GPHR Glossary Flashcards
Acculturation
The process of adapting to a new culture
Acculturization
The adaptation of a training program to the national/local culture so that training is effective, easy to use and as consistent with the culture as possible
Achievement Culture
A culture that believes status and position are based on merit and competence
ADDIE Model
The five-step instructional design model that is comprised of the analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation stages
Affective culture
A culture that believes expressing emotions is natural and appropriate
Alien Tort Claims Act
A U.S. statue first enacted in 1789 that allows cases involving the violation of international law against aliens to be heard in U.S. federal court. More recently, this statute has been the basis for suits against U.S. based global companies for alleged human rights violations in their international operations.
Alignment
The process of bringing various elements together to move in the same direction. HR strategy, for example needs to be in alignment with the company’s global strategy
Andragogy
The art and science of teaching adults
Assimilation
The process of being fully absorbed and incorporated into a culture
Ascriptive culture
A culture where status is accorded based on birth and position
Balanced scorecard
A measurement approach developed by Kaplan and Norton to assist in strategy implementation. The scorecard clearly shows the relationship among internal, external and financial measurements
Balance sheet approach
An approach to international assignment compensation that attempts to equalize the purchasing power of an expatriate
Benefits
Indirect financial payments provided in a similar manner to broad groups of employees to cover common workplace issues such as those related to retirement, insurance, vacation and other related benefits
Benchmarks
A series of measures on key criteria or processes that can be compared across companies. Examples of HR benchmarks are healthcare costs per employee, repatriation drop out rates and number of HR staff per number of employees.
Born global
Companies that have global operations from the inception of the company. These companies are contrasted with those who proceed through various stages of globalization.
Boundaryless organization
Organizations that break down the traditional silos and barriers that separate organizations and hierarchical levels.
Brownout
Expatriates who finish their assignments but are ineffective and unproductive.
Cafeteria approach
An approach to expatriate compensation and benefits plans that enables employees to pick among various offerings.
Centralization
In relation to decision-making within a company, decisions are made by a few people, usually higher levels of management at the headquarters location.
Change management
The HR organizational development responsibility to guide the company through major change initiatives.
Change partner
A strategic global HR role that helps global organization react, align and implement responses to the almost continuous change they face.
Coaching
The offering of guidance on performance improvement, career goals and professional development activities to pursue usually performed on a regular basis by an employee’s supervisor or manager
Code of ethics
A company’s position on how it will do business and what employee behavior is expected.
Codetermination
A form of corporate governance that requires a two-tiered corporate board structure: a typical management board and supervisory board. The supervisory board includes workers and it has the authority to accept or reject management board decisions.
Collective bargaining
The process by which management and labor negotiate wages, hours and other key employment issues.
Collectivism
A culture that values cooperation and harmonious relationships among the group
Comparative HR
The study of how human resources differs among countries. These differences are mainly based on cultural and legal factors.
Competencies
The internal capabilities, such as knowledge, skills, abilities, and other person-based factors (KSAO’s), required to perform a job. Competencies are usually determined by analyzing the job behaviors of excellent performers.
Confucian dynamism
A cultural dimension that values a long-term orientation, persistence and thrift.
Corporate culture
The beliefs, value systems and shared attitudes of people in the same company. Just as with the broader definition of culture, these beliefs and values produce norms that shape the behavior of people in the company.
Corporate social responsibility
The voluntary integration of social and economic concerns into a firm’s business operations and stakeholder relationships.
Cost of living adjustments
This term as specific meaning for international assignment management programs that is distinct from its more generic meaning. These adjustments are payments to the expatriate as a means of maintaining an equitable standard of living while abroad.
Criterion-referenced measurement
Measurement that provides data on the extent to which particular objectives or criteria are achieved.
Cross-cultural communication
Communication among people of various cultures that is impacted by differences in language and cultural values and customs.
Cultural determinism
The belief that all behavior is shaped by culture. This position ignores other possible factors such as political, economic or biological reasons.
Cultural imperialism
The belief that one’s culture is right and others are wrong.
Cultural relativism
The belief that right or wrong is determined by ones’ cultural and there are no universal principles of right or wrong (or good or bad) across cultures
Culture
The shared values, understandings, assumptions, and beliefs held by members of a certain group or society that produce norms that shape the behavior of people in that group. A practical definition of culture is the way that people solve problems.
Culture shock
The period in the cross-cultural adjustment cycle in which people feel
