1 Chapter 15 Managing Human Resources Globally

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Chapter 15 Managing Human Resources Globally After reading this chapter, you should be able to: u. Identify the recent changes that have caused companies to expand into international markets. u. Discuss the four factors that most strongly influence HRM in international markets.

Chapter 15 Managing Human Resources Globally u. List the different categories of international employees. u. Identify the four levels of global participation and the HRM issues faced within each level. u. Discuss the ways companies attempt to select, train, compensate, and reintegrate expatriate managers.

Introduction u Organizations now function in a global economy. u International expansion can provide a competitive advantage: u Entering different countries may provide large numbers of potential customers. u Building production facilities in countries with low-cost labor may prove cost-efficient. u Maquiladora u The plants rapid increase in telecommunications and information technology enables work to be done more rapidly, efficiently, and effectively around the globe.

Current Global Changes u. European Economic Community u. North American Free Trade Agreement u. The Growth of Asia u. Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia are significant economic forces. u. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

Factors Affecting HRM in International Markets Education Human Capital Culture Human Resource Management Economic System Political-Legal System

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions u Individualism/collectivism - the degree to which people act as individuals rather than as members of a group. u Power distance - how a culture deals with hierarchical power relationships. u Uncertainty avoidance - how cultures deal with the fact that the future is not perfectly predictable. u Masculinity-femininity describes the division of roles between the sexes within a society. u Long-term/short-term orientation - the tendency of a culture to focus on long-term benefit or short-term outcomes.

Implications of Culture for HRM u Cultures differ on such things as leadership, decision-making, and motivation. u Cultures influence the appropriateness of HRM practices. u Cultures may influence compensation systems. u Cultural differences can affect the communication and coordination processes in organizations.

Education/Human Capital u. Countries differ in their levels of human capital. u. A country's human capital is determined by a number of variables, primarily, educational opportunity. u. Countries with low human capital attract facilities that require low skills and low-wage levels. u. Countries with high human capital are attractive sites for direct foreign investment that creates highskill jobs.

Political/Legal System u Dictates the requirements of certain HRM practices, such as training, compensation, hiring, firing, and layoffs. u The legal system is an outgrowth of the culture, reflecting societal norms. u United States has led the world in eliminating discrimination in the workplace and controlling the process of labor management negotiations. u Germany has provided employees with a legal right to "codetermination" in the workplace. u The EEC provides for the fundamental social rights of workers: freedom of movement and freedom to choose one's occupation and be fairly compensated.

Economic System u. Under socialist economies, there is little economic incentive to develop human capital, but ample opportunity exists because education is free. u. In capitalist systems, the opposite situation exists, with higher tuition at state universities but economic incentives exist through individual salaries

Types of International Employees u. A parent country is the country in which the company's corporate headquarters is located. u. A host country is the country in which the parent country organization seeks to locate (or has already located) a facility. u. A third country is a country other than the host country or parent country. u. An expatriate is an employee sent by a company in one country to manage operations in a different country.

Types of International Employees u. Parent-country nationals (PCNs) are employees who were born and live in a parent country. u. Host-country nationals (HCNs) are those employees who were born and raised in the host country, as opposed to the parent country. u. Third-country nationals (TCNs) are employees born in a country other than the parent country or host country but who work in the host country.

Levels of Global Participation Domestic Parent Country Host Country Corporate headquarters International Corporate headquarters Foreign subsidiary Multinational Corporate headquarters Foreign subsidiary Global Corporate headquarters Foreign subsidiary Increasing Participation in Global Markets Foreign subsidiary

Global Organizations u Global organizations compete on state-of-the-art, topquality products and services with the lowest possible costs. u Transnational scope refers to the fact that HR decisions must be made from a global rather than a national or regional perspective. u Transnational representation reflects the multinational composition of a company's managers. u Transnational process refers to the extent to which the company's planning and decision-making processes include representatives and ideas from a variety of cultures.

Selection of Expatriate Managers u Successful expatriates have the following skills or abilities: u Technical competence u Ability to adjust to, and be sensitive to, a new culture. Three dimensions include: u the self dimension u the relationship dimension u the perception dimension u Use of women in expatriate assignments has proven beneficial for companies; recent evidence disproves the notion that women are not successful managers in foreign countries.

Compensation of Expatriates u. Total pay packages have four components: u. Base Salary—Annual salary, unadjusted. u. Tax Equalization allowances—Payments for higher tax rates of other countries. u. Benefits—Continuation of, or substitute for, home benefits. u. Allowances—Cost-of-living, housing, education, and relocation payments.

Reacculturation of Expatriates u Reentry to the home organization may result in culture shock. u According to some sources, 60 to 70 percent of expatriates do not know what their position will be upon their return. u Transition process necessitates communication of corporate changes while the expatriate is overseas and validation of the importance of the expatriate's international work.