Page 99 - DMGT548_GLOBAL_HRM

Global HRM

Notes Once selected, and as a result of the corporate factors, the nature of integration into the
management development process of expatriation may be continuous and progressive, it may
be ad hoc. Or a foreign assignment may simply be a one-off decision which may have more to
do with immediate corporate needs rather than management development. Decisions by the
individual to submit to these ‘different processes’ and to make career decisions at any stage may
be influenced by cultural factors.
The nature of the management development process will reflect these factors so that assignments
seen as a progressive facet of development will require a more continuous process of training
and development. It is unlikely that one-off, culture-specific training will yield the high degree
of acculturation that may be needed in assignments with high relationship requirements. Ongoing
development within a ‘pool’ is more likely to produce individuals who are highly adaptive
across cultures.
So, success in an expatriate assignment is dependent on a combination of corporate and individual
variables, as well as the dynamics of the expatriation/management development process. Success,
or lack of success, including the longer-term outcomes for the corporation in pursuing its current
policies of expatriation, will be fed back into the process. These will enable companies to
modify the levels of integration into the management development process and will enable the
individual to enhance his or her position in the company or make career choices that may take
him or her outside the present company.
These could involve withdrawing from international assignments (and/or the management
development process), going ‘native’ (that is, staying in the country of the assignment because
of personal embededness within the local culture or environment), or exiting the existing
company to pursue other career choices. Any of these choices may impact on the medium to
longer-term success to the corporation (for example, losing individuals from the ‘pool’).

Task As an HR of the company, chart out the responsibilities to deal with the high failure
rate of expatriates.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
16. Inability to adjust to foreign culture is a factor that moderates the performance of expatriates.
17. A longer assignment allows the expatriate more time to adjust to the foreign situation and
become productive.

5.5 Dual-career Couples

Accepting the international assignment will impact upon the career of the potential candidate’s
spouse or partner. The increase in the number of dual-career couples is a worldwide trend, one
that is posing a dilemma for both companies and employees alike. Fewer U.S. employees are
willing to relocate, either domestically or internationally, without the support of their spouses,
to the extent that the career-couple challenge is now an issue that multinational employers
cannot ignore.

The majority of companies (86%) admitted they had turned down assignment offers. The main
reasons for refusals were domestic/family concerns (77%) and dual-career issues (58%). Reflecting
this global trend, the impact of the accompanying spouse’s or partner’s career orientation upon

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