Our classmates explained the differences between an expatriate assignment and an overseas experience. Expatriates assignments refers to people who go to another country, hired in most cases by transnational companies, in order to work effectively in an international scenario. After a period of working outside of his or her home country, the person might return to his or her country and share with coworkers all the knowledge and the skills acquire in order to improve the company at its domestic market. While overseas experience is more related with young people who go abroad for a prolonged period for several purposes like study, travel or work. An overseas experience begins with the person’s individual decision of going abroad.
There are different kinds of expatriates which are long-term expatriate assignments, short-term expatriate assignment, international commuter, and frequent flyer. Also, there are several strategic reasons for international assignments like professional development, knowledge transfer, fulfillment of scarce skills, control, and coordination.
The main characteristics of an overseas experience are cultural experience as important as work, geographical mobility, curiosity-driven, personal learning agendas, individual is self-supporting, and weak company attachments. There are also several experiences like self-directed experimentation, self-designed apprenticeships, cast off negative past legacies, find occupational industry identity, develop confidence and self-reliance, return with clearer career focus, increased interest in self-employment, and gives to individual the opportunity to find their own learning.
In a nutshell, Expatriates assignments are made to professional and are directed to increase the productivity of the company. While overseas experience is more a personal development that could be useful for the individual in the academic, work and cultural field.
Questions:
Explain one of the causes for expatriate assignment failure and provide 3 recommendations to address it:
One of the big issues regarding expatriate assignments is the family matter. In some cases the person has to leave his or her family behind which results in the early return of the expatriate due to emotional involvements that impede him or her to do their tasks in an appropriate way. In the case that the employee could leave with its family, other problems arouse like that they could not adapt to the new environment. Another important issue concerning expatriate assignments is the inadequate selection criteria, when a manager choose the wrong person to go abroad the feedbacks of the experience could be lose as a results of the insufficient competences of the employee to assimilate the procedures.
The best ways to avoid these situations to happen with an expatriate assignment are:
Managers should develop a proper selection process which allow him/her to identify the different skills need to take advantage of the situation. Taking into account that sends a person overseas is not a cheap procedure, managers should be aware of the selection criteria which permit them to pick the most capable employee.
Make the transfer easier to the employee as well as to the family, meaning by that, having a previous investigation of the host country which let he family know the conditions and life standards of the surroundings. Also, provide them with the basic needs that a family necessitates to adapt to a new environment like house, schools, medical insurance and a good remuneration.
One of the big issues regarding expatriate assignments is the family matter. In some cases the person has to leave his or her family behind which results in the early return of the expatriate due to emotional involvements that impede him or her to do their tasks in an appropriate way. In the case that the employee could leave with its family, other problems arouse like that they could not adapt to the new environment. Another important issue concerning expatriate assignments is the inadequate selection criteria, when a manager choose the wrong person to go abroad the feedbacks of the experience could be lose as a results of the insufficient competences of the employee to assimilate the procedures.
The best ways to avoid these situations to happen with an expatriate assignment are:
Managers should develop a proper selection process which allow him/her to identify the different skills need to take advantage of the situation. Taking into account that sends a person overseas is not a cheap procedure, managers should be aware of the selection criteria which permit them to pick the most capable employee.
Make the transfer easier to the employee as well as to the family, meaning by that, having a previous investigation of the host country which let he family know the conditions and life standards of the surroundings. Also, provide them with the basic needs that a family necessitates to adapt to a new environment like house, schools, medical insurance and a good remuneration.
References
Photo taken from www.krishnanco.com/Stock/Expatriate.jpg, March 14th, 2010
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