Critically evaluate/analyse the key points for 4 articles - Essay Example

Expatriate Management An organization requires an appropriate choice of expatriate personnel to help in achieving its goals. There are various records of expatriate failure where an expatriate on assignment underperforms and is sent back home. The major causes of expatriate failures have been the inability to adapt to the new physical or cultural environment, family problems, inappropriate selection practices, inadequate preparation and training and the challenges inherent in expatriation (Anderson 2007, p3).

HR should help in hiring and managing expatriates to reduce on expatriate failure. According to Anderson, management tends always choose se competent candidates. However, attributes that lead the to the domestic candidates’ success may not necessarily make them a success internationally. The social and technical calibers of candidates are usually of significance when candidates are being screened for jobs (Huo, Huang & Napier 2002, p.33). This is because the technical aspect enables the HRM department to assess whether a candidate has the potential to handle the challenges of the job.

On the hand, the social caliber helps the HRM department determine whether an individual can interact and mingle with other members of the organization; thus, fitting in the organization’s culture (Huo et al. 2002, p.33). Another research conducted at Telebank also proved that selecting individuals to work in call centers also laid emphasis on social competencies. They HRM department s sought people with exemplary communication skills to work in call centers (Callagan 2002, p. 250). The mail survey of 1,713 Western business expatriates in Hong Kong indicated that a spouse accompaniment did not improve expatriate adjustment to new cultural environment or psychological well-being; thus, ruling out the fact that the spouses were responsible for expatriate failure.

Research from private and nongovernmental sectors indicate that interpersonal skills and domestic circumstances were put in consideration while assigning expatriates though most of the organizations are known to have used technical competence or merit as a selection criterion (Anderson 2007, p6). Other methods used by organizations in expatriate selection include psychological assessment and residential training programs, interviews, work history and performance in previous and current positions, reference checking and qualifications.

Common with international practice, the use of psychological testing is not widespread in the private sector organizations. Several companies have resorted to use technology in Human resource practices such as personnel screening and selection. The good thing with the use of technology is that it saves cost of money and time. Another advantage is globalization of the economy and labor market. In this way, an organization can obtain bright employees regardless of the geographical setting. It also helps reduce biasness in the selection basing on issues such as race, age and weight due to use of standardized HR system.

Studies also revealed that fresh graduates from schools had better chances of being employed compared to those who had acquired experience in the industry (Huo et al. 2002, p. 41). In conclusion, a person’s ability to perform technical requirement of the job is mostly used in different countries similarly to a personal interview in hiring expatriates. The human resource manager though ought to be sensitive to the different types of cultures in order to enhance globalization of the organization in terms of expatriate management (Chapman and Webster 2003).

Bibliography Barbara, AA 2005, Expatriate selection: good management or good luck? The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(4), 567-583 Chapman, DS 1999, Expanding the search for talent: Adopting Technology-based strategies for campus recruiting and selection. Journal of Cooperative Education, 34, 35–41. Callagan, G 2002, We Recruit Atittude: The Selection and Shaping of Routine Call Center Labour. Journal of Management Studies 39(2), 233-254 Huo, YP, Huang, HP & Napier, NK 2002, Divergence or convergence: A cross-national comparison of personnel selection practices.

Human Resource 42(1), 31–44. .