Lecture 12 Flashcards
Competitive countries in the global economy are competing for global executives to
manage their global operations.
Managers of North American companies are competing with their
British, French and German counterparts as well as with those originating from countries such as South Africa, Korea, and Brazil.
The challenge for the executives is that companies view the success of executives through
their own cultural blinders.
Perception of successful executives in American management
Ambition
Drive
Financial rewards
Challenge
Independence
Perception of successful executives in German management
Individualistic character
Creativity
Perception of successful executives in British management
Creation of right image
Recognition by others
Individual communication skill to influence others
Perception of successful executives in French management
The power to organize and control members of an organization
The Challenges of the Traditional U.S. Executive Managers in Foreign Assignments
The weakness of U.S dollar
The increased tax on financial packages
The increased dual career marriages in the 1980s
Complicated life of an expatriate
Traditional expatriates are__ in age (around 31 average) than their domestic colleagues.
younger
Traditional expatriates stay in one international assignment for
3 years long and serving for a total of 9 years.
Traditional expatriates are mostly __ and about __ of them are married to foreigners.
men
21%
Most of global expatriates have a __ socioeconomic background their domestic counterparts.
higher
81% of the global managers have college degree while only
70% of their domestic counterparts have comparable education.
Most global expatriates tend to have __ and fewer of them specialize in engineering and business.
liberal arts degree
Most modern expatriates believe that their foreign experience is
important for their global success.
Modern expatriates maintain a network with
their international counterparts.
Modern expatriates work for companies other than
their own countries.
Modern expatriates sell products for
other countries.
Modern expatriates are using their foreign experience in order to surface to
the top in their future upper level management careers.
Modern expatriates assignments are becoming as short as
1 year.
Modern female expatriates are relatively __ than their male counterparts.
younger
Modern female expatriates seem to occupy the
junior management positions.
The majority of modern female expatriates are __ and almost all of them have a __.
single
college degree
Most executive modern female expatriates (3/4 of them) had earlier
international experience.
Most modern female expatriates usually speak
two or three languages.
Female expatriate managers demonstrate excellent __ skills.
interpersonal and social
Based on a survey on 1000 MBA students from seven top business schools in Canada, Europe and the United States:
The background of the respondents was similar
41% of students were enrolled in the MBA program with a focus in international business.
More than 80% of them had traveled overseas earlier.
Their foreign colleagues from European MBA programs had more international experience.
The majority (4/5) of the respondents want an __ at some point of time in their career.
international assignment
More than one-third of managers would like to __ for their companies.
extensively travel abroad
Only __ wanted to have international assignment as their first job.
1 out of 3
More than __ of managers had traveled overseas earlier.
80%
Managers’ foreign colleagues from European MBA programs had
more international experience.
Reasons why future managers accept foreign assignments
More than __ of the respondents want to learn culture, travel, learn new language and understand other ways of doing/managing businesses and people.
50%
Reasons why future managers accept foreign assignments
__ of the respondents think that foreign assignment is more challenging and interesting than working for the domestic firms. (intrinsic factor).
40%
Reasons why future managers accept foreign assignments
__ of the respondents believe that the financial package is the motive behind accepting a foreign position. Such view is visible among most young managers.
28%
Reasons why future managers accept foreign assignments
__ of the respondents thought that global experience is needed for future career, exposure and personal growth.
21%
Reasons why future managers accept foreign assignments
__ of the respondents wanted to work overseas due to life satisfaction (better quality of life, more fun, excitement, personal freedom).
11%
Very few respondents took overseas assignments due to
a desire of a family, country-specific interest.
Reasons why future managers would reject future career
Almost 60% of the respondents indicated that farther locations as
“uncivilized”, dangerous, hostile towards expatriates, extreme poverty, war, etc.
Reasons why future managers would reject future career
__ mentioned job and career related problems: professionally uninteresting position, long-term assignments can lock out expatriates from headquarters’ hierarchy and high risk of job failure.
35%
Reasons why future managers would reject future career
__ mentioned spouse and family related challenges. (inadequate medical or educational facilities, children’s wrong age and dual career couple problems, spouses unable to get a suitable job).
33%
Reasons why future managers would reject future career
__ believe that the financial package is not adequate or satisfactory.
23%
Reasons why future managers would reject future career
__ expressed foreign assignment as unpleasant due to: the challenge of learning new languages, adjusting to different cultures, isolation, loneliness and fear of uncertainty.
19%
Reasons why future managers would reject future career
__ were afraid of disruption in life and home country.
14%
Reasons why future managers would reject future career
Only __ complained about the contract being too long and other factors mentioned were, women were not accepted in the host country.
6%
Reasons why future managers would reject future career
Good current job career at the headquarter, or due to company not being
accepted in the host country.
Global Expatriates: Why not just men?
Both men and females are __ interested in foreign assignment
equally
Global Expatriates: Why not just men?
Currently female expatriates make only __ of the total global expatriates.
15%
Global Expatriates: Why not just men?
Companies provide __ opportunities to female than male expatriates
less
Global Expatriates: Why not just men?
According to a survey conducted on 60 major US companies, more than half of them are reluctant to send females for foreign business assignments.
Their concerns are:
¾ of companies believe that foreigners are biased towards females
Difficulties of dual career couples are insurmountable.
More than 80% of the future expatriates also believe in the above assumption
Global Expatriates: Why not just men?
According to a survey conducted on 60 major US companies, more than half of them are reluctant to send females for foreign business assignments.
Their reasoning can be summarized as below:
70% of them believe that the home country doesn’t want to send women for global assignment and foreigners’ bias towards female was suggested as a second while dual family career difficulties was mentioned a third reason.
Why women expatriates will succeed:
Experience shows that in spite of their limited number, female expatriates are
very successful in their assignments.
Why women expatriates will succeed:
Experience shows that in spite of their limited number, female expatriates are
very successful in their assignments.
Why women expatriates will succeed:
First of all they are seen as foreigners who happened to be
females including in traditionally male dominated cultures such as Saudi Arabia, Korea and Japan.
Why women expatriates will succeed:
Females are expected to manifest
strong cultural traits in feeling related human relations and in harmonious relations to the environment. These traits are advantageous in working with other cultures, including with countries we may be at odd with due to pre-existing miscommunications.
Suggestion for corporations to change their image on female expatriates:
Companies need to change their attitude of “she doesn’t want to go” to
“she may go”
Suggestion for corporations to change their image on female expatriates:
Companies need to stop spreading the opinion that foreigners are
biased towards female
Suggestion for corporations to change their image on female expatriates:
Companies need to stop assuming that dual career issues
do not exist.
Suggestion for corporations to change their image on female expatriates:
Companies can’t afford to waste the brains of
50% of the global human resource.
Suggestion for corporations to change their image on female expatriates:
Successful global companies have begun to hire local females though local companies
don’t.
Some companies have found it practical to hire a couple and relocate to
two different regions or countries to which the couple would commute every month or so at the expense of the company. Example Montreal and Buffalo. East Anglia (England) and Amsterdam, Osaka (Japan) and Tokyo, Poland and Germany, Hungary and Austria.
