Deck 5: Sourcing Human Resources for Global Markets – Staffing, Recruitment and Selection

Question 1

Most expatriates are recruited externally.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The "coffee machine" system is a common form of selection process in the UK.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Many developed countries are changing their legislation to facilitate employment related immigration which will make international transfer easier.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Traditional assignments for expatriates usually range from 3 months to 1 year in a location.

Question 5

The duration of an expatriate assignment will not necessarily have an impact on the person's ability to develop networks.

Question 6

A key driver in recruiting an inpatriate is the desire to create a global core competency thus increasing the organizations capability to "think global and act local".

Question 7

"Trailers" are the spouses of expatriates.

Question 8

Study of Chinese MNEs has confirmed that Western models of staffing policies are not applicable to Chinese MNEs.

Question 9

Upon comparing the compensation packages of PCN and HCN employees,given an ethnocentric approach of staffing,there are little to no differences found in the pay for the two groups.

Question 10

Frequent trips to the host country are necessary in a virtual non-standard assignment.

Question 11

Virtual assignments rely on communication technologies and such assignees will never visit the host country.

Question 12

"Assignments as control" is a characteristic of an ethnocentric staffing approach.

Question 13

Lack of fluency in the corporate language is rarely a factor in the selection process in a MNE.

Question 14

Job hunting assistance is provided to spouses to find a job in host countries as a means of making an international assignment more family-friendly.

Question 15

A short term international assignment is defined as anything up to 1 year.

Question 16

A disadvantage of a geocentric policy is it can be expensive to implement because of increased training and relocation.

Question 17

The term expatriate failure has been defined as the premature return of an expatriate before the period of assignment is completed.

Question 18

Regional managers may not be promoted to HQ positions in a regiocentric approach to staffing.

Question 19

The U-curve is based on psychological reactions to a cultural adjustment of an international assignment.

Question 20

Non-expatriates experience fewer stressors than expatriates as they are not responsible for duties at the home office while on international assignments.

Question 21

Polycentric approaches to international staffing:

A) Uses the "assignment as control" approach to reduce perceived high risk
B) Uses HCNs to manage subsidiaries and they are often promoted to headquarters
C) Can be expensive to implement
D) Has very few divisions in the HR staffing department

Question 22

Traditional expatriate assignments are referred to as a/an:

A) Long term assignment
B) Extended assignment
C) Short term assignment
D) Contractual assignment

Question 23

An example of an employee working on a contractual assignment of a non-standard is a/an:

A) Part time loan of an employee for one week to one month
B) Three years assignment to start up a Greenfield site
C) Oil rig worker
D) R&D project team

Question 24

Third country nationals:

A) Provide no assurance the subsidiary will comply with company objectives
B) Provide continuity of management as TCHs stay longer in positions
C) May be better informed than Parent Country Nationals about the host county environment
D) May impose an inappropriate HQ style

Question 25

A disadvantage of a polycentric policy is:

A) Employment of HCNs is less expensive
B) Host-country managers have limited opportunities to gain experience outside of their own country
C) It can produce federalism at a regional rather than country basis
D) Has very few from divisions in the HR staffing department

Question 26

Key organizational reasons for international staffing assignment include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Culture exchange
B) Position filling
C) Management development
D) Organization development

Question 27

Employees on oil rigs would usually be classified as which non-standard assignment?

A) Contractual assignment
B) Commuter assignment
C) Rotational assignment
D) Virtual assignment

Question 28

Boundary spanning refers to activities that:

A) Expand ownership in a different country
B) Gather information that bridge internal and external organizational contexts
C) Exporting information and technology across country boundaries
D) Expatriates are seldom called on to perform for the organization

Question 29

All of the following is an approach to managing and staffing subsidiaries EXCEPT:

A) Ethnocentric
B) Polycentric
C) Geocentric
D) Multicentric

Question 30

A MNE taking a global approach to its operations and recognizing that each HQ and subsidiary makes a unique contribution with unique competence is described as:

A) Regiocentric
B) Polycentric
C) Geocentric
D) Multicentic

Question 31

Hiring host country nationals for a multinational enterprise have the following advantages EXCEPT:

A) Language and other barriers are eliminated
B) Government policy may dictate hiring of HCN
C) Hiring cost are reduced
D) Organizational control and coordination is maintained and facilitated

Question 32

The recruitment process is defined as the process of searching for a sufficient number of candidates to fill a position.

Question 33

Indirect cost of the failure of an expatriate involving contact with key clients and host government officials may result in the long term loss of market shares.

Question 34

"Bumble Bee" is a description of an expatriate role as:

A) Agent of direct control
B) Network builders
C) Transferor of corporate values
D) Boundary spanners

Question 35

"Extended international assignments" are defined as assignments:

A) Up to 3 months
B) Up to 1 year
C) 1 to 5 years
D) Over 5 years

Question 36

A sound business reason for pursing an ethnocentric staffing policy is:

A) Employment of HCNs is normally less expensive
B) Perceived lack of qualified host nationals (HCN)
C) It supports cooperation and resource sharing across units
D) Reflects the goals of the owners

Question 37

Whether a firm chooses ethnocentric,polycentric,regiocentric or geocentric staffing approach depends on:

A) Context specificities,local unit specificities,technological specificities and HR policies
B) Context specificities,competitive specificities,company specificities and IHRM practices
C) Context specificities,company specificities,local unit specificities,IHRM practices
D) Cultural specificities,regulatory specificities,local unit specificities,and IHRM practices

Question 38

The most common reason for an international assignment is:

A) Need for control
B) Less expensive HR cost
C) To fill a skills gap
D) Host government pressures

Question 39

Ethnocentric organizations are best characterized by:

A) Key personnel positions are held by headquarter personnel.
B) Subsidiaries are managed by local nationals (HCN)
C) A worldwide integrated business which nationality is ignored in favor of ability
D) Staff may move outside their countries but only within a particular geographic region.

Question 40

All of the following describe a non-expatriate EXCEPT:

A) Person who relocates to another county
B) Road warrior
C) Globetrotter
D) Flexpatriate

Question 41

Which language is the common corporate language in the world?

A) French
B) Spanish
C) English
D) Mandarin Chinese

Question 42

A family friendly policy to encourage placement of an expatriate which is logical but not always acceptable to multinationals is:

A) Inner-company network
B) Job hunting assistance
C) Intra-company employment
D) Post assignment career support

Question 43

What are the four terms to describe MNE approaches to managing and staffing subsidiaries?

Question 44

According to the text,common corporate language in MNEs is developed to :

A) Expand the use of English
B) Use language as a way of standardizing reporting systems
C) Match the language of the home country
D) Provide an interpreter if managers are not fluent in the common language

Question 45

Three key organizational reasons for using the various forms of international assignments are:

A) Position filling,crisis management and organizational development
B) Responding to requests from local employees,management development and organizational development
C) Position filling,management development and responding to requests by parent company employees for international assignments
D) Position filling,management development and organizational development

Question 46

Recruitment is defined as:

A) The process of gathering information for the purpose of evaluating who should be employed
B) Searching for and obtaining job candidates
C) Promoting employees within the organization to fill international management positions
D) Transferring functional managers to headquarters

Question 47

The selection process of an expatriate places a heavy reliance on:

A) Relevant technical skills
B) Past performances
C) Marital status
D) Desire to relocate

Question 48

"Independents" are defined in the text as:

A) Professional women who are self-selected expatriates
B) Trailers
C) Minority foreign female
D) Neither a Democrat or Republican expatriate

Question 49

A group of multinationals have established an organization called "Permits Foundation" which:

A) Promotes the improvement of work permit regulations for spouses of expatriates
B) Allows multinationals to work foreigners without a VISA
C) Advocates all managers to receive a permit to work in any country
D) Acts as a clearinghouse for work permit complaints

Question 50

The culture adjustment process in an international assignment can be characterized by:

A) An "S" shaped curve
B) A "U" shaped curve
C) Cultural shock
D) Matrix relationships

Question 51

An emerging constraint on the available pool of candidates which is hindering the recruitment and selection process of potential employees for international assignment is:

A) The frequency of dual career couples
B) Personality and psychological tests
C) Equal employment opportunity law
D) The decline of management programs in Universities

Question 52

There are three key organizational reasons for international assignments.What are these three reasons?

Question 53

Discuss the six roles of an expatriate.

Question 54

Why are expatriates considered boundary spanners?

Question 55

How is "expatriate failure" usually defined?

A) Returning home before the period of assignment is completed
B) Lower than expected market shares
C) A dissatisfaction by the assignee during or after the assignment
D) Communication channels not utilized and implemented as expected

Question 56

What are some advantages and disadvantages of the ethnocentric approach to staffing the MNE?

Question 57

An indirect cost of the failure of an expatriate would be:

A) Relocation expenses
B) Exchange rate
C) Loss of market share
D) Their replacement cost

Question 58

The European Union Social Charter allows for

A) Spousal work permits
B) Expatriate to apply for citizenship
C) Free movement of citizens of member countries within the EU for work
D) Long term assignments

Question 59

Female expatriates tend to be employed by companies:

A) That are small
B) With over 1000 employees
C) In the marketing field
D) Going into the USA

Question 60

A major barrier to the selection of female expatriates was found to be:

A) The attitudes of HR directors
B) The lack of qualified females
C) The attitudes of host country coworkers
D) A lack of support by the female expatriates' family

Question 61

What are the five stressors impacting non-expatriates?

Question 62

What are several factors in an expatriate selection process which are absent in the selection of a regular,domestic management position?

Question 63

Discuss the externally and internally established barriers to females taking international assignments.

Question 64

Discuss the U-Curve phases in the process of adjustment to a foreign culture.

Question 65

What are some alternative assignment arrangements applied to address the dual career couple restraints on the selection process?

Question 66

What are the most common reasons for rejecting an international assignment? Do different countries have different reasons for assignment rejection?