Question 1

Human resource management by and large tends to combine all of the following activities except:

Accepted Answer

Human resource management typically combines recruitment and selection, training and management development, and compensation and conditions of employment. Industrial relations, however, is typically considered a separate and distinct activity, focused on managing and maintaining positive relationships between an organization and its employees, unions, and other stakeholders.

Question 2

One problem that makes it difficult to evaluate the performance of expatriate managers objectively is:

Accepted Answer

Unintentional bias can make it difficult to evaluate the performance of expatriate managers objectively. Evaluators may have preconceptions or cultural biases that influence their evaluation, leading to unfair or inaccurate assessments. To mitigate this issue, evaluators should receive training to raise awareness of potential biases and to develop more objective evaluation criteria.

Question 3

In multinational corporations,managers must perform duties at home in the domestic environment before being allowed to work in the firm's overseas subsidiary.

Accepted Answer

There is no standard practice for multinational corporations to require their managers to perform duties in the domestic environment before being assigned to the firm's overseas subsidiary. However, some companies may prefer to hire managers with prior international experience or train them through internal development programs before being assigned overseas.

Question 4

In a 2012 study of 120 international companies,it was reported that the stereotype for an expatriate manager has changed.This new evidence suggests that the expatriate manager's profile has changed to:

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a 2012 study of 120 international...

Question 5

A key issue in international labour relations is the degree to which organised labour is able to limit the choices available to an international business.A firm's ability to pursue a ________________ strategy can be significantly constrained by the actions of labour unions.

Accepted Answer

Labour unions can limit a firm's ability to pursue a transnational or global standardisation strategy by imposing constraints that affect the uniformity and efficiency needed for these strategies.

Question 6

An expatriate manager is a citizen of one country who is working abroad in one of his or her firm's subsidiaries.

Accepted Answer

An expatriate manager is a citizen of one country who is working abroad in one of his or her firm's subsidiaries. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 7

Of the four strategies pursued by international businesses - localisation strategy,international strategy,global standardisation strategy and transnational strategy - HRM policies need to be congruent with the firm's strategy.Consequently,for example,a transnational strategy imposes different requirements for staffing,management development and compensation practices than a localisation strategy.

Accepted Answer

HRM policies should be aligned with the firm's overall strategy, and different strategies (such as transnational versus localisation) require different HRM practices.

Question 8

A largely overlooked but critically important issue in the training and development of expatriate managers is to prepare them for:

Accepted Answer

Re-entry into their home-country organisation. It is crucial for expatriate managers to be prepared for their return to their home-country organisation. They may experience reverse culture shock and need support in re-integrating into the company and adapting to any changes that may have occurred during their absence. This can also help ensure that their experiences and knowledge gained during their time abroad are effectively used and shared within the organisation.

Question 9

A geocentric staffing policy requires host-country nationals to be recruited to manage subsidiaries,while parent-company nationals occupy key positions at corporate headquarters.

Accepted Answer

A geocentric staffing policy seeks to recruit the best people for key positions regardless of their nationality. It results in a blend of parent-country nationals, host-country nationals, and third-country nationals working in different positions across the organization, including at the corporate headquarters and subsidiaries.

Question 10

In Australian MNEs,expatriate managers learn how to adopt the work practices of the firm's overseas venture.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Australian MNEs,expatriate managers learn how to...

Question 11

General Electric (GE)is not just concerned with hiring people who have the skills required for performing particular jobs;it wants individuals whose behavioural styles,beliefs and value systems are consistent with those of GE.This would be an example of ethnocentrism.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of organizational culture fit, not ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism involves evaluating other cultures based on the standards of one's own culture, whereas GE is focusing on aligning employees with its own corporate culture.

Question 12

The most common approach to expatriate pay is the ___________ approach.

Accepted Answer

The balance sheet approach is the most common approach to expatriate pay. This approach calculates the difference between the employee's home and host country cost of living, in order to determine an adequate compensation package that maintains their standard of living abroad. This approach takes into account not only the employee's salary but also additional benefits such as housing allowances, tax reimbursements, and relocation expenses.

Question 13

With four types of international strategy to choose from,the one that is most compatible with a polycentric staffing policy is the transnational strategy.

Accepted Answer

A polycentric staffing policy is most compatible with a multidomestic strategy, which focuses on local responsiveness and allows subsidiaries to operate independently.

Question 14

A principal concern of organised labour is that the multinational can counter union bargaining power by threatening to:

Accepted Answer

Moving production to another country is a common tactic used by multinational corporations to counter union bargaining power. By relocating to a country with lower labor costs and weaker labor laws, the multinational can avoid the demands of the union and continue to operate under conditions that are more favorable to the company. This can effectively undermine the bargaining power of the union and reduce its ability to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. The other options listed (putting all employees on contracts, reducing hours, disallowing unions) may also be employed by multinationals, but they are not as effective at countering union power as moving production to another country.

Question 15

'Cultural myopia' refers to the firm's failure to understand host-country cultural differences that require different approaches to marketing and management.

Accepted Answer

Cultural myopia refers to the failure to understand cultural differences in the host country, leading to inappropriate marketing and management strategies.

Question 16

In a report based on interviews with 12,000 business leaders in 40 countries,in 2012 women were largely employed in ________________ roles.

Accepted Answer

According to the given report, women were largely employed in finance and human resource management roles. This implies that these were the areas where women had the highest representation in terms of employment. The other options such as logistics, purchasing, sales, training, and occupational health and safety do not have any mention in the given report, and hence, cannot be considered as the best choice(s).

Question 17

The stereotypical expatriate is a male,accompanied by a partner,who is transferred from company HQ to a foreign subsidiary for a term of three to five years.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The stereotypical expatriate is a male,accompanied by...

Question 18

Astrazeneca,one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies,has taken great pains to show that its human resource management practices are:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Astrazeneca,one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies,has...

Question 19

According to the results of a study by R.L.Tung,the most consistent reason cited by European expatriates for expatriate failure among their group was the inability of the manager's spouse to adjust to a new environment.

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately summarizes the findings of R.L. Tung's study on the reasons for expatriate failure among European expatriates.

Question 20

When an Australian multinational firm is assessing and reassessing its labour practices,a concern of organised labour is the attempt by the firm to:

Accepted Answer

Organised labour is concerned about multinational firms importing and imposing unfamiliar labour practices from other countries. This can lead to exploitation of workers and undermine the rights and protections that workers have fought for. The reassessment of labour practices by the firm may be seen as an attempt to enforce such practices.

Quiz 14: International Human Resources Management