■ 金傳蓬、魏郁禎
It was just past 10:00am, Lo Chung-chiang, a senior product research and development manager of Victory Computer, bumped into his colleague, Chen Wei-ming, as he stepped out of the lift.
“Would you mind recommending me a few R&D engineers I want them to start at Dongguan as soon as possible,” Chen, a human-resources department vice president, asked Lo.
Lo was confused as he thought the human resources department had long decided those overseas appointments.
Not the case.
“The company is growing need of R&D people who are willing to work overseas as we have been expanding aggressively in recent years,” Chen said. “But interest in being appointed abroad is very low, and that's why I need you help to do some sweet-talking.”
“Is it because of compensations” Lo asked.
Chen shook his head. “I doubt it… Many of them think they are in demand, and may be thinking about leaving the company in the near future…That's probably why.”
“Alright then, let me talk to them,” Lo responded. Overseas appointments haven't been as alluring in recent years. As a reward for an employees' hard work, the company has offered better compensation packages than those offered by rivals. Wages of workers based in China are 1.4 times that of their peers in Taiwan, and are adjusted annually in accordance with market survey results.
Chen doesn't subscribe to the notion that poor salaries are the reason for low willingness of being appointed abroad. Annual performance review and bonuses could be the culprits, he thinks.
The connection between personnel systems of the parent firm and its subsidiaries.
Victory Computer is one of Taiwan's top 10 original-equipment-manufacturing and original-design-manufacturing suppliers of notebook computers and other optical electronics products.
The company has been expanding rapidly over the past decade, and has moved its production lines to Mainland China. In addition to this, it has also set up factories, research and development as well as service firms in Malaysia, Thailand, and the United States.
Here comes the downside of the company's aggressive expansion – a disconnection of human resources between the parent company and its subsidiaries.
“Something's wrong here, Wei-ming,” Hsiao Yi-shen, president of Victory Computer's Chinese subsidiary said while speaking to Chen on the phone.
Chuang Kao-jie, who joined the company a year earlier than Chen and has been responsible for operations of the company’s personnel affairs at the Dongguan plant, just notified Hsiao of his plan to join a competitor.
This is effectually adding salt to the wound as Victory Computer is still in shortage of talents in China.
“A foreign company has aproached him, so what can I say” Hsiao said, adding, he is worried that the Dongguan plant will have to start building a new personnel system after Chuang's departure.
“What do you mean” Chen asked.
“We have been reliant on relocation of a massive number our Taiwanese colleagues from our Hsinchu parent company to here to meet rapid expansion in China for several years,” said Hsiao. “We need to install a better human resources system, but now we only have few persons who have a idea of how to do it.”
“Worst of all, the best person to carry out the plan is leaving, so please send someone over as soon as possible,” Hsiao said.
“Will do,” Chen replied. But he immediately followed: “Do ask Chuang Kao-jie to put down into writing whatever he helpful knowledge he has in his brain.”
“Sure, I know… But you better be fast, I am not the kind of person who can multi-task by thinking about the salaries of more than a million workers while in a meeting, and at the same time take care of your 100 plus Taiwanese expatriates here.”
Hanging up the phone, Chen sunk into his luxurious, black coach.
（Chwan-Pong King is an Assistant Professor and Joseph Yu is a Professor of Department of Business Administration, Ming Chuan University）
早上10點剛過，勝利電腦公司產品研發部的資深經理羅忠強走出電梯，正面迎來人力資源處副總陳偉民。陳副總一見面劈頭便問：「忠強，可不可以推薦幾位優秀的研發工程師？我希望他們半個月內到東筦廠報到。」陳副總已經找過他很多次了。「外派人選不是早就定案了？」陳副總打斷他：「忠強，公司這幾年一直在海外設立子公司，需要大量的研發人員去支援，可是最近有意願的人不夠，所以我才拜託你去說動同仁。」
羅忠強問道，「會不會外地津貼不夠吸引人？」陳偉民回答：「應該不至於。影響同仁外派意願的可能不是津貼的多寡，是跳槽心理作祟。如果他認為自己炙手可熱，考慮近期內跳槽，就不想被外派。」「好吧，我待會順便詢問他們的意思吧。」
這幾年來外派機會未必受歡迎，公司為了補償外派同仁的辛勞，提供的津貼已經高於同業，外派大陸地區的薪資約是台灣的1.4倍，並參考每年市場調查的行情做調整。陳副總認為問題可能不是薪資報酬，也許關鍵是在於績效考評及獎金制度上。
母子公司在人力資源制度的銜接
勝利電腦公司是國內前十大筆記型電腦與光電產品OEM及ODM代工廠商，主要顧客為國際資訊品牌廠商。這十幾年來成長迅速，將生產活動移到大陸，更在馬來西亞、泰國、美國等地設立生產、研發及服務性子公司，隨著快速擴張，母公司與子公司在人力資源管理上經常出現銜接不良的現象。
「偉民，我這裡…呃…有件事情不太妙….」中國大陸子公司總經理蕭義聖打來的「，你知道莊凱杰嗎？比你早一年來公司，很優秀也很認真的員工，能力真的很強，也就是因為這樣，公司把東筦廠的人事行政都交給他，這幾年下來做得好好的，結果昨天跟我說他要去同業了。」果真是屋漏偏逢連夜雨，外派人事還沒搞定，負責管理外派行政的人資部門又要換將。蕭義聖接著說：「有一家外商在大陸的子公司高薪挖他，我能說什麼呢？這幾年所有人事都是他在處理，如果他走了，接下來可能要重新開始。」「義聖，你指的是？」陳副總終於回應。
「過去幾年以來，大陸廠的業務成長很快，但是新竹母公司派來大量的台籍幹部，並非仰賴整套的管理制度。我們需要建立一套完整的人力資源政策，目前大部分的做法與應變程序都在少數幾個人的腦袋裡面。這下可好了，最懂的人要走了，拜託你盡快派人來接管。」「好，我會盡快找人手。」陳副總補上一句：「你記得叫莊凱杰離職前盡量把腦袋裡重要的東西書面化留下來！」蕭義聖笑說：「這我知道。你快點找人啊！我可沒有辦法一邊開會，一邊掛念著1萬多名同仁的薪資獎金，還要照顧你那100位台幹。」掛掉電話後，陳副總深深陷在他那黑色的豪華沙發椅中。
( 作者是銘傳大學企業管理學系助理教授、政治大學商學院企業管理系教授）
【2005/06/05 經濟日報】
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