Chapter 4 Flashcards
Management styles in the order of decreasing influence of superior
-authoritarian
-patriarchal
-consultative
-cooperative
-delegative
-laisser-faire
-autonomous
Why does international human resources management differ?
-intercultural differences
-language barriers,
-physical distance between superiors &
subordinates
What are factors to choose management style?
-industry
-level of education of employees
-socio-cultural background of manager & employees
-character traits of manager (age, temper)
-professional background of manager
-manager’s ability to judge
-scope of decision
What kind of managers do liberal egalitarian societies seek?
autonomous
What kind of managers do patriarchal societies seek?
authoritarian
(if not it could lead to uncertainty and excessive demands)
What is leadership excellence
Process of continuous development and reflection on leadership behavior
What are the 3 types of competence in leadership excellence
-Professional competence: knowledge of areas of responsibility that subordinates have to work within and forms basis for comprehensible & goal-oriented decisions
-Methodological competence: knowledge of techniques & instruments for coping with management tasks
-Social competence: ability to interact productively with others and communicate in goal-oriented manner
What is intercultural competence?
ability to grasp, appreciate, respect and productively use cultural conditions and influencing factors in perception thinking, judgement, feeling and action both in oneself and in culturally foreign persons
How to improve intercultural competence
-have willingness to engage in different ways of thinking and working and to perceive these as strengths
-learning foreign language
-information (knowing values, norms, customs and communicative codes)
-conflict management
-measuring expectations of performance
What are the 3 strategies in corporate culture in global organizations? (Hoyer)
-ethnocentric
-geocentric
-polycentric
What is ethnocentric strategy?
-corporate culture of parent company is benchmark
-goal: wide spread of parent company culture as identity
-strategical management processes (personnel management) are specified and implemented by parent company
-variances and alterations are undesirable
-used by companies with focus on home countries and doesn’t see strategic importance in international operations
What is geocentric strategy?
-mixing individual cultures within national organizations under a canon of common values and goals
-pursued by globally operating brand manufacturers whose brand image is closely linked to company
Why are there expatriate management?
-prerequisite for promotion to higher management functions that foreign experience is gained at various points of career
-develop professionally and personally
-can be seen as employer branding measure
What is Employer branding?
the more employer branding is attractively communicated, the more company will receive unsolicited applications from well-trained potential employees
What is polycentric strategy
-leaves individual national organizations freedom in shaping their corporate culture and makes very general specifications as parent company
-management style and personnel policy at the discretion of individual organization
-put in practice if organization is autonomous in operations and external perception and plays financial administrative role (e.g. conglomerates)
What are motivations for seeking foreign assignment?
-personal challenge
-opportunity for personal development
-attractiveness of foreign location
-expectation of positive career impulses
-fear refusal could have negative consequences in career
-importance of activity itself
-monetary considerations
What are relocation programs
to provide support to expatriates in practical manners (e.g. dealing with local authorities, finding accommodation, organizing family matters (registering children school)
What are cons for expatriate management?
-increased costs (travel expenses, higher salary, compensation)
-employee has to be replaced in previous role
-productivity will not be fully achieved due to acclimation
What are the types of foreign assignments?
-short-term foreign assignment
-long-term foreign deployment
-unlimited foreign assignment
-regular business trips
-virtual work abroad
-commuting between domestic residence and foreign place of work
What are the types of expatriates?
-talented migrant
-inpatriate
-biculturally rooted
-international commuter
-short-term project employee abroad
-expatriate on their own initiative
-expatriate from external influence
-employees with migration background
-experienced frequent traveler
What is an inpatriate?
an employee who is transferred from one of company’s subsidiaries to foreign headquarters
What are the five phases in which satisfaction with their situation fluctuates?
-expectation
-culture shock
-adaptation
-contraculture shock
-readjustment
Steps to prepare prospective expatriates?
-attendance of language course
-intercultural training
-look and see trips
-trainee programs
-involvement of former expats as tutors &
mentors who is not involved in
management hierarchy
How to prepare personnel to be rpepared for local working conditions? (localization)
-knowledge of local language, mentality, customs and communication habits
-country specific expertise (legal framework conditions, market knowledge, customer contacts, supplier contacts)
-knowledge of formal requirements of local work organization (healthy and safety regulations & labor law)
-technical knowledge of locally used production goods, work equipment, IT systems, etc.