Imagine that you work in the human resource department of a small but growing company that runs a chain of clothing stores. The top managers believe that by next year, the company will be able to get financing overseas, where consumer demand is growing. They are researching whether the next step should involve opening a few stores in Brazil or in China. Other members of your company are investigating the marketing and financial aspects of the expansion. You have been asked to learn more about the human resource issues the company would face in each country.
Do some research to identify HR issues that are likely to be important in each country. Some good places to get started with basic information about the countries include The World Factbook (published by the CIA at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/); the Bureau of Labor Statistics site "International Labor Comparisons: Country at a Glance" (www.bls.gov/fls/country.htm); and the topics and statistics pages of the International Labor Organization (www.ilo.org). You could also use an Internet search engine to look for links to information about each country's culture. (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2014, p. 503)
Navigate to the threaded discussion below and write your well-researched initial discussion post, to include:
What was Learned. What you learned about each country that would aid HRM planning and decision making.
What Needs Further Investigation. What your company should investigate further (from an HR perspective) before moving into either country.
Which of the Two? China or Brazil? Which of the two countries would you recommend (from a human resource perspective) to do business in and why.
Provide a detailed post that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.