Chiến lược phát triển Trung tâm Ngoại ngữ, Học viện Tài chính (AOF) giai đoạn 2013-2017

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THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

SOUTHERN LUZON STATE

UNIVERSITY

Republic of the Philippines

STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE ACADEMY OF FINANCE (AOF) CENTER

FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGES, HANOI, VIET NAM FOR THE YEARS

2013-2017

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE

SCHOOL SOUTHERN LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY LUCBAN, QUEZON,

PHILIPPINESTHAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY S.R. VIETNAM

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

DOCTORS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Name: Nguyen ThiThuyTrang

Thai Nguyen, 2013

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to express my most sincere thanks to the Management Board of the

Southern Luzon State University, Thai Nguyen University, teachers of the school have

helped me facilitate the learning process throughout.

I would like to express sincere gratitude and profound Dr.Walberto A.

Macaraan, enthusiastic teacher who has dedicated guidance, encouragement,

spending time and exchange orientation for me during this research.

I sincerely thank the Board of Academy of Finance (AOF), colleagues in AOF,

classmates DBA1, especially Mr. Ngo Anh Cuong, facilitated enthusiastic help and

share experience to help complete the thesis.

Finally, I would like to thank my best friends who have encouraged me to

complete my thesis.

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Contents

STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE ACADEMY OF FINANCE (AOF) CENTER FOR

FOREIGN LANGUAGES, HANOI, VIET NAM FOR THE YEARS 2013-2017.............1

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

DOCTORS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ................................................................1

ACKNOWLEDGMENT............................................................................................................2

ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................5

List of tables...............................................................................................................................7

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................8

1.1 Background of the study ................................................................................................11

1.2 Statement of the problem...............................................................................................12

1.3 Significance of the study................................................................................................15

1.4 Scope and limitation of the study: .................................................................................15

1.5 Terms: ............................................................................................................................16

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES............................19

2.1 Requirement of English proficiency ..............................................................................19

2.2 Establishment of a language center in a business educational institution .....................19

2.3 General environment in Vietnam...................................................................................21

2.3.1 Natural environment ...............................................................................................21

2.3.2 Historical and political situation .............................................................................21

2.3.3 Socio-cultural factors..............................................................................................22

2.3.4 Economic profile.....................................................................................................24

2.4 Education Industry.........................................................................................................28

2.4.1 General Education System in Vietnam...................................................................28

2.4.2 Viewpoint on education development ....................................................................30

2.4.3 Demand and Supply Analysis.................................................................................31

2.4.4 Competitor Analysis ...............................................................................................36

2.4.5 Introduction of Best Practices.................................................................................48

2.5 Opportunities and Threats..............................................................................................51

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY .........................................................................................56

3.1 Research design .............................................................................................................56

3.2 Determination of sample size.........................................................................................58

3.3 Sampling design and techniques....................................................................................59

3.4 Research instrument.......................................................................................................61

3.5 Data gathering procedure...............................................................................................61

3.6 Data processing method.................................................................................................61

Chapter IV: Company study, data analysis and findings.........................................................63

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4.1 Brief history of AOF and CFL.......................................................................................63

4.2 Overall performance ......................................................................................................63

4.3 Institutional Activities....................................................................................................64

4.3.1 Major activities ...........................................................................................................64

4.3.1.1 Logistics...............................................................................................................64

4.3.1.2 Operations............................................................................................................74

4.3.1.3 Marketing and sales .............................................................................................78

4.3.2 Support activities ........................................................................................................86

Chapter V: Strategic Plan – Conclusions and Recommendations ...........................................96

5.1 CFL’s Vision, Mission, Objectives and Key Result Areas............................................96

5.2 Current strategy.......................................................................................................100

5.2.1 Organizational Strategy ........................................................................................100

5.2.2 HRM strategy........................................................................................................100

5.2.3 Operating strategy.................................................................................................101

5.2.4 Marketing strategy ................................................................................................102

5.2.5 Financial strategy..................................................................................................102

5.3 Recommended strategic plan .......................................................................................102

5.4 Comparison with the current strategy..........................................................................104

5.5 Management of changes ..............................................................................................105

5.5.1 Organizational Strategy ........................................................................................106

5.5.2 HRM Strategy .......................................................................................................106

5.5.3 Operations Strategy...............................................................................................112

5.5.4 Financial Strategy .................................................................................................116

APPENDICIES......................................................................................................................118

REFERENCES: .....................................................................................................................134

BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................137

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ABSTRACT

Academy of Finance is one of very few nationally recognized State-owned

universities in Vietnam and has provided the economy with highly appreciated graduates in

banking, finance and accounting. However, in recent years, with higher requirement of

English proficiency from employers, Academy of Finance graduates have faced competition

from other universities’ graduates whose majors of banking, finance or accounting are said to

be less appreciated. The tendency of English proficiency requirement can be seen in many

job advertisements found in various job sites such as Vietnamworks.com, vieclam.com,

dulieuvieclam.com, timviecnhanh.com,… According to Ministry of Education and Training,

students can graduate from university only when they reach a certain proficiency of English.

Also, the ministry requires each university to set its own requirement of English proficiency.

Accordingly, Academy of Finance requires 450 TOEIC for graduation. This is compulsory

for the 48th batch and batches later.

To better meet job requirements and able to graduate, undergraduates plan to get

prepared with English during their university. They are free to choose an English center as

long as they can obtain some certain certificates such as IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC. Some

universities provide their undergraduates with another choice of their own language centers

and learners are free to choose to sit in an exam for an international certificate or certificates

issued by universities. Academy of Finance could not increase the in-class time of English

lessons, so out-of-school time programs were recommended. In fact, Academy of Finance set

up its own language center in 2010 to serve firstly its own students and then other interests.

It is a kind of out of school time program for students.

CFL was established by the Director of Academy of Finance in 2010 with the aim of

providing AOF students with English proficiency to better meet the market’s needs. CFL

focuses on English while other OST programs are topic-specific and focus on categories like

the arts, sports, theatre, math or science. CFL is a not for profit organization under the direct

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control of Academy of Finance. It is different from other commercial language centers in the

market and also differs from other college’s/university’s centers that are directly controlled

by Faculty of Foreign Languages of the college/university.

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List of tables

Table Pages

1 Population growth rate in 1990 – 2010 15

2 Gross domestic product at constant 1994 prices by economic sector 16

3 Gross domestic product at current prices by economic sector 17

4 Enterprises in Vietnam are classified by capital sources and ownership 18

5

Retail sales of goods and services at current prices by kind of economic

activity 18

6

Structure of employed population at 15 years of age and above as of annual 1

July by kinds of economic activity 20

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

Today Vietnam has involved in the global integration both vertically and horizontally. This

has led to the requirement of English proficiency from employers toward job seekers. In this

context, Vietnam’s public schools are serving their students under increasing pressure to

improve academic performance. The inexorable drive to reach continuously higher levels of

student achievement was spurred by the Ministry of Education and Training – MOET’s

requirements in English proficiency. The current economic recession has only exacerbated

the stress on educators at all levels, as they are expected to push students’ achievement scores

higher than ever before (while also closing achievement gaps between different sub-groups of

students), despite diminishing resources that have resulted in staffing cuts, larger class sizes,

and fewer support services for many of the nation’s students.

The increased emphasis on student achievement in general and student’s English proficiency,

as measured by large-scale, state-mandated summative assessments, has resulted in school

leaders and education policymakers embracing the notion that teachers can no longer afford

to work in isolation if they seek to improve the performance of their students. This trend is

apparent in the current literature on professional development, where one can find an

abundance of articles and books extolling the virtues of teacher learning teams, collaborative

learning teams, communities of continuous inquiry, professional learning communities, and

other configurations of collaborative work arrangements among teachers. In reality,

educational researchers and advocates for educational reform have been writing about various

forms of teacher collaboration as a means to improve educational outcomes since the early

1990’s (Hord, 2004; Pounder, 1998). As Saunders, Goldenberg, and Gallimore (2009)

indicated, there is “an intuitively appealing logic that underlies PLC [professional learning

communities] and learning team programs” (p. 1009). Yet, despite the significant body of

literature regarding the importance of teacher collaboration in the effort to improve schools

and the “intuitive logic” of such an approach, there is a dearth of empirical research that ties

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collaborative processes to improved teacher practice and improved student learning

(Gallimore, Ermeling, Saunders, & Goldenberg, 2009; Goddard, Goddard, &Tschannen￾Moran, 2007; InPraxis Group, Inc., 2006; Pounder, 1998; Saunders et al., 2009; Vescio, Ross,

& Adams, 2008). The following quote from InPraxis Group, Inc. (2006) captures the current

body of literature and contemporary wisdom regarding the value of teacher collaboration and

PLC-like approaches:

Although there is little empirical research that links collaborative processes directly

with student learning and achievement, there is a relatively consistent

recommendation emerging from the literature on professional development – those

who share the same concerns and challenges will learn more effectively if they work

together in a professional development experience and teacher quality can be

positively affected. (p. 33)

The relative paucity of empirical research supporting the effectiveness of professional

learning communities (PLCs) begs the following question: In schools that have implemented

PLCs, to what extent have teacher practice and student achievement improved? This is the

key question driving the establishment of out-of-school time programs while schools have to

follow MOET’s rules of limited in-class time. Although a number of studies have

documented evidence regarding the various benefits of PLCs, for example, enhanced teacher

learning (Little, 2003; Grossman, Wineberg, & Woolworth, 2001), improved school culture

(Supovitz, 2002), and changes in classroom practice (Brownell, Adams, Sindelar, Waldron,

&Vanhover, 2006), the most valuable aspect of PLCs lies in their potential to impact student

achievement in a positive manner. As Brownell et al. (2006) argued, “Ultimately,

professional collaborative efforts are important only if they help teachers change in ways that

promote student learning” (p. 184).

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Academy of Finance is one of very few nationally recognized State-owned universities in

Vietnam and has provided the economy with highly appreciated graduates in banking,

finance and accounting. However, in recent years, with higher requirement of English

proficiency from employers, Academy of Finance graduates have faced competition from

other universities’ graduates whose majors of banking, finance or accounting are said to be

less appreciated. The tendency of English proficiency requirement can be seen in many job

advertisements found in various job sites such as Vietnamworks.com, vieclam.com,

dulieuvieclam.com, timviecnhanh.com,… According to Ministry of Education and Training,

students can graduate from university only when they reach a certain proficiency of English.

Also, the ministry requires each university to set its own requirement of English proficiency.

Accordingly, Academy of Finance requires 450 TOEIC for graduation. This is compulsory

for the 48th batch and batches later.

To better meet job requirements and able to graduate, undergraduates plan to get prepared

with English during their university. They are free to choose an English center as long as they

can obtain some certain certificates such as IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC. Some universities

provide their undergraduates with another choice of their own language centers and learners

are free to choose to sit in an exam for an international certificate or certificates issued by

universities. Academy of Finance could not increase the in-class time of English lessons, so

out-of-school time programs were recommended. In fact, Academy of Finance set up its own

language center in 2010 to serve firstly its own students and then other interests. It is a kind

of out of school time program for students.

Out of School Time (OST) is a general term that describes any structured programs outside of

the normal school day hours. "The National Institute on Out-of-School Time defines out-of￾school time programs as encompassing a wide range of program offerings for young people

that take place before school, after school, on weekends, and during the summer and other

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school breaks " ("Making an Impact on Out-of-School Time: A Guide for Corporation for

National Service Programs Engaged in After-School, Summer, and Weekend Activities for

Young People," 2000, p. 3). The programs are sometimes referred to as "after-school,"

"extended day," or "school-aged care" programs and can occur before or after school or

during the vacation days. These terms are often used interchangeably.

CFL focuses on English while other OST programs are topic-specific and focus on categories

like the arts, sports, theatre, math or science.

While the definition of OST is quite broad, the OST programs reviewed for this research

study are those specifically created to meet the goals of English proficiency. The specific

program goal for CFL is, "To provide AOF students with English proficiency." CFL has

become a response to combat the factors facing newly-graduated job seekers and to meet the

academic and social needs of students.

This school year, Academy of Finance is welcoming the 50th batch to the campus. It means

only 2 years left for the 48th batch to get themselves ready for graduation and job market. As

far as I observed, Center of Foreign Languages affiliated with Academy of Finance has not

achieved any success which is shown in enrollment. As not only a teacher of English in

Academy of Finance but also the Associate Dean of Faculty of Foreign Languages who is in

charge of cooperating with Center of Foreign Languages in serving Academy of Finance

students, I personally think that a study on Center of Foreign Languages is in need to find out

a strategic plan for its development in order to implement its mission and vision.

1.1 Background of the study

CFL was established by the Director of Academy of Finance in 2010 with the aim of

providing AOF students with English proficiency to better meet the market’s needs.

However, CFL has served only few groups of about 300 students, far less than expected, out

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of more than 10,000 present students. This is a disappointing result. Therefore, the question

of how to attract students to the center has been discussed for an answer.

CFL is a not for profit organization under the direct control of Academy of Finance. It is

different from other commercial language centers in the market and also differs from other

college’s/university’s centers that are directly controlled by Faculty of Foreign Languages of

the college/university.

Studies or researches on commercial language centers in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi have

not been fully publicized though some researches on market needs have been cited on

newspapers and magazines. The information from these researches can be used as secondary

data for this study. However, the special situation of CFL requires further research and deeper

analysis. That’s why the thesis is conducted toward the solution to CFL’s performance. It is

aimed at how to increase the performance of CFL – a provider of OST programs via a

feasible strategic plan for CFL.

1.2 Statement of the problem

The study is to aim at building a strategic plan for CFL – Center of ForeignLanguages – an

affiliation with AOF – Academy of Finance, Hanoi, Vietnam. The study is also to examine

teacher collaboration designed to influence teachers’ classroom practice and student

achievement outcomes in AOF and CFL. The study is conceptually grounded in social

capital theory (Leana&Pil, 2006; Nahapiet&Ghoshal, 1998) and the construct of strategic

plan both of which will be presented in Chapter 2. In short, social capital theory posits that

the network of interpersonal relationships which exist within any organization is a valuable

resource that has the potential to improve organizational performance (Nahapiet&Ghoshal,

1998). Social capital theory is essentially interrelated with research-based descriptions of

collaboration practice; these organization-based groups are also viewed as powerful units of

analysis with the potential to improve overall organizational performance (Koliba&Gajda,

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2009). This study will explore the relationship between the quality of collaboration within

teacher-based teams and student achievement outcomes as measured by mandated, annual

assessments. In addition, the study will address the impact of administrative leadership on the

success of CFL by examining the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of

administrative support for discrete teacher teams (PLCs) and student achievement outcomes,

again measured by mandated, annual state assessments. Also, the study will explore the

relationship between the quality of teacher collaboration and self-reported changes in

instructional practice. Finally, the study will analyse the students’ expectations and

perception toward CFL, conduct market research for CFL and many other related issues to

come up with a feasible strategic plan for CFL. To that end, the research will address the

following:

• environmental factors affecting the industry, its macro and micro dimensions;

• general structure of the Education Industry, of higher education industry, especially

of business educational institutions;

• potential threats and opportunities, strengths and weaknesses in the industry of

business educational institutions and language centers;

• to what extent, a relationship between the quality of teacher collaboration on

discrete teacher teams and student achievement outcomes;

• to what extent, a relationship between teachers’ perceptions of administrative

support for discrete teacher teams and student achievement outcomes;

• key success factors for AOF within the industry of business educational institutions

and for CFL;

• how CFL moves forward.

The study is conducted through analysis and synthesis of data gathered from primary and

secondary sources.

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Primary data will be from interviews and surveys. Interviews will be conducted with the key

officials, employees of AOF and CFL, its competitors and its employees. Internal and

external surveys will be conducted to determine the level of awareness, perception toward

and image of CFL; the satisfaction level of learners and employees of the center.

The primary data will be collected by the author through offline surveys, interviews with

CFL stakeholders. The questions the author asks are tailored to elicit the data that will help

him/her with the study.

Secondary sources will be collected from the AOF reports, published materials of Ministry of

Finance, Ministry of Education and Training. This study also refers to the Government

policies, official magazines on the topics relevant to the MRR from various institutions and

universities in Vietnam.

There are several types of secondary data. They can include information from the Center,

AOF, Ministry of Education and Training, some employers, jobsites or other government

statistical information. Secondary data tends to be readily available and inexpensive to obtain.

In addition, secondary data can be examined over a longer period of time. With a

combination of these two data sources, the researcher are able to determine which factors are

critical to the Center’s performance. Both primary data and secondary data have their pros

and cons. Primary data offers tailored information but tends to be expensive to conduct and

takes a long time to process. Secondary data is usually inexpensive to obtain and can be

analyzed in less time. However, because it was gathered for other purposes, the researcher

may need to tease out the information to find what he/she is looking for. Due to the limited

budget, skills and available resources, the researcher chose to use both primary data and

secondary data.