Organizational learning through graduate training programmes: a comparison between Japan and Hong Kong in a Japanese organization

Describes and compares the objectives and content of the graduate training programme conducted in Japan by a Japanese retailer and by its Hong Kong subsidiary. The case company uses different approaches to train the Japanese graduate trainees in Japan and the local graduate trainees in the Hong Kong subsidiary. Like the Japanese female graduate trainees, the local graduate trainees are not expected to work for the company on a long‐term basis; are regarded as peripheral employees; and are not expected to be the primary contributory element for organizational learning within the company. Notes various negative factors related to the training provided at the Hong Kong subsidiary, citing factors such as the fact that it is aimed at meeting short‐term needs rather than long‐term development.