Training and firm performance in economies in transition: a comparison between Vietnam and China

This paper provides a comparative analysis on the role of training and its impact on firm performance in some economies in transition in Asia. The starting point is an examination of country contexts and training, and how these have shaped organizational approaches to human resource (HR) training. The paper also reviews the results of recent studies that have investigated the relationship between training and firm performance in Vietnam and China. The review results show that training is positively related to firm performance and reveals some convergence of HR training in both countries. On the basis of this, some caveats on HR training development in the future in these two countries are given. The paper ends with theoretical and practical implications.