Recruiting in China

China is a red hot market for Cisco, which saw its second-half sales in Hong Kong grow more than 35% from a year earlier, reports the South China Morning Post. But the country is suffering from a lack of experience managers to lead the hi-tech firms - including Cisco - that have set up facilities there.

Businessweek is reporting on Cisco's answer to the problem - grow managers from within by instituting "management kindergarten" programs. Businessweek cites Cisco's Shanghai research center, where the average age of workers is 27, as an example of a unit that is offering such a program.

Quoting Jan Gronski, managing director of the Shanghai facility, and her No. 2 Chris Dong, Businessweek writes:

Gronski and Dong have opened "Cisco Clubs" at three Chinese universities, giving students a chance to work with Cisco engineers. For those on staff, Gronski runs management seminars every Thursday. He schools young managers on everything from giving presentations and decision-making to speaking their minds.

Some readers of the article think that Cisco will still churn out inexperienced managers. But what's the difference between this program and other "management trainee" programs offered by companies in the west?