Technology Development via Human Resources Exploitation: Evidence from Southeast Asian Countries

Shih-Chien Chien^*

Department of International Business and Trade, Degree of MICE Management and International Marketing, Shu-Te University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China.

DOI: 10.4236/ti.2012.34030                

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to summarize and integrate the articles appearing in this special issue within the unique technology development (TD) and human resources (HR) of Southeast Asian countries. This paper examines how the synergy between TD and HR can lead to improved national economic performance. We proposed that better HR exploitation can sustain the capabilities of TD. Thus, the detail indexes are first evaluated with each category, which constructs the basic meanings of TD and HR. Consequently, the contexts of TD are clustered by different patterns with similar attributes in each nation. Each pattern can monitor the performance of HR in specific TD pattern. In this empirical study, we discover that the leading three countries (Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand) have a strong positive rank correlation between TD and HR; In contrast, the rest of countries are poor rank correlation with regard to the two categories. These results mention that the level of TD, which depends on HR exploitation, is an important indicator of technological capability and even a proof of economic growth. We also examine the TD policies with strategic grid and offer a better road path of TD to follow, not only for those type countries to retune their policy, but also to parallel development in HR areas—such as the level of education upgrading, labor force environment improving, man power utilizing. Finally, Southeast Asian countries should calibrate feasible HR when use it to elaborate TD.

Keywords

Technology Development; Human Resources; Southeast Asian Countries

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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