Amber Online Education: Transforming Learning in Vietnam
The RenDanHeYi model, developed by Haier Group CEO Zhang Ruimin in 2005, is revolutionary management philosophy aimed at transforming traditional hierarchical corporate structures into highly adaptive, customer-centric ecosystems. Rooted in the belief that employees (Ren) and their entrepreneurial capabilities should align with customer needs (Dan) to create value, the model emphasizes individual accountability and dynamic organizational roles (HeYi). By dismantling conventional silos, the RenDanHeYi model fosters a network of autonomous micro-enterprises within the larger corporate entity, transforming the organization into a nimble startup factory.
To develop and share the idea of Zero Distance and its broader management philosophy of RenDanHeYi, Haier hosts an annual forum to celebrate the world's most progressive organizations. This September marks the 8th edition of the forum, taking place in Haier’s hometown, Qingdao, on September 20. Working with the Business Ecosystem Alliance and the Management Lab, the Haier Model Institute will release the inaugural listing of the progressive companies which are putting Zero Distance and related ideas into practice.
These organizations are characterized by:
Zero Distance to customer | Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace
Autonomy | Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution
Shared Rewards | Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success
For the 2024 inaugural ZeroDX awards, Haier approached us to list 50 self-managed organizations that showcase the principles of RenDanHeYi in how they organise their work. Amber is one of the 50 organisations we listed this year.
Introducing Amber
Founded in 2015, Amber Online Education has rapidly become a transformative force in Vietnam's EdTech landscape. With over 40 passionate team members, Amber is not just another education provider; it's a movement aimed at revolutionizing how learning happens. Their suite of offerings includes immersive e-learning platforms, engaging virtual classrooms, and an extensive library of educational content that serves everyone from young students to seasoned professionals. At its core, Amber's mission is to democratize education, breaking down barriers of location and income to make quality learning accessible to all.
Amber is a prime example of RenDanHeYi in the EdTech sector. It stands out not only with its commitment to decentralized authority and shared rewards but even more so with the way it has co-created its products and services together with its customers.
Agile and Empowered: The Amber Structure
In 2017 the company underwent an organizational transformation moving from a traditional vertical functional structure towards a flat one based on skills. The company is divided into small agile teams where each team has enough people with all the skills to be able to do the job from start to finish. These teams are empowered to make quick decisions and pivot as needed, ensuring that Amber remains responsive to the fast-evolving needs of the educational landscape. This approach has fostered a culture where every employee feels a direct impact on the company's trajectory.
Zero Distance to Customers
As part of the organizational revamp, Amber used the power of "value stream mapping" to eliminate waste, streamline operations and truly embody their organizational philosophy. As a result of their organizational transformation, the team decided to ditch 80% of their client work and to reinvent the products and services they offered to their clients. Amber started engaging customers in co-creating training materials based on their needs as opposed to providing a one-size-fits-all solution. They also transformed hour-long courses into small modules in the form of creative, attractive mini-game learning.
A Culture of Transparency and Shared Success
Internally, Amber Online Education is redefining what it means to be a modern workplace. The company has embraced open-book management, where financials are transparently shared with all employees. This transparency extends to profit-sharing schemes, ensuring that everyone benefits from the company's success. By replacing individual bonuses with collective profit-sharing, Amber promotes a unified, collaborative culture.
One of the key steps to fully embodying their beliefs is the adoption of peer-based salary assessments to foster fairness and recognition of true contribution, rather than arbitrary top-down evaluations.
To enable peer-based salaries, they use the concept of Shu-Ha-Ri for this. "Shu-Ha-Ri" is a Japanese martial arts concept that describes the stages of learning to mastery:
Shu (守): "Obey" or "Protect" - This stage is all about learning the ropes, understanding the basics, and strictly following the guidance of a mentor.
Ha (破): "Detach" or "Break" - In this phase, the individual has gained some experience and begins to experiment, explore, and refine their skills, often while still under the guidance of a mentor but with more independence.
Ri (離): "Separate" or "Transcend" - At this level, the individual has achieved a deep understanding and mastery of the craft, allowing them to innovate, teach others, and perhaps even redefine the discipline.
In short, Shu, Ha, and Ri can be understood as development levels apprentice, practitioner, master, respectively. The process has roughly the following steps:
The main skills required for various jobs in the company are listed
Peers assess their direct colleagues on these skills and whether they believe them to be in the Shu, Ha, or Ri level
All assessments are openly shared
Pay is based on the average assessment of your colleagues
Salaries are made fully transparent and reviewed on a regular basis.
Amber’s innovative approach to salaries reflects a deeper belief: that peers best recognize value, not bosses. This wasn’t just about pay; it was about respect, recognition, and equality.
Conclusion
Amber Online Education isn’t just adapting to the future of work and education—it’s actively shaping it. By combining innovative educational solutions with a progressive and inclusive workplace culture, Amber is setting a new standard in the EdTech industry.
