Abstract
This reflection article discusses the instructional design of an ‘Australia Awards’ funded Human Resource Development and Planning project for Bhutan. The key idea underscoring the design of the experiential learning was the emphasis on the consideration of cultural and contextual dimensions. This also reveals some aspects of the cultural differences between Australia and Bhutan based on Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture theory, in terms of the relationships between individuals and the degree of individualism compared to a collectivist Buddhist approaches to family, within business and personal life. The article also highlights that for a unique country like Bhutan, it was important for facilitators to understand the context of the country, population, economy and culture to ensure the contextualization of the course content in order to remove potential cultural and learning barriers as the open interaction of cultures effectively lead to exchange of ideas, values, knowledge and best practices, which was one of the significant outcomes of this course.
Introduction
Between August and October 2016, human resource (HR) officers from different economic sectors in Bhutan undertook an Australia Awards South and West Asia Short Course Award (SCA) entitled “Human Resource Development and Planning—Bhutan”. The Australia Awards South and West Asia is an Australian Government initiative, managed by Scope Global Pty Ltd and funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and under their auspices the course was designed, and delivered by International Business Development Unit of Griffith University, Brisbane.
This article notes relevant literature on the cultural and contextual learning approach adopted during the programme, with specific reference to Hofstede’s (1980) well-regarded dimensions of culture. It reports on the context of the learning that took place and documents the course purpose and objectives. Learning outcomes and findings from the sessions and successful approaches are noted.
Using the Kirkpatrick Model in the evaluation section, it was found that for a country like Bhutan, it is salient for facilitators and programme designers to appreciate the context of the country, population, economy and culture to ensure proper learning and contextualization.
The final section provides a brief conclusion on the overall success and benefits to all concerned who participated in the programme.
Background
The Australia Awards is an important part of the Australian Government’s focus on public and economic diplomacy and provides long-term scholarships as well as SCA, supported by complementary enabling activities. The goal of the programme as given was that country programmes (and the South Asia Regional Program) were meeting their development, relationship and public diplomacy objectives, in line with Australia’s national interest (Australia Awards South and West Asia Request for Tender #05/2016). The three long-term outcomes of the programme were that:
Alumni from priority groups or organizations, and other programme participants, are delivering positive forms of development contributions in priority sectors and/or locations;
Alumni have positive links with Australians and Australian organizations, with other alumni, and with other global, regional and local networks; and
Australia is viewed as a valued international partner.
Context
The SCA was especially designed for Bhutan, a land-locked Himalayan nation that continues to reform its economic and governmental structures within its current 5-year plan cycle (2014–2018). The Government of Bhutan acknowledges the distinctive challenges it faces as it increasingly embraces the private sector as the driver of future growth and prosperity.
According to the information provided by the funding agency, DFAT Australia, The Economic Development Plan 2010 of the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB), considers skills and knowledge development in the private sector as an essential prerequisite to securing future growth. With job creation shifting to the private sector, priority has been given to aligning the needs of business with those of its workforce. Investment in learning and development within the private sphere has lagged the government sector by a significant margin. To bridge this gap, the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources (MoLHR) is supporting the development of human capital in the private sector. It is expected that a well-planned and developed human resource base will reduce skills shortages in the labour market and help generate employment opportunities.
The purpose of the SCA was to develop and deliver a course for up to 15 HR officers representing the Business Sector Associations, and the MoLHR. The core skills and knowledge gained in the programme could assist in developing competencies in the key functions associated with human resource planning and development (HRD), to a wider set of capabilities enabling participants to contribute to strategic HR policy formulation and implementation at the sector level.
The expectation from the providers of the SCA through a tender process was to prepare the participants and offer the knowledge and tools required to make evidence-based decisions about HR strategies, styles and approaches appropriate to their respective organisations and member enterprises. The training was offered in both Australia and Bhutan. The most significant aspect was the exposure of the Bhutanese participants to a variety of Australian organizations; mentoring and facilitation to support the development of organizational and/or sectoral HRD plans; and a synthesis workshop where participants will share experiences, complete and present their Return-to-Work Plans (RWP).
The core skills, competencies and knowledge developed in the key functions associated with HRD will enable participants to contribute to strategic HR policy formulation and implementation at the sector level, focusing specifically on training needs analysis for the priority private sector bodies participating in this course.
As Course Leaders, we attempted to present HRD as an overarching term that encompassed (i) specific HR practices such as recruitment, selection and appraisal at micro level and (ii) broader strategic view in HRM for formulating informed policies and introducing to the underlying HR philosophies and principles at a macro level. We also strived to strike a balance between the best practice sharing and best fit application to the environmental context. To understand HRM in context, we deliberated on how the macro and micro components of HRM are affected by the internal and external environments of the organizations. The internal contextual factors we discuss are structure, size, sectoral goals and the nature of the workforce. We treat organizational culture as intrinsic part of HRM processes and decision-making. The external contextual factors considered were social and political environments; unionization; labour market conditions; availability and reach of technology, individual sectoral characteristics; and the umbrella national culture—the primary objective of economic activity in Bhutan which is the enhancement of human wellbeing, and the pursuit of “Gross National Happiness” (GNH).
Bhutan has positioned itself in the international community as unique, priding itself on its slow emergence into the modern world and its perpetuation of values that are distinct from Western norms (Reinfeld, 2003). King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the current monarch, articulated the RGoB’s political strategy in the early 1990s:
The only factor we can fall back on, the only factor which can strengthen Bhutan’s sovereignty and our different identity is the unique culture we have. I have always stressed the great importance of developing our tradition because it has everything to do with strengthening our security and sovereignty and determining the future survival of the Bhutanese people ... (Brunet et al., 2001, p. 244)
According to Reinfeld (2003) in order to ensure its political autonomy, the RGoB adopted several policies aimed to preserve its “unique culture”. The purpose of Bhutan’s goal of cultural preservation is twofold as seen by scholars. First, by promoting a unified national identity, the government aims to foster a sense of nationalism among its people. Second, culture is a tool with which Bhutan can market itself to the rest of the world as distinct from its neighbours. In doing so, the country’s political legitimacy is strengthened. Through the preservation and promotion of Bhutan’s culture, the RGoB hopes to ensure the commitment of its people, as well as the international community, to the survival of the kingdom. Given the salience of the cultural context of the participants the SCA was focused on designing a programme on imparting competencies of HRD while acknowledging the cultural nuances and its centrality in the business discourse.
The programme conducted by Griffith University for the Bhutan group adopted a contextual learning approach. According to the foundations in constructivist theory of teaching and learning, contextual learning occurs when instructors/teachers can deliver information so students can construct meaning based on their own experiences and context. It includes study abroad programmes such as the Bhutan group experienced, internships and service learning. In addition, the impact of the culture of the individual student becomes a critical factor for course success (Mcloughlin, 2001). In designing the programme based on cultural and contextual learning, attention was given to the visiting learners as individuals who enter the Australian learning environment with particular cognitive styles, intelligences and Bhutanese cultural and language contexts. Consistent with research undertaken by Sims and Stork (2007), this was critical to effective instructional design and delivery.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Hofstede’s well-regarded dimensions of culture provides a useful tool to undertake a cross-cultural assessment between Australia and an intensely Buddhist culture such as Bhutan. Especially in the learning and teaching context Hofstede (1986, p. 303) noted that: some “perplexities” could arise when teachers and students come from different cultures. These perplexities can occur due to the following reasons (Hofstede, 1986, p. 303):
differences in the social positions of teachers and students in the two societies;
differences in the relevance of the curriculum (training content) for the two societies;
differences in profiles of cognitive abilities between the populations from which teacher and student are drawn;
differences in expected patterns of teacher/student and student/student interaction.
All the above dimensions were taken into consideration while designing this course. While points 1 and 3 were of no major concern based on the needs analysis done before the course, the teaching team deliberated in depth on creating relevance of the curriculum for the group and weaving with helpful patterns of open interaction among the student and with the facilitators of the course.
Based on the contextual and cultural differences between Bhutan and Australia, Hofstede’s dimensions of Culture (Table 1) acted as a foundation of the planning for the course design, acknowledging Bhutan as a unique country, with a strong cultural ethos on Gross National Happiness.
Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture
Designing Culturally Inclusive Learning Environments
Based on Hofstede’s dimensions (2001), it is evident there are a number of cultural differences between Australia and Bhutan in terms of the relationships between individuals and the degree of individualism compared to collectivist Buddhist approaches to family, business and life. Australia is a low power distance culture (Hofstede, 2001). These are represented in Table 2.
Hofstede’s Theory Australia vs. Bhutan
From an organizational perspective hierarchy is established based on convenience. Superiors are easily accessible, employees are valued and relied on for their expertise and informal communications occurs frequently across all levels and departments (Liu, Liu, Lee & Magjuka, 2010). Contrastingly, Bhutan is a high-power distance culture, in which a strict hierarchical order is accepted. Employee accept their place in the established order. The Bhutanese culture places importance on interdependent social units rather than oneself, having strong loyalty and mutual respect for all. This underpins the collective nature of the culture. In regard to management structures, Bhutan focuses on the cohesion of the collective rather than the individual. This contrasts with Australia which is a highly individualist Westernized culture. It is characterized as a loosely knit society in which people are expected to look after themselves and immediate family only (Hofstede, 2001).
From a business perspective, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative, with hiring and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence. Australian culture is also considered masculine, where behaviour is based on shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all” (Hofstede, 2001). However, Bhutan culture is considered a relatively feminine, with the focus on “working in order to live”. Managers strive for consensus, people value equality, well-being and status is not shown or emphasized. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured in Bhutanese culture, where Australian culture prefer promotions or cash bonuses. In term of uncertainty avoidance, Australia is intermediate, not feeling particular threatened or uncertain in unfamiliar situations. Bhutan has low uncertainty avoidance, being a fairly pragmatic culture where plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. It is uncommon for emotions to be shown publicly in Bhutan. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas in Bhutan compared to Australia.
Lastly, Australia is considered a more indulgent society, possessing a positive attitude and optimism, realising their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life. In contrast, Bhutan is considered a restraint society. In comparison to Bhutan, Australians place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Interestingly, there was an assumption made in the course design that a component of the training could include discussion on gender issues which was primarily informed from the Western perspective. It came as a bit of revelation to the course design members that Bhutan- (unlike its big neighbours, India and China, and also contrary to Western notion), has much gender equality as a part of its social fabric It is worthy to note that numerous government and United Nations reports illustrate the equitable nature of gender relations in traditional and legal Bhutanese doctrines. Reinfeld (2003) reports that inheritance norms vary among regions and families; some claim that property is to be split equally among children, while others insist that the greatest portion be given to the eldest daughter. Consequently, the gender ratio of property ownership in rural Bhutan is approximated at 60 to 40, female to male (Planning Commission and United Nation, 2001). In addition, according to Bhutanese law, either party can initiate divorce. Gender roles in general are more fluid in Bhutan than in many regions of the world; the head of the household is defined not by gender, but by who is most capable (Planning Commission and United Nation, 2001). This was an important learning for the Australian counterparts.
It became evident that during the training programme, Australian and Bhutanese culture are significantly dissimilar and in order for the programme to be successful, it was important for the cultural and contextual difference to be identified and considered to ensure effective programme delivery. According to Liu et al. (2010) a culturally inclusive learning environment needs to consider diversity in course design in order to ensure full participation by international students and for best learning transfer. As an example, many activities within the course were designed to incorporate group work to appeal to the collectivist culture of Bhutanese people. It was observed that participants were more interactive and confident while working in a group environment in comparison to working alone. The post classroom activities that encouraged social interaction through dinners, celebration of events like Fathers’ Day and promotion of general bonhomie spirit through singing popular Bollywood songs added to the value of bonding and cementing the groups interrelationships with the Australian facilitators and within the group itself across age and gender. Some researchers (Collis, 1999; Henderson, 1996 as cited in Liu et al., 2010) proposed that a flexible approach should be adopted to accommodate the diverse cultural perspectives in the design of the curriculum. The central notion of the flexible approach according to the authors is that the key aspects of course design should be contingent on the cultural dimension of the course and should have room for enough flexibility to provide the students a conducive platform to choose their own learning style in the course, and this was the key consideration in this course design.
Course Purpose and Objectives
The course design was underpinned by two key dimensions of HRD strategy, namely the systems/bundling effect that requires people management practitioners to consider both macro and micro aspects and the need to bridge the “knowing-doing” gap through evidence-based management.
Key Project Components: The project team impressed upon the participants the critical importance of “evidence based management” based on solid data, metrics and analytics. They were asked to specifically focus on:
WHAT: A clear, concise, practical and impactful idea of what they wanted do achieve in the project.
WHY: Robust justification for the project in terms of priorities and a realistic understanding of what can be achieved with minimum resources but maximum impact.
WHO: A clear identification of the key stakeholders with a view to seek their buy-in, involvement and support for resources.
HOW: A clear methodology with key deliverables, identification of resource requirements (budget, time, personnel), identification and monitoring of milestones. The team emphasized that developing the RWP was a journey, not a destination, as such, participants needed to engage in continuous improvement, even after the formal completion of the programme.
Learning Outcomes
The primary purpose of the SCA was to provide participants with the knowledge and tools required to make evidence-based decisions about HR strategies, styles and approaches, appropriate to their respective associations and member enterprises. The programme helped sector associations to better respond to the needs of their member enterprises in an environment of complex labour market challenges and the devolution of responsibility for HR development. The course acknowledged Bhutan as a unique country, with a strong cultural ethos and focus on national happiness, in addition to economic development.
Learning outcomes included:
Improved approaches and techniques to effectively manage HR planning and development at both an organizational and sector-wide level.
Engagement with constituent private sector enterprises and the provision of services that support the institutionalization of good HR planning and development practices.
Developing capacity through the use of management information systems to forecast trends and analyse supply and demand within employment markets.
Working collaboratively with the education and training sector to ensure that training activities are effectively meeting the needs of industry.
Fostering linkages among industry associations, business enterprises and education providers.
Professional networking and the sharing of experiences both between participants and with Australian practitioners involved in HR development.
Findings
There was a wide variety in the skill profile and employment of the participants as well as age, experience, exposure to best practice and learning styles. While some participants were very well experienced, articulate and pro-active (e.g., representatives from corporate office of MoLHR, cable TV, handicrafts, tour operators and exporters), others were less experienced and initially reticent. By the end of the programme, a dramatic change was evident in the confidence and engagement levels of participants. The mix of backgrounds resulted in cross-learning between the participants as they had many common issues (such as funding and sustainability), and there was constant learning through interaction. Confidence levels and verbal and written communication skills of all participants increased during the programme and this was also reflected in the quality of the final presentations. Feedback from the senior management team of the participant’s respective sectors in Bhutan acknowledged and reiterated the increase in confidence and engagement.
While all participants were motivated, initially, there was some hesitance among the younger and more inexperienced participants as they struggled initially to understand the kind of project they could undertake and what influence they could have on the established systems in their sectors. As the programme progressed, these participants evolved rapidly and were able to re-think their initial RWP ideas into more focused projects. At the same time, they began to understand their area of influence and the systemic constraints of their industries. These younger participants emerged at the end as confident and articulate ambassadors and this was reflected in their final presentations.
Based on the pre-course and post-course tests, a 16 per cent overall group improvement indicates there was significant learning (from 55 per cent pre-course group result to 71 per cent on completion of the course). The sense of engagement and active learning seen in the classroom is evidenced through the post-course test results. The results also demonstrate that a fine balance of theory and practice contributes significantly to an overall understanding of people management in an applied context, even to learners with a basic level of prior knowledge.
While all participants were open to learning, some had a steep learning curve in relation to HR management. Learning did not come easily to some mature age participants. Hence, the sessions needed to be structured to accommodate discussion and feedback. Site visits, meetings with the industry guest speakers and an industry panel with HR professionals were highly rated by participants and delivered the best outcome in terms of learning for these participants. Given below a sample feedback from the participants:
Personal interaction with the panel was not just fruitful discussion but we could get insight about some topics, which could be certainly practiced in the organization. The resource people helped build our confidence and I personally appreciated how they patiently listened to us and made effective comments. Today’s session had interactive conversation where our challenges are recommended and their ideas to resolve the challenges were fantastic.
Sessions and Successful Approaches
Sessions that were well received were those with greater interactivity, while those with more concepts and theory were relatively less effective. This was partly due to the participants’ expectations and their learning orientations. For instance, the session on providing research tools and techniques was less effective than anticipated. As an extension to the research skills, when a hands-on survey questionnaire design using a common platform of Google docs was used, participants appreciated and highly rated this session.
From the outset of the programme, setting a positive tone for learning, expectation management on both sides, establishing ground rules all contributed to a positive learning experience and a team atmosphere. The informal group dynamics after the formal class room sessions were also positive. As the course progressed, the shared camaraderie and mentoring of the juniors by the seniors to work on the RWPs was heartening to see. The group bonded well among themselves and it was very useful that the course facilitators interacted with the participants after hours to pick up their concerns and address them. The embedding of the Facilitators with the participants and residence with them helped in building a positive learning atmosphere, which was crucial for an intense course of this duration. Successful outcomes from the project were assisted due to the team understanding the participants’ context.
Evaluation
For a unique country like Bhutan, it is very important for facilitators and speakers to understand the context of the country, population, economy and culture to ensure proper learning and contextualization. Judging from the formal and informal feedback from participants, the following points were noted based on the evaluation of the programme:
Sessions could have been presented or co-facilitated by the Ministry representatives, especially sessions which included the National Workforce Plan, culture and labour market information.
Practical examples that matched with industry sectors and government initiatives across Bhutan and Australia were preferred by participants over academic lectures and theory.
Future programmes should involve more site visits and industry guest speakers and ensure a balance of practical and academic contributions.
Bhutan is a unique country in terms of its history, culture, geography, economy and stage of economic development and more flexibility with course design may be useful to maximize learning benefits from the Australian experience.
Using the Kirkpatrick Model (see Figure 1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, it is clear that the programme design yielded positive outcome at all the four levels: reaction, learning, behaviour and results.
At the reaction level, the participants expressed high level of satisfaction on all the parameters of curriculum design and this was evaluated with feedback surveys and post-programme focus group discussion. Their post-session feedback indicated that they found the content engaging and relevant to their jobs in Bhutan. It was validated that the participants acquired the intended knowledge, confidence, skills, attitude and commitment needed, based on their active participation in training. The significant shift in individual scores from the pre-test to the post-test which was administered, demonstrated the effectiveness of the learning. At a behaviour level, the outcome was evident in the enhanced confidence and motivation level of the participants, and they expressed their competence in leading their projects in their post study presentations. A majority of participants have reported that they have applied what they have learned during the course when they returned to Bhutan. Finally, some of the projects that translated into fruition cemented the results of the SCA. A couple of concrete examples will underscore the point on results.
For instance, the sector representative from the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators has secured funding from the Austrian Development Cooperation in Bhutan to implement a programme on “Handling Emergency and Rescue Services (HERS)—Training of Trainers (ToT)” programme based on the information and training within the course. The project has been successfully completed and achieved a 115 per cent result as 40 people (target was 36) have been trained as trainers and also created awareness to 232 industry people (target was 200) from public and private sector of tourism industry and the government agencies on HERS.
Another such example of positive outcome is from a participant of the MoLHR who has initiated some significant changes. The Government of Bhutan directs strategic economic priorities, controls and allocates resources, including foreign aid, most industries look up to the government for direction and financial support. In this context, the MoLHR participant steered the project goals of the participants to align with national workforce plan (2016–2022) and the 11th 5-year HRD master plan, and helped them identify sources of funding both from government and outside agencies and attended sector association meetings to brief them about government priorities and mentored the participants throughout the project. She has established a Human Resource Development Committee for Bhutan including all of the industry associations involved in this programme which was very well received by all participants and their sponsors. In term of results, targeted outcomes where met from the training and support throughout the course, which was demonstrated in the individual increased post-course results.
Conclusion
This Australia Awards South and West Asia SCA entitled “Human Resource Development and Planning—Bhutan” hosted and delivered by Griffith University was overall well regarded by the participants from Bhutan. The trainees returned home with new ideas and knowledge, and the ability to make a significant contribution to their home country as leaders in their field. The programme has demonstrated the commitment of both Griffith University and the Australian Government to providing educational opportunities to improve living standards and stimulate economic growth in developing countries such as Bhutan.
The key to a successful programme design of this nature was appreciation of cultural context and incorporating the nuances that made it easy for the visitors from Bhutan to embrace the learning wholeheartedly. The programme was designed, based on the principle of extending respect to the cultural identity of the participants, provided room for inclusion and teamwork that fitted well with the participant values, creating ample opportunities for facilitating meaningful intercultural dialogue and engagement, offering a hands-on approach to learning that was transferable to their home context and setting up a responsive and flexible approach to the overall design of the course. As Malcolm Forbes says “Diversity is the art of thinking independently together.” This course lived this axiom, by valuing the diversity within the participant group and inviting them with respect in the learning environment of a national context distinctly different from their home; providing a sense of home to the guests from Bhutan in Griffith University, Australia.