The Dutch Vietnam

Management Supporter
Empowerment … what’s that?
After two and a half years of working with Vietnamese organiza-
tions, there are a few Dutch observations I’d like to share with
you. They will be controversial. You may agree or disagree, and Prof. Loek Hopstaken
any comment is welcome. I’m never too old to learn! Email:
loek@hopstaken.com
1. All authority to make decisions is concentrated on top manage- Mobile:
090 888 9450
ment level. This adds lots of time to the decision process. Note:
applying laws and strict policy is following the rules, not using authority.
2. An estimate of 90% of all vertical communication is ‘top down’, 3rd year, no. 4
which leaves ca. 10% for ‘bottom up’. Note: the content of the top December 15, 2009
down communication is mainly orders, policy, correction, and requests for
information. The content of bottom up communication in Vietnam is main- This magazine was first pu-
blished in March 2007. It is
ly (requested) information; compliance. Rarely, suggestions for improvement. digitally distributed among
3. 2 is a manifestation of 1. Example: my Vietnamese and Dutch
business and private associa-
4. HRM is mainly operational and rarely involved in establishing a tes.
HR strategy or policy. Note: Human Resource Management is a broad
Purpose: to keep them infor-
professional field, complete with many tools to facilitate, support and enhan- med about my activities in
ce the human side of organizations. In Vietnam however, only a limited Vietnam.
number of HRM tools is in use. HRM in Vietnam means hiring, firing This amazingly attractive and
and administration. energetic country has rapidly
conquered my soul, and beco-
5. The orders to handle individual HR cases such as promotion/ me my home away from home.
demotion and providing training come from top management.
Loek Hopstaken
Note: two HRM tools are a. internal career paths, and b. training. Both
support the company’s objective to create and retain qualified personnel. 1
and 4 result in no effective planning for internal career paths and training. In this issue:
6. HRM is ordered to retain qualified personnel, but has no power
to really do something about it. Note: the main issue among HR Empowerment: 1
professionals: how to do your work without being properly empowered. what’s that? -
Mixed News 2
7. Although there are exceptions, most company leaders are re-
luctant to share or delegate power. Note: Empowerment means, Alliance ITC 3
Seminars in English—
granting authority to make decisions at a lower organizational level. meet Mr. Ly Tuyen
8. Due to 2 and 7, many Vietnamese top managers a. miss out on
many improvement ideas, and b. deny their companies the be- Work Adventures in 4
Europe and Asia
nefits of HRM tools. Note: they actively limit the growth and professio-
nalization of their organizations, often justifying their attitude and neutra- Standing offer: 5
lizing any discussion by claiming this is ‘Vietnamese business culture’. free lecture

I’m looking forward to your feedback: loek.hopstaken@gmail.com. Contact information 6

Brief resume

Next issue:
March 2010
3rd year, no. 4 2
The Dutch Vietnam Management
Supporter
Ho Chi Minh City, December 15, 2009 Earn an International Subject
Dear Reader, Certificate
A memorable year has nearly come to a close. We started with a Prof. Hopstaken is Resident Representative of
worldwide recession, and Vietnam was feeling its first Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, The
depression since the start of the economic growth, a decade ago. Netherlands. He is authorized to
Depression? Well, it wasn’t much compared to what happened  deliver training programs & examinations;
in many other countries. The Vietnamese economy was still  sign certificates and diploma’s.
growing, just at a slower pace, and not at the usual 8-10% per For certain programs you can earn credits towards
year. Much of this depression seems to be the psychological a bachelor degree in International Business Admi-
effect of international media incessantly discussing it. In Dutch nistration. For workshops, I can issue a subject
we have an expression: “to talk each other into the grave.” certificate . Recipients will be registered at
In the beginning of 2009, many of the world’s citizens did just Wittenborg. For details, see page 17-18 of the catalog.
that: telling each other how bad it all was, and that nothing
would ever recover from this awful
crisis. Yes, there has been a ‘shake
out’. Some companies haven’t made
it. Some others did remarkably well.
Most survived—due to cost-cutting,
and a conservative attitude towards
investments. No too bad, 2009!
Best regards,
Prof. Loek Hopstaken
Email: loek@hopstaken.com
PS. To receive my updated catalogue, just
write an email to: loek@hopstaken.com.

Mixed News
Red Invoice, and freelance
Though I keep delivering certain services ‘freelance’ as a
‘Visiting lecturer’, I can provide a red invoice for my
services. (See also: For Your Information, below)
Business websites and LinkedIn
Besides my company websites (www.intalli.com and
www.hopstaken.com) I maintain a business networking
site. Check : http://www.linkedin.com/in/loekhopstaken.
I invite you to scan my network, read my references, and
connect with me. The world is really becoming a village!
My tentative Planning for 2010
Agreements with my Dutch clients mean I will be in The Netherlands in March and October. My planning
largely depends on my clients. So if you have serious plans for training, let me know well in advance. Then my
schedule is still flexible.
For Your Information
Some wonder how long I will stay in Vietnam. Well, my Temporary Residence Card is valid for 3 years, until
December 2012. I am stockholder of (investor in) a Vietnamese company. This means I do not need a
Working Permit. Last but not least: my Vietnamese Driver’s License is valid until September 2014.

The value of a man is in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955—German-born American physicist)
3rd year, no. 4 3
The Dutch Vietnam Management
Supporter
Preparing the Launch of Alliance International Training
My company, Alliance International Training Corporation (see Supporter 9),
is moving ahead fast. With the help of our associates (see page 4) we have entered
the marketing & promotion phase. After Tet we plan to run our first pilot project:
delivery of the Preparatory Program for International Studies to those who want to study
abroad. Our program ensures they are well-prepared, by
A. raising their English level to TOEFL iBT >80 (IELTS >6,0)
B. increasing their study and computer skills
C. upgrading their mathematical and logical thinking abilities
D. developing their intercultural communication skills
E. receiving assistance with their career choice.
We cooperate closely with IEM (license, location), UNESCO CEP (teaching) and Wittenborg University of
Applied Sciences (European accreditation). Students receive a Wittenborg ID card. Graduates receive an
internationally valid certificate, signed by IEM and Wittenborg. Visit our website: www.intalli.com.

Successful Delivery of Seminars in English. How?

The Language Barrier
As a foreigner who doesn’t speak Vietnamese, I use En-
glish when delivering my services. Although many Vietna-
mese understand English, communicating in this language
is sometimes difficult. Especially when you want to ex-
change ideas with participants, or get a group discussion
going.
Recently I worked with a translator who is not just transla-
ting the words, but who has the ability to effectively com-
municate concepts. This may include finding an analogy in
Vietnamese, or an example in a Vietnamese setting. His
work greatly helped to improve the mutual understanding
between the participants and their lecturer. It also increased the quality of the discussions, and the public
interviews I did with the participants.
So let me introduce to you Mr. Ly
Ngoc Tuyen, my favorite translator.
Besides his job at Royal Business
School (HCMC), he is its Quality
Control Manager. Sofar we coopera-
ted with great results in Hanoi (above)
and HCMC (right).
I’m looking forward to work with him
again!
For information about Royal Business
School: www.royal.vn.

“There is nothing more terrible than ignorance in action.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832—German playwright)
3rd year, no. 4 4
The Dutch Vietnam Management
Supporter
Work adventures in Asia & Europe
From HCMC to Moscow, The Hague, Hanoi and back to HCMC
The past few months have been busy: an assignment in Moscow, seminars in Hanoi, workshops and semi-
nars in The Netherlands, and in HCMC, seminars for Spectra and Royal Business School, and working to
get Alliance ITC off the ground. Between sessions there is always time to keep the memory alive: perhaps
the number one purpose we take pictures. To give you an idea of the kind of assignments:
Moscow: 5 days of training and coaching the management team of Voerman UTS Russia, to make them mo-
re able to manage the company’s growth in an intercultural environment.
Hanoi: a 2-day seminar on Leadership, and a 1-day seminar on Change Management, both for top officials
of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in cooperation with Royal Business School.
Moscow, September 22

The Hague, October 22:

Workshop Completion

HCMC, November 21:

Hanoi, November 18 Teacher’s Day

The Hague (The Netherlands): training Voerman International managers to become allround managers, and
employees to become allround communicators and coaches.
Ho Chi Minh City: working with the Alliance ITC ‘associates’: 4th year students (International Business Ad-
ministration) who do a 6 month internship, in exchange for training and a work experience certificate. They
have a unique opportunity to assist with the ‘birth of a company’. They work hard and are very enthusiastic.

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have
done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
Albert Pike (1809-1891 - American journalist, lawyer, soldier)
3rd year, no. 4 5
The Dutch Vietnam Management Supporter
STANDING OFFER:
EXPERIENCE HOW HOPSTAKEN MAKES A DIFFERENCE
A training serves its purpose when it deepens someone’s understanding, and MINI-CATALOG
increases practical skills. The English say: ‘The proof of the pudding is in the An overview of Hopstaken services
eating’. There is one way to get to know my training style: by experiencing it.
Workshops
One way of getting this experience is to invite me to deliver a A workshop is a 2-4 day group activity
FREE LECTURE (1-1,5 hours) in your company. You choose the with a defined purpose, where theory,
topic. For ideas, see the mini-catalog (right). Three conditions: practical exercise and exchange of
1. the participants (max. 40) should be able to understand English, experiences are the main ingredients.
2. in case the distance from my home to your location or venue is Areas: HRM, PR, Communication,
and Management.
>15 km, you take care of transportation, and  Team Engineering
3. your company provides a projector and screen.  Communication
If you are interested, please let me know. Name the topic and the  Commercial Communication
period in which it will be feasible for you and your team to attend the  Public Relations
lecture. Then we can start the scheduling.  Effective Meetings
 Organizational Design
Till soon!
 Intercultural Communication
Loek Hopstaken For contact information, see page 6.  Time Management/Efficiency
 Personnel Selection
Hopstaken has delivered services to / with: Consulting
in Vietnam: a.o. business field Consulting is any specified expert
 Tan Thuan IPC Industrial development activity to help solve a defined
 HCMC University of Technology MBA program problem. This can take the form of
coaching, but also, conducting a
 RMIT (HCMC campus) BBA program
research. By definition, it is tailor
 HCMC University of Industry (NCU) BBA program made. Areas: HRM, Strategy, PR.
 Spectra Training  Management Coach
 Le & Associates Training & consultancy  Corporate Strategy
 NutriWay Vietnam Animal Foods  Personal Coach
 Training House Vietnam Training & consultancy  Mediation
 Royal Business School Seminars & courses  Executive Selection
in The Netherlands, a.o.  In- & External Surveys (360°)
 ING Bank (workshops, seminars) Banking services Seminars
 Philips (workshops) Electronics A seminar is a 3-4 hour interactive
 Heineken (workshops) Brewery transference of core know-how, often
including practical assignments.
 Voerman International (workshops,
 People Management
consultancy, coaching, seminars) International relocations
 Emotions in the Workplace
 Campagne (workshops, consultancy,
 Strategic Thinking
coaching, seminars) Advertising, promotion
 Business Ethics
 Damen Shipyards (consultancy, coaching) Shiprepair wharfs
 The Allround Manager™
 Dutch Delta University (teaching, seminars)IBA—BBA, MBA
 The Allround
 Wittenborg University (teaching, seminars) IBA—BBA, MBA Communicator™
 Royal Van Zanten (workshops,  The Soft Skills Program
consultancy, seminars) Pot plants, cut flowers Investments (ex. VAT)
 WVL Staalbouwers (workshops) Steel construction Workshops: US$ 1,200 per team/day.
 G&D Promotions (consultancy, Consulting / Coaching: US$ 90 per hr.
workshops, coaching, seminars) Billboarding Seminars: US$ 500 per seminar
 Eurograss (workshops, consultancy) Lawns; grass seeds (except the ‘Allround’ / Soft Skills
 City of Boarnsterhiem (workshops, programs). US$ 250 per lecture.
consultancy, coaching) Municipality Train the Trainer: US$ 1,200 per day.
Contact me for longterm conditions.
 Metaaldraaijerij Lebrun Metal & steel parts
3rd year, no. 4 6
The Dutch Vietnam Management
Supporter

This newsletter is written & published by Loek Hopstaken.

Office: 83/1 Pham Van Bach, P.15, Q. Tan Binh, HCMC

Email: loek@hopstaken.com or loek.hopstaken@gmail.com
Mobile: 090 888 9450
Assistant: Ms. Vo Ngoc Lien Huong
Email: jane.hopstaken@gmail.com
Mobile: 090 888 9451
Website: www.intalli.com
Loek Hopstaken’s company in The Netherlands:
Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies
Address: Gouden Leeuw 628, 1103 KN Amsterdam ZO
Website: www.hopstaken.com

Who is Loek Hopstaken?

1951: born in Haarlem, Netherlands
1971: Near & Middle East travels
1972-1975: Amsterdam University
1976-1977: North & South America
1977-1993: career in banking: NCB,
Postgiro, Postbank, NMB Postbank
Group, ING Group, ING Bank
1979-1982: BA studies
1983-1988: project manager
privatization process Postgiro to
Postbank (field: P&O / HRM)
1989-1993: project manager
formation NMB Postbank Group &
ING Group (fields: PR and TQM)
1991: founding my own company:
Hopstaken Bedrijfsadvies
1993: left ING Bank; started career in
training and consultancy
1996-2000: business club MC
2001: started mediation career
2003-2008: combining training &
consultancy for companies with
teaching at international
management schools (IBA—MBA)
2005 + 2007: Professor appointments
2006: starting to explore the
Vietnamese market
2007: first 3 visits to Vietnam
2008: 4th & 5th extended stays in
Vietnam: lecturing, consulting, sur-
veying, delivering workshops at 2
universities; establishment in HCMC
2009: delivering lectures, seminars,
consultancy and training courses;
shareholder Alliance ITC; 3 business
visits to The Netherlands, 1 to Russia
This letter from the Director of Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences authorizes Aloysius Full cv available.
(Loek) Hopstaken to deliver training programs and examinations, and sign certificates.