Question 4: HRM, Geocentric Staffing Policy, Training Flashcards
Define International Staffing Policy
Customary means by which a company staffs its offices, influenced by the extent of a firm’s international involvement
Define Geocentric Staffing
- Staffing policy in which the best-qualified individuals, regardless of nationality, manage operations abroad
- May choose managers from host, home or a third country
- Typically reserved for top-level management
Discuss the Advantages and Disadvantages of Geocentric Staffing
Advantages
- Develops adaptable global managers
- Breaks cultural differences
- Global perspective can lead to opportunities
Disadvantages
- Expensive to hire staff due to
- Combination of high demand for their skills and low supply
- Relocation of managers and their families
Define Human Resource Planning and explain its 2 Phases
Process of forecasting a company’s human resource needs and its supply
- First Phase: Taking Inventory of Current HR
* Collection of data on every employee - Second Phase: Estimating the Company’s Future HR Needs
Decision raises ethical questions as consumers are becoming more informed about subcontracting in low-wage countries
Many firms establish codes of conducts and ensure compliance
Define Recruiting Human Resources
- Recruitment is the process of identifying and attracting a qualified pool of applicants for vacant positions
- Companies can recruit internally among current employees or search externally
Define Culture Shock
- Cultural adaptability, a valued skill, is found in many successful international managers
- Psychological process affecting people living aboard
- Can lead to expatriate failure; early return of an employee due to cultural stress
- Higher cost of expatriate failure has companies investing in cultural-training programmes
Explain the Stages of Culture Shock
Stage One
- “Honeymoon” lasts from a few days to a few weeks
- New arrivals are fascinated by new culture and way of life
- Optimistic about prospects for success
- Sense of security is betrayed by tourist-like interactions with locals
Stage Two
- Stage lasts from a few weeks to a few months - in fact, some do not move onto Stage Three
- Unpredictable quirks become annoying
- Expatriates begin mocking locals, viewing their native cultures as superior
- Depression and despair sets in
Stage Three
- Emotions hit rock bottom before recovery begins
- Cynical remarks cease as they learn more about the culture, interact and form friendships
Stage Four
- Visitors better understand and appreciate the culture
- Treat differences as unique solutions to familiar problems in different cultural contexts
- Expatriates has adapted well
Define Reverse Cultural Shock
- Psychological process of re-adapting to one’s home culture
- Affects manager and family members
- Returning managers find no office position awaiting for them
- Companies often do not take full advantage of cross-cultural abilities
- Common for expatriates to leave the company due to difficulties in blending back in
Define Training and Development
- Maximize productivity from managers posted abroad
- Online training programmes can
- Immediately teach relevant skills
- Deliver consistent message to an infinite number of employees, unlike physical classes
- Be difficult in engaging people online and teaching soft skills
- Be cost-effective and viable
The Method of Cultural Training depends on what?
Size of company and international level of activities
Define Environmental Briefings and Cultural Orientations
Environmental Briefings
- Most basic level of training
- Briefings include informationt on local housing, healthcare, education, transportation and climate
- Knowledge is nomally obtained from books, films and lectures
Cultural Orientations
- Purpose is to add depth and substance to briefings
- Offer insight into social, political, legal and economic institutions
Define Cultural Assimilation and Sensitivity Training
Cultural Assimilation
- Crash course often used for impromptu trips
- Teaches culture’s value, attitudes, manners and customs
- “Guerilla Linguistics” involves learning a small set of foreign phrases
- Roleplay exercises are included
Sensitivity Training
- Understanding of other people’s emotions
Define Language Training
- For more thorough cultural preparedness
- Getting “into the mind” of locals by building language fluency and learning the reasons behind their behaviour
Define Field Experience
- Immersive, short stay in country of assignment
- Also applicable for family members as expatriate failure and commuter marriage is psychologically and financially expensive
Define Non Managerial Worker Training
- Training local workers make sales and grows company
- Especially important in dveloping countries where education or experience was lacking
- Teaches basic skills, assembly line work and business leads cultivation
