HRD3702 – Management of Training and Development
WORKBOOK 10: International HRD perspectives: Africa and beyond
You will discover what HRD challenges exist beyond our borders, how those challenges compare with our local HRD
challenges and what can be learnt from how other countries deal with HRD challenges.
3. International HRD
Since 1994, South Africa has become a global partner that competes more and more in African and world markets.
Therefore, South African organisations that operate globally must prepare their staff to cope with the challenges that the
different markets, cultures and circumstances offer, and can also learn from other countries.
Several important aspects which multinational companies have incorporated in their training for purposes of
international assignment are suggested. In brief, these are:
▪ Expatriate training: When an employee has been selected for an expatriate position, it is of critical
importance that this person (and if necessary the spouse and family) must be trained before departure in
order to be effective in the country of destination. This is usually done by means of lectures, simulations,
videos and readings that deal with the basics of the relevant country’s history, politics, business norms,
education systems, demographics and how to deal with challenges that the expatriate may experience in
the host country.
▪ Components of pre-departure training: Most companies provide for the following types of training
before employees depart for the host country:
➢ Area studies or documentary programmes. Area studies or documentary programmes expose
employees to the new culture through written materials or other media such as video
programmes, Internet material on the host country’s history, economics and cultural institutions.
➢ Cultural assimilation. Cultural awareness programmes will enable the employee to adapt and
not feel isolated from the host country, to deal with diversity and to communicate with the host
country so that the employee becomes ‘bicultural and bilingual’.
➢ Visits. Preliminary visits to the host country will provide the employee and spouse the
opportunity to assess whether or not they would be suitable and interested in the assignment to
the host country.
➢ Language preparation. Although English is considered as the ‘language’ of the world, business
knowledge of a foreign language in European, Asian and South American countries is considered
critical to success. There is little doubt that the ability to speak the host country’s language would
improve the expatriate’s effectiveness and negotiating ability.
➢ Practical information on destination city. The employee should be provided with practical
assistance in the form of information that will assist him or her in relocation, such as finding
suitable accommodation and schools, further language training and an orientation programme in
the host country.
• Developing staff through international assignments: International assignments have long been
acknowledged as an important mechanism for developing international expertise. It provides for
individual development and the development of international teams.
• Individual development: An international assignment is seen as a form of job rotation, which is an
acknowledged management development tool. Employees are provided with a range of jobs, tasks and
challenges through international assignments.
• Development of international teams: The same authors suggest that international teams can be
developed through international assignments. It is argued that research and development, and
international projects provide opportunities for teamwork, even if members are geographically dispersed,
since employees are exposed to various parts of the global organisation. The local networks they
develop can be utilised after completion of the foreign assignment.
We also need to realise that HRD is not managed exactly the same way in all countries. Six different ways have
been identified:
• Training expenditure: Training expenditure varies from country to country. Some countries such as
South Africa and France have specific legislation that governs expenditure on training as a percentage
of their labour costs. Other countries do not prescribe this at all.
• The recipients of training: Scandinavian countries are more likely to spread their training across a wide
Lyana Petzer Page 1 of 2
WORKBOOK 10: International HRD perspectives: Africa and beyond
You will discover what HRD challenges exist beyond our borders, how those challenges compare with our local HRD
challenges and what can be learnt from how other countries deal with HRD challenges.
3. International HRD
Since 1994, South Africa has become a global partner that competes more and more in African and world markets.
Therefore, South African organisations that operate globally must prepare their staff to cope with the challenges that the
different markets, cultures and circumstances offer, and can also learn from other countries.
Several important aspects which multinational companies have incorporated in their training for purposes of
international assignment are suggested. In brief, these are:
▪ Expatriate training: When an employee has been selected for an expatriate position, it is of critical
importance that this person (and if necessary the spouse and family) must be trained before departure in
order to be effective in the country of destination. This is usually done by means of lectures, simulations,
videos and readings that deal with the basics of the relevant country’s history, politics, business norms,
education systems, demographics and how to deal with challenges that the expatriate may experience in
the host country.
▪ Components of pre-departure training: Most companies provide for the following types of training
before employees depart for the host country:
➢ Area studies or documentary programmes. Area studies or documentary programmes expose
employees to the new culture through written materials or other media such as video
programmes, Internet material on the host country’s history, economics and cultural institutions.
➢ Cultural assimilation. Cultural awareness programmes will enable the employee to adapt and
not feel isolated from the host country, to deal with diversity and to communicate with the host
country so that the employee becomes ‘bicultural and bilingual’.
➢ Visits. Preliminary visits to the host country will provide the employee and spouse the
opportunity to assess whether or not they would be suitable and interested in the assignment to
the host country.
➢ Language preparation. Although English is considered as the ‘language’ of the world, business
knowledge of a foreign language in European, Asian and South American countries is considered
critical to success. There is little doubt that the ability to speak the host country’s language would
improve the expatriate’s effectiveness and negotiating ability.
➢ Practical information on destination city. The employee should be provided with practical
assistance in the form of information that will assist him or her in relocation, such as finding
suitable accommodation and schools, further language training and an orientation programme in
the host country.
• Developing staff through international assignments: International assignments have long been
acknowledged as an important mechanism for developing international expertise. It provides for
individual development and the development of international teams.
• Individual development: An international assignment is seen as a form of job rotation, which is an
acknowledged management development tool. Employees are provided with a range of jobs, tasks and
challenges through international assignments.
• Development of international teams: The same authors suggest that international teams can be
developed through international assignments. It is argued that research and development, and
international projects provide opportunities for teamwork, even if members are geographically dispersed,
since employees are exposed to various parts of the global organisation. The local networks they
develop can be utilised after completion of the foreign assignment.
We also need to realise that HRD is not managed exactly the same way in all countries. Six different ways have
been identified:
• Training expenditure: Training expenditure varies from country to country. Some countries such as
South Africa and France have specific legislation that governs expenditure on training as a percentage
of their labour costs. Other countries do not prescribe this at all.
• The recipients of training: Scandinavian countries are more likely to spread their training across a wide
Lyana Petzer Page 1 of 2
