Managing Human Resources in a Global Business

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from the lecture on managing human resources in a global business context, focusing on international HR practices, expatriate management, immigrant integration, and the challenges faced.

What is International Human Resources Management (IHRM)?

refers to the management concepts and techniques used to manage the human resources aspects of international operations, including acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees.

What are expatriates?

employees who are citizens of the country where the parent company is based and are sent to work in another country.

What is a global nomad?

employees who continuously move from country to country on multiple assignments.

List some challenges of employee relocation.

candidate identification, assessment and selection, cost projections, assignment letters, compensation and benefits, and family support.

What are some reasons for expatriate assignment failure?

changing business conditions, family adjustment issues, emotional immaturity, and inability to cope with cultural differences.

What is an ethnocentric staffing policy?

believes in the superiority of home-country managers over host-country managers.

What distinguishes a geocentric staffing policy?

values selecting the best manager regardless of their nationality, emphasizing effective human resource use.

What is offshoring in the context of global staffing?

involves moving business processes abroad, allowing local employees to perform jobs previously done in-house by domestic employees.

What is repatriation?

process of moving expatriates and their families back home from foreign assignments.

What are some barriers to immigrant integration in Canada?

underemployment, lack of Canadian experience, poor transferability of foreign education, and low literacy skills.

What is the role of training for global assignments?

helps create realistic expectations related to cross-cultural adjustment and is crucial for leadership development.

What are hardship allowances?

financial payments made to expatriates to compensate for difficult living and working conditions in certain locations.

Describe a barrier faced by immigrants regarding literacy skills.

Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, and utilize printed and written materials, which is crucial for employment success.

What does the balance sheet approach refer to in expatriate compensation?

equalizes purchasing power across countries to ensure fairness in expatriate pay.

What is the importance of stakeholder involvement in immigrant integration?

must ensure successful talent integration by recognizing challenges and implementing supportive measures.