Selecting Expatriate Managers

For firms operating in multiple countries, being able to efficiently and effectively manage expatriates in global markets is a critical HRM skill. Done correctly, it can even become a source of competitive advantage. However, expatriate training and relocation costs are very expensive, and the odds of failure can be quite high. Once a need for an expatriate has been identified, selecting the best person for the job is a task that can make or break the assignment.

In this exercise, please read the mini-case and answer the questions that follow.

Rogers company is planning on opening a new foreign subsidiary in Brazil. Corporate headquarters has identified three candidatesDavid, Megan, and Mary Annwho 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. Following are brief excerpts from Rogers interview with each candidate.

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 co-workers, 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 it'll 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 medicines aren'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 co-workers and consider patience to be one of my strengths."

References

Case AnalysisLearning Objective: 15-05 Discuss the ways companies attempt to select, train, compensate, and reintegrate expatriate managers.

41.

value: 2.00 points

Who has the best motivation for this expatriate assignment?

David

Megan

Mary Ann

References

Multiple ChoiceDifficulty: 3 HardLearning Objective: 15-05 Discuss the ways companies attempt to select, train, compensate, and reintegrate expatriate managers.

42.

value: 2.00 points

Whose family situation appears to be most problematic for this assignment?

Mary Ann

David

Megan

References

Multiple ChoiceLearning Objective: 15-03 List the different categories of international employees.

Difficulty: 3 HardLearning Objective: 15-05 Discuss the ways companies attempt to select, train, compensate, and reintegrate expatriate managers.

43.

value: 2.00 points

Who appears to have the best health for this assignment?

Megan

Mary Ann

David

References

Multiple ChoiceDifficulty: 3 HardLearning Objective: 15-05 Discuss the ways companies attempt to select, train, compensate, and reintegrate expatriate managers.

44.

value: 2.00 points

Who appears to have done the most career planning for this assignment?

Mary Ann

David

Megan

References

Multiple ChoiceDifficulty: 3 HardLearning Objective: 15-05 Discuss the ways companies attempt to select, train, compensate, and reintegrate expatriate managers.

45.

value: 2.00 points

Considering all factors, who appears to be the best choice for this assignment?

Mary Ann

Megan

David

References

Multiple ChoiceDifficulty: 3 HardLearning Objective: 15-05 Discuss the ways companies attempt to select, train, compensate, and reintegrate expatriate managers.