For use withInternational Human Resource Management 8e, by Peter J. Dowling, Marion Festing, and Allen D. Engle, Sr. 9781473773790 © Cengage Learning Chapter 1 Essay question A core MNE research finding is that MNEs fail primarily because they don’t understand enough about the differences in managing HR in foreign environments. Think of a particular MNE of your choice. Explain the five variables that moderate the differences between domestic and international HRM with an example from the MNE you chose to illustrate each one.Answer guide
The essay has five sections organized about each variable:
1.The cultural environment 2.The industry(ies) within which the MNE is mostly involved 3.Complexity caused by operating in different countries and having employees from different countries 4.Attitudes of senior management 5.How much the MNE relies on the home-country domestic market For full credit, each section should also include a specific example that illustrates it from the chosen MNE.
Outline of typical response:
Consider an international airline company based in country A, an IHRM manager Josephine, and baggage handlers in country C.
1.In non-home country C, there is a more relaxed attitude towards timeliness. Arriving 30 minutes late is considered acceptable. Josephine may need to find additional ways to motivate baggage handlers to deliver baggage in a timely manner.
2.Suppose Josephine is hiring local baggage handlers from country C. Because these handlers come from a culture different from country A’s, she will have to provide more culturally neutral and explicit training than in her home country to meet international travelers’ expectations on the timely arrival of their luggage.
3.Besides attitudes, different countries may have different policies regarding how luggage problems are handled. This complicates Josephine’s training of local baggage handlers because she will have to juggle several policies while trying to adhere to the company’s luggage service standard.
4.Senior management attitudes to the airline’s international operations have a major impact on the airline’s luggage service in other countries, beyond the airline’s formal policies regarding luggage. When airline senior managers travel on the airline, for instance, if they make a point of regularly observing and inquiring about baggage handling operations, local handlers will receive feedback how important their work is to the airline.
5.The more airline A’s revenue comes from its international flights, the more the airline will need to rely on its more diverse and complex IHRM.International Human Resource Management, 8e Peter Dowling, Marion Festing, Allen Engle (Instructor Manual, All Chapters. 100% Original Verified, A+ Grade)
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For use with International Human Resource Management 8e, by Peter J. Dowling, Marion Festing, and Allen D. Engle, Sr. 9781473773790 © Cengage Learning Chapter 2 Essay question You’ve learned about a number of cross-cultural management studies, each with their own take or improvement on dimensions or characteristics of culture. Pick a set from all the studies of five dimensions which you find most relevant to HRM and explain how each of your chosen dimensions would impact human resource management in a foreign culture.
Answer guide (refer to section ‘Value Considerations Across Cultures’) See this chapter’s revision questions for the possible culture dimensions to choose from.
Outline of possible response:
Consider power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism vs. collectivism, assertiveness, and performance orientation. These dimensions impact IHRM in the following manner... Make your own version of Table 2.1, ‘Examples of the impact of the cultural context on HRM practices’ to organize your writing. For each dimension, write how it can positively or negatively affect a chosen range of HR activities such as recruitment & selection, training & development, compensation, and performance management.
power distance uncertainty avoidance individualism vs.collectivism assertiveness performance orientation Recruitment & selection +/-s +/-s +/-s +/-s +/-s Training & development +/-s +/-s +/-s +/-s +/-s Compensation +/-s +/-s +/-s +/-s +/-s Performance management +/-s +/-s +/-s +/-s +/-s
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For use with International Human Resource Management 8e, by Peter J. Dowling, Marion Festing, and Allen D. Engle, Sr. 9781473773790 © Cengage Learning Chapter 3 Essay question Consider a born global meta-national MNE which has just exploded into the world with a viral Facebook game.What roles should its human resource department(s) have with its various units? How locally responsive should this game company be? How could it increase its chances for long-term success?
Answer guide (refer to Chapter 3)
- Give your MNE a name and make up a name for the game, say LF for Learning Fun, Inc., and Word Building
with Friends or WBF as the game. This will make it easier for you and your reader to follow and imagine the actors, behaviors, and scenarios you weave.
- You will want to include as many of the concepts and terms discussed in this chapter as possible.
To be responsive to the fast-changing and evolving game environment and assisted by its relatively small size, LF will depend on socio-cultural focus as its primary control mechanism and use a networked structure to win the three-level meta-national tournament it has jumped into…
- Briefly deconstruct how LF’s run-away WBF game was created and took off and then describe the
conditions that LF will continue to provide to discover, plan, and implement more fun learning games that help their players gain important real-life skills…
- You can use (3) to describe or segue into LF’s company culture. It is important that the culture include
listening and even a strong listening device(s) or method(s) to capture ideas. This way you’ll be able to show a true path to continued, longer-term success.
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For use with International Human Resource Management 8e, by Peter J. Dowling, Marion Festing, and Allen D. Engle, Sr. 9781473773790 © Cengage Learning Chapter 4 Essay question
- Discuss the key points of “global work” in the twenty first century, identifying different types of global
- Discuss the challenges for the future of global work.
workers, their characteristics and importance.
Answer guide (Chapter 4, refer in particular to sections ‘Global Work in the Twenty-First Century’ and ‘Challenges for the Future of Global Work and IHRM’)
- Issues discussed in the context of global work have become more diverse, reflecting developments at
the organizational and societal levels:
• Costly long-term expatriate assignments • Increased labor exchanges between countries • Climate change, conflicts around the world and political nationalism.
The eight types of global workers should be identified:
• Corporate (long-term) expatriates • Short-term assignees • Flexpatriates • Self-initiated expatriates • International business travelers • International commuters • Global virtual team members • Global domestics.
The dimensions that can be used to compare and differentiate these types of workers are cognitive flexibility, physical mobility and non-work disruptions.
- Details on challenges for the future of global work can be found in Figure 4.2:
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