Exam 15: International Human Resources Management

Women expatriates are thought to succeed in part because they are visible and distinctive.

One of the biggest causes of expatriate failure is a spouse's inability to adjust to his or her new surroundings.

Managers' attitudes and behaviours are influenced by the society in which they received their education and training.

Cultural differences have little impact on international compensation.

According to cross-cultural studies, nations tend to cluster according to similarities in all of the following cultural dimensions EXCEPT which one?

Canadian companies have been conducting business on an international basis longer than anyone else.

What is most likely to happen when companies fail to use the knowledge, skills, and understanding that expatriate managers acquire in international assignments?

If an organization wanted to decrease the failure rate of its expatriates, one good strategy would be to give more women international assignments.

Pay plans in Japan tend to focus on individual performance and achievement.

Codetermination refers to the training an expatriate manager receives before an international assignment.

Deccan Hardware Company, a Canadian firm, is now establishing a subsidiary in Mexico. As with many organizations at the early stages of international expansion, what type of employees would Deccan most likely use?

Which organization is pursuing a transnational strategy?

International HRM is virtually identical to domestic HRM.

The International Labour Organization has set itself a new agenda-called the "Decent Work Agenda." What is the main purpose behind this move?

One reason to employ host-country nationals is that local governments want good jobs for their citizens.

In some countries, such as India, profit sharing is mandated by law. Thus, companies have to distribute some of their profits to the employees. What is the key reason for this requirement?

English is almost universally accepted as the language for international business.

The source of overseas employees that provides the advantages of less cost and greater facility in the language is host-country nationals.

Scenario 15.2 Coffee Emporium has been one of Canada's premium coffee shops for decades. Recently, the company has been losing market share to giant multinational corporations such as McDonald's, which has now moved into the coffee business with its signature McCafe. Coffee Emporium recognizes that the only way to stay relevant and competitive is to expand its business across international borders and capitalize on its brand recognition and loyalty. The company wants to start off in the United States (US)and the United Kingdom (UK), where the cultures are somewhat similar to Canada's. Coffee Emporium will now be adapting its existing products for overseas markets without changing much else about its normal operations. -Refer to Scenario 15.2. Coffee Emporium HR managers will be responsible for staffing the international expansions. Which of the following is used for staffing by most corporations?

In collectivist societies such as Japan and Taiwan, what is a key focus of the pay system?