realization.

Modern staff training is a very important method to mobilize, motivate and inspire the general staff development and corporate strategy objective concepts, attitude, and skills. Specifically, from the individual workers’ prospect, training and development can help workers make the best use of their human resources potential, realize their own values to a greater degree, improve satisfaction, and enhance enterprise organizations belonging and a sense of responsibility. From the enterprises’ point of view, the staff training and development is the responsibility of enterprises, effective training can reduce accidents, lower costs, improve efficiency and economic benefits, to enhance their market competitiveness.

Training and development of human resource management is an important content, namely through training to improve employees, and whole individuals and groups of enterprise knowledge, ability, work attitude and performance, and further develop their intellectual potentials, to increase the contribution of human resources. Through the staff training to promote enterprise integrated knowledge, skill, and that the improvement of the quality of the labor ability, strengthen and develop maximally labor ability to realize personal value and its contribution to the enterprises, employees and enterprise development.

There are two ways to realize Organization human resource basically, a kind of way is for enterprises through the external enterprises to human resource recruiting link to recruit needed labors, the other way is to organize the internal staff training, in order to achieve the skills they need to post and standards, and then through the comprehensive quality of staff training, in order to cultivate talents for the organization and reserves, the long-term development of the foundation. In practice, employee training this way is often a way to supplement before, make enterprises in the face of new human resource needs, based on the existing resources exploitation and use to cope with competition and challenges, to improve the level of human resources is of important significance.#p#分頁標題#e#
2.2 basic theories
2.2.1 HRM theory
Any country's economic development and the take off need all the outstanding enterprises to support and guide. Enterprises will face all kinds of the challenges in development process, in which the most important and the biggest challenge is the problem of talents, which is enterprise human resources management. The so-called human resources are the whole manpower that is owned by an organization to manufacture the products or services. In other words, an organization's human resources are the individuals in the organization who have different knowledge, skills and capacity. They are engaged in various activities in order to achieve organizational goals.
The so-called Human Resources Management and Development is to organize all of human resources appropriately to obtain, maintain, motivate and it is also the process of development activities and the management, in which the scientific method used so that their people do the right job in the right position, which can play the most effective mechanism for human use, and promote the development of enterprises (Brian S. O'Leary, Mary Lou Lind Holm, 2002).
In the author’s opinion Human resources development and management refer to that in order to let the organization achieve the strategic objectives, the organization uses modern science, technology and management theory to gain continuous human resources. And then it makes the human resources integrated, controlled, developed and gives them rewards and effective development and utilization.

As for what on earth are the functions of HRM, Why human resources management that originated in the 1980s of the 20th century will be persistent fever? This is decided by the human resources management own ideas advantages.
(1) HRM’s nature is the tool for human resource development
Enterprise managers will be able to use human resource to manage practices, such as human-resources planning, selection, training, assessment, and pay system to attract, identify and retain high-quality human resources.
(2) After enterprises obtain high-quality human resources, human resources management’s next objective is to encourage people to demonstrate full support for the interests of the enterprise
As human resources for sustained competitive advantage is only a necessary condition but not a sufficient condition. The realization of Human resource potentials primarily manifests people through specific acts allowing enterprises to benefit from them.
Therefore, human resources management is the intermediate variable for human resources and enterprise performance. Human resources are effective only integrating with the right human resources management practice. That is, having the right human resources management is the necessary condition to maximize the efficiency of human resources (Becker. G .S, 1993). This intermediate variable role to some extent explains why many enterprises emphases the importance of human resources, while only a very small number of enterprises can develop competitive advantages as a source of human resources.#p#分頁標題#e#

2.2.2 Management psychology theory
Management psychology refers to apply psychology knowledge to management, analysis and explanation of the individual and group activities, it is the study psychology branch of industrial process of management psychology. It analyzes the psychological phenomenon people and development regularity of science.

Management psychology regards people as the research object, the specific emphasis on the management of common goal of the research of the system, in order to improve the efficiency. In the conditon of cost control, in certain conditions, maximum to arouses people's enthusiasm and creativity. Today's management psychology is on the premise of humanistic thought. It helps to arouse people's enthusiasm, improve the organizational structure and leadership performance, improve work life quality, establish a healthy interpersonal relationship, to improve the level of management and development of production. Management psychology mainly researches organizational behavior of people, such as motivation, individual ability, etc, the group features of people, such as the classification of group, and the interaction of people and organization, etc, Leadership behavior characteristics, such as leadership style, leadership evaluation and training; etc. Group theory and organizational change, such as organization model, organizational change and development of organization. Work and life quality, improving the working environment, from the aspects of more colorful work, enlarging the enthusiasm, arouses staff, improve the productivity.

When Chinese psychological researcher Dr Shi Kan indicates in his survey, only talk about how to improve performance, increase wages, how to let employees work more and get less money, it is now a misunderstanding of human resource management. The domestic enterprises Industry should pay more attention to psychology in the management. As a small and medium-sized enterprise, employees and management training also should introduce the theory and method of management psychology.

Maslow's hierarchy theory of needs and the dual factors of herzberg incentive theory of management psychology is classic theories.
(1) Maslow's hierarchy theory of needs
Need-Hierarchy theory is the important theory to explain personality and motivation and also point out that the inner motive of individual growth is the motivations. In 1943, the famous American jewish humanism psychologist Abraham Maslow put forward it (see figure 2-1). He points out the motivations are consist of hierarchy of needs with different properties, and various demand. And various needs have different high levels and orders, the degree of satisfaction and demand of each level determine individual character development. Need-hierarchy theory divides needs of people into five levels from low to high, and respectively put forward the incentive measures. The four needs in the botom (physiological needs, safety needs, belonging and love need, respect need) can be called as lack-type needs, only people satisfy these needs individual can feel comfortable basically. Top needs (self-realization) could be called a growth need, because they are mainly for the growth and development of the individual. The initial need hierarchy theory of Maslow is seven level need, the widespread maslow's five-need-hierarchy’s self realization needs are from low to high, can be divided into cognition need, aesthetic needs and self-creating needs.#p#分頁標題#e#

Figure 2-1 Maslow need-hierarchy model
(2) Herzberg incentive theory of double factors
Incentive factors - health factors theory is introduced by American scientist Frederick herzberg, also called as double-factor theory. Herzberg considers that factors which can bring positive attitude, more satisfaction and incentives mostly are for work or work itself factors, this is called incentive factors, such as achievement, colleagues’ recognition, the boss appreciation, more responsibility or larger development space, etc. Factors which can make staff feel dissatisfied, belongs to the work environment or work relations, are called the hygiene factors, such as company policy, management measures, supervision, interpersonal relationship, working conditions, wage and welfare, see table 2-1. the revelation of Double factors theory to the managers is that managers should attach importance to staff the importance of contents, especially to make work to be more colorful, and satisfy the various demands. Double factors theory prompts managers to note the importance of working content factors, especially the relationship between their colorful work and job satisfaction. Material requirement is necessary to meet, without it will cause dissatisfaction, but even get satisfaction, its function is often very limited, can not last. To arouse the enthusiasm of people, not only should pay attention to the material benefits and working conditions of external factors, more important is to work arrangement, each perfon can be in his proper place, pay attention to spiritual encouragement, give praise and recognition, give a person with growth, development and promotion opportunity. With the solution of the problem, and the importance of the intrinsic motivation is more and more obvious.
Table 2-1 main contents of double-incentive theory
Incentive factors Healthy factors
Achievement Company policies
Colleagues recognition Management measures
Boss appriciation Supervision
More responsibilities Interpersonal relationship
More developing space Work conditions
Challenges of work Wage and sallary

2.2.3 Statistics theory
Statistics is a kind of science with large quantity phenomenon known as the research object of scientific methodology. It clarifies through data collecting, sorting and analysis, reveals the overall number of things, namely statistical regularity, deepening understanding of things regularly the principle and method. Statistics can be divided into descriptive statistics and deducive statistics. Descriptive statistics is to study how the data obtained reflect the objective phenomenon, and through the chart of collected form data processing and display, and then through the comprehensive analysis and generalization, the phenomenon that reflect the objective regularity of the quantity feature. Contents include statistical data collecting method, data processing method, data display method, data analysis and generalization of distribution.#p#分頁標題#e#

The deducive statistical is to study how to infer the sample data quantity characteristics of the whole. It is described in the sample data, on the basis of statistics of unknown quantity feature makes overall with probability form expression.

Data collection is the basis and premise of statistical studies. Survey data integrity will affect the accuracy of statistical analysis result, so scientific and reasonable survey scheme is particularly important. A complete investigation plan includes the following contents:
(1) Investigation purposes. According to different purposes to decide.
(2) Research objects and research units. Survey respondents are decided according to the purpose and mission, including some properties on the same composed of many individual things. The survey polled unit is individual. Is the project survey taker registration.
(3) research projects. Refers to the required registration project unit, the unit is usually characterized the floorboard of all marks.
(4) questionnaire survey or
(5) research methods and approaches. By means of questionnaire survey, mainly on the study, the typical investigation, sample survey and statistics, etc. Survey methods include access method, the method of observation, the survey report, etc.
(6) investigation and survey time. Site
(7) program.
Statistical analysis is used in the analysis of economic management, mainly to survey data of reliability and validity analysis and variance analysis, contingency analysis and correlation and regression analysis, etc. The survey data on the reliability and validity analysis is the basic analysis, and statistical analysis of the data only on validity and reliability analysis, material has the possibility of further analysis.
2.2.4 Training theory
Employee training is economists and management experts’ concern. The theory of enterprise staff training guidance is from scientific management to knowledge management, employee training emphasis also is gradually from function training and development to the attitude to training, and development of learning and innovation ability training.

In the 19th century America classical management expert Taylor (Frederick Winslow Taylor, 1856 ~ 1915) is the main advocate scientific management theory, he is to emphasize the importance of training and is one of the pioneers. Taylor thinks that enterprises shall set up special personnel organizations that are responsible for employee training, and conduct the system and scientific training for workers, make continuous and habit in scientific production operation rule. This theory emphasizes on employees' skills training. After the 1930s, in the company the laborers’ work motivation, emotion and behavior of the relationship between work and study, and gradually form some research methods and theory. And since the 1960s, the emphasis on staff training from the employee training to gradually to pay more attention to the training of managers. The 21st century heralds the era of knowledge economy enterprise needs into learning organization, so as to develop innovative enterprise stable platform and the organizational safeguard. In this era of employee training, the key to learning ability and the innovation ability training, the training goal of the formation of enterprise culture of learning.#p#分頁標題#e#
2.3 foreign and domestic research review

3. Methodology
3.1 Introduction
This research is to study the effectiveness of new employee training, so multilevel methods should be combined in this research. Regarding that some of the issues will be studied would be abstract, so qualitative approach and quantitative approach both are used here.

In order to narrow the research range, the author chooses Lenovo company in China as the research objective. After analysis the situation of new employee training in the world and in China, the author will find out some problems of new employee in Lenovo in China.

This chapter is the research methodology in the whole dissertation. In order to get the correct data of clothing industry, literature research and questionnaire are used for the author to get data and correct useful information.

Methodology refers to the approach or methods that are used in the research (Blaxter et al 2001). The research method is concerned with the way in which data is collected and discussed to answer the research question. The most fundamental ways in research methods is primary and secondary research. (Saunders 2003)
In this dissertation, qualitative interviews and questionnaire have been used for the primary data collection, which the author thinks to be the appropriate strategy to achieve the objectives, there is a questionnaire. Secondary research in this dissertation has been collected from various sources such as some journals, web news, newspapers, and books and so on; the authoritative website information Human Resources dissertation sampleis also used to acquire more up-to-date information, material and data. The combinations of primary and secondary research method are regarded as to be appropriate to the enquiry. As very few studies have been conducted into the clothing industry, it is relatively original. Emory and copper (1995) have explained that when the area of investigation is new, the researcher will need to conduct an exploration just to learn something about the problem and to be sure of the practicality undertaking the study. There is limited information and studies on this subject and the problems now facing the new employee training of lenovo. Therefore in order to get valid and reliable data from the g.tenna, therefore it was greatly necessary to interview some representative key people in lenovo company.

In order to clearly show the logic of the dissertation, the author creates a flow chart to indicate it:

Figure 3.1: Research logic flow chart

Source: the author creates, 2009

3.2 research methods
3.2.1 Primary research

3.2.2 Secondary research
Secondary research in this dissertation mainly refers to literature method. Robson (2002) defined case study as “a strategy for dong research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence.” Saunders defined research strategy as “It will be a general plan of how you will go about answering the research questions you have set.” And the author also secondary method and primary method as research strategies to explore existing theories in the dissertation.#p#分頁標題#e#

“To gain the relevant information for this study the data must be obtained from several reliable sources. This involves ‘establishing that the sorts of data you require are likely to be available as secondary data and locating the data you require’.” (Saunders, Lewis, 1997) The advantages of adopting secondary research are concluded by Saunders:” The main advantages of using secondary are that, it is much less expensive and time consuming to use such data. The time saved from using data collected by someone else allows more time for ‘analyzing and interpreting the data’ ”
By reading many books about research methods and this dissertation itself limitations, another advantage is found by the author, it is more possible to provide higher and exact quality information by undertaking secondary research than obtained information by gathering information your own. Many secondary data available for the research can be collected from that will be shown in the Reference part. Literature research is one of methods of secondary data research. Literature research is the direct way for researchers to get secondary data and information. Literature researches include browsing Human Resources dissertation samplebooks, magazines, journals and news, etc.

3.3 research strategy
3.3.1 Questionnaire
Questionnaire have to satisfy many objectives correctly and high efficiency. “The contents of this site are aimed at students who need to perform basic statistical analyses on data from sample surveys, especially those in marketing science. Students are expected to have a basic knowledge of statistics, such as descriptive statistics and the concept of hypothesis testing.” http://home.ubalt.edu/ntsbarsh/stat-data/Surveys.htm

There are some ways to take questionnaire. Kervin (1999) indicates the survey methods of questionnaire. There are various definitions of the term “questionnaire” (Oppenheim, 2000). Some authors (for example Kervin, 1999) reserve it exclusively for surveys where the person answering the question actually records their own answers. Other (for example Bell, 1999) uses it as a more general term to include interviews that are administered either face to face or by telephone. Saunders (2003) describe that questionnaire should be design by response rate, reliability and validity of data you collect.
Response rate, validity and reliability can be maximized by:
-Careful design of individual questions
-Clear layout of the questionnaire form
-Lucid explanation of the purpose pf the questionnaire
-Pilot testing
-Carefully planned and executed administration

The Author sends the questionnaire by e-mail after design the format of questionnaire. The questionnaire should be semi-close, according to the web of jyxy (2006) “the closed questionnaire very suit the character of Chinese, Chinese can provide the real answer on questionnaire.” Quantitative questionnaire is suit to author style, the author has mention in above paragraphs, and do not expand in this part. Questionnaires will be show on the next context of this project; the author can not talk it detailed in this step.#p#分頁標題#e#

The purpose of questionnaire is to get a general idea about the current situation of new employee training, especially lenovo. The content of questionnaire includes the basic information etc. In assessing the closed questions, the statistic software was used to calculate each item’s frequency, and also the correlations between certain items so as to support the author’s points of view. As for the open questions, all sentences on the questionnaires were typed in order to classify and trim.

3.3.2 Interview

3.4 Summary

4. Research Results
4.1 secondary research results
4.1.1 Industry situation
4.1.2 Introduction of Lenovo
4.1.3 New employee training situation
4.2 questionnaire and interview survey
4.2.1 Questionnaire
4.2.2 Interview
4.3 main survey results
4.3.1 Training type
4.3.2 Training method
4.3.3 Evaluation on training effect
4.3.4 Others
4.3.5 Results of interview
5. Problems of the survey
5.1 contingency analysis
5.2 main problems of new employee training in Lenovo group
5.3 reasons for the problems
6. Recommendations
6.1 training concept
6.2 training procedure
6.3 training objective
6.4 training method
6.5 evaluation of training effect
7. Conclusion

Appendix
Questionnaire

Please Choose the answer which best explains your preference and circle the answers.

1. Length of Service:
? Less than 1 year
? 1 - 2 years
? 2 - 5 years
? 5 - 10 years
? More than 10 years

2. Gender:
? Female
? Male

3. Education Level:
? High school diploma or equivalent
? Bachelor degree
? Master degree
? Others（please indicate ）

4. Which department are you in?
? HR department;
? Administration department;
? Sales department.

5. Why were you choose Lenovo Group?
? High salary
? Individual development
? Training system
? good Corporate culture
? Others(please indicate___________________________)

6. What trainings do you take part in when join the company?
? Work skill training
? Common sense training
? Career plan training
? healthy education training
? Foreign language training

7. In the New Employee Training which part do you think is useful?
? Introduction of the company
? Training before position
? Work skills

8. What are the training methods?
? class
? case analysis
? role play
? self learning
? scene imitation
? outward bound
? mentor teach

9. Is your demand for training being concerned by the company?
? Yes; #p#分頁標題#e#
? Not sure;
? No.

10. Before the new employee training, has the training department asked you for some comments?
? Yes;
? Not sure;
? No.
 

11. Please rate your experience with Training for new employees in Lenovo Group.

QUESTION NOT AT ALL TRUE A LTTLE TRUE SOME WHAT TRUE TRUE TO A GREAT EXTENT VERY TRUE
Training evaluation is good
Training time arrangement is good
Location of training is good
Teachers’ quality is good
Training class design is necessary
Training contents are targeted
Training organization and management is good
Training logistical support is well.

Learning attitude is good

12. What do you think are the advantages of the new employee training in Lenovo? (Multiple Choice) --- Answer as many as you feel relevant
? Adapting to the position;
? Improving the work efficiency;
? Promoting the development of company;
? Promoting the development of the individual;
? Decreasing the lost rate of employees.

13. Do you think the method of the new employee training is appropriate enough in Lenovo?
? Yes;
? A little;
? No.

14.http://www.ttc-switch.com/Thesis_Writing/HRM/  In all, how is you expectation about the new employee training been satisfied?
? Extremely satisfied
? Somewhat satisfied
? Neutral
? Somewhat dissatisfied
? Extremely dissatisfied

That’s all for this. Thank you for your time and effort!

This is the main questions in the interviews:

Interviews:
1. What are the aims ofr training programme for new employees?

2.. How does the Lenovo Group evaluate their training programme for new employees?
? Written test
? questionnaire
? communication with new employees
? Others (Please indicate )

3. What has been the key findings of these evaluations?

2.

4. How do you suggest developing the training programme in the future?

References
James Kelly, John Gennard, 2007, Business strategic decision making: the role and influence of directors, Human Resource Management Journal. London: Apr. Vol. 17, Iss. 2; p. 99

Becker. G .S. 1993, "Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with
Special Reference to Education"，Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Human Resources dissertation sampleBrian S. O'Leary, Mary Lou Lindholm, 2002, "Selecting The Best and Brightest:
Leveraging Human Capital", Human Resources Management,41 (3).