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Chapter Five
International Training and Development
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Chapter Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:• discuss the importance of the role of training in supporting
expatriate adjustment and on-assignment performance• identify the components of effective pre-departure training
programs such as cultural awareness, preliminary visits and language skills, along with relocation assistance and training for trainers
• explain the effectiveness of pre-departure training
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Chapter Learning Objectives
• define the developmental aspect of international assignments
• describe the process of training and developing international management teams
• identify trends in international training and development
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Chapter Vignette
Are You Ready?
Expatriates require pre-departure training to deal with • cultural adjustment• foreign language
and support including:• preliminary visits• relocation assistance• training for trainers
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Terms
• cultural awareness• pre-departure training• preliminary visits
language traininginternational Englishcorporate language
training
development
international business travelersinternational ‘cadre’
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HR Core Competence and Source of
Competitive Advantage
Human resource • accumulated stock of knowledge, skills, and abilities that
the individuals possess, which the firm has built up over time into an identifiable expertise.
Training and development • way in which the multinational builds its stock of human
resources – its human capital.
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Training
• process aimed at improving employees’ current work skills and behaviour
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Development
• process aimed at increasing employees abilities in relation to some future position or job
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International Assignments Provide T&D
• T & D plays a strategic role in international business operations
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International Assignments Provide T&D
Expatriates
• are trainers through transfer of knowledge
• ensure that systems and processes are adopted
• gain management capabilities
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International Training and Development (Figure 6-1)
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Role of Expatriate Training
Intercultural Training
• objective is to help people cope with unexpected events in a new culture
• remains the most common form of pre-departure training
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Availability of Cross-Cultural
Training in MNEs (Table 6-1)
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Components of Effective Pre-Departure Training Programs
• cultural awareness• preliminary visits• language skills• relocation assistance• training for trainers
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Cultural Awareness Programs
Expatriates learn to
• adapt to and not feel isolated from the host country
• appropriate behaviours and coping patterns
• understand the host‑country value and belief system
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Cultural Awareness Programs
Components of cultural awareness programs vary according to
• country of assignment
• duration
• purpose of the transfer
• provider
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Tung-Cultural Awareness Programs
Based on
• different learning processes
• type of job
• country of assignment
• time available
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Tung-Cultural Awareness Programs
Area studies programs that include • environmental briefing• cultural orientation• culture assimilators• language training• sensitivity training• field experiences
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Tung-Cultural Awareness Programs
• if the expected interaction and dissimilarity between the individual and the host culture is low, then training should be task‑ and job‑related and rigor low.
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Tung-Cultural Awareness Programs
• if the expected interaction and dissimilarity between the individual and host culture was high, then training should focus on cross‑cultural skill development as well as on the new task and rigor high.
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Tung-Cultural Awareness Programs
Training should have more emphasis on
• life-long learning not ‘one-shot’ programs with an area-
specific focus
• foreign language training
• levels of communication competence, not just verbal
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Tung-Cultural Awareness Programs
• cross-cultural training assists in managing diversity
• the preview of the expatriate position should be realistic, as this facilitates effective performance
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The Mendenhall, Dunbar and Oddou Cross-cultural Training Model (Figure 6-2)
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Black and Mendenhall -Cultural Awareness Programs
Three aspects of social learning theory
• attention, retention, reproduction
• influenced by individual differences in expectations and motivation, and the incentives to apply learned behaviors
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Black and Mendenhall -Cultural Awareness Programs
• recognizes that the expatriate’s willingness and ability to act upon that training in the new environment is crucial to effective performance
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Cultural Awareness Programs
• monitoring and feedback are important components of individual skill development, adjustment and performance
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Cultural Awareness Training and
Assignment Performance (Figure 6-3)
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Preliminary Visits
Well‑planned trip to the host country for the candidate and spouse allows them to
• assess their suitability for and interest in the assignment
• be introduced to the business context
• be encouraged to do more pre-departure preparation
• begin to adjust to the host location
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Language Training
Not given a high priority• English is the language of world business
• ability to speak the host country’s language improves the expatriates effectiveness and negotiating ability
• able to speak the corporate language can give expatriates added power in the subsidiary
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Language Training
There should be more emphasis on
• the provision of foreign language training
• the levels of communication competence, not just verbal, so the person becomes bicultural and bilingual.
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Practical Assistance
Family adjustment support and relocation services can include
• housing issues • household goods movement• destination services• settling in assistance• yearly home visits• eldercare assistance• taxation policy
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Practical Assistance
• visas and work permits • relocation allowance • compensation and benefits • education assistance for families• health and medical insurance and issues• spousal employment and career assistance
• hardship allowances
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Practical Assistance
• automobile allowances• family preliminary visits and orientation • factual knowledge about the other country and
travelling abroad• adjustment and adaptation to the foreign country host
countries value and belief systems• safety, human rights and other required code of
conducts
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Training for The Training Role
Ability to transfer knowledge and skills in a culturally sensitive manner
• utilize knowledge transfer process of repatriates
• train expatriates on code of conduct
• train HCN and TCNs
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Perceived Value of Cross-Cultural Preparation of Expatriates (Table 6-2)
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Developing Staff Through International Assignments
Outcomes
• management development
• organizational development
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Developing Staff Through International Assignments
• important mechanism for MNEs to develop international expertise, cadre and a global mindset through management and organizational development
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Developing Staff Through International Assignments
• ensures global competitiveness through the development of a globally-oriented and experienced management cadre
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Management Development
• individual career progression
• pool of experienced international managers for future
international assignments
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Organizational Development
• a stock of knowledge, skills and abilities for future growth
• global mindset
• expatriates agents of control, socialization, knowledge transfer
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Developing International Teams Through International Assignments
(Figure 6-4)
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MNEs Benefit from Using
International Teams
A mechanism for• fostering innovation, organizational learning and knowledge
transfer• enhancing horizontal communication • encouraging diverse inputs into decisions• developing a global perspective• developing shared values and control through socialization
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Discussion Questions
1. What are some of the challenges faced in training expatriate managers?
2. How does an international assignment assist in developing a ‘cadre’ of international operators? Why is it necessary to have such a ‘cadre’?
3. Why do some MNEs appear reluctant to provide basic pre-departure training?
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Case: An International Career Move
1. What are the different personal and professional aspects John needs to consider before making a decision?
2. Evaluate the training provided by John’s company. What kind of additional training would you offer to John (if any)?
3. If John decides to accept the international assignment with DFB and take his wife and kids with him what type of additional training should DFB offer to him?