Retaining Human Resources_msm8_trianh

Maastricht MBA

BR&T

C/o HCMC University of Technology, 268 Ly Thuong Kiet, D.10, HCM City Vietnam, Tel: (84-8) 8660 898 - Fax: (84-8) 8660 899 - E-mail: [email protected]

RETAINING HUMAN RESOURCES IN A VOLATILE INDUSTRY

THE CASE JAPAN VIETNAM PETROLEUM COMPANY

By PHAM HOANG TRI ANH (VIETNAM)

“This paper was submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the Maastricht School of Management (MSM), Maastricht, the Netherlands in August 2007”.

Maastricht School of Management P.O box 1203 6201 BE Maastricht The Netherlands

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................ 5 ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ 6 ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................ 7 Chapter 1:

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 8

1.1

THE OIL INDUSTRY: AN OVERVIEW IN VIETNAM & WORLDWIDE... 8

1.2

INTRODUCTION OF JVPC............................................................................ 10

1.3

BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM............................................................ 13

1.4

THE PROBLEM DEFINITION ....................................................................... 16

1.5

OBJECTIVE AND SCOPES............................................................................ 17

1.5.1

Objective ................................................................................................... 17

1.5.2

Scopes ....................................................................................................... 18

1.6

RESEARCH FRAMEWORK........................................................................... 18

1.7

PRESENTATION OF THE STUDY................................................................ 20

Chapter 2:

LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................... 21

2.1

REASON WHICH MAKE STAFF TO LEAVE THEIR CURRENT JOB ..... 21

2.2

REASON WHICH MAKE STAFF TO STAY WITH THEIR CURRENT JOB ........................................................................................................................... 25

2.3

DEVELOPING A RETENTION STRATEGY ................................................ 26

2.4

SWOT ANALYSIS CONCEPTS ..................................................................... 29

Chapter 3:

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................. 31

3.1

INFORMATION NEEDED.............................................................................. 31

3.2

SOURCE OF THE INFORMATION............................................................... 32

3.3

METHOD TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION .......................................... 32

3.3.1

Interview ................................................................................................... 32

3.3.2

Observation ............................................................................................... 34

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3.4

DATA COLLECTION ..................................................................................... 35

3.5

DATA ANALYSIS........................................................................................... 36

Chapter 4: 4.1

RESEARCH FINDING ............................................................................ 39

FINDING FROM INTERVIEW....................................................................... 39

4.1.1

Outcomes Collected From Interview Ex-Employees ............................... 39

4.1.2

Outcomes Collected From Interview Staying Employees ........................ 44

4.2

FINDING FROM AUTHOR’S OBSERVATION ........................................... 48

4.3

SWOT ANALYSIS .......................................................................................... 49

4.3.1

The Strength of JVPC ............................................................................... 49

4.3.2

The Weakness of JVPC ............................................................................ 50

4.3.3

The Opportunity of JVPC ......................................................................... 50

4.3.4

The Thread of JVPC: ................................................................................ 51

Chapter 5:

RECOMMENDATION ............................................................................ 52

5.1

CONCLUSION................................................................................................. 52

5.2

RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................. 55

BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................. 59 DECLARATION .............................................................................................................. 61

APPENDIX A:

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR LEFT STAFF............................. 62

APPENDIX B:

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STAYING STAFF..................... 64

APPENDIX C:

LEFT STAFFS’ INTERVIEW RECORDS...................................... 66

APPENDIX B:

STAYING STAFFS’ INTERVIEW RECORDS............................ 102

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LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Figure 1.1:

JVPC office and worksite map (Source: JVPC) ……………………………11

Figure 1.2:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company Limited Organization Chart (Source JVPC) ……………………………………………………………………………12

Table 1.4:

JVPC's Statistics for staffs leaving during period 2001 – 2006 (Source: JVPC’s annual reports) ………………………………………………………16

Figure 1.6:

Frame work ……………………………………………………………………19

Figure3.1:

Qualitative Analysis As a Circular Process (Dey, 1993) ………………38

Figure 4.1:

Summary left staffs by age ……………………………………………………39

Figure 4.2:

Summary left staffs by seniority ……………………………………………40

Table 4.1:

Summary of four paths of leave………………………………………………40

Figure 4.3:

Percentage of staying by seniority …………………………………………44

Figure 4.4:

Summary of staying staffs by age……………………………………………45

Figure 4.5:

Summary staying staffs by satisfaction ……………………………………46

Figure 5.1:

Retention flow …………………………………………………………………55

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This page is left blank intentionally

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Primarily, I would warmly thank my family in Vietnam, who has continued to be a source of inspiration and encouragement throughout this program, especially my parents, and my wife who has appreciated my inquisitiveness to accomplish the MBA degree, even when I am overseas – far away from my home country.

I would like to show my gratitude towards my coach – Dr. Le Chien Thang for his invaluable guidance and support, which help me focus on the main points of the research

In addition and indeed, I would like to show my special thanks to all of my friends and colleagues for their true friendship and cooperation throughout this course and especially the ones who become really close to me and as I truly believe will share success as well as hardship in the future.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my beloved ones – my wife and my little daughter, for “backing me to the hill” - giving me opportunity to pursue my MBA studies at Maastricht school of Management, sharing the work and daily chores in the family

Great thanks to you all, dear family and friends!

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

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ABSTRACT With the significant increase in crude oil price and the strategy to speed up exploration/drilling/production from Petro Vietnam, the government authority managing Vietnamese oil resource, many oil companies realize that this period is a big change for them to make money by drilling more and producing more. Human resource in this kind of business becomes more critical day by day due to skills and experiences are strictly required. There is a big move between those staffs among the oil companies which cause a lot of trouble for human resources management. Therefore the competition to retain those key employees is intense in all of the oil companies.

During the past 6 years, JVPC was facing with significant increasing in staff turnover rate from just about 6.5% in year 2001 to 14.5% in year 2006. With income around 4.25 million US dollars/day under controlling by 119 Vietnamese staffs, this turnover rate became an operational problem for the organization.

The purpose of this research is to identify the major reasons why key staffs leave from or stay at PVPC in order to develop appropriate strategies to retain them.

To conduct the research, qualitative method is employed in which the primary data are collected from the in depth interviews of 35 ex-employees and 15 staying staffs. Author’s observation and experience are also used to support for the research issues.

The research reveals that the most prominent factor which made staff left the company is leave for something better which includes changing the company to get closer to family or to get higher position as well as benefit or having both, whereas the main reasons which make staff to stay in the company is because of having link set up in their job, feel comfortable to work in a friendly environment and enjoy with the training policy of the company. In the light of these findings, the recommendations are proposed by the author with a dream to keep the turnover in the company as low as possible

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ABBREVIATIONS FPSO

Floating Production Storage Offloading

GD Team

General Director Team

HR

Human Resource

JVPC

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company

JOC

Join Operation Contract

Operator

The investor who does exploration, drilling and operates the Oil & Gas field in Vietnam

PetroVietnam

Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation

PSC

Production Sharing Contract

PV

Petro Vietnam

PVEP

Petrovietnam Exploration and Production Company

Secondee

Staffs who are PVEP’s employee but assigned to JOC/ PSC companies

VSP

VietSovPetro

is

join

venture

between

PetroVietnam

and

Zarubezhneft (belong to the former Soviet Union – now Russian Federation) WTO

World Trade Organization

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Chapter 1:

INTRODUCTION

“The best rose bush, after all, is not that which has the fewest thorns, but that which bears the finest roses” – Henry van Dyke. Therefore, the most important task for Human Resources Management Team is to find the right person for the right job in every organization. Human resources are a critical resource for any organization, especially in some specialized industries such as the oil and gas industry. Manpower is considered as the most valuable resource in every single business in which staff retention is the need to success.

This chapter starts by providing an overview about the oil industry in the world and in Vietnam in which Petro Vietnam, vietnamese government authority, is mentioned and their strategy is described. It then introduces the reader about the target company, JVPC, and their turnover problem. In the light of this background, the purpose of the study and its aims are presented.

1.1

THE OIL INDUSTRY: AN OVERVIEW IN VIETNAM & WORLDWIDE

Nowadays, the entire world is facing with a liquid-energy crisis, which has caused Oil & Gas price to increase rapidly with no indication of an ending point. At the time of the research period, the price of crude oil is over 65 USD/ barrel which is higher than that in year 1998 nearly 7.2 times. This crisis could be solved by the effort of utilizing in energy usage and the improvement of the technology. According to Global Energy Monitoring Organization, the related issues of this kind of energy is remained up to next few decades with the demand of the increase in exploration/ drilling/ production activities.

Reports from Petroleum Research Organizations reveals that world’s oil reserve is around 891.3 billion barrels supposedly suffient for the next 37 years of production; the rate of energy consumption is 66 million barrel per day (rate of 37.3% crude oil & 23.9% gas

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consumption in general energy consumption) (BP Statistical Review of World Energy, June 2006).

The PetroVietnam is the dominant player on the Vietnamese market and the company is the sole state-owned petroleum corporation for Vietnam. It has a full monopoly on all upstream exploration, production and plays a significant role in downstream operations as well. It has investment licenses to build the country’s first oil refineries. Any foreign oil company working on upstream projects would have to deal with PetroVietnam in some capacity. The central management of PetroVietnam is located in Hanoi, while it had two subsidiaries supervising upstream activities: PetroVietnam Exploration and Production Company (PVEP) and PetroVietnam Supervision Company (PVSC).

The Vietnam’s crude oil was lifted average 400,000 bpd which is mainly from: •

The Rong (Dragon) and Bach Ho (White Tiger) fields by the joint venture company Vietsovpetro. This was a 50-50 joint venture between PetroVietnam and Zarubezhneft, a company formed under the former Soviet Union. This is the sole joint venture company in upstream exploitation. It has been lifting oil in the Bach Ho field since 1986. It has operational gas pipeline and delivers roughly two to three million cubic feet of gas per day to Dinh Co – Baria Vungtau and amount of 269,000bpd crude oil is exported.

•

Rang Dong field by PSC Company – JVPC, is the product sharing contract company between Nippon Oil Corporation, ConocoPhillips and PVEP. It had a transferring gas pipeline from Rang Dong to Bach Ho and amount of 59,000bpd crude oil was exported.

With a clear outlook of the oil & gas industry in next 4 decades, the value of keeping steady operation in oil & gas companies is crucial. Especially, most of JOC and PSC contracts would require localizing technical and management man-power after 5 – 10

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years, consequently the pressure to employ good staffs and retain the key employees within the organization is putting on each company in Vietnam Oil & Gas labor-market.

1.2

INTRODUCTION OF JVPC

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company Limited (JVPC) is a joint venture between Nippon Oil Corporation, ConocoPhillips and PetroVietnam with the respective share of 40% 40% - 20%. JVPC was found the first oil well in 30 August 1998 with over 1.5 billions US dollars revenue (to October 2005) and this number are expected to increase day by day in exponential progressive curve.

JVPC was established since 1995 in Vungtau city with 73 expatriates (from Japan and United States) for all key and sensitive positions and 24 Vietnamese staffs in normal positions. Gradually the Vietnamese staffs in JVPC have proved their abilities and qualification and have been capable of taking on most of the key positions, which were taken by expatriates last years. JVPC now has 159 staffs (119 Vietnamese and 40 expatriates). Most of JVPC’s staffs were engineers and officers who are in charge of all the production, drilling, exploration, reservoir engineering, geology, logistics, safety, finance and commercial operation. These staffs were dealing with JVPC’s contractors, government, parties to get all operation in a smoothly running manner. JVPC is currently located at 7th and 8th floor of PetroVietnam Towers, 8 Hoang Dieu Vungtau, Vietnam. Operation field is located in block 15.2 – Rang Dong field which 115km far away from main office in Vungtau city.

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Figure 1.1:

JVPC office and worksite map (Source: JVPC)

JVPC is operating with four existing remote production platforms, one FPSO (Floating Production Storage Offloading) and one central processing complex platform come with two standby boats, and JVPC requires over 100 operators from contractors as outsourcing.

Products of JVPC are mainly crude oil and associated gas, which are sold directly from offshore facilities by export tanker and pipeline under-supervision of government authority and third party.

JVPC had 13 groups/departments with four levels of management. As said above, JVPC used all outsourcing for operations, maintenance, services and the daily interactions were

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deployed between last level and outside parties. The organization structure can be seen in Figure 1.2 as below: Figure 1.2:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company Limited Organization Chart (Source

JVPC)

Manager of Project Group Officers

General Manager of Admin/ Finance

Manager of Exploration

Engineers

Manager of Reservoir Engineering

Engineers

Manager of Petroleum Engineering

Engineers

Manager of Finance

Officers

Manager of Human Resource and Admin

Officers

Manager of Business Liaison

Officers

Manager of Contract and Business Development

Officers

Manager of Offtake and Shipping

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Officers

3rd party

Engineers

Contractor

Manager of Health, Safety and Environment

Government

General Manager of Technical Departments

Engineers

Contractor

General Director Team

Manager of Production

Contractor

Engineers

General Manager of Operation Departments

Authorizer

Manager of Logistics

Engineers

Contractor

Manager of Drilling

Interesting parties

Contractor

Engineers

Most of these staffs are stationed in Vungtau office at PetroVietnam Towers, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau, Vietnam and few of them are staying in the contractor’s organizations to maintain continuously controlling and doing supervise roles.

With the compact organization model and a limited number of Japanese staff, they partitioned thirteen groups into three departments and one group under control of general director group (this special group is project group, which has more power in financial and decision making to support for requested result in designed project target).

Technical Department consults to top management in making decision of where, when, how to keep the organization operate steadily in order to maintain a maximum rate of return on the investment. Contract Business and Development Group, recently established group, supports to all groups to get the out-source’s supporting. Offtake & Shipping Group is played role of merchandiser when they try to sell our product to users. Drilling group makes new wells for further operation whilst production group directly produces products for organization.

The success of this organization mainly depends on staffs’ skills – regardless of which role they are playing in any group.

1.3

BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM

Since the first barrel of oil were extracted from the Bach Ho oil field in 1986 by VSP operator, Vietnam’s oil and gas industry has undergone significant development. Before, Vietnam’s economy relied heavily on imported petroleum products from the Soviet Union. Recently Vietnam has started exploration on itself reserves.

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Today, Vietnam ranks third in oil production among Asian countries, trailing only Indonesia and Malaysia, and the Vietnamese oil industry is still developing fast. In term of gas producing, Vietnam’s reserves seem even more promising. For further development, PetroVietnam plans to add 7-10 new oil & gas fields from 2005-2010. More specifically, PetroVietnam will focus on the following areas in the period of 2005-2010

o

PetroVietnam expected to speed up exploration work on the whole continental-shelf of the country, with expectation to discover 7-10 new oil and gas fields in order to secure national energy demand. In the production sector, PetroVietnam aims at maintaining the oil production from current fields and to triple gas production from developing fields (Eight oil and gas fields are being developed, and production will be commenced in this period).

o

PetroVietnam increased concentration on construction of infrastructure, especially to develop the gas market (power plants, petrochemical plants) to meet with potential gas supply. The refinery projects previously mentioned are explicit means to pursue this strategy.

During 2005, PetroVietnam aimed at completing the first deepwater licensing round and expect to sign two-three contracts in this area and two-three contracts in other open blocks. Development work for four gas fields is to deliver gas in 2006-2009. In terms of production wise, the strategy is to double volume of the Su Tu Den oil field, in order to keep the production at around 150 MMBO and 250 billion cubic feet of gas. It meant a big amount of required skilful-staffs need to be added during this period

With the significant increase in crude oil price and the strategy from Petro Vietnam, many oil companies realize that this period is a big change for them to make money by drilling more and producing more. Human resource in this kind of business becomes more critical day after day due to skills and experiences are strictly required. There is a

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big move between those staffs among the oil companies which cause a lot of trouble for human resources management.

Reports from operators and services companies in recent five year reveal that the number of the employees left their exiting companies is around 11% every year which make the in charged companies pay a huge amount of money for recruiting and training in order to replace staffs. With crude oil price maintain in high value as 60 – 70 USD/bbl, the oil producers are not allow for any down time, especially due to lack of qualified crews, besides, narrow down in human resource selection, it makes this issue more and more seriously.

Reports from Monthly Scout Meeting between operators and services companies, most of these companies had and have trouble with personnel movement and recruitment issue. Some of them move from Vungtau city – “oil city” but far away from modern cities – Ho Chi Minh/ Ha Noi, to Ho Chi Minh/ Ha Noi city for family issue or luxury life or other demands and some of them reversed. This movement always makes the companies’ management being headache and keeps developing strategy on the defensive.

JVPC was originally from Nippon Oil Group since 1994 in Vietnam, so the culture of this organization is influenced by the culture of Japanese – culture of working hard and longterm relationship between employees and organization. This culture was good sometimes when it was created and compacted. Time goes by, this organization has become larger and larger, one engineer defined as key staffs are taking care of a lot of tasks at the same time and considered as an organization “bone”.

With a “flat” structure, having only 159 staffs, JVPC is very successful to manage and operate Rang Dong field, where as in order to manage and operate a 6 times bigger of similar works VietSovPetro needs over 6,500 staffs. However, in the other hand, this advantage also has a big disadvantage for organization once key staff or some one of middle management team get leave and JVPC is going to get suffered due to not much job has a back-up staff for employee leave situation. They have to pay more to keep

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organization business running smoothly by getting the consultants or supports from other countries or companies.

In addition, JVPC has a Japanese working culture which highly appreciates the loyalty and hard work attitude (they are “salaryman” and being victims of “Karoshi” syndrome – sudden dead whilst working). This poses another challenge for the organization, as discussed in the next section

1.4

THE PROBLEM DEFINITION

During past years, JVPC was facing with increasing turnover rate for human resource, in year 2001; the turnover rate was about 6.5%. The rate increased in the following years and settle at a high record of nearly 14.5%. Table 4.3.1 shows the detailed statistics of the turnover rates for the last 6 years. With income around 4.25 million US dollars/day under controlling by 119 Vietnamese staffs, this turnover rate became an operational problem for the organization.

Table 1.4: JVPC's Statistics for staffs leaving during period 2001 – 2006 (Source: JVPC’s annual reports)

Year

Project Group

Operation Department

Technical Department

Admin/ Finance Department

Annual Total Left

Total staffs

Left rate

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

1 2 4 1 3 6

3 3 2 3 2 8

3 2 2 4 4 6

2 3 2 3 4 3

9 10 10 11 13 23

139 145 147 153 158 159

6.47% 6.90% 6.80% 7.19% 8.23% 14.47%

Since the natures of works in the company are very specific and experience required, it is very costly for the company for any change of human resource in the operation system. The company has to assign the tasks temporarily to other busy people while looking for

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new employees, and then it has to provide training and to take time for these people to be familiar with the jobs. Therefore, along with the direct cost of recruitment and training, the company has to face with other indirect cost such as decreasing performance of other staff due to temporarily assigned tasks, interrupted work flow ect.

Even though the human resource department in JVPC tried to retain their staff through improving staff’ benefits, their staffs were still successive leaving. What is going wrong here? Does it mean their staffs are senseless? There were so many reasons of this consequence spreading out from income, interest of working environment, social position, family concern... so what are really a deep root of this trend occurred in JVPC should we need to research more by understanding the mechanisms of why staff is leaving or staying in order to enforce a suitable strategy to retain the frame human resource and avoid business interruption.

It is said that this HR problem should be solved before it is getting worse and worse. Thus, it is very necessary to Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company to find out a solution for increasing human resource turnover rate.

1.5

OBJECTIVE AND SCOPES

1.5.1

Objective

In the light of this background, the purpose of this research is to identify the major reasons why key staffs leave from or stay at JVPC in order to develop appropriate strategies to retain them. Specifically, the study aims:

Identify the reasons of employees who left and reasons of employees who stay in Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company Ltd.

Conduct a SWOT analysis to find out the strength, weakness, opportunities and threat of JVPC with regards to retaining people.

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Develop strategies to retain the human resources for the target company, Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company.

1.5.2

Scopes

This research paper focuses on studying and analyzing the case study of Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company Ltd to examine the research question. Database are on last years personnel movement reports from JVPC and the interview made among the former staffs and the current staffs to find out the implication reasons which make staffs to leave or stay in the company.

Definition of key staff in this research was author defined. Key staffs are those who had position from engineer/officer up to management, their decisions and mistakes would cause a serious impact to organization.

In this paper, the author just wants to research and analyze JVPC case for the author’s interest only; it is not support for any competition recruitment or inimical purposes.

1.6

RESEARCH FRAMEWORK

The research paper is structured around the below framework

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Problem: Key employees left

Literature Review: -

Why people leave? Why people stay? Retention strategies

Develop interview questions

Collect data: In depth interview/ Exit interview

Analyze Reasons for leaving: - Of the four paths of leaving, which are the most frequent reasons?

Analyze factors that make people stay: - What attachment did people have (link?) - What kind of fits that glue people to the company? - What sacrifice do people suffer that prevent them from leaving? - What are the most common in one of the three? Method: Interview existing employees

- What are the common plans? - What are the common shocks? - What are better elsewhere? - What are de-motivated factors, how common? Method: Interview ex-employees

Can the company control and change? How do they control or change problem?

Recommendations: - Measures - Cost and Benefits analysis - Effectiveness Analysis

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1.7

PRESENTATION OF THE STUDY

The structure of this research paper consists of five chapters and is presented as follows.

Chapter I outlines the overall picture of oil and gas industry in Vietnam and the world. It introduces the readers about the company –JVPC - the target of this case study research, and their staff turnover problem. It also points out objectives, scope and the research framework of the study.

Chapter II presents some empirical researches and theories on why staff leaves or stay in the company as well as the review of existing literature on developing the retention strategy. In this part SWOT analysis techniques are also described. Those are served as a theoretical framework for the research issues which are presented in the following chapters

Chapter III presents the methodology utilized in the study including research design, information needed, source of the information, sampling frame, data collection method, data analysis and development of the solutions

Chapter IV presents the finding of the research question on why staffs leave or stay in the company.

Chapter V finally is the conclusion of what was being discussed on the research issues using the SWOT analysis and recommendation of adequate solutions to retain key staffs and maintain a reasonable turnover rate to the success of the researched company.

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Chapter 2:

LITERATURE REVIEW

Over the years, there are so many studies regarding to reasons which make staffs to leave and stay have been done. Those studies also point out common attitudes of staff when they are dissatisfied with their current job and look for alternative way in their career. Upon the empirical research on the reasons of staff leave and stay, some suggestions and guideline for staff retention strategies are also mentioned. Those are served as the theoretical foundation for the research issues as discussed above in previous chapter. In addition the concepts of SWOT analysis and retention strategy are also reviewed.

2.1

REASON WHICH MAKE STAFF TO LEAVE THEIR CURRENT JOB

Once an employee voluntary decides to terminate employment, it often creates lots of problems for the organization. A common approach used to address an organization’s staffing problems has been to identify any deficiencies or problem areas within the organization by determining the variables affecting an individuals intent to leave employment. It is assumed that once the problem areas are identified, changes can be made and the individual may reconsider his or her decision to terminate employment, resulting in fewer staffing problems and a reduction of staff turnover (Martin & Hunt, 1980).

Terrence and Lee (2001) point out 2 wisdom of employees’ attitude toward their jobs as follows:

Conventional wisdom says that people leave because they are dissatisfied with their current job and the only reason makes them stay is money.

An example of dissatisfaction is associated with job stress, job overload, repetitive work, and unfairness in pay, benefits and other rewards, being passed over for promotion, being

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asked to do something against one’s beliefs. Once dissatisfaction sets in, an employee presumably looks around for other work alternatives. They may conduct a job search. If the alternatives are judged to be favourable in comparison with current job, they are predicted to leave.

Prevailing wisdom has 2 perspectives: one is called academic perspective and the other is practitioner perspective. In which academic perspective says people who are satisfied with their job will stay while those who are not will leave. Given the same level of dissatisfaction, people with more alternatives will be more likely to leave than those with fewer alternatives. Practitioner perspective mentions reasons which make staff to leave or stay purely reflect an economic perspective. People are leaving not only because they are dissatisfied but also because of other reasons such as an unsolicited job offer, changes in family situation follow by partner reallocation. Those mentioned unrelated to their jobs are known as unexpected events or shocks.

In regarding to shocks as the main cause of job departure, Mitchell, Holtom and Lee (2001) introduce the unfolding model which describes four paths people take when they leave a job as follows:

Path 1:

Following a plan

Some people know that they will leave if they or their spouse get accepted into some sort of educational program like studying PH.D overseas or if their partner reallocate to other city or country. Some people at the start of new job had intention to quit the job after gaining some certain experience in the field or after getting bonus for finishing the training.

Path 2:

Leaving without a plan

This part is started by a shock but there is no plan or script in place. Shock occurred in this path normally is negative and unexpected which involves such a violation of

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expectations that negative emotions like distrust or anger accompany the leaving process. For example: employee decides to quit the job to move closer to his home because he wants to take time to look after his mother who became ill recently, employee was passed over for a promised promotion.

Both of path 1 and 2 employee leave without searching for alternative job.

Path 3:

Leaving for something better

Path 3 starts with a shock that leads to minimal job dissatisfaction and therefore the employee considers for the alternative which better than his present job or he receives unsolicited job offer

Path 4:

Leaving an unsatisfying job

This path is initiated by accumulated job dissatisfaction. There are two different ways in which this dissatisfaction leads to job leaving.

Path 4A: employee become dissatisfied and leaves the job without searching for the alternative

Path 4A: there is a certain period for a dis-satisfied employee to search for and evaluate the alternative job.

Cotton and Tuttle (1986) in a meta-analysis of available research on employee turnover categorized the correlates of turnover into three classifications: 1) work related factors, 2) individual characteristics and 3) external factors.

Work related factors include in-competitive pay, poor job performance, overall job dissatisfaction, the work itself, promotional opportunities, organization, immediate supervisor, role clarity.

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Individual characteristics include: tenure, education, degree of unmet expectations and rewards, gender.

External Factors are considered as employee’s perception of job opportunities both within and outside the organization.

Of these various correlates, expectations, rewards and job satisfaction have been linked causally to turnover. The expectations a person holds regarding employment is based on individual needs and desires. What one employee views as essential and desirable often differs from other employees. How often and in what degree these expectations go unmet influences an employee’s individual decision to continue or terminate a job. Furthermore, the need for recognition and rewards in the course of employment is also very individualistic. Rewards address both intrinsic and extrinsic needs. If the rewards are insufficient to meet both intrinsic and extrinsic needs, the employee will seriously consider termination. Job satisfaction is derived from work related factors which include compensation and benefits, working conditions and the employee’s perception of the value of his or her work efforts. It is difficult for an employee to derive satisfaction from a job which provides inadequate compensation and benefits for the effort put forward. Additionally, working conditions have an effect on the employee’s ability to perform adequately. The frustration of poor working conditions often interferes with the accomplishment of assigned tasks. If assignments are of little interest or challenge to the employee, the job will bring little satisfaction then employee will tend to think of leaving their current job.

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2.2

REASON WHICH MAKE STAFF TO STAY WITH THEIR CURRENT JOB

The reasons which make staff to leave their current job can be viewed as the opposite of reasons which make staff to stay with their current job. Therefore a reasonable assumption can be made that factors influencing employees’ decisions to terminate employment may also influence their decisions to continue employment.

I may say all of the above discussed reasons which make staff to leave the organization if can be solved are those which can make staff to retain in the organization.

As partly discussed in the previous section, job satisfaction is one of the main factors which keep staff remain in the organisation. Moreover there are some additional factors which make staffs staying as follows: no alternative, organizational commitment, non work factors (family issues, hobbies, co-workers)

Terrence, Brooks and Thomas (2001) in one of their article mentioned about the job embeddedness and staying. From their point of view, Job embeddedness consists of three factors: Links; fit and sacrifice.

Links are the connections between the employee and other people, groups or even organisation. Those links can be presented as on the job link and off the job link. The example of on the job link is creating mentor system to increase the attachment of the employees themselves or encourage the employees to choose their own clients or suppliers. Off – the job link are some kinds of community activities, family or individual hobbies

Fit is defined as an employee’s perceived compatibility with job, organisation and community. The more individual feel that they fit with their jobs and co-workers the lower the turnover.

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Sacrifice reflects the cost of what people have to give up if they leave a job. Many of these sacrifices involve foregoing financial incentives tied to longevity (seniority bonus), retirement funds, stock options, reimbursement of long term professional development (higher education funding allowance), child care support, performance bonus base on seniority…

Moreover the stressfulness of job changing also limit turnover, if someone think about the new job they should take into account of a numerous adjustment especially for those who has family for example if someone leave the current job in order to relocate to another city, new living accommodations, schooling for children and spousal reemployment need to be considered. These transitions can take up to a year of adjustments to be made and a career to get back on track. For those who are the risk adverse, won’t think new job is feasible and will decide to stay.

2.3

DEVELOPING A RETENTION STRATEGY

Retention is about developing strategies that reduce the number of people turnover because of avoidable reasons. Organizations need to retain employees with the required balance of skills and experience to ensure that business can be maintained and running smoothly (Stucberry, 2003). Retaining people are not simple and is considered as the art of management. There are many factors that affect the employee leaving or staying with the company, on the other hand having the understanding manager and the management team are also the matter of luck for all employees in order to maintain a happy and cooperative working environment towards the success of the business.

It is said that there is no magic pill for company’s retention problem. Retention cannot be accomplished purely via money. “It takes more than money to retain quality staff” (Mike, 2005). A host of on-the job and off-the job factors must be considered when developing a retention plan. “People need to see that their contributions are appreciated and if they do, they won’t want to listen to other offers” Vince Crew, president of Research Development in Naples, Fla said.

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Once being employed, the employee has to go through around almost three stages: an entry phrase where employees learn the ropes, the norms and the expectations surrounding a job. Following to the entry phrase there is a period where employees settle in, this period can be very short or long almost depend on some stability of employee’s live on the job and that is the phrase for management interfere in to inspire their employees and keeping them to be with the business as long as possible.

Most organizations today continue to struggle with retention because they are only relying on salary increases and bonuses to prevent turnover (Accenture 2001; Gumbus and Johnson 2003). People have so many reasons to leave or stay in the business not just because of salary, those reasons are called non-work related reason or work related reason. Managing core employees effectively means identifying their needs and wants. Employees bring their needs, aspirations, and hopes to their jobs and working environment where their abilities can be utilized and their basic needs can be satisfied.

Terrence and Lee (2001) give a guide to formulate a comprehensive retention plan as follows:

Determine whether turnover is a problem for the business by finding out

Step 1:

the answer for those How, Who, What questions.

Step 2:

-

How many people are leaving?

-

Who is leaving? Do the company want these people to leave?

-

What does it cost to replace them?

Determine why people are leaving? To find out the reason why - an exit

interview from outside consultant is recommended to ensure that the reasons provided are not defensive or protecting those left behind, it also helps the leaver to not fear retribution.

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Step 3:

Investigate reasons why people stay? By conducting an interview with the

existing employees to determine the factors that keep them in their jobs, the answers for those reasons to keep employee to stay in the business are also the strength of the business and need to be maintained.

Step 4:

Develop top-level support for the plan. By devote financial and human

resources to the planning, development, execution and maintenance of any plan

Step 5:

Identify the targets of the plan. Which employee needs to be retained in

the business?

All of the time, routinely assessment of job satisfaction, organisational commitment and job embeddedness need to be done in order to prepare to make changes based on staff finding in other to make organisation’s retention plan competitive.

The retention program selection is mentioned and grouped into six areas:

Professional Development Training Management Behaviour Rewards and Recognition Life Balance Pay and Benefits

An effective retention strategy requires the careful selection of programs that are valued by the company’s employees and support the organization’s goals and culture.

Retention programs can be costly. In a study conducted by Watson Wyatt, the overwhelming majority of companies reported the most important challenges to their future success are balancing the retention of their most valued employees and cost management (marks, 2001). Effective retention strategies must be a strategy which can

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utilize a variety of programs because employees have different and multiple needs. For example, one of factors to retain staff in RMIT university is to provide seat in the university for the first child of every staff who served for the organization for three years, this kind of offer is more highly valued and interested by employees having kids at year 10 or 11 than by individual without or having young kids at year 3 and 4. For companies to get the most from their retention resources they should regularly assess the effectiveness of their programs by asking employees about the type of retention programs they value the most and by keeping track of why employees are leaving the company. Using this information, employers can select programs and policies that are meaningful to their workforce (Ruch, 2000).

Keeping retention programs aligned with company and employee needs is challenging because the needs of both groups continue to change.

The turnover problem should be examined in the context of a specific organization. A good understanding on the company’s strength, weakness, opportunities and threats with regard to the issues losing or keeping employees is necessary for the analysis of the company turnover issues. The concept of SWOT analysis is thus considered next.

2.4

SWOT ANALYSIS CONCEPTS

SWOT analysis was first introduced in the 1980’s for assessing General Electric’s position in each of its various businesses. The acronym SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is an approach to the analysis of the internal and external environments. This analytical technique assists an organization to fulfil its need for consistent knowledge of the current situation (David, 1997). In the SWOT analysis process, the internal environments are scanned to determine the strengths and the weaknesses of an organization, while the external environment assessment identifies the organizational opportunities and threats (Hill & Jones, 1992).

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Strength is considered as an aspect of the business that can improve its competitive position

Weakness is an aspect of the business that can potentially damage its competitive status

Opportunity is an environmental condition that can significantly improve the organization situation

Threat: is an environmental condition that can significantly undermine the organization situation

To make the retention strategies of the company become competitive to the industry, from the author’s point of view, SWOT analysis could not be avoidable and be facilitated as the starting point for developing the strategy.

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Chapter 3:

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the details of procedure used in gathering the data for the study was presented including the determination of the information needed to address the research question, the identification of the possible source of information and the selection of the sample for the study. In addition the explanation of the data collection techniques and data analysis was also outlined.

3.1

INFORMATION NEEDED

Two major groups of the information are necessary to find out in this study issue, which are associated with the two research questions “why some people left PVPC” and why other people stay with PVPC”. The information is presented in the below two boxes:

Why people stay in the company:

Why people leave the company:

-

Leave following the plan

set up which make them find

(what plans) -

happy with the job.

Leave without having plan

-

(what are the striggers) -

Stay due to fitness they find in their job.

Leaving for something

-

better (what is the betters) -

Stay due to having a serious link

Stay as they will sacrifice a lot if they leave.

Leaving an unsatisfying job. (what caused it)

Above those paths which one is

Above those three reasons which one is

the most prominent?

the most prominent?

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In addition, information on the employee demographics is needed for the purpose of the study analysis.

3.2

SOURCE OF THE INFORMATION

There are two major sources of the information which have been picked up to support for the study: The first source is from the former staff of JVPC Company. These employees are best to provide us with information about the reasons people left PVPC. The second source of information is provided by those existing staff, who would help to learn the reasons of some employees stay with the company. In addition, other sources are referred to, including the author experience with PVPC, reports, and manuals.

3.3

METHOD TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION

In depth interview and observation techniques are used by the author in order to collect the information needed support for the research issues. 3.3.1

Interview

Interviewing is one of the most common and most powerful ways to try and understand human being. According to Singer (2002), interviewing is powerful because it allows for both the interviewer and interviewee to learn from the experience. As Arksey and Knight (1999) comment: “Interview is a powerful way of helping people to make explicit things that have hitherto been implicit – to articulate their perceptions, feelings and understandings”. Interviewing has a wide variety of forms: informal conversational interviews, the interview guide approach, standardized open-ended interview (Patton, 2002).

The interview guide approach served as the primary data collection method employed in this study. The purpose of this guided interview is to elicit the participant’s worldview support for the above indicated research issues.

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In particular there are two sets of the interview questions have been prepared by the researcher in relating to the research issues about the reasons which make people to leave the JVPC Company and the reasons which make people to stay in the mentioned company.

The first set of the questions includes:

Introduction question regards to the willingness of the participant to be involved in this interview as well as author’s research paper. Fact Finding question includes to those questions asking about the number of year the participant served for the target company and at which position Body of the interview guide comprises of 8 questions asking about the reason of staff leaving and reaction of the company on resignation staff. In particular: -

1) When staff had the intention to leave the company,

-

2) what reasons which cause him/her to think of leaving,

-

3) why he/she changes his job in JVPC to another company,

-

4) what trigger he/ she to file a resignation letter,

-

5) how did the company respond to his/her action of leaving,

-

6) was there any possibility which make he/ she change his/her mind, if yes what are they,

-

7) staff opinion about JVPC company in general and the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with superior,

-

8) Is he/ she happy with his/her resignation decision? (see Appendix A)

The set questions of the first questionnaire was developed to acquire the information on the reasons which made the staffs to leave the company and seek for any possibilities that target company- JVPC- (question 6 in appendix A) could do from their point of views (ex-staffs) to make them change their mind of leaving into staying. The purpose of

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question 6 is to open to a suggested way or a base for the author to make a recommendation to retain staff later on in this study.

The second set of the questionnaire includes:

Introduction question regards to the willingness of the participant to be involved in this interview as well as author’s research paper. Fact Finding question includes to those questions asking about the number of year the participant served for the target company and at which position Body of the interview guide comprises of 5 questions asking to find out the reason which makes staff to stay in the company those are about: -

1) how many companies he/ she worked for so far,

-

2) staff opinion about JVPC company in general and the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior,

-

3) Any

long term and short term training opportunities are

provided by the company and its commitments, -

4) Whether he/ she is happy with his/ her current job, any intention to leave the job, if no why not,

-

5) What is about the company which interests you most?

The set questions was developed with the purpose to find out the strength of the target company in their current policy of retaining staffs in order to keep and develop further its strong point to make staffs remain.

3.3.2

Observation

Having the advantage of over ten (10) years working in the oil and gas industry including specific six (6) years working for this target organization, the researcher have listened to so many stories from the colleagues about those staffs who had left the company as well as those who are staying. In addition to what had been listened by the researcher, his own

- 34 -

experience about the policy of the company to deal with staff are also those critical factors contributed to the findings of his research issues.

3.4

DATA COLLECTION

The interview was conducted on 35 staffs who had left the target company in both year 2005 - 2006 and on 15 staffs who are still working for the target company.

To gather the in-dept qualitative information, comprehensive focused interviews approximately one hour in length were conducted with each selected study participants at their convenient time and place. Study was carried out in a friendly atmosphere as each participant is the author’s colleague.

In particular the interview process is conducted as follow: •

Before conducting the interview, the author had addressed the reason of the interview to each participant clearly that this is supported for the author’s thesis and interest only. There is nothing link with JVPC company except the detail recommendation of retention strategy on what were findings out from this study is going to be suggested by the author to the company as one of his contribution to the company due to their sponsorship for his MBA course and the author’s inspiration to keep the turnover stable. Therefore, the answers of participants in this study would be ensured completely confidential. And because of the confidential issues, appendix C and D which attached some sample interview records does not present the applicant names.

•

When conducting the interview, a guide questionnaire were used (Appendix A for 35 leaving staff and Appendix B for 15 remaining staffs) in order to maintain the control for the interviewer and make sure that the information needed had been answered by the interviewees. For some cases the interviews were going out of the track due to the close relationship between the interviewer and interviewee,

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but then the interviewer found that it was interesting and opening the author to another way which he did miss when he sets up the questionnaire. For example when asking whether the staying staff has got intention to quit the company or not? The response was I am too old man. It means that age did affect the staying staff and it is one other reason beyond what the author intended to find out such as fit, link or sacrifice. •

To collect the information in the interview, tape recorder was mostly used during the interview as well as note taking. The purpose for note taking is to provide a means for allocating important quotations for later analysis; the point impressed the interviewer or the core answer which he needs to find out. Tape recorder helps the interviewer to concentrate on the process of listening, interpreting, refocusing the interview and check the accuracy of the information record. Some participant feel un-comfortable about being tape-recorded, then taking note is solely done by the interviewer at the time of the interview, sometimes in order to make sure that the interviewer understanding right what the interviewee answers or scenarios which the interviewee involved, the interviewer repeated back to the interviewee what he believe they have just told.

3.5

DATA ANALYSIS

Following the completion of the interviews, the information collected from each set of the questionnaires was summarized. The summary site analysis then is grouped and categorized as referring to the conceptual framework of the study.

In particular, the author noted that there are four paths of leaving presented by each participant when being asked.

Path 1: Leave following a plan Path 2: Leave without a plan Path 3: Leave for something better

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Path 4: Leave due to unsatisfied job

In all of the 4 paths being grouped and analyzed which is the most prominent path in JVPC case

Within each part there are some sub reasons which make the staffs to leave, the author then base on the summary site analysis count how many cases appear which support for his finding later on.

Age, seniority, and location also play an important factor to analyze in this study

From another aspect of this research study, reasons why staffs stay in the research company, the following trends are captured:

Staff stay due to link set Staff stay due to fitness Staff stay due to having huge sacrifice if they leave

Among those trends, which one is observed as the most prominent reason which made staff to remain?

From what were collected from the interviews, the analysis of the reasons of staying and leaving had been done. The author summarized those paths and trends captured into his SWOT analysis. Reasons which make staff to leave almost the weakness of the company and reasons which make staffs stay is considered as company strength to further develop the retention strategy for the company.

- 37 -

To analyze the collected data into the meaningful information support for developing the retention strategy, content analysis is adopted by the author which is presented as the below model Describing

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

Classifying

Connecting

Figure 3.1: Qualitative Analysis as a Circular Process (Dey, 1993)

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Chapter 4:

RESEARCH FINDING

4.1

FINDING FROM INTERVIEW

4.1.1

Outcomes Collected From Interview Ex-Employees

SUMMARY LEFT STAFFS BY AGE 11%

14%

Below 30

30 - 40

Above 40

75%

Figure 4.1:

Summary left staffs by age

Finding 1: It is observed that those staffs that leave the company are in the age of 30-40, the most ambitious and dynamic age group.

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SUMMARY LEFT STAFFS BY SENIORITY

23%

26%

Seniority 1 - 3 (years)

Seniority 3 - 5 (years)

Seniority over 5 (years)

51%

Figure 4.2:

Finding 2:

Summary left staffs by seniority

51% left staff had worked for the company from 3 to 5 years; follow by

26% of staffs in a seniority group of over 5 years and least is fail within 1 to 3 years seniority

Table 4.1:

Summary of four paths of leave

SUMMARY OF 4 PATH OF LEAVE Reason to leave Number counted

Leave Following a Plan

Leave without a plan

6

Leave for something better

2

Leave an unsatisfying job

19

In path 1: within 6 cases of Leaving following a plan, there are 3 cases said they had left the company to study abroad, 1 case staff got leave the company as her husband had reallocated to Ho Chi Minh City so she had to accompany him. 2 cases revealed that they had the intention to quit the company when they first joined the company; they just made used JVPC Company as a mean for them to have experience working in an operation

- 40 -

8

company in Oil and Gas industry. An account from one of the respondents depicts this view:

“It was July 2004 when I just join to JVPC… It’s strange, right? I think you would ask me why I did that… It just because of my own planning… As you knew, I was jump from insurance field into Oil & Gas field… I could not get any offer from Operation company in HCMC – they asked for experience in oil & gas transaction, but JVPC gave me a chance to joining… after 2 years of experience, I applied for couple operation company and I got offer from Hoang Long JOC…”

In path 2: within 3 cases of Leaving without a plan, there is 1 case the reason got left because he did ask promotion so many times but having a rejection from the company, therefore no motivation to further contribute.

“Working for JVPC over six years but my title still in Drilling Engineer position, I did propose for three times but it failed.”

Another case had left because he has a seriously ill wife needed to take care, move to Ho Chi Minh City in order to have more time to look after his family.

“It is quite strange when I resigned from previous company and took the lower position in BP (my current position is Senior Production Engineer)… In fact, I have no other better choice… as my wife is sickly and my kids are too small to stand alone… I have to come back to HCMC to taking care of them… Up to now, family is above all of others issue.

In path 3: Leave for something better. There are 19 cases revealed that they had left the research company because they have a better offer from the other companies with higher salary, title upgrade and especially those companies are located in Ho Chi Minh city

- 41 -

which they have chance to live closer to their family, looking after their children and attending night class for further study.

“When I just joined to JVPC, I saw this company quite systematic and already set up with many people on top… I thought I should spend around other 15 years to get up to deputy OIM… and I tried to search around for higher position in new deployment JOC… So, I had this job after 7 months watching and listening around… In fact, when moved from JVPC to CuuLong JOC my title was upgraded from PRD Supervisor to Deputy Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) – it’s much more proudly in my career development.”

“Senior Drilling Engineer in this company was not my life target. Besides, in JVPC there were 3 senior drilling engineers with sharing power and esteem… So, in late 2003 I had an idea to search for better working condition… in the other hand, my kids grow-up day after day so I was forced to looking better studying environment for them. Being a senior drilling engineer in JVPC so my relationship to PetroVietnam and other companies is good and it is helpful for me to ask other job, I did apply so… I am here today.”

“Working in JVPC is good. But I have to change my job as moving up plan for myself. Changing into this company I have had more empowered…. of course, working in HoChiMinh city a lots better than Vungtau city where my kid could have the best study environment and my family has more entertainment area to go after work hours…”

“Yeah, it is right. Lam Son JOC is a smaller company compare to JVPC. But working is not all for a human life, right? When I was in JVPC, I have to live far away from my family and far away from HCMC – crowded city where I can choose good foods, nice entertainments and others”

- 42 -

“It was come up in Aug 2003, the time preparing for marriage ceremony, I quite very busy to run from Vungtau to HCMC amd reserve... I met Cuu Long JOC’s Geologist Manager… He advised me to join his company to get more benefit; esteeming and specially I could manage my little family after working hours…”

“Say, since I recognized that I had nearly 4 years experience and no bright future for me (I had 3 young bosses on top at that time, it means I have to wait for long…), same as other young people, I want to move up… so I left. My current job title is Base Supervisor – it is a lot better than previous one, even though the size of organization is difference. I wished to be a boss, and now, I am a boss”

“Well…well, reservoir engineering is an experience requirement job, so most of the oil companies wish to have these experience people. By changing job, I did “promote” to Senior Reservoir Engineer which need to take in next 3 years if I were in JVPC. It is fair”.

In path 4: Leaving an un-satisfying job. There are 8 ex-staffs said they left the research company because of dissatisfaction. In which 3 said they had a conflict with their Japanese staff.

“Yeah, it was a long story. I was work in this position for 3 years without promotion and my boss behaviors was strange for me – my ex-boss was Japanese, he asked for working behaviors as Japanese style – style of working hard and “doing as working hard”, I am really unlike that way… I did ask for promotion couple times but it was not worked…”

There are 2 responses that they get bored of the job. And the rest felt un-satisfied when there proposal of being promoted is rejected

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Most of the cases, employees file their resignation letter when they had already had a better job in hand and ready to leave.

Finding 3: It is noted that the most prominent reasons which made staff to quit the company is leaving for something better.

Finding 4: Location, location, location is one of the most factors which hinder JVPC’s competitive position in the employment market. For those staffs who are Ho Chi Minh citizens, after a certain year working away from home, their need to having a job close to family in order to look after kids and enjoy family life is become crucial. Majority of the cases when being asked they always mentioned about this issue

Finding 5: Management style in JVPC is quite conservative in term of offering a title promotion, higher position is from the seniority in the industry rather than from the performance which discouraged staffs a lot and one of the reason made staff to look for the other company.

Finding 6: When staffs file their resignation letter, it means they have already made up decision to leave the company, so it is very hard to change their mind and let them stay. Nearly 100% staffs answer that “no, nothing can change their mind”

4.1.2

Outcomes Collected From Interview Staying Employees

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PERCENTAGE OF STAYING STAFFS 80%

71%

70% 60% 50%

Seniority less than 3 (years) 40% 30% 20%

21%

Seniority 3 - 5 (years)

10% 0%

Seniority more than 5 (years) 7% Seniority more than 5 (years) Seniority 3 - 5 (years) Percentage of staying staffs

Seniority less than 3 (years)

Figure 4.3:

Finding 1:

Percentage of staying by seniority

71% the staying staffs in the interview sample have seniority more than 5

years. It is observed that the longer time they serve for the company the lesser chance they get leave the company.

- 45 -

SUMMARY STAYING STAFFS BY AGE 13% 33%

Below 30

30 - 40

Above 40

54%

Figure 4.4:

Finding 2:

Summary of staying staffs by age

More than haft of staying staff in the interview sample is above 40 years

old. This means the older and the more experience the employees have, the more stable they would like to pursuit. As they get older, they normally hesitate to change the job and afraid of getting start in a new environment.

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SUMMARY STAYING STAFFS BY SATISFACTION

12%

16%

Training Location suitable for my family

8% 20%

Good payment Working environment Atmosphere

12%

Power embedded 32%

Figure 4.5:

Finding 3:

Summary staying staffs by satisfaction

From the above figure, the main reasons which made staff to stay in the

company are good payment, location suite for family life and training policy.

Finding 4:

When interview staying staffs, nearly 100% of them admitted the working

environment and relationship among staff is fantastic which they hardly find in other company and that is one of the reasons made them remain.

Finding 5:

When asking what is about JVPC which interests you most? The majority

answer is the company has a very good training policy which helps staff to improve their skills and knowledge. This point is very good for employee retention.

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4.2

FINDING FROM AUTHOR’S OBSERVATION

Finding 1:

There is a tendency that employees are using JVPC as a transition

company to help them building up enough experience in oil and gas industry in order to target their career to some of the big company located in Ho Chi Minh City such as Chervon, or Cuu Long JOC. There is a rumour that JVPC is considered as a training school providing qualified staffs for other big operation company.

Finding 2:

Some staffs had left because they had serious conflicts with their Japanese

managers.

Those relating to empower culture in JVPC: with target of light structure, low cost and effectiveness in exploration and production oil and gas business, JVPC had empowered for staffs in making decision and running operation into specific targets. To achieve specific targets, those engineers and officers had rights to adjust and choose methods to maintain operation in smoothly condition such as choosing sub-contractors, technologies… Even though, the empower in JVPC quite high (engineer and officer were allowed to making decision relate to cost up to 50,000 USD in daily operation and mobilizing of outsourcing to achieve company targets) and staffs had power as said in previous section but in some case Japanese managers were not empowered enough for specific jobs and involved too much after job delegation. It means sometime in the middle of project or sometime in routine operation, the Japanese manager asked to change following Japanese culture and point of views, this interruption would make the tracking of business going out of empowered-staffs’ control. This action made high performance staffs confused and wished to leave and find better bosses.

Finding 3:

There are some cases that staffs leave the company not just because they

are not satisfy with their current job in JVPC but because of some other non-job factors such as spouse re-allocation or family problem. One of the prominent factor make staff to leave the company being observed is because they want to work in Ho Chi Minh city to get closer to their family and have a chance to further study.

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Finding 4:

Young talented staffs have a very little chance to get promotion by title in

JVPC. It is very systematic in JVPC to promote staff to higher position, title promotion is based on the seniority rather than employee performance for example to be promoted to senior production engineer, staff need to have 10 years experience in the Oil and Gas Industry, regardless of how much a talented staff to contribute to the company if he hasn’t built up that required year he still can not get the title as a senior. Whereas in other company, they give title to staffs who can show that they have capability only. So most of the case, the young engineers or officers who had talented and high performance are not patient enough to keep long term relationship to JVPC.

Finding 5:

Most of the case when the employee files his/her resignation letter, he/ she

has already got job offered from somewhere else and very hard for him/her to change his/ her mind to stay.

Finding 6:

Vietnamese employees do not have habit to speak out or make complains

to their boss, they tend to keep silent until they can not stand anymore then the resignation letter will be submitted. It is too late for the management team to retain them by offering higher benefit as mostly the answer is No.

4.3

SWOT ANALYSIS

Base on the above findings, it is observed that 4.3.1

The Strength of JVPC Having very good and professional working environment Well paid Friendly relationship among staffs themselves Fantastic training policy for staff to improve their knowledge and skills. Multi-national Company

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It is an operation company, stable working condition. JVPC is a well-known company in term of providing such a very good training policy for staff therefore it is very easy for JVPC to attract young people to work for them. Natural potentiality and reserve of Rang Dong, Phuong Dong oil mine are still very big therefore it is promising a long-term employment for staff plus bonus.

4.3.2

The Weakness of JVPC Located in Vung Tau, city of tourist but not study. As JVPC is a join venture between Nippon Oil (Japanese) and ConocoPhilips (American), there are some departments controlled by Japanese Managers who have a very conservative management style. Conflict is occurred between staffs and manager due to culture clash Very systematic, promotion to higher position base on the seniority rather than employee performance

4.3.3

The Opportunity of JVPC •

With advantage of PSC (Product Sharing Contract), (PV) Vietnam partner is going to take over all operation rights from JVPC by 2017 and all assigned positions will be replaced by Vietnamese or assigned staffs from PetroVietnam. During the period of 2005 2007, all assigned positions which are holding by Nippon Oil and Conoco Philip will be completely replaced by Vietnamese staffs. This is a good opportunity for Vietnamese staff get promotion and be recruited

- 50 -

4.3.4

The Thread of JVPC: Oil price increases significant plus the double volume strategy from Vietso Petro, many oil companies jump into Vietnam to do the exploration and production, qualified staffs in oil and Gas become more critical. Those companies are willing to pay high salary in order to attract qualified staffs from the other company to work for them. Global employment is another reason which makes staff to leave. Qualified staff in Oil and Gas Industry now has more bargaining power and more choice to emerge into a global work force.

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Chapter 5:

RECOMMENDATION

Again, it is said that high staff turnover is a huge problem for many organizations today and it is also the hottest topic of Human Resource Management, to be able to solve this issue is quite a dedicated problems facing managers, especially for those volatile industry like Oil and Gas.

This final chapter concludes some main findings from the above analysis in the previous chapter and gives some recommendation on developing retention strategy for the research company –JVPC.

5.1

CONCLUSION

If you think retention staff is now becoming more and more challenging for most of the business, you are correct. This issue is reflected through JVPC’s case.

During last six (6) years, this organization had an obsolete point of view about relationship between company and staffs. The company supposed that when setting a salary higher than the market rate their staffs will stay with the company forever. Retention can be accomplished purely via money. However, the fact showing that even though the company pay very well for their staff as well as facilitate good condition which help staff further develop their skills, they are still loosing qualified staffs for some other reasons which find that totally opposite with what they did think.

By launching this research, the researcher found some other reasons for the staff to leave the company such as

Left for further studying after getting of a certain years experience as postgraduate requirement,

- 52 -

Left to joining bigger organization in Ho Chi Minh City Left just because they are getting bored with their current job in JVPC even though that job has a very well pay. Left JVPC to find job in Ho Chi Minh City as they want to get closer to their family. Left just because their partner has to relocate to the other city and they have to accompany him/ her Left in order to move on with their career as they want to have a higher position, esteem need Left due to conflict with Japanese working-style,

In particular, the author noted that there are four paths of leaving presented by each participant when being asked.

Path 1: Leave following a plan: -

Leave for further study abroad after gaining some experience

-

Leave because of spouse relocation

-

Leave following a plan set at the beginning in which using JVPC as a transition company to develop the skills and knowledge from operation company in order to jump into a bigger company in Ho Chi Minh City. Path 2: Leave without a plan

-

Being pass over promotion

-

Leave because of partner sickness, has to work in company in Ho Chi Minh City in order to take care of serious ill wife and young kids and accepted to be degraded. Path 3: Leave for something better

-

Mostly leave because of having an unsolicited offer from the other company. The offer of higher salary, title upgrade, better benefit which include private insurance for unique family, assistant for kids schooling and especially those offered company are those in Ho Chi Minh City.

- 53 -

-

Ex-staff insisted that the most prominent factor which triggered them accept is the location of the offer company being in Ho Chi Minh city, they will have chance to work and get close to their family. Higher salary is not quite important than that of family. Path 4: Leave due to unsatisfied job and having a job search.

-

Having a conflict with Japanese manager

-

Get bored with doing a same style of job

Among those 4 paths, leaving for something better in particular working for the company located in Ho Chi Minh City in order to get closer to family is the most prominent reason captured from the study.

The reasons which have attracted staff stay in JVPC are as follows:

Staff stay due to link set: -

They love the working atmosphere in JVPC in which the relationship between Vietnamese staffs are considered as members in the family.

-

They enjoy working in JVPC as the company provides lots of opportunities for them to further develop their skills in the field. Staff stay due to fitness:

-

They choose to stay as they think the working environment in JVPC is the best one very professional in compared with those companies they had ever worked for.

-

The majority of staying staffs are Vung Tau citizens, they think JVPC is the best company in Vung Tau. They won’t find any other better than that. Staff stay due to having huge sacrifice if they leave

-

Some staffs are staying as they are studying MBA sponsored by JVPC, if they leave the company they have to pay back the tuition fee. Moreover as they are still young and haven’t got family yet so they enjoy being in Vung Tau.

- 54 -

All of the above reasons, ages of some staff does affect their decision to remain in JVPC as they get used to with the job and working style in JVPC, they feel lazy to change their status at the moment.

Among those trends, linking is observed as the most prominent reason which made staff to remain.

By this judgment, next section will be some recommendations to retain staffs in JVPC

5.2

RECOMMENDATIONS

5.2.1

From the author observation and what findings from the interview, one of the most prominent factor which leads staff to leave the company is the matter of company location. It is recommended that if possible the company should relocate their office to Ho Chi Minh City. If it is not feasible so the company should facilitate those staffs who stay in HoChi Minh get back home at least three times a week by providing the hydrofoil ticket for them. Or in the process of employing staffs, the company should give more chance for those candidates from Vung Tau. Especially, having a policy to give priority to Vungtau citizen in recruitment

5.2.2

Due to Asian’s culture and Confucian, staffs often inform their boss about their intention to leave when they have already had a job offered and their mind already set in the new company. Therefore, it is too late for management to do anything to retain the qualified staffs when they are informed. Pro-active action to maintain a powerful HR resource should make organization stronger and better in developing and competing. It is recommended that a powerful and professional HR team should built to support for GD team conducting and developing proactive strategy

5.2.3

To strengthen the relationship among staffs, it is recommended that JVPC’s HR should launch some campaigns such as: family day evens, team building, and company clubs.

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5.2.4

To retain staff, the company need to create more job embeddedness which limits staff leaving such as -

Offer a personal loan for their employee with no interest, the amount of loan would be collected by deducting directly to employee’s salary. By this way, when ever staff wants to quit the company he/ she should consider about sacrifice of return back the company the big amount of money.

-

Setting influence links on the job through programs that create connections between people. Try to put people together who will like one another (similar interests, hobbies or life circumstances). Introduce longterm projects and provide project teams with a sense of identity. Recognize group achievement by giving bonus offers.

-

Setting way for off the job sacrifices: providing private insurance for employee and his/ her unit family, rent assistant for staffs who are not Vung Tau citizens, sponsor staff to attend some form of exercises like gym, tennis, swimming … those ways also the way to promote a good health and refresh their employees

5.2.5

As mentioned above, there is a serious conflict between staff and their manager which make staff to leave; it has been observed that some of managers in JVPC were promoted from technical side, so that they are lacked of management skills and point of views. It is suggested that the company should provide chance for their current managers to attend some of management class in order to have a management view point.

5.2.6

The company would think more about title promotion and make it more flexible for staffs, giving the chance for staffs to move on. This way also creates an effective and efficient working environment towards staff.

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5.2.7

The warmly working environment and good relationship among staffs should be retain and develop.

5.2.8

Bringing from operation management idea – the idea of continuously improvement in process, the researcher strongly believe that JVPC would be better and manage retention issue in proper process as below

Figure 5.1 was the suggested flow which researcher wished to continue the stream of retention flow – to keep the best employees for Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company Ltd.

The following sketch is showing suggested proposal procedure to retain frame human resource JVPC and suitable to expand for whole Oil & Gas industrial.

Staff leaving problem

No

Turnover rate problem and analyze Yes

Do you want those people leave?

No No

Exit interview/ Found reason to leave Yes

No

Change to fix problem/ Commitment from management Yes

Repeat for perfect plan

Finished determined problem and improving plan - 57 -

Figure 5.1:

Retention flow

Yes

In reality, the input of JVPC human resource was set at high level of recruitment and well on job training so those people were confirmed of organization “Do not want those people getting leave”. Figure 5.1, was presented of JVPC have been defined of staffs leaving problem and do not want those staffs getting leaving but after conducting of exit interview to define reason to leave they had do nothing to make the problem solved. Suggested JVPC to live this flow hence support retention strategy for organization.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY David E. Gray (2004), Doing Research in the Real World, Sage Publications Ltd. Wayne F. Cascio (2003), Managing Human Resources, 6th Edition, Mc Graw Hill Irwin. Robert K. Yin (2003), Case Study Research- Design and Methods, 3rd Edition, Applied Social Research Methods Series, Volume 5, Sage Publication Ltd. Max Travers (2001), Qualitative Research Through Case Studies, Sage Publications Ltd Gretchen B. Rossman and Sharon F. Rallis (2003), Learning in the Field, Sage Publications Inc. Terence R. Michell, Brooks C. Holtom and Thomas W. Lee (2001), How to Keep your Best Employees: Developing an Effective Retention Policy,The Academy of Management Executive, 15, 4, ABI/INFORM Global page 96 Anne Bruce (2003), How To Motivate Every Employee – 24 Proven Tactics To Spark Productivity In The Workplace, McGraw-Hill Anna Marie Valerio and Robert J. Lee (2005), Executive Coaching: A Guide for the HR Professional, Pfeiffer. Benjamin Schneider and D. Brent Smith (2004), Personality and Organization, Lawrence ErlBaum Associates, 2004 Don Hellriegel and John W. Slocum, Jr., Organizational behavior, 10th edition Hubert Saint Onge and Charles Armstrong (2004) The Conductive Organization, Elsevier. Kathleen de Marrais and Stephen D. Lapan (2004), Foundation of Research, Lawrence ErlBaum Associates Judith Hale (2004), Performance Based Management, Pfeiffer Leigh Branham, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave, ISBN 0-8144-0851-6, AMACOM Rick Brinkman and Rick Kirschner (2003), Dealing With Difficult People, Mc Graw Hill Irwin.

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Robert L. Mathis, John H. Jackson, Human Resource Management, 11th edition, Thomson Sultan Kermally (2004), Gurus On Managing People, Published by Thorogood Publishing Ltd. Yoav Vardi & Ely Weitz (2004), Misbehavior in Organizations - Theory, Research, and Management, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. William W. Lee, Karl J. Krayer, Organizing Change William J. Rothwell and Roland L. Sullivan, Practicing Organization Development, Edition 2nd, John Willey & Sons, Inc, 2005 Factbook 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, CIA Internal reports from Oil & Gas companies, 2003, 2004, 2005 Internet Center for Management and Business Administration, Inc. Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company Ltd. Annual Report, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. John E. Sheridan – University of Alabama at Birmingham (1992) Organizational Culture and Employee Retention – Academy of management journal, Vol. 35, No 5 p. 1036 – 1056 Michael Beer and Nitin Nohria, Cracking the Code of Change, Harvard Business Review, May – June 2000 Monthly Scout Meeting Reports from PetroVietnam, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Steve Hillmer, Barbara Hillmer, Gale McRoberts (2004) HR. Human Resource Planning “The Real Costs of Turnover - Lessons from a Call Center” ABI/INFORM Global Thomas W. Lee; Terence R. Mitchell (Jan., 1994), “An alternative approach - An unfolding Model of Employee Turnover” – The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 19, No. 1. Thomas W. Lee; Terence R. Mitchell (2001), How to Keep Your Best Employees Developing an Effective Retention Policy, Vol. 15, No 4 – Academy of Management Executive

- 60 -

DECLARATION The author hereby certifies that this work is original and not the outcome of any form of plagiarism. The conclusions and managerial recommendations are personal stand points of the author. In certain cases, other author’s contributions have been either partially or completely used, but with systematic quotations and references by use of footnotes.

Candidate’s Name

:

Candidate’s Signature

:

Date

:

Place

:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

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APPENDIX A:

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR LEFT STAFF

Date:

interview date

Time:

interview time

Location:

interview location

Interviewer:

interviewer name

Interviewee:

interviewee name

Sex:

interviewee gender

Age

interviewee age

Email:

interviewee email

Cell phone:

interviewee phone number

JVPC’s seniority (years):

how many years

1)

Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report?

2)

How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position?

3)

When did you have the intention to leave the company?

4)

What reasons which cause you to think of leaving?

5)

Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company?

6)

What trigger you to file a resignation letter?

7)

How did the company respond to your action of leaving?

8)

Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they?

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9)

How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC?

10)

Are you happy with your resignation decision?

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 63 -

APPENDIX B:

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STAYING STAFF

Date:

interview date

Time:

interview time

Location:

interview location

Interviewer:

interviewer name

Interviewee:

interviewee name

Sex:

interviewee gender

Age

interviewee age

Email:

interviewee email

Cell phone:

interviewee phone number

JVPC’s seniority (years):

how many years

1)

Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report?

2)

How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position?

3)

How many companies did you work for so far?

4)

How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC?

5)

Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training?

6)

Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not?

- 64 -

7)

What is about the company which interests you most?

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 65 -

APPENDIX C: RECORDS

18 EXAMPLES LEFT STAFFS’ INTERVIEW

1- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

16 Apr 2007

Location:

KNOC office – Diamond Plaza

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Female

Age

Email:

intentional hide

Cell phone:

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

09:15am

35

3.5

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. Please go ahead. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 3.5 years (3 years and 5 months). Most of the time I worked as project administrator which were contractors’ controlling job. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? As you know, 4 years ago when I started with JVPC, my husband had a bit support me for changing from hospitality field into heavy-industry field… But, I believe that three and haft years was long enough to get him awake of taking care 2 young children whilst I was living far away from home town (HCMC). He kept continuously asking me to back home… and last message from him was that organization or him… I had him and jobless for 2 months. This existing company was saving me from housewife job and family broken down. Yeah, we did think twice in that matter as you said. But, my husband had his big family with decrepit parent in HCMC… So, moving a big family like that to Vungtau much more complicated than staying at home by myself. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving?

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It was family problem. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? I do not think it was a good time for me in this organization. As you know, my family nearly broken-down due to this company… 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? As I already said, my husband kept asking me to back home town… I tried to delay it. But unfortunately, I could not keep delaying longer than 6 months since first my husband’s requisition when his mom and my kid were sick 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They did nothing for me at the moment – it was family issue, so there is no objective concerned. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It was a good one which I’ve ever seen. I wish to work for JVPC again if it were in HCMC instead 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m sure. For me, keeping family happy and stable is my strategy.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 67 -

2- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

16 Apr 2007

Location:

CuuLong JOC office – Diamond plaza

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Age

Email:

intentional hide

Cell phone:

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

10:45am

32

3

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. Please go ahead. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 3 years (3 years and 21 days). My previous work location was on offshore facilities… My title was Production Supervisor which was in charge for all daily production operation supervision and contractor advisor 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? As I already said, I was keeping searching for more convenience position for 7 months. Then, when my CV was approved my resignation letter sent. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? In fact, when moved from JVPC to CuuLong JOC my title was upgraded from PRD Supervisor to Deputy Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) – it’s much more proudly in my career development. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? It’s cool. Initially, it was since my first day in JVPC. It’s straight. When I just joined to JVPC, I saw this company quite systematic and already set up with many people on top… I thought I should spend around other 15 years to get up to deputy OIM… and I tried to search around for higher position in new deployment JOC… So, I had this job after 7 months watching and listening around…

- 68 -

6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? As I already said, my husband kept asking me to back home town… I tried to delay it. But unfortunately, I could not keep delaying longer than 6 months since first my husband’s requisition when his mom and my kid were sick 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They asked me to stay with proposed for more benefit in housing allowance – it was not work for me, what was offered be higher value. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? Honestly, I think this company good for people who need a stable working life or fresh man, for a dynamics people like me it is not. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m sure. I am moving up, so I have no reason to regret for what I did.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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3- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

16 Apr 2007

Location:

Hoang Long JOC office – Metropolitan tower

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

14:32

Age

41

Cell phone:

4.5

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. Please go ahead. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 4.5 years. My previous work location was in main office facilities… My title was Logistics Supervisor which was in charge for all daily logistics operation and contractors supervision. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? Yeah, after the second time of asking for promotion (Sept 2003), an idea of searching for an other better job was appeared in my head… Then, I had this job after 12 months watching and listening around – it was lucky for me at that time when Hoang Long JOC just deploys and searching for Logistics Supervisor, I did apply and I am here today. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was promotion issue. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Yeah, it was a long story. I was work in this position for 3 years without promotion and my boss behaviors was strange for me – my ex-boss was Japanese, he asked for working behaviors as Japanese style – style of working hard and “doing as working hard”, I am really unlike that way… I did ask for promotion couple times but it was not worked…

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6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? Yeah, after the second time of asking for promotion (Sept 2003), an idea of searching for an other better job was appeared in my head… Then, I had this job after 12 months watching and listening around – it was lucky for me at that time when Hoang Long JOC just deploys and searching for Logistics Supervisor, I did apply and I am here today. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They did not answer for my request of promotion – so I was left. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? Honestly, it is not good if the management still remain the thinking of Japanese’s working style and behaviors. For staffs, the relationship themselves is alright. But relationship between superior and staffs was stressful sometime. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah Yeah, I’m sure. I am having a smoothly life with highly esteem from others, then, I have no reason to regret for what I did.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 71 -

4- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

16 Apr 2007

Location:

Cuu Long JOC office – Diamond Plaza

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Age

Email:

intentional hide

Cell phone:

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

15:12

35

3.5

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. My pleasure. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 3.5 years. My previous work location was main office site… My title was Senior Drilling Engineer which was in charge for all daily drilling operations and contractors supervision. My new position is unchanged – Senior Drilling Engineer. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? Senior Drilling Engineer in this company was not my life target. Besides, in JVPC there were 3 senior drilling engineers with sharing power and esteem… So, in late 2003 I had an idea to search for better working condition… in the other hand, my kids grow-up day after day so I was forced to looking better studying environment for them. Being a senior drilling engineer in JVPC so my relationship to PetroVietnam and other companies is good and it is helpful for me to ask other job, I did apply so… I am here today. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? Main cause was better life and living style in big city such as Ho Chi Minh City. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? My existing job is great too. But I have to change my job as moving up plan for myself. Changing into this company I have had more empowered…. of course,

- 72 -

working in HoChiMinh city a lots better than Vungtau city where my kid could have the best study environment and my family has more entertainment area to go after work hours… 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? I was keeping searching for more convenience position for 9 months. Then, when my CV was approved my resignation letter sent then 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They asked me to stay with addition package of management allow and family benefit. But I thought it was not equaled to what I could have in Ho Chi Minh City. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. In fact, I think a bit, but it was not good enough to cause an opposite decision 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It is good in general. But it was not suit for my case. Say, working atmosphere in JVPC was a professional and friendly – I like it. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. I am having a smoothly life with highly esteem from others. Besides, I just have a chance to finish my master degree last year easily by standing on this job.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 73 -

5- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

16 Apr 2007

Location:

Cuu Long JOC office – Diamond Plaza

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

16:13

Age

33

Cell phone:

5

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. It’s my pleasure. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 5 years. My previous work location was in main office site… My title was Reservoir Engineer which was in charge for daily production performance and wells operations. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was since 2001 when my first kid was born and my wife could not get any help from her husband. At that time I wished to have somewhere to move but none of any opportunity was available… 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was promotion and family life issue. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? My existing job is great job. Changing into this job I had a chance to move up from Reservoir Engineer to Senior Reservoir Engineer, besides, by this moving I had change to live with family when my kid was grew up speedy and need father’s caring… 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? I was keeping searching for more convenience position for 22 months. After my CV was approved my resignation letter sent then.

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7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They were given me a change to get promotion an increase a little bit of benefit, but my family life problem could not solve. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. In fact, I think a bit, but it was not good enough to cause an opposite decision 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. I am having a smoothly life with my family and this decision gave my family a chance to live in the modern city. The working atmosphere in JVPC was a professional and friendly. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. I am having a smoothly life with my family and this decision gave my family a chance to live in the modern city.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 75 -

6- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

16 Apr 2007

Location:

Lam Son JOC, Metropolitan Tower

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Female

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

16:33

Age

34

Cell phone:

2

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. It’s my pleasure. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 2 years. My title was Project Engineer which was in charge for daily project management and contractor control. My previous work location was in main office site… 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was since early 2003 – a year after I’d been in Vungtau city. At that time I recognized I was a part of HCMC instead of Vungtau city. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was benefit. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Yeah, it is right. Lam Son JOC is a smaller company compare to JVPC. But working is not all for a human life, right? When I was in JVPC, I have to live far away from my family and far away from HCMC – crowded city where I can choose good foods, nice entertainments and others (?) 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was 10 months. I was searching for more suitable position in HCMC for 9 months. After attempted of approval, my resignation letter sent then 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving?

- 76 -

They asked to discuss but I rejected to do that. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It is good in general. But it was not suit for my living style. The working atmosphere in JVPC was a professional and friendly. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 77 -

7- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

17 Apr 2007

Location:

BP Company – A5 An Phu, Thao Dien, District 2, HCMC

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

09:00am

Age

44 Cell phone:

4

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. It’s my pleasure. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 4 years. My title was Chief Production Engineer which was in charge for daily production operations, report to General Director and PetroVietnam all related issue during daily production, and maintain production operation in safety manner. My previous work location was in main office site… 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was come up in Nov 2006, when my wife was sick and my kids have to stay at home during that time… It made me worry every minute, every second. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was family problem. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? It is quite strange when I resigned from previous company and took the lower position in BP (my current position is Senior Production Engineer)… In fact, I have no other better choice… as my wife is sickly and my kids are too small to stand alone… I have to come back to HCMC to taking care of them… Up to now, family is above all of others issue.

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6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was 3 months. Searching around the operator-companies in HCMC, I was recognized that BP was the best place for my relocation, after getting of an offering, my resignation letter was sent. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? It was not work in here due to my issue was family issue, 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It is really good organization. I wished to work for this organization whole my life. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. Even though the existing company’s working environment could not compare to JVPC… I am happy with my decision, because at least I could take care of my family every day

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 79 -

8- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

18 Apr 2007

Location:

Hoang Long JOC – Metropolitan Tower

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Age

Email:

intentional hide

Cell phone:

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

13:35

28

3

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. It’s my pleasure. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 3 years (3 years and 2 months). My title was Geologist which was in charge of exploration activities and onsite geologist supervision. My previous work location was in main office, 8 Hoang Dieu Vungtau, 7 floor and going offshore sometime for onsite supervision…… 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was came up in Aug 2003, the time preparing for marriage ceremony, I quite very busy to run from Vungtau to HCMC amd reserve... I met Cuu Long JOC’s Geologist Manager… He advised me to join his company to get more benefit; esteeming and specially I could manage my little family after working hours… 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was job title – promotion issue. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? It was moving up offer. When I was in JVPC, my main task in this organization were taking care of exploration activities, onsite geologist’ supervision… then, moving to Cuu Long JOC, my was promoted upto Senior Geologist, which position I need to take time to get it if I was keeping remaining in JVPC.

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6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was 9 months. I had an idea to move but not seriously in job searching… then having that offer… resignation after. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They were continuous treat me as a baby – asked me to stay and promote later, it was late for me now. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. I did not trust and be patient any more. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It is really good organization, but it was not flexible enough to retain me. Working atmosphere in JVPC was friendly and charming. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. Now, I could work same as in JVPC but in higher position and higher benefit.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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9- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

18 Apr 2007

Location:

Chevron Ltd. – Metropolitan Tower, floor 11

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

15:25

Age

35

Cell phone:

2.5

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. Please go ahead. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 2.5 years (2 years and 7 months). My title was Petroleum Engineer which was in charge of wells completion. My previous work location was in main office, 8 Hoang Dieu Vungtau, 7 floor and going offshore sometime for wells completion supervision. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was before I was joining to JVPC (serious). In the other hand, I used JVPC as a mean to grow-up my career.… 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was planning to work for a big company in Ho Chi Minh City. Say, JVPC was a bridging method to get a job in big company. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? You know, my career target is work for an international and big company such as Chevron but I could not move directly from Vietsov Petro to Chervon – VietSov Petro is Russia base with different in standards and communication ways/ methods… So, I chose JVPC as a base to jump to Chevron. I had same level – Petroleum Engineer, but higher benefit in Chevron

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6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was 2.5 years. I was staying in JVPC for further leaving so; I kept continuous searching for better job in these big companies as Chevron, BP. At the end of the day, I had Chevron offer… then having that offer… my resignation after. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They could not do any thing with me, so far – due to I’d never tell them the true reason to leave. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. My plan was launched so nothing/ no one could force it back. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It is really good organization, but it was not flexible enough to retain me. Working atmosphere in JVPC was friendly sometime and serious sometime – you already knew, it was a part of Japanese style. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. You see, in the existing company I could work same as in JVPC but in higher position and really higher benefit.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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10- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

12 May 2007

Location:

BP Company – A5 An Phu, Thao Dien, District 2, HCMC

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

12:40

Age

42

Cell phone:

3.5

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 3.5 years (3 years and 7 months). My title was Chief Reservoir Engineer which was in charge of daily reservoir operation performance, monthly/ yearly production forecasting and management support. At that time, my working location was in main office, 8 Hoang Dieu Vungtau, floor 7. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It is a year after I joined to JVPC. When I just joined to JVPC, I wished I could manage my time and my family to suit to situation, but I failed.… 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was mainly family problem. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Say, I have a four-year old boy need to be taken care and wish to have a second daughter whilst I am not a young man any more… in another hand, the management job took me a lots of time so I could not stay with my family more than 2 days per weeks… I am tired with time management in this tight schedule. So, I quit. I had a senior reservoir engineer in BP…. Even though this position a bit lower than chief engineer but I was satisfied.

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6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was 2.5 years. I was looking for a suitable job for me during last 2.5 years but you know, staying in management site I had big threat and barrier to withdraw due to security and limited of high position available in market… So, I cost me two and haft years for chasing a suitable job in Ho Chi Minh City… 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They did try. But my issue was family issue… So they failed to do that. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? Not of course. Unless I force to relocate my family in Vungtau and have my wife jobless. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It is a good company to work for. It was gentle working atmosphere – better than most of others in Vietnam. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. Now, I have a balance life between work and life.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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11 - MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

12 May 2007

Location:

BP Company – A5 An Phu, Thao Dien, District 2, HCMC

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

16:30

Age

29

Cell phone:

2 years and 2 months

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over 2 years (4 years and 2 months). My title was Senior Logistics officer which was in charge of daily logistics support, especially in helicopter arrangement and management support. My working location was in main office, 8 Hoang Dieu Vungtau, floor 7 and Vungtau air port terminal. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was 2 months. I was looking for a suitable job for me during last 2 months. I am easy to have that job due to there were too many recruiting offer for commercial position at that time… 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was family problem and a bit in job title 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? It was just a normal reason as my husband had a new job in Ho Chi Minh City – Cuu Long JOC, operation department… so I had to move with my husband…. My existing position is procurement specialist, this job is satisfied me because my major in university is commercial… 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter?

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It was 2 months. I was looking for a suitable job for me during last 2 months. I am easy to have that job due to there were too many recruiting offer for commercial position at that time… 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They did try. They did something such as give me a chance to get further study, and family benefits, but my family in HoChi Minh city, I denied. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? Not of course. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? I think it is a good company to work for, I could work and achieve new target, and learn from other best people. It was professional working atmosphere. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. Now, I am happy with my family life.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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12- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

14 May 2007

Location:

interviewee’s house

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

13:20

Age

29

Cell phone:

N/A

3 years and 2 months

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over 3 years (3 years and 2 months). My title was Geologist Engineer which was in charge of all exploration and seismic related issues. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office, rig site and seismic ships. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was in my planning. I did inform JVPC’s management for my working period when I just join JVPC – for working 4 years in JVPC only… but at the last year they could not find the replace one… so, I worked for JVPC over 5 years 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was further study matter. I took a master course in Norway University. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Ah hah, it was not really a changing in company. Just study issue. You see, I am young man. I wished to have a change to get further study. 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was over 1 year. I just followed my planning. After graduated from university in bachelor degree, I wished to get further study oversea. Now I did it. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving?

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Yeah, a very good package to withdraw of study issue in Norway (position plus nice package). 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it was not. I thought I could take that package later, but it was a lot difficult for me if I deferred my studying. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? This was a good one. I was study a lot from there, the payment and human treatment quite good, I loved this organization. It was professional working atmosphere. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? I’m happy with my decision. Now, I am a good student with brightness future.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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13- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

21 August 2007

Location:

Truong Son JOC office

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

08:00am

Age

29

Cell phone:

4 years and 5 months

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over four and haft years (4 years and 5 months). My title was Logistics Officer which was in charge of daily logistics operations and shipping activities. My working location was in JVPC’s supply base. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? Say, since I recognized that I had nearly 4 years experience and no bright future for me (I had 3 young bosses on top at that time, it means I have to wait for long…), same as other young people, I want to move up… so I left. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was job title issue – promotion and esteem matters. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Yeah, I did make a change. My current job title is Base Supervisor – it is a lot better than previous one, even though the size of organization is difference. I wished to be a boss, and now, I am a boss. 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was around 2 months right after I found new target. I jumped right after that.

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7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They drew a brightness figure for my career – nice packages, extra benefit for seniors people such as seniority bonus, promotion in future. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it was not. I did not think it was worked in this case; all of my bossed were young and love their job… So, what I could get after negotiation? I think it is nothing. So, I kept quiet and searched for new opportunities. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? This was a good company. It had itself structure and logically decision flow (it is better than other companies). It was professional working atmosphere. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? I’m happy with my decision. Now, I am a boss now. I like it

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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14- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

21 August 2007

Location:

Lam Son JOC office

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

09:20am

Age

30

Cell phone:

5 years and 7 months

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. Go ahead. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over five years (5 years and 7 months). My title was Reservoir Engineer which was in charge of daily production optimization and reservoir management. My working location was in JVPC’s office only. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was 1-year time. I did not like my boss working behavior, so right after I had offering from LamSon the resignation letter was sent. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? They were promotion and esteem matters. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Well…well, reservoir engineering is an experience requirement job, so most of the oil companies wish to have these experience people. By changing job, I did “promote” to Senior Reservoir Engineer which need to take in next 3 years if I were in JVPC. It is fair. 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was around 2 months right after I had offering letter from LamSon JOC

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7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? Just some normal proposal such as better job title in next years (what are next years?) 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it was not. I did not trust their proposal and in the other hand I had my needs before saying that. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It should be a best company if managing style was better – some of their management people were not caring for their staffs’ future. It was professional working atmosphere. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? I’m Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. At least, I am managing staff now

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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15- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

21 August 2007

Location:

Dai Hung company office.

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

15:20

Age

38

Cell phone:

4 years and 1 month

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. No worry, mate. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over four years (4 years and 1 month). My title was Logistics Assistant, which was in charge of daily Heli flight arrangement. My working location was in JVPC’s office only. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was last year after I failed in suggestion of promotion, then I started looking for new job. It was supportive for my effort. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was promotion plus benefit issue. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? I need higher position job and better benefit, so I was left. In Dai Hung company I was offered as Logistics Officer. And the most important thing is this company located in Ho Chi Minh city, I have chance to look after my family after work 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was around one and half month’s right after I had offering letter from DaiHung Company. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They proposed some further benefits. But it was late for me now.

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8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It was not a good company, at least not for me at that time. They did not recognize my contribution. I need more benefit than they could give me. It was professional working atmosphere, but it was not flexible for staffs promotion. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yeah, I’m happy with my decision. I have good package now.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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16 - MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

22 August 2007

Time:

15:35

Location:

KNOC office.

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Age

36

Email:

intentional hide

Cell phone:

JVPC’s seniority (years):

2

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. Please go ahead. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around four years. My title was Health Safety and Environment Engineer (HSE Engineer), which was in charge of all JVPC’s HSE operations. My working location was in JVPC’s office and offshore facilities. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? It was around two years almost, and then I was always looking for new job. Then I resigned after getting a new offer. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was working place issue – I am Ho Chi Minh City addicted. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Before I started working for JVPC, I already had a plan to evacuate to Ho Chi Minh city (my family in there, but I could not find such kind of job in HCMC at that time, so I worked for JVPC but I always search for other job) 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? It was around one and half months (labor code) right after I had offering letter from KNOC JOC. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They thought I left because of money so they just proposed for extra benefit.

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8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. My concerning was working place in Ho Chi Minh City only, and I left due to they could not satisfy me. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? I belief that it was a good company. It was professional working atmosphere, I like it. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yes, I am. I’m happy with my decision. My family is so happy now, then I’m happy.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

- 97 -

17 - MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

23 August 2007

Location:

Thang Long JOC office.

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

07:55am

Age Cell phone:

35

092 779401

6 year and 4 months

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. Please go ahead. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for six years and four months. My title was exploration engineer, which was in charge of all JVPC’s exploration activities. My working location was in JVPC’s office and offshore facilities. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? Last four months I met Thang Long JOC exploration manager, he gave me an offer as exploration engineer. Then I resigned after getting a new offer in Ho Chi Minh City. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was better benefit. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Comparing to previous job, this offer was a good one with higher benefits and working place. 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? After two months of considering, I decided to leave after getting shock with manager bossy style, I resigned right after that. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They proposed for family package, oversea training.

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8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they? No, it wasn’t. The proposal from JVPC was in future but offer from Thang Long JOC I can take it now. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? I belief that it was a good company, but Japanese manager shocked staffs sometime. It was professional working atmosphere. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yes, I am. I’m happy with my decision. I had a good job and live in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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18- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

23 August 2007

Location:

Lam Son JOC office.

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Time:

08:43am

Age

39 Cell phone:

4 year and 7 months

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. Please go ahead. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for four years and seven months. My title was Well Head Supervisor, which was in charge of all JVPC’s well head activities. My working location was in JVPC’s office and offshore facilities. 3) When did you have the intention to leave the company? Last two months Lam Son JOC recruited for this position with interesting package, I sent my application to Lam Son JOC. 4) What reasons which cause you to think of leaving? It was better benefit. 5) Why do you change your job in JVPC to another company? Lam Son JOC offered nice package with family medical package, entertainment package and higher salary. 6) What trigger you to file a resignation letter? After getting offer from Lam Son, I sent resignation letter straightly. 7) How did the company respond to your action of leaving? They proposed salary review by next six months. 8) Was there any possibility which make you to change you mind, if yes what are they?

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No, it wasn’t. The offer from Lam Son JOC was realistic but proposal from JVPC just happen in next six months, I did not believe on it. 9) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? I belief that it would be a good company, and if they did not late in responding for staffs satisfaction. It was good working atmosphere. 10) Are you happy with your resignation decision? Yes, I am. I’m happy with my decision. I had a good job and live in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thank you for taking your time for this interview

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APPENDIX B: RECORDS

8 EXAMPLES STAYING STAFFS’ INTERVIEW

1- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

15 May 2007

Time:

10: 10am

Location:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company – 7th floor, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau city, Vietnam

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Female

Age

Email:

intentional hide

Cell phone

JVPC’s seniority (years):

34

4 years and 7 months

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over 4 and half years (4 years and 7 months). My title was General Accountant which was in charge of all daily/ monthly and quarterly financial transactions. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office only 3) How many companies did you work for so far? I worked for 2 companies already 4) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? To me JVPC is a perfect company, possitive working atmosphere in which the relationship among Vietnamese staffs is considered members in the family. I am lucky to have an understanding boss who is a Vietnamese. 5) Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training? Have you taken any of them?

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Yes, they did. They are in-house technical/ non-technical training, oversea training, and further studying (master degree). No commitment for short- term training but 2 years served after completion master degree. I did take short-course and plan to study master next year. 6) Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not? Yeah, I’m happy with my career now and the people around me as well. I am recognized that I can make my career develop in this company, in a very friendly and co-operative environment… I am extremely like it…. I hope to work for this company for over ten years and get more experience in Petroleum finance… 7) What is about the company which interests you most? This company is good in training and developing people, not bad in payment.

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2- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

15 May 2007

Time:

10: 45am

Location:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company – 7th floor, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau city, Vietnam

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Age

Email:

intentional hide

Cell phone

JVPC’s seniority (years):

1)

37

6 years and 7 months

Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do. 8) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over 6 and over half years (6 years and 7 months). My title was Senior Maintenance Engineer which was in charge of all daily/ monthly, quarterly and yearly JVPC’s facilities maintenance issues – it is included sub-sea investigation. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office and offshore facilities sometimes. 9) How many companies did you work for so far? I worked for 4 companies already 10) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It is a good company which I’ve ever work for – You know, this is the forth company which I’ve ever work for. In my eye, this is the best one…up to now ☺. It is a good company with positive working atmosphere and opened mind superior. My boss is American. I am Vung Tau citizen.

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11) Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training? Have you taken any of them? Yes, they did. They are in-house technical training, oversea training, further studying (master degree). 2 years commitment if taking master degree, no commitment for short course. And I normally take short-course overseas. 12) Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not? Yeah, I’m happy with my career now and my team also… 13) What is about the company which interests you most? This company is good in training and developing people, good in payment. JVPC is considered as the best company in Vung Tau, and I am a Vung Tau citizen so where would I go then???

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3- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

15 May 2007

Time:

14: 30

Location:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company – 7th floor, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau city, Vietnam

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Age Cell phone

35 0903 669523

6 years and 4 months

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report ? Yes, I do. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over 6 years and over quarter (6 years and 4 months). My title was Senior Process Engineer which was in charge of all daily/ monthly, quarterly and yearly JVPC’s process activities – it is included operation management. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office and offshore facilities visit sometimes. 3) How many companies did you work for so far? I worked for 2 companies already. 4) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It is a good company which I’ve ever work for. The best in two ☺. It is a good company with positive working atmosphere. I am quite lucky as my boss is an American and has a very opened minded superior. 5) Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training?

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Yes, they did. I am enjoying it. They are in-house technical training, oversea training, further studying (master degree). 2 years commitment for long term training. 6) Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not? Yeah, I’m happy with my career now and my team also… Hey, this is my second company during working life… The first one was the nightmare for me – Do you remember Dung Quoc refinery project in Quang Ngai? I was there for 3 years in useless job and waste-time job… In this company, I could apply my knowledge which was taken in Australia… I like it, so, in fact, furthermore I am doing my master degree which is sponsoring by JVPC so I will not change job in next 3 years…. 7) What is about the company which interests you most? This company is good in training and developing people, good in payment.

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4- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

15 May 2007

Time:

14: 30

Location:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company – 7th floor, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau city, Vietnam

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

1)

Age

45

Cell phone

5 years and 1 month

Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do.

2)

How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for over 5 years (5 years and 1 month). My title was Senior Drilling Engineer which was in charge of all daily/ monthly drilling operation activities – it is included SIMOP activities. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office and sometimes on drilling rigs.

3)

How many companies did you work for so far? I worked for 4 companies already.

4)

How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? In general, this is a good company; working atmosphere among the staffs is fantastic. I am in a very good team.

5)

Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training? Yes, they did. Yes, I did. My knowledge was improved by JVPC. They are in-house technical training, oversea training, and further studying (master degree). I am studying master degree at the moment.

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6)

Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not? Yeah, I’m happy with my career now and my team also… Why I need to think about job changing whilst my career is developing in here… I see nothing better for me if I take other…

7)

What is about the company which interests you most? This company is suit for my family style, good in payment.

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5-MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

20 August 2007

Time:

10: 30am

Location:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company – 7th floor, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau city, Vietnam

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

1)

Age

42

Cell phone

7 years

Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do, please.

2)

How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for 7 years. My title was Senior Health Safety and Safety Engineer (HSE Engineer) which was in charge of all daily/ monthly, annually HSE activities, auditing activities, supplier’s evaluation – it is included emergency responding activities. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office, JVPC’s base, facilities and sometimes at suppliers facilities.

3)

How many companies did you work for so far? I worked for 3 companies already.

4)

How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? I think JVPC is good in general; the relationship and working atmosphere among Vietnamese staffs are fantastic. However my boss is Japanese who gives me some confusion sometime but I am ok…

5)

Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training?

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Yes, they did. They are in house training opportunities, on job training, consultant training, and oversea training further studying (master degree). I take course overseas to improve knowledge and to travel as well. I am not interested in master degree as I am old enough to enjoy life and avoid stress from study 6)

Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not? Yes I am. This my third job since my graduation date. This is the best one… In the other hand, I am not a young guy as you so, I do not like to get job jumping any more… Say, I am a member of Conservative Party. Just kidding… But it’s good for me and my family – my own house was built last year… I am enjoying. It is perfect. My house in here – I mean Vungtau city. my wife’s staying at home to take care of kids, my salary and benefits covers all of life expenses… What else’s for me? My job does not harm anyone; just save others ☺ so, not conflicts.

7)

What is about the company which interests you most? This company is suit for my family style, I am Vung Tau citizen, working atmosphere.

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6- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

20 August 2007

Time:

11: 30am

Location:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company – 7th floor, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau city, Vietnam

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Age Cell phone

43 0903 902623

around 8 years

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do, please. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around 8 years. My title was Senior Production Manager (PRD Manager) which was in charge of all production operation activities and planning. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office only. I started in this organization when it had first oil. I started from assistant production engineer… I contributed and saw this organization growing every single day… I do not want to leave it when it still not finish. My objective is “if I open/ start something, I have to close/finish it”… so, I am here now 3) How many companies did you work for so far? I worked for 3 companies already. 4) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It’s not bad one. It is a good company with professional workings atmosphere and opened mind superior style. 5) Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training?

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Yes, they did. They are in house training opportunities, on job training, consultant training, and oversea training further studying (master degree). My knowledge was improved by JVPC. They just asked for a commitment after further studying such as 2 years contribution after studying. 6) Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not? Yes I am. I started in this organization when it had first oil. I started from assistant production engineer… I contributed and saw this organization growing every single day… I do not want to leave it when it still not finish. My objective is “if I open/ start something, I have to close/finish it”… so, I am here now. 7) What is about the company which interests you most? This company is suit for my family style, good money, power embedded.

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7-MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

20 August 2007

Time:

15: 40

Location:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company – 7th floor, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau city, Vietnam

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

intentional hide

Sex:

Male

Email:

intentional hide

JVPC’s seniority (years):

Age

44

Cell phone

over 8.5 years

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do, please. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around eight and half years. My title was Senior Petroleum Manager (PE Manager) which was in charge of all well completion activities and planning for further well. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office only. 3) How many companies did you work for so far? I worked for 4 companies already. 4) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It’s a good company in three; during nearly nine years in this organization I found this is professional and caring company. They have good points as: high payment, diversified benefits for staffs –most likely benefits distribution base on seniority. It is a good company with professional workings atmosphere and opened mind superior style 5) Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training?

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Yes, they did. They are in house training opportunities, on job training, consultant training, and oversea training further studying (master degree). 2 years commitment after completing long-course as master. No commitment for short course. So I normally take short courses. 6) Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not? It’s good enough one. All of my family’s in this city… Besides, I worked in this city for nearly 20 years already… I do want to get move any more… I am old already… The change for moving, I think it’s on your age 7) What is about the company which interests you most? Well paid, and I am a boss.

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8- MINUTE OF INTERVIEWING Date:

20 August 2007

Time:

13: 50

Location:

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company – 7th floor, 8 Hoang Dieu, Vungtau city, Vietnam

Interviewer:

Pham Hoang Tri Anh

Interviewee:

Intentionally hide

Sex:

Male

Age

Email:

Intentionally hide

Cell phone

JVPC’s seniority (years):

28

over 5.5 years

1) Do you mind if your answer is a part of research paper report? Yes, I do, please. 2) How long have you worked for JVPC Company? And at which position? I worked for JVPC for around five and half years. My title was Senior Petroleum Engineer (PE Engineer) which was in charge of daily well completion activities and planning for further well. My working location was in JVPC’s Vungtau office and JVPC’s offshore facilities sometimes. 3) How many companies did you work for so far? I worked for 1 company already. 4) How would you think about JVPC in general? What would you say about the working atmosphere among staff themselves as well as with their superior in JVPC? It’s good enough company. It is a good company with professional workings atmosphere. Superior provides lots of opportunities for me to further develop my skills 5) Does the company provide any long term and short term training opportunities for their employees? What are they? Does it have commitments for and after attending such training? Yes, they did. They are in house training opportunities, on job training, consultant training, and oversea training further studying (master degree). 2 years

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commitment for long course and no commitment for short course. Yes I am enjoying studied environment and opportunities the company gave me. I will take advantages of that. 6) Are you happy with your current job? Do you have any intention to quit this job? If no why not? It’s good enough one. I see. I saw many cases in my working life which were happened same as you said… but it could be not worked in my case… I am happy with my existing job. In this company I can further develop my knowledge and skills in the field I won’t go anywhere in the next 5 years. 7) What is about the company which interests you most? Training policy in JVPC. It is very good for me. Well paid.

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