International Human Resources Management

1. International Human Resources Management Chapter 7 Training and Development

2. Training Strategies Training strategies in the international context essentially focuses on bridging the gap between the capabilities of the individual hired and the role / responsibilities of the job he / she is being hired

3. Expat Training Strategies MNC’s may make use of the short-term / long-term international job assignments to decide training strategies The staffing orientation, i.e. ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric staffing at the subsidiary would impact training impetus The control and coordination linkages that the parent wishes to establish with he subsidiary drives training budget and strategies The role and responsibilities of the position determines the scope and methodology of training

4. Expatriate Training In selecting a expat for a global assignment attention to the following two aspects helps in shorter timelines begin delivering on-the-role : Focus on ascertaining the cultural awareness of the individual, and Ascertain the ‘fit’ for the host country’s culture, how similar/ dissimilar is the culture of the expats’ culture from that of the host country.

5. Cross Cultural Training(CCT) One of the critical challenges for expats in international job assignments is acculturization that is expected of him/her in the host location. CCT may be understood as any planned intervention to increase the knowledge and skills of the expatriates to live and work effectively in a unfamiliar host country and culture

6. Cross Cultural Training(CCT)

7. Designing a effective CCT: Indentify training objectives Identify the type/s of global assignments for which the CCT is required Determine the specific cross-cultural training needs Establish the goals and measures for determining training effectiveness Develop and deliver the CCT program Evaluate whether the CCT was effective in achieving the objectives set out Modify CCT based on participant feedback

8. CCT : Types of Global Assignments that impact training Chief Executive Officer : he/she overseas and directs the entire subsidiary operations Structure Reproducer : shoulders the responsibility of building or reproducing in a foreign subsidiary, a structure he/she knows from another part of the company Trouble shooter : assigned to a subsidiary to analyze and solve a specific operational problem Operative : perform functional tasks in an existing operational structure, generally at lower level, supervisory position

9. CCT : Needs Analysis Individual Analysis : when his/her performance falls short of standards and is performance deficiency occurs for want of skills Organizational Analysis : provides for needs within the context of the parent / subsidiary’s culture, policies, structure, strategy Assignment Analysis : relates to identifying the task / duration for which the expat is being deputed

10. CCT : Develop and Deliver the Programme CCT course content • Language training • Parent country language • Host country language • Culture training • Degree of interaction required between the expatriate and the host country citizens and • Similarity between the assignee’s native culture and the new culture • Practical Assistance • Provide access to practical information at the host location

11. CCT : Identifying the method of training Didactic General Lectures, seminars, study material, discussions and assimilators Experiential General Immersion programs or intensive workshops Methods of CCT Didactic Specific Area studies, videotapes, briefings, visits, case studies Experiential Specific role playing, look-see trips, in-country cultural training and language training Four common categories for delivering the training

12. Evaluating the effectiveness of CCT • Short term goal of CCT seeks to bring about cognitive, affective and behavioral changes in an expatriate • Long term goal includes the expected outcome of the expatriate assignment, such as cross-cultural adjustment and success on the assignment

13. Host Country National Training • Includes grooming an HCN to take up the responsibilities of running the business/ function/ specific key responsibility: • Set out the objectives • Understand the type of the assignment • Carry out a person specific needs analysis • Identify goals and measures for the training • Identify the method of training best suited for the goals to be achieved • Develop and deliver the program • Assess the effectiveness

14. Third Country National Training Similar to that of the HCN: • Priority focus is knowledge and awareness of the parent company, beginning with the history and genesis of the organization, and complete understanding and acceptance of its mission/vision, goals and business objectives • Understanding of the subsidiary’s objectives and goals • Minimal focus on cultural issues as the TCN is assumed to already possess this

15. Emerging trends in training for competitive advantage • Computer Based Training • Video-books • On-line Training • Corporate sponsored Knowledge/skills certification programs

16. 3 Theoretical Frameworks for designing CCT Tung’s Framework Mendenhall and Oddou’s Framework Black and Mendenhall’s Model

17. Tung’s Framework for designing CCT Rosalie Tung (1981) proposed a framework that helps decide the nature and the rigor of training The degree if interaction between the parent and the host unit, and The cultural novelty, implying how different(novel) is the culture of the expatriates own country’s culture from that of the host country

18. Tung’s Model High Training focus is culture related issues Rigor of training is HIGH Cultural Novelty Training focus is task/job related issues Rigor of training is low Low Degree of interaction Low High

19. Tung’s Framework for designing CCT Tung also came up with 5 categories of training which can be imparted to expatriates. They are : Area studies, which include information about the environment and culture Language training Use of culture assimilator assessments, where expatriates get questionnaires that require their responses to may cross-cultural scenarios. Feedback is complied and shared to identify strength areas and areas for focus Sensitivity training shows the expatriates ‘own values, assumptions, behavioral tendencies interpersonal strengths and weaknesses, prejudices and biases. Field trips where the expatriates are sent to the country of assignment to understand the challenges of living in that country and culture

20. Mendenhall and Oddou’s Framework for designing CCT • The Mendenhall and Oddou’s framework builds on the model provided by Tung. • The elements of degree of interaction and cultural novelty are retained while adding a more complex relationship ... ‘training methodology’ • The three key elements include • Training method • Low, medium and high level of training rigor and • Duration of the training

21. Black and Mendenhall’s Model for designing CCT • The more recent study by Black and Mendenhall combines the methods of expatriate training programs and the evaluation of their success. • It is built on 3 steps that an expat experiences as he/she is coping within the new environment • In the first phase, he/she becomes aware of the importance of the cultural behaviors • During the second phase he/she begins to think about what he/she has learned, seen or heard and • In the third phase the expat practices the important behavior • Therefore expat training for developing cross-cultural competencies need to be spread over the three levels of experience the expatriate undergoes as he/she acclimatizes with the cultural differences