ihrm-recruitment & selection
TRANSCRIPT
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INTERNATIONAL HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Recruitment & Selection
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International Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment Defined as searching for andobtaining potential job candidates in sufficientnumbers for and quality so that the organization
can select the most appropriate persons for its jobneeds
Selection Defined as the process of gathering
information for the purposes of evaluating anddeciding whom should be employed in particular
jobs
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Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (1)
Advantages of the Ethnocentric Approach
Perceived lack of qualified host country nationals (HCNs)The necessity to maintain and consolidate good
communication, coordination and control links with theorganizations headquartersThe assurance that the foreign subsidiary or unit willcomply with corporate objectives, policies, standards etc.PCNs may be most suitable because they have therequisite skills and experiencePromising managers are given the opportunity of international experience
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Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (2)
Disadvantages of the Ethnocentric Approach
It limits the promotional opportunities of HCNs PCN expatriate managers may experience adjustment
problems PCN expatriate managers may attempt to impose styleswhich are appropriate at the organizations headquartersbut which may be deemed inappropriate in the hostcountry
The compensation packages of PCN expatriatemanagers may be at a level considered unjustified by theHCNs
PCN expatriate managers are expensive
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Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (3)
Advantages of the Polycentric Approach
It eliminates language barriers, avoids adjustment problemsof expatriate managers and their families, and removes theneed for expensive cultural awareness training programmes
Hiring costs are reduced No work permit required Motivation effect because HCNs see a career potential Lower organizational profile in sensitive political situations Continuity of management improves because the HCNs
stay longer in the organization Local responsiveness and sensitivity, host government
policy
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Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (4)
Disadvantages of the Polycentric Approach
More difficulty in bridging the gap (objectives, policies,standards, communication, coordination, control, cultureand attitudes etc.) between the HCN unit and theorganizations parent headquarters
Tends to encourage too much decentralization HCN managers have limited career opportunities outside
the subsidiary or unit Limits opportunities for PCN expatriate managers to gain
foreign experience, adversely effecting their insight andhence strategic decision-making and resource allocation
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Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (5a)
Advantages of the Geocentric Approach
Facilitates the development of an international team
Overcomes the decentralization effect of the polycentricapproach
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Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (5b)
For the geocentric approach to be successful, 5 assumptions must bemet:
(4) Highly competent employees are available at headquarters and
subsidiaries(2) International experience is a condition for success in top positions
(3) Managers with high potential and ambition for promotion areconstantly ready to be transferred from one country to another
(4) Open disposition and high adaptability on the part of competent andmobile managers to different assignment conditions
(5) Open disposition and high adaptability can be learned with moreforeign experience
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Disadvantages of the Geocentric Approach
Immigration controls and work permits for the foreignmanager and his family
Provision of extensive, time-consuming (and sometimes)expensive information and documentation for foreignnationals
Large numbers of PCNs, HCNs and TCNs must be sentto foreign locations in order to create a successfulgeocentric staffing policy
High Training and relocation cost Devising an appropriate compensation structure More centralized control over staffing and loss of
autonomy by the subsidiary in HRM issues
Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (5c)
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Advantages of the Regiocentric Approach
It allows interaction between managers of an organizationssubsidiaries transferred to their organizations regional
headquarters, and managers from the organizationsheadquarters posted to the regional headquarters More sensitivity to local conditions as subsidiaries are
staffed mostly by HCNs
TCNs from the region may be better informed about thehost country environment than PCNs
Lower salary and benefit requirements for TCNs Paves the way for adoption of a geocentric approach
Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (6)
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Disadvantages of the Regiocentric Approach
It can prevent the organization from taking a global stance
Improves career opportunities at the regional, but notinternational level
Factors such as political animosity between regionalcountries and work permit requirements must be taken into
consideration
Pros and Cons of the Four InternationalStaffing Approaches (6)
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Selecting Staff for InternationalAssignments
Selecting staff for international assignments is a complexundertaking for several reasons, including:
Identifying a suitable person for the assignment Predicting his or her performance in a new, culturally
potentially very different environment Dealing with personal and family-related issues and
problems Devising an appropriate compensation package Complying with host country regulations
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The Problem of Expatriate Failure
Expatriate failure means the prematurereturn of an expatriate manager before the
completion of his or her internationalassignment due to the persons failure toattain the expected performance levels
and due to the persons continuing inability
to adjust to the new work and culturalenvironment in the host country
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The Cost of Expatriate FailureExpatriate failure has two cost components:
Direct Costs Can be easily measured in monetaryterms (e.g.: air fare, relocation expenses, salary andtraining) and varies according to the level of the position inquestion, the country of destination, the exchange rates
and whether a new PCN takes over the assignment of thefailed colleague
Indirect Costs Cannot be measured easily in monetaryterms but may be significantly higher than the direct costs.
Examples include loss of the organizations reputation andmarket share, loss of morale and productivity in the localwork force, complications with the host government,discreditation of the expatriate at the organizationsheadquarters and a future performance impact
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The Reasons for Expatriate Failure
Inability to Cope WithLarger International
Responsibility
Managers Personal or Emotional Maturity
Managers Inabilityto Adjust Other Family Reasons
Spouses Inabilityto Adjust
Difficulties with thenew environment
Personal or emotionalproblems
Lack of technicalcompetence
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Criteria for Selecting Staff for International Assignments
SELECTION DECISION
Technical Ability
Cross-CulturalSuitability
Family Requirements
Country-CulturalRequirements
Language
Organization-SpecificRequirements
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Technical Ability)
Technical and managerial competencies of theperson to perform the required tasks
Research studies indicate that technical abilityare the most important selection criteria for organizations
Usually easy to evaluate on the basis of pastperformance
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Cross-Cultural Suitability)
Certain individual traits and characteristics can have animpact on the success or failure of an internationalassignment cultural empathy, adaptability, diplomacy,language ability, positive attitude, emotional stability, andmaturity
Ability to implement technical and managerial skills and
feel reasonably comfortable in a in a foreign environment Sometimes difficult to determine
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Family Requirements)
Spouse may not adjust to a foreign environment
Adjustment level of spouse depends on several factors,such as the adjustment of the expatriate and thespouses own opinion of the international assignment
A higher level of organizational support in the earlystages of expatriation usually correlates with a higher level of adjustment by the spouse
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Country-Cultural Requirements)
Hardship Postings (Remoteness of job location, socialupheavals, safety risks, very low standard of living andlack of recreational opportunities etc.)
Pressure of living in repressive cultures and countries(e.g. China, Saudi Arabia and other totalitarian Islamic
states in the Middle East)
Denial of work permits to female expatriates
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Organization-Specific Requirements)
Situational Factors influence staff selection. Examples:
Organizations staffing approach may requiresending more expatriates to work in certain regionsand locations than otherwise
Partner organizations may be involved in theselection of expatriate staff, for example, on
international joint ventures Certain specific skills, for example, training, may be
used as a selection criteria
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Language)
Important situational factor. Knowledge of the hostcountrys language is considered critical for many senior-level positions along with the ability to communicate
effectively
Knowledge of the host countrys language helps
expatriates and their families feel more comfortable inthe new environment
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Other Considerations 1)
Time Unexpected international vacancies may arisefor which positions have to be quickly filled byexpatriates and which may preclude the use of
screening tests
Family - A potential expatriate may refuse the
international assignment due to family considerations(childrens welfare and education, parental care,single parents)
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Other Considerations 2)
Dual-Career Couples Research studies undertaken revealthat many potential expatriates are reluctant or unwilling totake on international assignments because of the career implications for their spouses, e.g. loss of jobs and career opportunities, difficulty in finding new employment in theexpatriates host country
Some companies are now offering assistance programmesfor the benefit of their expatriates spouses (employmenthunting, networking, intra-company employment, commuter marriages and on-assignment career support)
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The Staff Selection Criteria(Other Considerations 3)
Female Managers Studies reveal that female expatriatesmake up a very small proportion (< 10% percent) of the totalexpatriate population. Possible reasons are:
Females are less desirous than males of internationalassignmentsFemales are less likely to be offered internationalassignmentsThere are a comparatively smaller number of females withthe requisite skills to be sent on international assignmentsMany repressive cultures discourage the sending of femaleexpatriates, andIn many repressive cultures males do not like reporting tofemales
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Alternative Model of Expatriate Selection
Mendenhall and Oddou propose a four-dimensional approachlinking specific behavoioural tendencies to probable inter-national performance:
Self-Orientedness adaptive concern for self-preservation, self-enjoyment and mental hygienePerceptual expertise in accurately understanding thebehavour of host country nationalsOthers-Orientedness Degree of concern about the hostcountry nationals and the expoatriates desire to affiliatewith themCultural Toughness Difference between the expatriatescountry and the host countrys cultural, social, political,economic etc. environment and ist implication for theexpatriate