The process of International Assignments Essay Example for Free

The process of International Assignments Essay Human resource management (HRM) is a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets: the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives. â€Å"HRM aims to help the organization to achieve success through people. As Ulrich and Lake (1990) remark, ’HRM systems can be the source of organizational capabilities that allow firms to learn and capitalize on new opportunities’. HRM is concerned with both meeting human capital requirements and the development of process capabilities: in other words, the ability to get things done effectively†1. These strategic goals and objectives are most important and mandatory in a world which becomes more and more global. To be successful, companies have to keep up with their competitors, which usually mean that getting things done effectively is crucial in everything they do. Globalization has brought remarkable developments in the diversity and complexity of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) and management of the global workforce is a critical dimension of companies’ international business. 2 1. 2 Objective of the term paper According to Harvey and Moeller3 there are currently 850,000 subsidiaries of multinational corporations operating globally. Furthermore, 65 per cent of Multinational Companies (MNCs) surveyed in a GMAC global relocation survey are expecting expatriate manager numbers to rise steadily over the next decade. Expatriate managers continue to be a viable means for exercising control over foreign operations and they can therefore have a direct impact on organizational performance. 4 Furthermore, international assignments are also the single most expensive per-person investment a company makes in globalizing its workforce, and unfortunately, most firms are getting anaemic returns on this investment. To improve their return, managers must understand the best practices, thinking, and scientific research on international assignments. 5 According to the above fact and the current worldwide growth of the expatriation missions worldwide, this term paper should give an overview of the Process of International Assignments and its importance for internationally operating Companies – with special focus on the Repatriation of Expatriates. 1. 3 Approach First of all, the question is answered on who should be recruited and how the best person possible for the job can be acquired. If a company is not able to find the right candidate internally, personnel are often recruited externally. But this brings along some other problems which should not be left behind, as insufficient commitment or lack of corporate identity and boundaries to the parent company. 6 Once some appropriate candidates for the vacant position are found, companies have to sort out according to the required characteristics and qualifications as well as the official job description, if available. Next, a number of objectives must be incorporated in the design of expatriates’ pay packages when it comes to negotiating and setting up contractual conditions for the future employee. Chapter three therefore deals with elements a contract should consist of as well as compensation itself. If the contract is finally set up and signed, training for the respective employee and proper preparation regarding the international assignment is fundamental. This can ensure the employee’s success as creating a global mind, overall understandings of the expatriates’ coming tasks as well as differences in local and domestic culture are only some of the toughest tasks an expatriate has to face during his international assignment. Preparation and support given by the company are therefore urgently needed, not only in giving information about host country, upcoming tasks and the stay itself but also in regards to questions related to family, friends, home-flights and all other social questions arising. The last stage of a foreign assignment is the process of repatriation. This phase is the most difficult and unpredictable one. The expatriate not only has to arrive and settle down at home, but also in headquarter where things, positions and people might have changed. â€Å"Often when they return home, expatriates face an organization that does not know what they have done for the past several years, does not know how to use their knowledge and does not care†7. As the process of international assignments is very complex and this term paper limited, each chapter only gives a short and simple overview of the single topics summing up important facts and figures submitting general conspectus. 2. Personnel recruitment and selection 2. 1 International staffing strategies Key question to international staffing regards the selection of one of the four different staffing strategies: ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric or regiocentric. 8 Choosing the right strategy generally depends on different influencing factors like the characteristics of the parent company or foreign company, conditions in the host country as well as individual characteristics of the employee. 2. 1. 1 Ethnocentric staffing The ethnocentric approach usually indicates that companies are satisfied and happy with the strategy of the headquarter and they now try to implement their domestic standards also in the host country. 9 Home personnel are educated to lead worldwide. This means that key positions in domestic and foreign operations are held by Parent Country Nationals (PCNs). 2. 1. 2 Polycentric staffing The polycentric orientation stands in direct contrast to the ethnocentric orientation, being more variable and independent. Evaluation and control is determined locally and therefore a high level of autonomy can be found in those subsidiaries. 10 Local personnel, Host Country Nationals (HCNs), are educated to lead locally. 11 2. 1. 3 Geocentric staffing Following the geocentric staffing approach organizations are generally complex and interdependent worldwide like McDonalds or Apple. Universal standards for evaluation and control apply and nationality does not matter in favour of ability. The best talent educated to lead worldwide. 12 This also implicates working with Third Country Nationals (TCNs). 2. 1. 4 Regiocentric staffing The fourth staffing strategy is a mixture of the polycentric and the geocentric approach. Managers are generally selected on the basis of being the best in the region, with international transfers generally being restricted to regions. This kind of strategy has become more and more popular during the last years with many MNCs choosing to organize operations regionally. 13 2. 2 Personnel recruitment General target of personnel recruitment is to find an appropriate candidate for the right job. This process may be either conducted from outside or inside the company. Both ways of recruitment possess of advantages and disadvantages, but these can only be named exactly in a concrete recruitment case. 2. 2. 1 Internal recruitment There are different ways of internal recruitment. Personnel may be transferred or promoted to the job as an example. Another form is an apprenticeship of young people, having the advantage to shape future personnel right from scratch. Employees may also perform an on-the-job training for their future position or responsibility. 14 According to Scherm recruitment for international assignments within the company is mostly done by above-mentioned promotions or relocation of staff from one facility to another. 15 The advantages of internal recruitment are on hand. Companies know their potential expatriate longer, are used to their behaviour, thinking, skills and company as well as product specific knowledge. This reduces the risk of selecting the wrong candidate. According to the Global Relocation Trends Survey 200916, only 11 % of the expatriates expected to go abroad have been newly recruited externally. Due to the high selection risks, internal recruiting dominates. As basis for the recruitment decision performance measurements, personal reports, interviews with the employee as well as career plans are taken into account. 17 2. 2. 2 External recruitment If qualified personnel cannot be found internally, recruitment is done outside the company. This is also the case if the company is not able to qualify their personnel within a set time frame or due to lack of experienced staff. It is most important that companies know the relevant job market if they want to succeed in recruiting employees externally as well as doing this in an economically way. External recruitment can then be divided into two segments, passive and active external recruitment. Whereas active external recruitment means addressing potential candidates through e. g. different institutions, media or by using social networks, passive external recruiting companies set their emphasis on spontaneous, speculative applications of respective candidates or mouth-to-mouth propaganda of their great company image. 18 In case recruitment for an international assignment is done externally the risk for selecting the wrong candidate is often minimized by outsourcing the task to an external consultant or agency as they generally have more experience. 19 Nevertheless, the traditional ways of searching for the right candidate, e. g. simply advertising the vacancies in the local newspapers or online, employment centres or job fairs, are still applicable. Candidates from outside the company may bring in new ideas and may have a wider range of experience due to their former tasks but the selection process might take longer, might require extensive personnel resources and might be more expensive (e. g. advertising and interview process, personnel consulter). 2. 3 Personnel selection For an international assignment to become a great success for both, company and expatriate, selecting the right candidate out of several is one of the most important steps of the whole process. Several selection strategies are used and quite common but failure situations in individual assignment cases are widely spread in MNCs. 20 In order to make sure that the candidate possesses the right characteristics, qualifications, and skills a detailed job description and information about coming management tasks can be very helpful during this process. Unfortunately, these proper specifications are often not available or only give a rough overview of upcoming challenges. 21 2. 3. 1 Selection criteria A first impression about the population of expatriates provides the demographic data study of the Bookfield Global Relocation Trend Surveys. 22 For 2009 it is stated that 75 % of all expatriates have been aged between 30 and 49 whereas 80 % of them have been male. Only 9 % have had prior experience as international expatriates. 27 % have been single and therefore sent without partner and almost half of them have been sent off together with their kids. 23 Usually the HR Manager selects the expatriate according to the following criteria: A specific or subject-related qualification as the expatriate often has no other specialist on site. Personal characteristics like motivation, discipline, patience, endurance, and readiness to take on responsibility. Cultural openness, willingness to learn and experience new things, open-minded, no resistance to change. Family-related criteria The single criteria may overlap to a certain point. In literature different weightings for all of these criteria exist but they all agree to the fact that Family and Cultural openness should be most taken into account. 24 2. 3. 2 Final selection process and instruments Generally, there are no other specific selection processes or criteria used for finding a candidate for an international assignment than the ones used in national context. Among selection process and criteria four are widely known, starting with the general application documents. Job requirements and the matching candidate personal profile decide in first instance who is to be invited to a personal interview. If it is decided to recruit a candidate internally, generally the previous career and the internal development of the employee are taken into account. Often, prior to an invitation to a personal interview, candidates have to successfully take part in an assessment centre focusing more and more on intercultural competences like empathy, cultural understanding, behaviour etc. 25 It is seen as an advantage of the external assessment of intercultural competence in intercultural assessment centres that the requirement regarding the behaviour and orientation are high and the candidates will be evaluated by several observers over a longer period. 26 In addition to this, personal interviews, together with wife or husband of the respective expatriate are increasing as it is important that they support and understand situation and coming tasks. They can help the expatriate to stay grounded and sometimes they even move with the expatriate to the new country. Last, tests can be used as a selection technique ranging from general mental ability tests to psychological tests. Finally, neither in literature nor in practice a general opinion which of the above mentioned selection processes and criteria are most appropriate or useful in regards to international assignments or the identification of intercultural competent employees exist. 27 3. Contractual conditions of the employment abroad 3. 1 Objectives of a contract No matter if a company operates nationally or internationally, the contract of an employee should be compliant with labour law standards, offer transparency and motivate staff in order to decrease fluctuation. Further, it should provide the legal and financial frame work of the working relation and last but not least should be economical and cost effective for the company. Protection of human life, health, and comfort by creating a strong and cohesive culture as well as safe working environment should been given highest priority and objective of contracts. 3. 2 Compensation Depending on the international orientation of the company as well as kind and duration of the international assignment there are three different compensation policies which can be differentiated, following below. 3. 2. 1 Ethnocentric compensation policy The Ethnocentric compensation policy is often used in combination with the Balance Sheet Approach: During a short-term assignment (delegation, 1 to 5 years)28, the employee retains his residence in the home country. His family usually stays back there, as moving those with the expatriate would exceed costs. The salary is paid by the parent company in the currency of the country of origin and charges can be passed on to the foreign company if applicable. The employee remains employee of the parent company and retains his employment contract. A supplementary agreement to this contract is set up for all specialties such as tasks, duration, home flights, remuneration vacation etc. 29 About 60 % of German companies are using this compensation policy for their assignments. 30 Advantages are on hand: The expatriate can maintain home country living standards and generally receives a surplus for the additional future challenges and efforts. Therefore, this approach is accepted by most employees. Disadvantages for the company are sometimes massive compensation differences within a country e. g. the salary of a PCN might be considerably higher as that of a HCN. This fact might de-motivate local employees. Furthermore, the ethnocentric compensation policy is complex in administration. 31 3. 2. 2 Regiocentric compensation policy The Regiocentric compensation policy is often used in combination with the Going Rate Approach: During long-term assignment (relocation, 1 to 5 years)32 compensation is based on the Host Country. As the term ‘relocation’ already says, the employee gets directly involved in the foreign company. Usually, the family moves with the expatriate to the hospitable country and the salary is paid in the local currency directly by the foreign company. However, there are ways to still pay out a part of the salary in the currency of the home country, if desired. The existing contract with the parent company is brought to rest. The employment relationship however is not cancelled just like during military service or parental leave. At the termination of employment abroad the contractual ties between employee and parent company come back to life again. 33 Currently, approximately 11 % of German companies are using this compensation policy for their assignments. 34 Advantages are quite obvious: As the salary of the expatriates is linked to the salary structure of the host country salaries might be less costly in low-wage countries. Further the approach encourages equality between locals and expatriates and the identification with the host country. Due to an expected change in the living standards as well as huge variation between the expatriates’ salaries in different countries this approach is often very low accepted by expatriates. 35 3. 2. 3 Global compensation policy The global compensation policy neither considers the standards of the parent country nor those of the host country. Compensation is set globally and independently from other countries. This approach should provide the basis for an international remuneration policy. It should fit into corporate identity and should give international expatriates of MNC the opportunity to gain international experiences on the same level, offering transparency and the same salaries worldwide. Although corporate guidelines for a compensation policy often exist, they can hardly be found in the above described pure form but are being mixed up as due to costs and laws in the host countries compensation policies often require adjustment. 36 4. Preparation and support In order to make the international assignment a huge success for both the candidate and the company there are several measures which can be taken to prepare and support the expatriate. Support is an on-going process and done by superiors, responsible persons or agencies. It does only end after repatriation whereas the preparation phase should start directly after recruitment and ends with the expatriate departing. According to Festing, training and support have to take the process of cultural adjustment into account, and can therefore be divided into the phases described below37. 4. 1 â€Å"Pre-Departure† Training Preparation and training can help to improve the ability to interact effectively and adequately with foreigners in working and non-working environments38. An ideal pre-departure preparation is therefore quite necessary. This preparation should enhance knowledge about cultural, political, legal, economic, and social conditions of the host country and provides the expatriate with all general information. If the expatriate is not fluent in the host country language, foreign language instructions and trainings should be offered. Other practices of pre-departure training include look-and-see-trips, orientation by lectures and briefings, cross-cultural trainings in order to understand why foreign partners think and behave in different ways as well as briefings by returnees who can give the expatriate valuable and important insider information. These pre-departure trainings should be extended to the expatriates’ family wherever possible and necessary. 39 4. 2 â€Å"Start-upâ€Å" Training After departure of the expatriate, the start-up training in the host country begins. The parent company helps the expatriate and his or her family in different forms (coping with the adaptation to a foreign environment, accommodation, school for children, safeguarding the interests of the expatriate in the parent company etc. ) and continues to be present. The intensity of the support varies depending on the resources and systems the different MNCs have implemented. A mentor system is most common and should ensure that each expatriate has been assigned a senior executive at home or on-site, who has a â€Å"parent† function. 40 Furthermore, a detailed employee orientation plan for the new position in the host country can be helpful for the expatriate to find his or her way around. The continuous and direct contact to the headquarter during this stage is crucial as the expatriates should still feel connected to the company and not be left behind. Often expatriates continue to learn the language of the new country in local courses, receive specific further trainings or coaching either by experts from the parent company or by local trainers. 4. 3 â€Å"Cultural shock preventionâ€Å" Training As adoption of new thoughts and behaviours of a new culture and situation requires more time than any cross-cultural training program can offer the expatriate in advance during this stage the expatriate requires extensive support. As expatriates tend to see everything more from a touristic point of view first, they finally arrive in the host country. They easily get frustrated or disappointed by a variety of things (language barriers, behavioural differences, climate etc. ) during this stage and the experience of unpredictability in combination with the feeling of abandonment and isolation possibly comes over the expatriate and his or her family. Helpful during this stage is the assigned mentor. The expatriate can talk with the mentor about his or her feelings and share information and experience. An information exchange with other expatriates is also advantageous as they often understand problems, feelings, and thoughts better as the mentor. If the expatriate is accompanied by his or her family and the spouse does not work during the international assignment, cultural adaptation difficulties are quite more problematic and more intense than the expatriates’. 41 5. Repatriation 5. 1 Reintegration Generals â€Å"When the expatriate is sent abroad he expects the new, unknown situation and the problems involved. But when he returns to his home country, he encounters it completely unexpected†42. This statement of Adler still describes the situation an expatriate often has to face when returning to the home country very well. They have left with a special task or order to complete but when they return they often do not exactly know how their position in the headquarter and their life will look like. Further problems are often connected to the duration of the assignment, the expatriates personal experiences made in the host country, cultural differences on-site and abroad, the expatriates personal situation as well as the repatriation support. 43 Therefore, it is hard to find a general recipe for successful reintegration planning. Individual solutions have to be found and every international assignment and expatriate has to be looked after individually. â€Å"The repatriation of staff into the parent company already starts with the selection and preparation decisions for the foreign assignment. The reintegration does not end with the return to the parent company and is not completed until the staff has been introduced to its new position in the company’s headquarters, performs effectively and feels comfortable with his job†44. In order for the expatriate to reintegrate successfully and not to quit the company after the assignment and a consequent loss for the mother company of investment and expertise (human capital), the reintegration process should be divided into the three stages following below. 5. 2 Before expatriation Already before the international assignment has taken place it should be discussed with the expatriate what he or she expects of a future position, how the expatriate would like to develop, how the expatriate sees the future career as well as tasks. This is often done by the mentor of the expatriate for the international assignment. As the expatriation program is very expensive and time consuming for a company, failure rate or the possibility of the expatriate leaving the company after the assignment should be eliminated. Generally, an employee, who is willing to work and live for probably years in a foreign country, with all personal consequences, should be integrated into an internal performance program, right at the beginning of the assignment. Setting up an agreement outlining the type of position expatriates will be placed in upon repatriation, the compensation and a general idea of their future job description should be arranged prior to going abroad. 45 Another possibility to limit reintegration problems is the idea to limit the assignment in its duration in advance to about 3-5 years. This limitation should prevent the expatriate from getting too attached to the way of living, behaviour, values, and culture of the host country and facilitate repatriation upon return. 46 It is seen as advantageous that the expatriate is able to foresee a concrete end to the assignment. 47 5. 3 During expatriation During the assignment, it is important that the expatriate has continuous contact and an on-going information exchange with the home office. This can be done by the mentoring program itself, regular home flights, company newsletters, information exchange platforms, and media like intranet or weekly telephone conferences with superiors and colleagues. 48 The expatriate should feel as a part of the company and should also be able to develop a worldwide network, learn to think global, and actively exchange information, knowledge and experience with other colleagues and expatriates. There should never come up the feeling to be forgotten or left behind. 5. 4 After expatriation As indicated by Johnston, from the repatriate’s perspective problems associated with reintegrating into the home country are loss of status, loss of autonomy, loss of career direction, and a feeling that the company undervalues international experience. 49 In order to avoid these problems, most MNCs offer a reorientation program where their repatriates take part in. These reorientation programs can provide immediate help in most of the work-related questions arising after expatriation. The repatriate is given information on new products, organizational changes, personnel, corporate culture, market and new strategies and developments. Sometimes also an experience exchange with former expatriates takes place in order to facilitate reintegration and manage the reverse culture shock as well as sudden change in lifestyle. The former expatriates can help the repatriates to cope with their new experiences as they have been mainly through the same. Additionally, repatriates are often used to train and coach colleagues that are about to begin their assignments to share their experience and give the expatriate the perception that their work and international expertise is valued, recognized, and needed. This should avoid professional disappointment and under-utilization of newly developed global skills of the expatriates. The new position of the repatriate should fit to newly developed skills and experience or the former position should be extended but not restricted to nine-to-five work. Career deficits upon returning should be compensated by HR training methods. Social repatriation measures also include support in the adjustment back to social lifestyle, status, housing, financial counselling, and tax assistance, school systems and children’s education as well as spouses new job search, if applicable. 50 6. Conclusion 6. 1 Target achievement â€Å"Expatriation is an important step towards becoming a global leader†51. Furthermore, an international assignment is a powerful experience in shaping the perspective and capabilities of effective global leaders. People are the key to success; they are the ones behind the strategy. Developing and retaining human capital becomes more and more important nowadays. â€Å"During expatriation, managers find the opportunity to acquire and/or master their coping, cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, networking, and coaching skills. They also develop business, technical, and managerial competencies while overseas, where they have to adapt to a variety of roles such as integrator, balancer, change agent, mentor/motivator, and talent developer. If international assignments are important to global leadership development, then this opportunity should be given early in a manager’s life†52. Additionally to give mangers and/or employees the opportunity to international assignments they have to be prepared and supported to become successful. This term paper points out that cross-cultural training, support, preparation, and repatriation training can make a difference in the history of successes of international assignments of MNCs, although it is mainly underestimated. Employees are hired everywhere in the world, wherever the necessary skills, training and experience can be found. Due to time pressure, employees are often sent to foreign countries on very short notice. Furthermore, there is still a prevalent belief that intercultural knowledge and skills are not really essential to success when collaboration with foreigners. In addition to this ignorance, there are doubts about the training effectiveness. Managers are frequently not convinced that cross-cultural training is really an effective means for gaining control of the complex issues of international cooperation. These facts make it somehow quite difficult to progress in the international assignment process. 53 6. 2 Prospects Today, an international assignment is more than only vacation abroad. The learning-by-doing approach had become outdated. In order to keep up with internationalization, companies should focus on developing global leaders and therefore structure their IHRM process quite well. This includes a strategic expatriation and repatriation policy as losing repatriates to the competition will sooner or later create a huge competitive risk and already costs the company quite a lot of money. In order to progress and ameliorate the international assignment process however, companies have to conduct further research in some fields. This starts with selecting the right candidate for the job. How does the job look like in detail and which requirements are set? How long should the assignment exactly take and what are the specific goals? A concrete job description is one step forward to a structured IHRM process. If the expatriate e. g. is accompanied by the spouse, which possibilities does the company have to find an adequate job for both in the same region (dual career couples)? If it would be possible to enhance satisfaction of the spouse of the expatriate, this might also reduce the risk of failure of the assignment. The same question is to be asked upon their return. Furthermore, research is also needed with regard to the question of how the allocation of the position the expatriate will receive upon return can be planned and implemented in the long run. The expatriate should have the impression that career planning is well structured and thought-out. Another question could be how expatriates are able to successfully pass on their knowledge generated abroad, in their home company. Organisational learning should be most important as otherwise the expensive purchased knowledge is lost and worthless. The above named questions are only several which could arise during each company’s individual research and amelioration process. List of references Adler, N. J. (1986): International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, Boston 1986 Armstrong, M. (2003): A handbook of human resource management practice, 9th edition, Kogan Page Limited, London 2003 Bergemann, N. , Sourisseaux, A. L. (2003): Internationale Personalauswahl, in: Interkulturelles Management, pp. 181-235, Berlin, Heidelberg 2003 Black, J. S. , Mendenhall, M. (1990): Cross-cultural training effectiveness: A review and a theoretical framework for future research, in: Academy of Management Review 1990, 15. Jg. , Nr. 1, pp. 113-136 Brynningsen, G. (2009): Managing Expatriates on International Assignments, Otago Management Graduate Review 2009, 7. Jg. , pp. 1-17 Caligiuri, P. , Lazarova, M. (2001): Strategic repatriation policies to enhance global leadership in: M. Mendenhall, T. Kuhlmann and G. Stahl (Hrsg. ): Developing global business leaders: Policies, processes, and innovations, Westport 2001, pp. 243-256 Collings, D. G. , Scullion, H. (2004): Approaches to international staf? ng, Global staffing, New York 2004 De Cieri, H. , Dowling, P. J. (2006): Strategic international human resource management in multinational enterprises: Developments and directions, in: Stahl, G. K. , Bjorkmann, I. (Hrsg. ): Handbook of research in international human resource management, Glos (UK) 2006, pp. 15-35 Deshpande, S. P. , Viswesvaran, C. (1992): Is cross-cultural training of expatriate managers effective: A meta analysis, in: International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 1992, 16. Jg. , Nr. 3, pp. 295-310 Dowling, P. , Weber, W. , Engle, A. D. (2010): Internationales Personalmanagement, Berlin 2010 Feldman, D. , Thomas, D. (1992): Career management Issues Facing Expatriates, in: Journal of International Business Studies, 1992, Vol. 23, No. 2, 2nd Qtr. , pp. 271-293 Festing, M. , Dowling, P. J. , Weber, W. , Engle, A. D. (2011): Internationales Personalmanagement, 3. Auflage, Wiesbaden 2011 Gaugler, E. (1989): Repatriierung von Stammhausdelegierten, in: Macharzina, K. , Welge, M. K. (Hrsg): in: Handworterbuch: Export und internationale Unternehmung, Stuttgart 1989, Sp. 1937-1951 Gregersen, H. B. , Mendenhall, M. E. , Stroh, L. K. (1999): Globalizing people through international assignments, New Jersey 1999 Harvey, M. , Novicevic, M. (2006): The evolution from repatriation of managers in MNEs to ‘patriation’ in global organizations, in: Stahl, G. K. , Bjorkmann, I. (Hrsg. ): Handbook of research in international human resource management, Glos (UK) 2006, pp. 323-346 Harvey, M. , Moeller, M. (2009): Expatriate mangers: A historical review, in: International Journal of management reviews, 2009, 11. Jg. , Nr. 3, pp. 275-296 Hays, R. D. (1974): Expatriate selection: Insuring success and avoiding failure, in: Journal of International Business Studies, 1974, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 25-37 Johnston, J. (1991): An Empirical Study of Repatriation of Managers in UK Multinationals, in: Human Resource Management Journal, 1991, 1. Jg. , Nr. 4, pp. 102-109 Kealey, D. J. , Protheroe, D. R. (1996): The effectiveness of cross-cultural training for expatriates: An assessment of the literature on the issue, in: International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 1996, 20. Jg. , Nr. 2, pp. 141-165 Kuhlmann, T. M. , Stahl, G. K. (1998): Diagnose interkultureller Kompetenz und Examinierung eines Assessment Centers, in: Barmeyer, C. I. , Bolten, J. (Hrsg. ): Interkulturelle Personalorganisation, Berlin 1998 Mendenhall, M. E. , Kuhlmann, T. M. , Stahl, G. K. (Eds. ). (2001): Developing global business leaders: Policies, processes, and innovations, Porthsmouth 2001 Mendenhall, M. E. , Kuhlmann, T. M. , Stahl, G. K. , Osland, J. S. (2002): Employee Devopment and Expatriate Assignments, in: Gannon, M. J. , Newman, K. L. (Hrsg. ): The Blackwell handbook of cross-cultural management, Oxford 2002, pp. 155-183 Mertesacker, M. (2010): Die Interkulturelle Kompetenz im Internationalen Human Resource Management: Eine konfirmatorische Evaluation, Lohmar 2010 Pellico, M. T. , Stroh, L. K. (1997): Spousal assistance programs: An integral component of the international assignment, in: Aycam, Z. (Hrsg. ): New approaches to employee management, Expatriate Management: Theory and research, Vol. 4, Philadelphia 1997, pp. 227-243 Peltonen, T. , Ladwig, D. (2005): Repatriierung und Identitatsbildung: Eine neue Betrachtungsweise der Reintegration nach einem Auslandseinsatz, in: Stahl, G. K. , Mayrhofer, W. , Kuhlmann, T. M. (Hrsg. ): Internationales Personalmanagement, neue Aufgaben, neue Losungen, Munchen und Mering 2005, pp. 325-346 Scherm, E. (1999): Internationales Personalmanagement, 2. Auflage, Munchen 1999 Scherm, E. , Su? , S. (2009): Internationales Management III, Personal und Controlling, 2. Auflage, Hagen 2009 Scherm, E. , Su? , S. (2011): Personalmanagement, Munchen 2011 Solomon, C. (1995): Repatriation, Up, Down, or Out? â€Å", in: Personnel Journal, 1995, Vol. 74, No. 1, p. 28 Stahl, G. K. , Miller, E. L. , Tung, R. L. (2002): Toward the boundaryless career: a closer look at the expatriate career concept and the perceived implications of an international assignment, in: Journal of World Business, 2002, 37. Jg. , Nr. 3, pp. 216-227 Trends Survey 2009: Toronto et al. : Brookfield Global Relocation Services Wagner, D. , Zander, E. , Hauke, C. (1992): Handbuch der Personalleitung: Funktionen und Konzeptionen der Personalarbeit im Unternehmen, Munchen 1992 Weber, W. , Festing, M. , Dowling, P. , Schuler, R. (2001): Internationales Personal-Management, 2. Auflage, Wiesbaden 2001 Declaration in lieu of oath I hereby declare that I produced the submitted paper with no assistance from any other party and without the use of any unauthorized aids and, in particular, that I have marked as quotations all passages, which are reproduced verbatim or nearby-verbatim from publications. Also, I declare that the submitted print version of this term paper is identical with its digital version. Further, I declare that this term paper has never been submitted before to any other examination board in either its present form or in any other similar version. I herewith agree that this term paper may be published. I herewith consent that this term paper may be uploaded to the server of external contractors for the purpose of submitting it to the contractors’ plagiarism detection systems. Uploading this term paper for the purpose of submitting it to plagiarism detection systems is not a form of publication.

Bad Choices Essay -- essays research papers

Bad Choices Choices, everyone goes through them sometimes you make good ones and sometimes you make bad ones. In my case I’ve mad a lot of bad choices in my Junior year of High School. I’ve learned the hard way about making bad choices, lying, and being disrespectful to my family. In some ways I think learning the hard way was good for me, otherwise I might not have learned at all. After being in trouble and experiencing the worst of my past high school years, I have new motivation to get everything straight with my life. August 28th was the first day I decided to stay home from school and the start of my long and dreadful skipping school experience. I had no logical reason for not going to school, I just didn’t care at the time and needed a reality check. After the first couple days of not going to school it became a â€Å"I don’t care† and â€Å"One more day wont hurt† mentality. I was ditching 2 to 3 days a week in the beginning of the third week of school. On October the first I skipped school once again and surprisingly my mom showed up unexpectedly at home and got a notice from the school about my excessive absences at school. My mom was outraged and disappointed. When I got home, choked up embarrassed and feeling so stupid, I had to look into my moms eyes and tell her that I hadn’t been going to school and that I had lied to her about my grades and absences. I didn’t have a explanation for my mom or a excuse I told her straight out that I had no reason to and that she didn’...

Strategic Planning in the Airline Industry

Airline Planning Strategic Planning in the Airline Industry a two-day Seminar The Challenge Rapid and intense change in today’s business climate reshapes the fundamental approach to strategic decision-making. New thinking for ways to face the two vital strategy issues – where will the airline be in the future and how to get there – must emerge so that a modern air carrier can leverage its strength and capitalize on opportunities. Creating innovative strategies for the new business paradigm marks a proactive approach to the challenges in the volatile, yet exciting, airline business.Airlines that embrace a dynamic outlook for strategic planning are positioned favorably to prosper financially and operationally in face of uncertainties and complexities in this business. The strategic plan and its components influence every aspect of running a commercial air carrier. As such, it is critical to devise effective strategies and execute them efficiently. Organizational un its depend on clear understanding of the strategic issues so that they can plan accordingly and carry out the responsibilities created by the strategic plan.Strategic planning brings about an opportunity to examine carefully ways that the airline is conducting its business, and finding new methods to do a better job. Designing and delivering the airline’s services in today’s demanding marketplace requires sophisticated coordination between business units of the airline. Strategic planning serves as a mechanism to create a framework for integrating various contributions to deliver the airline’s offerings. Strategy-based planning addresses both the resource allocation and organization structural issues.Developing a business model for the airline based on a strategic analysis of opportunities and requirements form a platform for planning resources going forward. It also responds to: †¢ †¢ †¢ limitations in utilizing resources uncertainties of the fut ure dynamics of the airline business Business Requirements Strategic Management Strategic management is a disciplined yet adaptive endeavor to chart the future of the airline and align the activities of all business units in that direction.This attempt must be flexible, not rigid, so that the roadmap that it creates can be applied in building sensible operating and tactical plans that can incorporate new realities as the future unfolds. The strategy-savvy airlines reap the rewards of performing better while avoiding the detrimental effects of unstructured, undisciplined response to strategic challenges. Over time, only the airlines will survive that can master designing an advanced yet pragmatic strategic planning process.Such a process must encompass all significant considerations for constructing a blueprint of actions and allocating resources for properly executing those actions. CA Advisors 1250 Aviation Avenue Suite 200M San Jose, California 95110 USA Tel: 408-295-7730 Fax: 408 -280-5700 www. ca-advisors. com Gesellschaft fuer Markt und Strategieberatung Sonnenberger Strasse 52 65193 Wiesbaden GERMANY Tel: 0611-37577-39 Fax: 0611-37577-40 www. gms-beratung. com What is the airline trying to achieve? How is the airline going to achieve it? Objectives Strategy Strategic Analyses StructureHow will the airline organize its resources? Business Model Policies What are the operating rules and boundaries? Strategy-based Planning Structured Approach to Strategic Planning Seminar agenda†¦ Day One †¢ Introduction – strategic management perspective – structured approach to strategic planning Day Two †¢ Planning Optimization – allocating resources – developing prioritization †¢ Airline Business – unique features – models and economics †¢ Financial Planning – investment analysis – financing methods †¢ Strategy Development – practical considerations – innovative approaches †¢ Asset Valuation Real Options methodology – managing uncertainties †¢ Strategic Planning Process – components and requirements – execution and evaluation †¢ Integrated Strategic Management – thriving financially – performing operationally Who should attend†¦ This seminar delivers methods and tools for creating innovative strategies and executing strategic plans at both the corporate level and organizational units. Lessons learned can be quickly applied, facilitating the complex process of strategic decision-making. Airline corporate development and strategic planning executives, managers, and analysts directly profit from this seminar.Those responsible for long-range planning of various functional areas, business development, fleet planning, product and service development, corporate finance, treasury and financing, financial and investment analysis, financial planning and budgeting who directly face the challenges in strateg ic planning are the primary audience. Others in scheduling, marketing, and operations, who are impacted by strategic plans, are also encouraged to attend so that they can benefit from understanding the difficult and complex process of developing strategies and implementing strategic decisions that significantly impact the airline.Benefit from experienced leaders†¦ Two experts who combine extensive experience in strategic planning, airline strategies, and market development with knowledge of advanced quantitative planning and management science techniques will present the seminar. Jahan Alamzad Email: jahan. [email  protected] com Jahan Alamzad is president of CA Advisors. He has served as advisor to Applied Decision Analysis (ADA), a unit of Standard & Poor’s Corporate Value Consulting, where he was previously the director of airline practice. (ADA was a wholly owned subsidiary of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC between 1998 and 2001. ) Mr.Alamzad has been a management cons ultant in the airline and aerospace industries for the past seventeen years. Before his consulting career, he worked at American Airlines and United Airlines. Mr. Alamzad holds a masters in operations research from Stanford University, as well as a masters in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Southern California, and bachelors degrees in civil engineering and electrical engineering from the University of Illinois. He has served on the faculty of the Department of Aviation at San Jose State University, and has collaborated in publishing a textbook entitled Airline Management.Maciej Mazurowicz Email: maciej. [email  protected] de Maciej Mazurowicz is managing partner of Gesellschaft fuer Markt- und Strategieberatung (GMS). Prior to GMS, Mr. Mazurowicz worked at Lufthansa German Airlines in different strategic management positions. At Lufthansa Consulting, he managed a variety of business development projects for airlines worldwide. Mr. Mazurowicz holds a Mast er of Business Administration and bachelors in business from the University of Kiel. His publications include articles on behalf of the German Ministry of Economics concerning product development and management of innovations.About CA Advisors†¦ www. ca-advisors. com CA Advisors is a management consulting firm dedicated to providing state-of-the-art analytical services. By applying powerful and practical tools, the firm helps its client understand their business positions and improve their strategic and operational decisions. To ensure the success of its work, the firm is committed to collaborating closely with its clients, communicating clearly about its approach, and delivering valuable results that are logically sound. For many years, the work of CA Advisors rofessionals has spanned a wide range of projects. The firm has a focused and dedicated practice in the airline industry, with a breath of expertise in aerospace and aviation. The experience of the firm’s professi onals extends from traditional applications in logistics and resource allocation to more innovative applications in strategic planning. GMS is a management consulting company supporting clients in strategic planning and business development. GMS focuses in planning, marketing and sales, and assists clients in developing and implementing business strategies.GMS experts facilitate the evaluation of the business environment, forecast and analysis of market scenarios, and development of organizational structures by applying a wide range of state-of-the-art analytical tools and business methods, resulting in optimized financial and operational performance of clients. GMS ensures efficient project realization through a network of cooperation partners – from complete IT solutions up to personnel training. About GMS†¦ www. gms-beratung. de

The Legal Driving Age Should Not Be Raised - 1738 Words

Recently, people have started to become doubtful about the legal driving age being sixteen. They believe that teenagers are immature, childish, indecisive and underdeveloped. People feel that the driving age should be raised to twenty-one so that the society is safer and has more responsible drivers. These people are wrong because teenagers are not as irresponsible as they think. Teenagers need a chance to change others view on them as drivers and become more independent. After turning a certain age, youth do not depend on parents as much anymore and become more independent and self-reliant. Most also believe that teenagers are the cause of many deaths and injuries because of their habit of drinking and driving. Teenagers are not the age group that drink and drive the most. This has been thought to be true for so many years creating false stereotypes about teenagers. It is better to have adolescents learn how to drive so that they are used to driving by the time they are in their twe nties and their mistakes are rare, The legal driving age in Canada should not be raised from sixteen to twenty-one giving teenagers a chance to prove their maturity and capability. After turning a certain age, teenagers do not depend on parents anymore. Many of the youth in Canada have jobs to pay for the fee of their post-secondary schools. They realise that their parents’ savings will not be enough and take matters into their own hands by earning money also. Other teenagers have jobs thatShow MoreRelatedShould the Legal Driving Age Be Raised? Essay526 Words   |  3 PagesThe big debate as to whether the legal driving age should be raised to eighteen is an ongoing issue. There are both arguments for and against this matter. Younger drivers, as well as old ones, can cause many life-threatening accidents; therefore, raising the minimum driving age could significantly reduce the number of accidents. The accident rates can be lowered considerably if the legal driving age is bumped up to eighteen. This would mean that no more kids could get hurt or worse, killed in a carRead MoreLowering the Legal Drinking Age to 18 Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesLowering the Legal Drinking Age to 18 Sarah, an eighteen-year-old college freshman, walks into a convenience store and moves timidly to the back, hoping that no one she knows will see her. Opening the refrigerator door, she pulls out a chilled case of Coors Light. Sarah nervously approaches the cashier, with her fake ID ready to be shown, and places the case of beer on the counter. Upon first sight, the cashier assumes that Sarah is not of legal age to buy beer, because she is petite and looksRead More The Drinking Age Should NOT Be Lowered Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pageslowering the minimum legal drinking age. Choose Responsibility, a group founded by John McCardell, proposes that upon completion of a 40 hour course to educate young people about alcohol, 18, 19, and 20 year old people should be licensed to drink. The Amethyst Initiative, part of Choose Responsibility, is a petition to Congress to rethink the minimum legal drinking age. Several college leaders have signed this petition in the belief that lowering t he minimum legal drinking age will reduce binge drinkingRead MoreEssay about Keeping the Drinking Age at 211662 Words   |  7 Pagesthe legal age limit of when teens should be able to drink. Having it lowered is controversial because according to prior experiences, data shows that younger age drinking is well known for its fatalities. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), on one of the most popular prom nights in 1999, as many as 62 percent of the traffic deaths were alcohol-related (). The most important question is whether or not the drinking age anywhere in the United States should be lowered, raised or ifRead MoreEconomics Intervention and Externalities Essay example939 Words   |  4 Pagesevaluate a measure imposed by the government in order to combat a negative externality. Since the start of January, Netherlands has increased the legal drinking age in the country from 16 years to 18 years (Xuereb). The government simply tried to internalize the externalit ies caused due to drinking, by inflicting a new law that would change the legal drinking age. The government believed that this would be beneficial to the society. The reasons that led to this change were the increased rates of alcoholRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered From The Age Of 21 Essay980 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"adults† cannot even make their own decisions? The drinking age on alcohol is a controversial social and cultural issue in today’s society; all fifty states have a minimum drinking age of 21. The legal drinking age should be lowered from the age of 21 to 18 allowing young adults to be granted the right to drink in restaurants, bars, at social events, in the comfort of their own home, and so on. If anything, lowering the legal drinking age would have a positive impact on the United Sates economy, becauseRead MoreShould the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered? Essay1439 Words   |  6 Pagespart 174 years has done very little to change people ’s attitudes. The legal drinking age in the USA has been a topic of contention and debate since the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and ushered in the end of prohibition in 1933. (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/prohibition-ends ) ïÆ'ŸAdd to works cited The legal drinking age prohibition in the United States should be lowered from 21 to better align with existing rights and privilegesRead MoreWhen A Person Should Legally Be Considered An Adult1092 Words   |  5 PagesStudent Professor Course Date The question of when a person should legally be considered an adult has remained a contentious debate in both scientific and political circles. Most of the legal bars that have been set are politically inspired, scientific studies in the recent times have shed light to the numerous anomalies that these legal bars of adulthood possess. However, it is common agreement that age is the most convenient parameter in which to measure adulthood and thus makesRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Removed1735 Words   |  7 PagesThe legal drinking age should be removed because it teaches safe drinking, it removes the taboo around it, and history proves it does not work at 18. Conor Lewis 12-4-15 English 3rd Alcohol. The source of curiosity among young people everywhere. People everywhere, college students, and even some high school students enjoy it. There’s no doubt this nation enjoys alcohol but what about the people who can’t taste it yet? What about those who are considered adults in every way and permitted toRead MoreDo You Really Want to Wait Until You are 18 to Get your Driver ´s License?555 Words   |  3 Pages18 to get your driver’s license? There are some people that think you should wait until your 18 to drive, while on the other hand there are people who think the opposite of that. If the driving age was increased teenagers would not have transportation to their jobs. Parents would have to take their children to their jobs, when it should be the teenager’s responsibility to drive themselves to their jobs. Having the driving age increased would mean less responsibility put onto the shoulders of teens