This document provides an overview of cross-cultural training. It discusses the role of training in supporting expatriate adjustment and performance. Effective pre-departure training includes cultural awareness, preliminary visits, language skills, and relocation assistance. Training can vary in rigor from short lectures to month-long experiential programs. Components of cross-cultural training include cultural orientation, language training, sensitivity training, and field experience. The document also examines conceptual frameworks for cross-cultural training, including models by Tung, Mendelhall & Oddou, and Black & Mendelhall.

1. CROSS CULTURAL TRAINING
Prof. Preeti Bhaskar
Symbiosis Center For Management Studies,
Noida

2. • Significant Cross cultural training (CCT)
• Types of CCT
• Conceptual Frameworks of CCT
• Different models of CCT
• Developing International Staff

3. Chapter Objectives
• The role of training in supporting expatriate adjustment and on-
assignment performance.
• Components of effective pre-departure training programs such as
cultural awareness, preliminary visits and language skills.
Relocation assistance and training for trainers are also addressed.
• The effectiveness of pre-departure training.
• The developmental aspect of international assignments.
• Training and developing international management teams.
• Trends in international training and development.
We examine these issues:

4. Fundamental difference between
Training and CCT?
Training
• Based on management
• philosophy, the training
• could be organized any
• where and for every one.
Cross Cultural Training
• Based on management
philosophy but highly
concentrate on staffing
• approach:
• Ethnocentric – Parent
country
• Poly centric – Host country
• Geocentric – Best suited
areas
• Re-geocentric – Any where

5. Types of CCT:
• Environmental briefing – geography, climate,
housing, and schools.
• Cultural orientation – cultural institutions, value
systems of the host county.
• Cultural assimilators - inter cultural encounters.
• Language training – communication effectiveness
• Sensitivity training – to develop attitudinal
flexibility.
• Field experience – to make the expatriate
familiarize with the challenges of
• assignment.

6. EXPATRIATE TRAININGEXPATRIATE TRAINING

7. TRAININGTRAINING
• The extent of effort by trainees and trainers required to
prepare the trainees for expatriate positions
LOW RIGOR TRAININGLOW RIGOR TRAININGLOW RIGOR TRAININGLOW RIGOR TRAINING
1. Short time period
2. Lectures
3. Videos on local
culture
4. Briefings on
company
operations
HIGH RIGOR TRAININGHIGH RIGOR TRAININGHIGH RIGOR TRAININGHIGH RIGOR TRAINING
1. Lasts over a month
2. Experiential learning
3. Extensive language
training
4. Often includes
interactions with
host country
nationals

8. Techniques: Fieldtripsto
hostcountry,meetings
withmanagersexperienced
inhostcountry,meetings
withhostcountry
nationals,intensive
languagetraining.
Objectives: Develop
comfortwithhostcountry
nationalculture,business
culture,andsocial
institutions.
High
Training
Rigor

9. Techniques:
Experientiallearning
exercises,roleplaying,
simulations,case
studies,survival
languagetraining.
Objectives: Generaland
specificknowledgeof
hostcountryculture,
reduceethnocentrism.
Mid-
level
Training
Rigor

10. Techniques: Lectures,
videotapes,reading
backgroundmaterial.
Objectives: Provide
backgroundinformationon
hostcountrybusinessand
nationalcultures,basic
informationoncompany
operations.
Low
Training
Rigor

11. To develop and design effective training,
companies must implement a system approach
which includes:
1. Analysis of training needs of target population
2. Establishing training goals
3. Careful training design

12. Analysis of training needs of target population
• Leadership skill
• Initiative
• emotional stability
• Motivation
• Ability to handle responsibility
• Cultural sensitivity
• To handle stress
• Flexibility.

13. Training Goal
The goal of cross cultural training should be to equip the
trainees with knowledge, skills and attitudes which enable
them achieve the following three adjustments and
effectiveness which are indicators of international success:
•Personality adjusted, i.e he / she feels happy and satisfied
with situation abroad.
•Professionally effective if he performs his tasks, duties and
responsibilities on the job completely.
•Inter – personally adjusted and effective if he takes interest in
interacting with locals capably.

14. Design of Training
• First level training to focus on learning about host country’s
culture, language, politics, business, geography, religious
values and history. Through seminars, videos, meetings
with citizens of the country before assignment begins.
• Second level training deals about assignment itself.
Requirements of the position – technical, managerial
knowledge needed company officials can do that before
leaving.
• Third level training deals with preparing him for new job at
new location to be done by whom he is replacing.
• Forth level training – how he / she adjusts and adapts to new
environments, by providing assistance.
• Fifth level training addresses re entry back home and
contact with people at home and visit home during vacation

15. REPATRIATIONREPATRIATION
Career managementFinancial management
Reentry shock
Expatriate Training
PREDEPARTUREPREDEPARTURE
 Stress training
 Business issues
ASSIGNMENTASSIGNMENT
Culture awareness
program
Language skills
Personal and
family orientation
Career planning
Practical Assistance
Language Skills
Local mentoring

16. Pre-departure Phase.
Employees need to receive language training and an
orientation in the new country’s culture and customs.
The family should be included in the orientation.
Expatriates and their families need information about
housing, schools, recreation, shopping, and health care
facilities in the area where they will live.
Experiential training methods are most effective in
assignments that require significant interpersonal interaction
with host nationals.

17. Methods of training
Truly global operations means having a team of international
managers who are available to go anywhere in the world.
•Provide international experience to many levels of managers
•Short-term development assignments ranging from a few months to
several years
•International job rotation
•Attendance at common training and development programs held either
in the parent country, or regional centers, or both
•International meetings in various locations that foster interaction and
personal networks

18. Types of Training and Development
Understanding the culture of host country, enhance effectiveness,
familiarization trip before formal transfer.
Manager’s ability to interact, help build rapport and improve manager’s
effectiveness.
Adjust to day to day life in host country, establish a routine, successful
adaptation, support network of friends
Cultural TrainingCultural Training
Language TrainingLanguage Training
Practical TrainingPractical Training

19. On-site Phase.
Training involves continued orientation to the host
country and its customs and cultures through
formal programs or through a mentoring
relationship.
Expatriates and their families may be paired with a
mentor from the host country who helps them
understand the new, unfamiliar work environment
and community.

20. Repatriation Phase.
Prepares expatriates for return to the parent
company and country from the foreign assignment.
Expatriates and their families are likely to
experience high levels of stress and anxiety when
they return because of the changes that have
occurred since their departure.

21. Developing staff through
International assignments

22. Developing staff through International
assignments
• Management development
– Individuals gain international experience which assists career
progression
– Multinational gains through having a pool of experienced operators on
which to draw
• Organizational development
– Stock of knowledge, skills and abilities
– Global mindset
– Expatriates as agents of direct control and socialization

23. How international teams benefit
the multinational
• Fosters innovation, organizational learning and transfer of
knowledge
• Assists breaking down of functional and national boundaries
• Encourages diverse inputs
• Assists in developing broader perspectives
• Develops shared values

24. Components of Cross Cultural
Training (CCT)
• Preliminary visits
• Language training
• Practical assistance
• Cultural awareness program
• Job related factors
• Cultural knowledge and skills and facilitates expatriates’ adjustment to the host
country’s culture

25. Corporate Headquarter Activities

26. Preliminary Visits
A well-planned overseas trip for the
candidate and spouse provides a preview
that allows them to:
assess their suitability for and interest in the
assignment
introduce expatriate candidates to the
business context in the host location
adjust easier to the host location.
26

27. Language Training
Language training is a desired
component of a pre-departure
program. There are three
interrelated aspects related to
language ability that need to be
recognized.
27
The Role of English as the Language of
World Business
Host-Country Language Skills and
Adjustment
Knowledge of the Corporate Language

28. The Role of English as the
Language of World Business
Exclusive reliance on English diminishes the
multinational’s linguistic capacity. The
resultant lack of language competence has
strategic and operational implications as it
limits the multinational’s ability to monitor
competitors and process important
information. Consider including language
training as a means of better communication
and the avoidance of ethnocentrism.
28

29. Host-Country Language Skills
and Adjustment
The ability to speak a foreign language can
improve the expatriate’s effectiveness and
negotiating ability. Language skills are
important in terms of task performance and
cultural adjustment. Hiring language competent
staff to enlarge the “language pool” from which
potential expatriates may be drawn is one answer
and language training is another.
29

30. Knowledge of the
Corporate Language
When communicating with non-
English speaking segments of the
corporation, the multinational
adopts a common company
language to facilitate reporting
standardization and other control
mechanisms, particularly
normative control. Pre-departure
training programs may need to
include both language of the host
country and the corporate
language.
30

31. Practical Assistance
Pre-departure training
program should provide
information that assists in
relocation. HRM staff can
liaise with the sending line
manager as well as the HR
department in the foreign
location to assist the
family relocate.
31
Where are
we going?
What can
we take?
Do I need a
passport and
visa? How
about work
permits?
How long will it take
us to get there?
Money
exchange?
Where is the office
and where is a good
place to live?

32. Job-Related Factors
There are differences in the way people
approach tasks and problems across different
cultures, and this can have an impact on the
learning process. The ability to transfer
knowledge and skills in a culturally-sensitive
manner perhaps should be an integral part of pre-
departure training programs.
32

33. Conceptual Frameworks of CCT
or Different models of CCT:
1. R. Tung (1981):
2. Mendelhall & Oddou (1987):
3. Black and Mendelhall (1989):

34. R. Tung (1981):

35. Mendelhall & Oddou (1987):

37. Black and Mendelhall (1989):

38. Expatriate career decision points:
D – 1: Occurs during R & S for a specific assignment, where the expatriate
either apply or is informally selected, for an international assignment.
• D- 2: Voluntarily withdrawal or reject the assignment)
• D- 3: Premature Return ( unable to adjust)
• D- 4: Final Exit ( the expatriate may decide to exit the organization.
• D- 5: Re assignment – either can be back into the ‘parent’ organization or
the person may accept another international assignment.
• D-6: Can be relevant at this stage, at the time of ‘ Repatriation’ with exit
organization. ( D = Decision)
However, these decisions points are based upon the issues that
related
• to adjustment with host country culture, work life behaviour / job
performance and finally socio economic problem in family.
• Personal ability and interest to develop international skill for
future growth.