Description
Discussion question:
“Success as an expatriate employee”
What abilities make a candidate more likely to succeed in an assignment as an expatriate? Which of these abilities do you have? How might a person acquire these abilities?
Assignment 4:
Your new employee is going to be moving overseas! Develop a cultural information paper that will help them understand how to make the transition. (NOTE: You are able to choose any country–please make sure the county of choice is logical for the position.)
Include in this paper:
- a short introduction to the country,
- the local customs,
- what to expect, and
- a list of what is needed to work in the country.
- For example: Certain countries require a work visa. Include the requirements for the work visa.
Include country-specific information needed to live and work in that country such as:
- transportation availability,
- housing costs,
- union influence,
- work week,
- typical vacation time, and
- anything specific to the country we would not experience in the US.
- For example: Some countries the children wear uniforms and go to school all year
This paper should be 6-8 pages.
NOTE: The position moving overseas is the job in your description from Week 3. Find creative ways to incorporate your work from that assignment into this one.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
- Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
- Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
Tips: remember to write your paper as an HR manager with your audience being your employees going abroad. Do not just write a paper with no context – make sure you write it per the scenario above and as an HR manger.
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:
Include in this paper:
- a short introduction to the country,
- the local customs,
- what to expect, and
- a list of what is needed to work in the country. For example: Certain countries require a work visa. Include the requirements for the work visa.
Tips:
1) write about the country by giving a general description of the geographic area, provide brief (two-three sentence) history of the country, and any important cultural, religious, political, conflict, or trade information widely known throughout that country.
2) then write about any local customs from the region you will sending employees – customs can include language, holidays, traditions of the area, celebrated festivals etc.
3) write about the actual experience from what to expect on day 1 though to day-to-day routines, try to be specific here with realistic expectations. You can also write about day-to-day things like local transportation (the bus or metro system) currency needs, where the local grocery store is located, where the nearest in-network clinic or hospital is located, and who to call if anything happens.
4) write about the documents your employees might need, visas, passports, copy of birth certificate, government ID, consulate or Embassy documents, and important contact info from the company.
If any of you have every sent employees abroad all of this likely sounds very familiar.
To help you out, here is a list of things to consider adding to your paper: include country-specific information needed to live and work in that country such as:
- transportation availability,
Tip: cover available transportation options both locally and across the country. Trains, airports, local busses, taxi service and always provide an emergency transportation medium like a phone number employees can call to have a taxi or other transportation means come to them.
- housing costs,
Tip: Cover how housing will be taken care of, for example will there be corporate housing, or will the employee need to find suitable reimbursable housing on their own – sometimes this is a very cost effective strategy for many smaller companies.
- union influence,
Tip: provide union contact info, if any, and also union expectations.
- work week,
Tip: Here cover the day-to-day and week-to-week work flow for employees, include work day schedule if different than 8a-5p – for example in some countries the work day lasts past 5:00pm and in other countries it ends before 5:00pm. Cover when lunch is typically taken and also when breaks, if any, can be taken.
- typical vacation time, and
Tip: here cover vacation expectations especially if it is different than normal – that is, cover if vacation is earned at a different rate – for example if employee will earn vacation hours or credit diffident than normally. Also offer a trusted vacation travel agent phone number in order to facilitate employee’s safety as they might want to travel.
- anything specific to the country we would not experience in the US. For example: Some countries the children wear uniforms and go to school all year
Tip: here try to focus on work customs and laws that might be different than normal in the U.S. Offer a Hotline phone number employee can call with questions regarding work place expectations.
TIp: overall, concentrate on employee safety and expectation as you write this cultural information paper.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running head: DISCUSSION ON SUCCESS OF AN EXPATRIATE EMPLOYEE
1
Discussion on "Success as an expatriate employee."
Name
Institution Affiliation
Date
DISCUSSION ON SUCCESS OF AN EXPATRIATE EMPLOYEE
2
Discussion on "Success as an expatriate employee."
There are various abilities required by expatriates to succeed in their job. It helps
enhance productivity and a positive relationship with people in the host country. An expatriate
needs the ability to make rational decisions to react to different norms, including corrupt
practices (Greppin et al., 2017). Some essential abilities, such as language, are important for
establishing interpersonal relationships with the country's personnel. There is a need for inherent
skills for adaptation to the national cultures, economic, and political elements. For instance, there
is a need to have coping mechanisms to respond to forces like political manipulation in the hiring
(Greppin et al., 2017). Some inherent abilities include patience to understand the dynamic of
operations in the region.
Adventurousness is a crucial ability to overcome inhibitors of success like culture shock
and language barriers. Expatriates must be capable of maintaining responsibility and
accountability for the roles they are sent to undertake. The individual requires explicit knowledge
of the management, technical, and business skills needed to achieve success in a particular
industry. I possess some of the capabilities necessary for success as an expatriate. First I can
maintain healthy relationships with people from different cultures. It is essential to respect
people's cultures are their way of life, no matter how much it is perceived to be ridiculous (Deng
& Gibson, 2008). I am also open-minded, which is vital to learn and acquire interests in new
things.
While some of the abilities needed to succeed as an expatriate are inherent interventions
are essential to acquire others. Before departing to the host country, it is vital to have adequate
preparation for the different experiences to encounter. Coaching is essential and helps achieve
DISCUSSION ON SUCCESS OF AN EXPATRIATE EMPLOYEE
3
important capabilities for success as an expatriate (Abbott et al., 2006). It is important to
understand any language and cultural barriers and make primary efforts for such capabilities.
Gaining proficiency in these capabilities is a long-term process, and hence coaching is only
important for orientation.
DISCUSSION ON SUCCESS OF AN EXPATRIATE EMPLOYEE
4
References
Abbott, G. N., Stening, B. W., Atkins, P. W., & Grant, A. M. (2006). Coaching expatriate
managers for success: Adding value beyond training and mentoring. Asia Pacific Journal
of Human Resources, 44(3), 295-317.
Deng, L., & Gibson, P. (2008). A qualitative evaluation of the role of cultural intelligence in
cross-cultural leadership effectiveness. International journal of leadership studies, 3(2),
181-197.
Greppin, C., Carlsson, B., Wolfberg, A., & Ufere, N. (2017). How expatriates work in dangerous
environments of pervasive corruption. Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of
Expatriate Management Research.
Outline
Assignment 4: A cultural Informational Paper
Thesis Statement: This cultural information outline will help you as an expatriate understand
the key expectation as it includes local customs and day to day experiences.
(I)
Introduction to the Country
(II)
The Local Customs
o Language
o Holidays, Festivals and Traditions
(III)
Expatriate Actual Experience in Kenya
o Currency Needs
o Transportation Availability
o Housing Costs
o Clinic/Hospital
o Emergency Call Centre
o Union Influence
o Work Week
o Typical Vacation
o Other Unique Experiences Different from the US
(IV)
Documents Employees would need
(V)
Final Remarks/ Conclusion
Attached.
Running head: CULTURAL INFORMATION
Assignment 4: cultural Informational
Name
Institution Affiliation
Date
1
2
CULTURAL INFORMATION
Introduction to the Country
Kenya is one of the key developing countries in East Africa. The coun...