How do you think a company should manage a situation where their corporate culture is in opposition with the culture of a foreign host country? ...
Please answer each numbered questions ( 2 paragraph minimum) and respond to the 2 post from classmates from each section.
All Responses (to classmates )must be min of 100-150 words
Question 1 .)
Let's talk a moment about an issue that is a bit complicated.
It is hard to imagine an employer in the USA boldly saying "We are not hiring you because you are female - and women belong at home!".
However, there are cultures on the planet where not only is such an utterance the norm, but the idea of a female executive speaking up and making business decisions is deeply offensive - and possibly even against the law and in violation of religious doctrine.
It is hard to imagine an employer in the USA saying "We are hot hiring you because you are gay and should be in jail".
Yet there are places in the world where not only might you hear a comment such as this, but where such utterances are completely normalized in the culture with either religious or legal backing, or both.
Domestic companies right here in the USA sometimes face a unique challenge in doing business overseas in such areas.
If you would, please hop online and do a bit of research. Tell us - how do domestic USA companies handle this quagmire? If one complies with the laws and norms overseas in such situations they obviously run amok of domestic laws, norms and ethics. Additionally - imagine the bad press that could result.
On the other hand if the company complies with the laws and norms of the USA they might not only be offending their host cultures - they maybe acting in violation of that country's laws.
How is this problem best navigated?
1 hour ago
Reply to Melissa Slay
Week 7 Part 1
COLLAPSE
Domestic USA companies need to be very smart in regard to international assignments and the personnel they select for these positions as well as the legal ramifications of their decisions to bypass certain candidates. Safety of employees should be one of the top priorities of MNEs and their aspirations for global expansion. With that understanding strategically placing the right person in the right development is achieved through cultural company and full disclosure on both parties: not only for the career advancement benefits and incentives but also the cultural differences and politics specific to the area as well as hazards. People assessments conducted by upper level leadership and HR departments help to decipher and predict the most culturally aware and unbiased candidates fit for assimilation to certain locations. Fair and objective yet rigorous assessments reveal “an individual’s work-related personality characteristics, ability, and competencies” to assimilate in that country while on assignment. (www.hrone.lu.com) These evaluations are usually determined by the research and development section of HR, in the form of a test or questionnaire with standard objectives that are adjusted through back translation to be specifically tailored to every country and account for the differences in interpretation by that country. “To adequately tackle these kinds of challenges, test items should be written by experts from a broad range of cultural backgrounds and of various nationalities. Subsequently, they need to be tested on reliability and validity across multiple countries.” Back translation can be defined as the procedure in which a translator or team of professional translators interpret a document from its original English language to the target language in a way where the content matches and the meaning remains the same to compare results. “In the event of a conflict with the employee, the host country laws will likely supersede any contract terms, and violations could lead to penalties for the company…” Domestic companies navigate the issues of bias in host countries giving full disclosure to employees regarding international assignments.
https://www.hrone.lu/actualites/4-ways-avoid-cultural-bias-international-people-assessments
https://www.onehourtranslation.com/translation/translation-knowledge-base/concept-back-translation-definition-and-what-it-used
1 day ago
Reply to Emilie Schneider
Schneider
COLLAPSE
US companies that operate overseas face several social norms that they must navigate. These social norms include but are not limited to working conditions and standards, bribery and corruption, gifts and favors, human rights issues, religion, political and legal issues, environmental issues, child labor and workplace diversity and equal opportunity.
For example, there are several Latin American countries where bribery and kickbacks are normal and expected as a normal part of doing business. Here in the United States, bribery can come with serious consequences. Gifts and favors in many Asian countries are expected, while in the United States companies have written policies regarding gifts as it can be considered unethical, (Woodruff, 2019).
To navigate these issues, a company considering a foreign operation must carefully examine the different views on business practices as each country is different. Business practices that are illegal or considered unethical in the United States may be permissible in another country. Before making a commitment, a U.S. domestic company must research to see the social and ethical issues when encountering globalization. Tapping into local and national human resources, looking into the legalities and the pros and cons of working within the country is vital before a company makes a commitment.
References
Woodruff, J. (2019, May 3). Social or Ethical Issues Companies Face in a Foreign Market. Small Business - Chron.com. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/social-ethical-issues-companies-face-foreign-market-48721.html.
Question 2.)
Please tell us -
1) Why are international employment standards so important to IHRM?
2) Can you identify some standards that you think are more important than others? Why do you think these standards are more important?
Reply to Maureen McCarthy
Week 7- Maureen McCarthy
COLLAPSE
International employment standards are important to IHRM because they set a standard code of conduct and protections for employees, regardless of their location. There are many institutions that help develop these employment rights for the good of the employees, including the UN, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and more. Some standards that the ILO has helped to develop that are important are the right to collective bargaining, elimination of forced labor, abolition of child labor, and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation (Tarique, Briscoe, Schuler, 2016). I believe these standards focused on working conditions, living standards, and fair and equitable treatment of workers are the most important standards for employees to have, regardless of their country. Employees should have the right to feel safe at work.
Briscoe, Dennis R., et al. International Human Resource Management: Policies and Practices for Multinational Enterprises. 5th ed., Routledge, 2016.
5 hours ago
Reply to Sarah Arbuckle
Sarah Arbuckle Week 7 part 2
COLLAPSE
International employment standards are very important to IHRM because they lay the foundation of laws and regulations, especially when entering global markets. These standards help keep everyone on the same page so there are no misunderstandings on expectations. Some standards that are most important to consider are those of PTO and pay expectations. PTO and pay expectations vary heavily depending on the country in which you work. It is essential that the country in question is specific in stating their standards/expectations so that employees from different countries are aware of these standards.
Source:
Tarique, Ibraiz; Briscoe, Dennis R.; Schuler, Randall S. International Human Resource Management (Global HRM). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.
Question 3.)
Everyone,
In this discussion of managing culture conflict, I'm not talking about conflict between US culture and the culture of a host country.
Rather, I'm talking about conflict between the culture of an organization and the host country - let's talk about this for a moment:
1) What is corporate culture?
2) How can corporate culture give a company a competitive advantage?
3) How do you think a company should manage a situation where their corporate culture is in opposition with the culture of a foreign host country?
47 minutes ago
Reply to Melissa Slay
Week 7 Part 3
COLLAPSE
“Corporate culture refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards, and beliefs that characterize members of an organization and define its nature. Corporate culture is rooted in an organization's goals, strategies, structure, and approaches to labor, customers, investors, and the greater community.” (www.inc.com)
Corporate culture can give a company a competitive advantage through its diversity and ability to be fluid. Diversity in MNEs allow for fresh eyes and insightful approaches to conduct business through communication, etiquette and organizational hierarchy through prior knowledge and familiarity with a particular countries concepts, mannerisms and cultural practices. Having diversified staff gives the benefit of prior knowledge on how to approach expansion in a particular country, what to expect in preparation: from the people and their needs, he political needs of the country and what resources that country can provide.
I believe that the company needs to strongly evaluate how bad they want the expansion and the pros and cons of assimilation into that country’s culture. For safety sake, if the company must move forward, they will need to make some adjusts to their corporate culture to accommodate that host country. It’s the same concept of adaptability that is used when developing international safety plans and standards, international staff appointments, hiring staff and developing hierarchy globally. Effective communication and compliance is essential to the success of any business venture and the politics of host countries usually trump those of domestic expectations.
https://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/corporate-culture.html#:~:text=Corporate%20culture%20is%20rooted%20in%20an%20organization%27s%20goals%2C,component%20in%20any%20business%27s%20ultimate%20success%20or%20failure.
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23 hours ago
Reply to Angelina Epsaro
Week 7 Discussion
COLLAPSE
Corporate culture is best defined as the employers approach. Every company has its own ways. This comes from corporate so wherever the headquarters is located and helps dictate who employees should interact with and even management. It's the workplaces set standards through socializing, working, and even networking between vendors or outside people.
Corporate culture can give a company advantage because there is a standard way of work. The procedures should all be done the "corporate way." Often times you will hear people say, "such a corporate answer" because it's true. Uniformity is the biggest piece in a corporation.
Regarding a foreign host country, it would be best to meet in the middle. While some norms may not exist there should be a middle ground to satisfy both parties. Especially if it's an outside vendor who is not even employed by the company.
