Selecting Expatriate Managers Read the section titled \"Selecting Employees in a

Question

Selecting Expatriate Managers

Read the section titled "Selecting Employees in a Global Labor Market." In this activity, you will analyze the responses of candidates during their interview for an international assignment and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate.

For firms operating in multiple countries, being able to effectively select and manage employees in global markets is a critical human resource management skill. Done correctly, it can even become a source of competitive advantage. Training and development programs are essential for all participating employees, regardless of their country of origin. Culture shock can make an expatriate working away from the home country feel disillusioned and isolated, unless the employee has been well prepared in advance. Once a need for a parent-country national to work in an internationally located operation has been made, selecting the best person for the job is a task that can make or break the assignment.

Read the case below and answer the questions that follow.

Roger's United States-based company is planning on opening a new subsidiary in Brazil. Corporate headquarters has identified three candidates—David, Megan, and Mary Ann—who all have the technical skills necessary to run the new subsidiary successfully. Roger has been asked to interview each candidate to see who would be the most likely to succeed in this role. Read the brief excerpts from Roger's interview with each candidate and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each.

David
"I really think this job could put me on strong financial footing, and I'm excited to be considered for this position just three years after starting here. I don't anticipate any relocation problems, since I've traveled extensively in Europe and I can't imagine Brazil is much different since they speak a European language, even if they are in South America. I'm good with languages and took four years of French in high school. My wife works at the university in town and said that finding a comparable job in Brazil might be a challenge, but I'm sure we can work something out. I've never had any health problems either, just a broken bone or two in my younger days. This will be my first position in a managerial role, but I was on good terms with my last boss so I'll just ask her if any problems come up. I work well with my coworkers, as long as they see eye-to-eye with me. One of my strengths is getting people to come around to my point of view. I don't know exactly what my role will be once I get back home, but I'm sure HQ will figure something out, and if things don't work out here, at least the Brazilian assignment will look good on my resume."

Megan
"International business was one of my undergraduate majors, so I've been hoping to get a chance at an international assignment since I joined the company five years ago. I don't speak Portuguese but I'm fluent in Spanish and studied abroad for a year in Argentina, and so even though there are differences between the languages and cultures, I don't anticipate any problems in that respect. My husband was in the Peace Corps in Africa for four years before we met, so he's used to living abroad and we love to travel. He teaches English as a second language, so finding a job for him in Brazil shouldn't be too difficult either. I consider myself an independent thinker, but my time in Argentina also taught me to be flexible and creative. My only health issue is hypothyroidism, but I've had it under control for a decade, and my doctor has checked to make sure getting medicine in Brazil would not be a problem in the big cities. Our kids are in college, so moving won't be a problem. I've talked extensively with my supervisor, and she thinks this assignment fits in nicely with my progression within the company."

Mary Ann
"My grandfather is Brazilian, but we weren't very close so I never picked up much of the language or culture. Honestly, I've never been much for languages, but English is so universal these days it's never been much of a problem. I'm going through a divorce at the moment, so it'll be nice to have a temporary stop overseas to get a bit of a fresh start for whatever lies ahead. We have two kids in middle school, but we're trying to work out an arrangement. My husband travels all the time for work, so we'll probably have to work out some kind of joint custody arrangement. I have pretty bad asthma, but it isn't a problem as long as stress and air pollution isn't too bad. Apparently, my usual medicine isn't available in Brazil, so hopefully I'll be able to find something else that works. I've been with the company for a little over a decade now, so I know the company philosophy well and am comfortable that my decisions will reflect the company mission. I've always gotten along well with coworkers and consider patience to be one of my strengths."

Who has the best motivation for this expatriate assignment?

Multiple Choice

Megan

Mary Ann

David

Explanation / Answer

The best choice for this assignment is Megan.

Brazilians speak Spanish and Megan is fluent in that language. Language plays an important role when we want to work in a foreign country and having an understanding of the local culture is also very important. Megan has the required skills to manage these problems. She has a family that is supportive and her husband also has the experience of working in a foreign location. Their kids are already in college and they are independent. Megan also studied international business and she is very confident of her skill. She also lived and studied in South America for a year. So she is the best choice.

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