Elsa is being groomed for a future position at an executive level within a multinational organization in the petrochemical industry. She has performed a variety of roles within the company, all of which were located in her home country of Sweden, and in non-technical areas. The organizations policy is for each individual on its fast track to occupy at least one position overseas, running a subsidiary or overseas office. Elsa was offered a position in Saudi Arabia, a predominantly Arabic-speaking and Muslim country in Western Asia. It was a relatively new location for her organization which had recently opened an office there. Elsa had not been briefed in any way about the country, its security concerns or politics, only about the exciting oil partnership deal. She had decided that as it was located relatively close to home, with a flight time of roughly 5 hours, she could fly back to her home country fairly easily if required. Her husband was also thrilled about the prospects of working in a foreign land, and intended to land himself a job upon arriving there. With a husband willing to make the move with her, and her young children excited for the new adventure, she was all set. A few weeks before starting her new assignment, Elsa travelled to the Saudi Arabia. Her first meeting was with the Sweden ambassador, who warned her that her forthcoming appointment was already widely known about, and not just in a positive way. Whats more, her place of residence was right next to the TV station which had been taken over recently by a group of misogynists protesting the appointment of a female to a senior management role at the TV station. To make matters worse, on meeting with the newly appointed oil minister, he announced that the formula for the royalties split was being amended, so that her organization would receive less than what had been agreed upon initially, so it seemed she would face a tough challenge in dealing with the government. Elsa met with a couple of locally recruited staff to get acquainted with them in advance of her assignment. The employees turned out to be contractors, and all appeared to be relatives of government ministers, their appointments ratified by the government. None spoke English and no one had any expertise in the oil industry. Finally, the employee discovered that there were no schools which provided schooling in English. Arabic was the national language. With small children, she was hoping that there would be plenty of English-speaking nannies and teachers. As for her husband, it turned out that finding employment in Saudi Arabia was not as easy as he thought. It appeared that he would have to wait until the family returned to Sweden to find a job suitable for him. Being fully aware that his wifes international assignment would be a lengthy one, he quickly became unhappy as he wondered how his career would suffer in the long term as a result of his current predicament. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS 1. One major error made by Elsas employer is the companys failure to deliver pre-departure training. Describe the concept of pre-departure training, and discuss in detail the various elements of a pre-departure training program that would sufficiently prepare Elsa for her assignment to Algeria. [20 marks] 2. In the absence of pre-departure training, discuss some aspects of Saudi Arabias culture, society, language, etiquette, manners, protocol, etc. would Elsa likely experience that could lead to culture shock and psychological disorientation should she accept this international assignment? [15 marks] 3. Conduct a comparative analysis (both similarities and differences) for the Sweden and Saudi Arabia using at least three of Hofstedes cultural dimensions. [20 marks] 4. What are some of the measures that could have been taken by Elsas company to ensure better adjustment for Elsas husband? [15 marks] 5. Based on the information supplied in the case, Elsas assignment is doomed to fail. Explain the direct and indirect costs that are likely to be associated with Elsas failed international assignment. [15 marks]