3. Types of staffing policy
There are three types of staffing policy:
The Ethnocentric approach:
An ethnocentric staffing policy is one in which
all key management positions are filled by
parent- country nationals.
4. A polycentric staffing policy:
recruits host-country nationals to manage
subsidiaries while parent-country nationals to
occupy key positions at corporate
headquarters.
8. Expatriate selection
Mendenhell and Oddou identified four
dimensions of selection that seems to predict
success in a foreign posting:
1. Self-orientation:
The attributes of this dimension strengthen
the expatriate’s self-esteem, self-confidence,
and mental well-being.
9. Mendenhell and Oddou concluded that such
individuals were able to adapt their interests
in food, sport, and music; had interests
outside the work that could be pursued and
were technically competent.
2. Others orientation:
The attributes of this dimension enhance the
expatriate’s ability to interact effectively with
host-country nationals.
10. Two factors seems to be particularly important
here:
• Relationship development:
refers to the ability to develop long-lasting
friendships with host-country nationals.
• Willingness to communicate:
expatriate’s willingness to use the hostcountry language.
11. 3. Perceptual ability:
This is the ability to understand why the people
of other countries the way they do, that is, the
ability to empathize.
According to Mendenhell and Oddou, well
adjusted expatriates tend to be non judgmental
and non evaluative in interpreting the behavior of
host country nationals and willing to be flexible in
their management style.
12. 4. Cultural toughness:
This dimension refers to the relationship
between the country of assignment and how
well an expatriate adjusts to a particular
posting.
some countries are much tougher posting
than others because their cultures are more
unfamiliar and uncomfortable.
13. Mendenhell and Oddou note that standard
psychological tests can be used to assess the
first three of these dimensions , whereas a
comparison of cultures can give managers a
feeling for the fourth dimension.
14. Training for expatriate managers
Training includes:
Cultural training:
Language training:
Practical training:
All seems to reduce expatriate failure
15. Cultural training:
cultural training seeks to foster an
appreciation for the host country’s culture.
The belief is that understanding a host
country’s culture will help the manager
empathize with the culture.
16. Language training:
English is the language of world business; it is
quite possible to conduct business all over the
world using only English. Notwithstanding the
prevalence of English, however, an exclusive
reliance on English diminishes an expatriate
manager’s ability to interact with host-country
nationals.
18. compensation
The most common approach to expatriate pay is
the balance sheet approach.
According to organisational resources consulting
some 80 percent of the 781 companies it
surveyed in 2002 used this approach.
This approach equalizes purchasing power
across countries so employees can enjoy the
same living standard in their foreign posting
that they enjoyed at home.
19. The components of typical expatriate
compensation package are a base salary, a
foreign service premium, allowances of
various types, tax differentials, and benefits.
Base salary:
An expatriate’s base salary is
normally in the same range as the base salary
for a similar position in the home country. This
will normally paid in either home-country
currency or in the local currency.
20. Foreign service premium:
A foreign service premium is extra pay the
expatriate receives for working outside his or
her country of origin. It is offered as an
inducement to accept foreign postings.
21. Allowances:
four types of allowances are often included
in the expatriate’s compensation package:
1. Hardship allowance
2. Housing allowance
3. Cost of living allowance
4. Education allowance
22. Taxation:
unless a host country has a reciprocal tax
with the expatriate’s home country. The firm
has to pay the tax of host country.
Benefits:
medical and pension benefits will be
allowed as they enjoyed in their home country.
