Deck 15: International Human Resource Management

Question 1

Factors creating the global marketplace include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) lowering costs of doing business globally.
B) privatisation and globalisation of government services.
C) growth in domestic businesses.
D) satellites and computer technology.

Answer 1

growth in domestic businesses.

Question 2

When a person from one culture communicates with a person from another culture they are engaging in:

A) cross-cultural communication.
B) two-way communication.
C) multi-focus communication.
D) verbal communication.

Answer 2

cross-cultural communication.

Question 3

Cultures where verbal communications are explicit and direct are:

A) low-context cultures.
B) medium-context cultures.
C) collectivist cultures.
D) high-context cultures.

Answer 3

low-context cultures.

Question 4

The Japanese have a high-context culture, and therefore prefer to communicate:

A) by fax.
B) by email.
C) face to face.
D) by video conference.

Question 5

In meetings, Chinese, Korean and Japanese people are often reluctant to express their views because:

A) they are not confident in conversing in foreign languages.
B) their education systems do not encourage them to express opinions.
C) they have shy personalities and are careful about public speaking.
D) they are fearful of expressing an opinion that conflicts with their colleagues.

Question 6

There is a common saying in China that government officials only speak the truth when:

A) they have had their statements approved by the Party.
B) they are making decisions in a group setting.
C) they are drunk or careless.
D) to not speak the truth would result in dismissal.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of a Chinese entrepreneur?

A) Places high trust on family and clan members
B) Takes high risks and expects high profits
C) Focuses on 'soft' or people issues
D) Places great emphasis on financial goals.

Question 8

Employees in countries such as Australia and the United States, expect to have a much greater say in decision making and more autonomy in their work. These cultures have been described as having:

A) low-power distance.
B) high-power distance.
C) equality of status.
D) cooperative work environments.

Question 9

In Japan, discrimination on the basis of ethnicity is:

A) illegal.
B) rare.
C) entrenched.
D) considered unethical.

Question 10

Performance evaluation in Thai firms is based on:

A) the employee's attitude towards the company rather than on actual job performance.
B) job performance and political and social connections.
C) the quality of personal relations, political attitudes and output.
D) standard of job performance and work attitude.

Question 11

There may be significant cultural differences that need to be acknowledged when defining the training needs of managers. Byham claims that, compared with US companies, Japanese firms stress technical knowledge and skills:

A) and back this up with a strong emphasis as well on leadership and communication skills.
B) but attach little importance to leadership, communication and interpersonal skills.
C) but rely heavily on Western international experts to teach them communication and leadership skills.
D) and support financially those universities which focus on teaching these skills.

Question 12

Cultures that value hierarchy and status differentials will have remuneration strategies that:

A) have an emphasis on individual achievements.
B) promote and reinforce differences in status.
C) minimise status differentials among employees.
D) are based on group performance and individual seniority.

Question 13

Compensation strategies that reward individual performance and the acquisition of individual skills and know-how are common in:

A) individualistic cultures.
B) egalitarian cultures.
C) collectivist cultures.
D) risk-averse cultures.

Question 14

Industrial relations in Japan and Singapore is characterised by:

A) a 'them and us' attitude especially between different races.
B) militant unions, hostile employer groups and constant conflict.
C) cooperation and employee identification with the company and its objectives.
D) a feeling of exploitation and insecurity among employees.

Question 15

In China, which of the following is NOT a component of remuneration for State-owned enterprise (SOE) employees?

A) Base pay and group bonus
B) Individual incentive payments
C) Allowances such as for shift work, cost of living and hazards
D) Non material incentives such as honorary titles.

Question 16

One of the key strategies of foreign firms in China is:

A) learning the languages of China.
B) to get the ear of government officials.
C) to achieve employee commitment.
D) to use only local managers wherever possible.

Question 17

In China, what is a major hindrance to labour mobility?

A) Low skill levels
B) Family responsibilities
C) Personal files
D) All of the options listed

Question 18

In China, traditionally what are the main criteria determining performance ratings?

A) Correct political attitudes
B) Loyalty to the boss
C) Seniority
D) All of the options listed

Question 19

In China what has been identified as a major barrier to modernisation and the introduction of new technology and industrial reform?

A) Bureaucratic decision making by government
B) A lack of English speaking negotiators
C) Lack of skilled workers especially managers
D) Lack of appropriate infrastructure

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT one of the traditional features of HRM in Japan?

A) Merit-based promotion
B) Enterprise based unions
C) Seniority based wages system
D) Lifetime employment

Question 21

An expatriate is:

A) someone who chooses to live permanently in a country other than that of their birth.
B) a person who travels frequently to other countries.
C) a person applying for residency in a another country.
D) someone who lives and works away from their own country.

Question 22

A citizen of a country differing from the home or host country; for example, a Singaporean working for an Australian company in Hong Kong is known as a(n):

A) expatriate.
B) local national.
C) third-country national.
D) home-country national.

Question 23

Typically, most positions are filled by local nationals. This is probably because

A) it is a requirement to recruit personnel who can manage global organisations.
B) it is usually more expensive to hire nationals of the host country than to send in expatriate staff from Australia.
C) local personnel are more familiar with the head office corporate culture.
D) there are often restrictions or even total prohibitions on the hiring of home-country personnel in the foreign locations.

Question 24

Organisations tend to predominantly use what key selection criteria for international placements?

A) Personal skills
B) Technical competence
C) Cultural understanding
D) Language ability

Question 25

Stone's study into the appointment of expatriate managers found that both managers and expatriate managers believed that the essential selection criteria should be

A) knowledge and familiarity with culture of host country.
B) strong technological and managerial skills.
C) the expatriate's ability to adapt and the adaptability of the spouse and family.
D) strong academic qualifications and prior international experience.

Question 26

Certain personal attributes, behaviours and skills have been identified as necessary for the successful expatriate manager. These include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) effective communication and listening skills.
B) stress tolerance.
C) strong leadership.
D) technical skills.

Question 27

Of the 'Big Five' personality factors, which of the following was NOT predictive of expatriate job performance?

A) Extroversion
B) Openness
C) Emotional stability
D) Conscientiousness

Question 28

The inability to adjust to a different cultural environment is known as:

A) culture shock.
B) behaviour reinforcement.
C) lack of flexibility.
D) all of the options listed.

Question 29

Culture shock is induced by:

A) the inability to understand the language.
B) the removal of familiar cues.
C) not being able to communicate with friends and relatives as easily or frequently.
D) simply not liking the host country.

Question 30

Common symptoms of culture shock include:

A) requests for a transfer or return home.
B) dissatisfaction with the housing.
C) dissatisfaction with the company.
D) all of the options listed.

Question 31

The return of the expatriate to their home country on the completion of an overseas assignment is:

A) home coming.
B) repatriation.
C) relocation.
D) transfer.

Question 32

It is recommended that every expatriate have a mentor or sponsor back home. The role of this person is to:

A) ensure that the expatriate is kept up to date with news from home.
B) keep the expatriate focused on the essential aspects of their assignment.
C) ensure that the expatriate is not given bad news from home.
D) maintain a feeling of normality for the expatriate.

Question 33

Most expatriates have three major concerns when living overseas. Two of these are the lack of feedback on performance and inadequate career planning. The third concern is:

A) corporate isolation.
B) inadequate compensation.
C) language difficulties.
D) family support.

Question 34

Expatriates returning home are often placed in project assignments waiting for a position to be found. One study found that almost 80% of expatriates:

A) went overseas again on a new project within a year.
B) felt that their new job was a demotion.
C) suffered health and family problems.
D) immediately looked for a new job.

Question 35

One study found that more than 90% of returning expatriates believed that international experience was:

A) highly valued.
B) not valued.
C) incorporated into their career management plans.
D) not incorporated into their career management plans.

Question 36

Re-entry stress also affects expatriates and their families. This is often referred to as:

A) culture shock.
B) reverse culture shock.
C) relocation dilemmas.
D) transitory trauma.

Question 37

One study found that over 80% of returning families:

A) received no re-entry orientation.
B) experienced a family break up.
C) were provided with counselling and assistance.
D) decided not to accept further overseas assignments.

Question 38

What percentage of returning expatriates quit within one year?

A) 40.
B) 50.
C) 60.
D) 55.

Question 39

During their absence, expatriates are particularly vulnerable if their organisation has:

A) had a change in its leadership.
B) changed its strategic focus.
C) undergone a merger or acquisition.
D) restructured its workplace.

Question 40

A local employee of the foreign location working for a multinational is known as a:

A) local national.
B) third-country national.
C) home-country national.
D) host-country national.

Question 41

Human resource managers in multinational corporations must achieve two conflicting strategic objectives. One is the need to integrate human resource policies across a number of subsidiaries in different countries such that overall corporate objectives can be achieved. The other objective is to:

A) abide by international rules and regulations for conducting business overseas.
B) ensure that international business operations do not detract from domestic issues.
C) be sufficiently flexible to allow for differences in the types of HR policies that exist in other countries.
D) remain internationally competitive in the face of rapidly changing technology and international uncertainty.

Question 42

One of the key questions to be asked when developing an international HRM policy is:

A) Who is going to coordinate the HRM functions?
B) What type of organisation is desired?
C) How can cross-border training be designed?
D) When should the HR manager begin developing HR policies?

Question 43

What should companies do to ensure that their responses to different cultural environments are appropriate and ethical?

A) Develop a clearly articulated set of core values as the basis for global policies and decision making.
B) Train employees to ask questions that will help them to make business decisions that are both culturally sensitive and flexible within the context of those core values.
C) Balance the need for policy with the need for flexibility or imagination.
D) All of the options listed.

Question 44

In cultures that emphasise hierarchy and status, employees expect the overriding style of their managers to be:

A) participative.
B) egalitarian.
C) consultative.
D) authoritarian.

Question 45

Equal opportunity laws are:

A) rigidly enforced in all countries.
B) the product of society's social values.
C) standardised across Asian nations.
D) regulated by an international legal authority.

Question 46

Training and development in international organisations is affected by:

A) cultural differences.
B) diversity of the work force.
C) language differences.
D) all of the options listed.

Question 47

Organisations that operate internationally face particular challenges in training and development. In particular, HR managers need to:

A) be sensitive to local customs and expectations.
B) identify costs of developing cross-cultural programs.
C) develop programs that focus on enhancing technical skills and knowledge.
D) ensure that training and development programs are clearly linked to compensation management.

Question 48

In Japan, unlike Australia and the United States, the interests of women, minorities and individuals:

A) are protected by extensive government regulations in the workplace.
B) are considered more important than groups or work teams.
C) are secondary to the maintenance of group harmony.
D) are constrained by the concept of life-long employment.

Question 49

Feldman and Thomas found that expatriates' perception of international assignments as helping their long-term career is NOT significantly and positively related to their:

A) relationship with host nationals.
B) communication abilities.
C) skills acquisition.
D) intent to remain.

Question 50

Expatriates are usually employed when:

A) a new venture is being established in a foreign location.
B) the business project or investment is long-term.
C) local personnel have the required technological or managerial expertise.
D) the parent company in the home country wants to exercise a low degree of centralised control.

Question 51

Discuss how culture impacts upon HRM activities in an international organisation.

Question 52

As an HR manager what issues would you need to consider when providing training in several different countries? Why is it important to address these differences?

Question 53

Explain the difference between high-context and low-context cultures and how this impacts upon cross-cultural communication.

Question 54

Compare the different approaches to HRM that are used in China and Japan.

Question 55

What difficulties might an expatriate manager face when trying to impose an unfamiliar management approach on employees of a different culture?

Question 56

Define domestic HRM and international HRM and outline the major differences between them.