HRM 3704
1.1 Assume EFC’s diverse workforce is also multicultural. What possible expectations
can be required from the managerial staff and what should HR professionals do to
manage those expectations?(2)
Managerial staff will need to adapt to different work expectations and communication styles.
Companies will highly value workers who are able to operate successfully in these diverse
environments.HR professionals will find it necessary to provide sensitivity training to help
managers understand the needs and perspectives of different members in these work groups.
1.2 Instead of sending Naomi and Talita to Mozambique, which cost-effective approaches
to expatriation could EFC have used? Give reasons to substantiate your answer.
(6)
Many international workers are not expatriates. They are the short-term assignees, international
commuters, frequent flyers, and international project teams. Their number is considerable and,
at least amongst larger organisations, is growing faster than the number of expatriates, though
there is growth in all forms. In many ways, these employees share the same stresses as
expatriates, particularly in terms of their social lives and family pressures, and yet they never
move their homes or get many of the benefits of expatriation. Organisations can cut costs by
considering these various alternatives to expatriation.
The cheapest option, of course, is usually the employment of local people. There is a strong
case to be made that the reason that the employment of local people is so rare in management
circles is less to do with internationalising the management team than with the remnants of
colonialism or racial assumptions of superiority.The argument that international assignments
are part of developing international awareness and understanding in the management team
would be stronger if there were better evidence that organisations utilise and exploit the
knowledge they can gain from these arrangements: in fact, it seems that international
assignments are usually seen as little more than an interlude away from headquarters. It is
assumed that it is at headquarters that the real action takes place. International experience is
discounted.In practice, most organisations fail to release the capabilities and expertise of their
local employees.
, Some have argued that the development of information and communication technology
(ICT) will render both international transfers and international travel redundant. Why go to a
country when it is easier, safer, and cheaper to video-conference with the people there? With
the growth of ICT in individual economies, the argument has some strength – undoubtedly the
future will see more video-conferencing and more use of e-mail etc.
Example from case study:
Organisations recruit some people specifically for short-term assignments and some are
sent from within the existing home-country labour force. The advent of easier, cheaper travel
and improvements in communications technology have led to a surge in such arrangements in
recent years. The duration of such assignments varies, depending on purpose, company, and
sector. In most cases, assignments will last less than a year – normally anything from a few
weeks to six months. The main reasons for short-term assignments are skills transfer and
management development, so managerial control is not as important as it is for long-term
international assignments. Compared to the traditional expatriate assignments, the main
advantages of project assignments are flexibility, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. Goals for
short assignments are easier to set and evaluate than those for longer assignments.
International organisations are employing expatriates on local terms and conditions. There
has been increasing interest in the use of third-country nationals (TCNs): individuals who are
not from either headquarters or from the host country. They have a number of advantages:
Their use reduces criticism of the organisation as ethnocentric
They emphasise the organisation's commitment to developing and using talent
wherever it may be
They are usually considerably cheaper
They often have a cultural awareness that can be beneficial.
1.3 Would you say EFC is embracing a talent mind-set? Give good reasons from the case
study to substantiate your answer. (5)
Yes EFC is embracing a talent mindset. A talent mindset is a deep-seated belief that having
better talent at all levels is how you out-perform your competition. It's the belief that
better talent is a critical source of competitive advantage. It's the recognition that it is
better talent that pulls all the other performance levers. Key areas on which an organisation
1.1 Assume EFC’s diverse workforce is also multicultural. What possible expectations
can be required from the managerial staff and what should HR professionals do to
manage those expectations?(2)
Managerial staff will need to adapt to different work expectations and communication styles.
Companies will highly value workers who are able to operate successfully in these diverse
environments.HR professionals will find it necessary to provide sensitivity training to help
managers understand the needs and perspectives of different members in these work groups.
1.2 Instead of sending Naomi and Talita to Mozambique, which cost-effective approaches
to expatriation could EFC have used? Give reasons to substantiate your answer.
(6)
Many international workers are not expatriates. They are the short-term assignees, international
commuters, frequent flyers, and international project teams. Their number is considerable and,
at least amongst larger organisations, is growing faster than the number of expatriates, though
there is growth in all forms. In many ways, these employees share the same stresses as
expatriates, particularly in terms of their social lives and family pressures, and yet they never
move their homes or get many of the benefits of expatriation. Organisations can cut costs by
considering these various alternatives to expatriation.
The cheapest option, of course, is usually the employment of local people. There is a strong
case to be made that the reason that the employment of local people is so rare in management
circles is less to do with internationalising the management team than with the remnants of
colonialism or racial assumptions of superiority.The argument that international assignments
are part of developing international awareness and understanding in the management team
would be stronger if there were better evidence that organisations utilise and exploit the
knowledge they can gain from these arrangements: in fact, it seems that international
assignments are usually seen as little more than an interlude away from headquarters. It is
assumed that it is at headquarters that the real action takes place. International experience is
discounted.In practice, most organisations fail to release the capabilities and expertise of their
local employees.
, Some have argued that the development of information and communication technology
(ICT) will render both international transfers and international travel redundant. Why go to a
country when it is easier, safer, and cheaper to video-conference with the people there? With
the growth of ICT in individual economies, the argument has some strength – undoubtedly the
future will see more video-conferencing and more use of e-mail etc.
Example from case study:
Organisations recruit some people specifically for short-term assignments and some are
sent from within the existing home-country labour force. The advent of easier, cheaper travel
and improvements in communications technology have led to a surge in such arrangements in
recent years. The duration of such assignments varies, depending on purpose, company, and
sector. In most cases, assignments will last less than a year – normally anything from a few
weeks to six months. The main reasons for short-term assignments are skills transfer and
management development, so managerial control is not as important as it is for long-term
international assignments. Compared to the traditional expatriate assignments, the main
advantages of project assignments are flexibility, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. Goals for
short assignments are easier to set and evaluate than those for longer assignments.
International organisations are employing expatriates on local terms and conditions. There
has been increasing interest in the use of third-country nationals (TCNs): individuals who are
not from either headquarters or from the host country. They have a number of advantages:
Their use reduces criticism of the organisation as ethnocentric
They emphasise the organisation's commitment to developing and using talent
wherever it may be
They are usually considerably cheaper
They often have a cultural awareness that can be beneficial.
1.3 Would you say EFC is embracing a talent mind-set? Give good reasons from the case
study to substantiate your answer. (5)
Yes EFC is embracing a talent mindset. A talent mindset is a deep-seated belief that having
better talent at all levels is how you out-perform your competition. It's the belief that
better talent is a critical source of competitive advantage. It's the recognition that it is
better talent that pulls all the other performance levers. Key areas on which an organisation
