Management of Expatriates (Research Paper Sample)

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Management of expatriates
Introduction
As companies become multinationals, the use of expatriates on foreign assignments to extensively complete a task is increasingly becoming a challenge. Multinational companies use expatriates for expertise reasons in significant global markets and corporate control as well as developing international management proficiencies and facilitating entry into other new markets. In management, an expatriate is an employee who has been sent by their company to another to complete a task or manage its operations. The process involves several professional and technical components as well as social, personal and cultural aspects that often motivate or trigger the expatriates to return to their home country before the scheduled time. This report seeks to address potential strategies for enhancing a marketing manager expatriate effectiveness in Nike Inc. in Singapore specifically addressing how the corporation should selects, trains and ensuring the expatriate’s success in the company. Furthermore, strategies for facilitating repatriation are also addressed in ensuring the expatriate effectively returns to U.S upon completion of the two-year assignment in Singapore.
Literature review
Discussion of potential strategies for enhancing expatriate effectiveness
It is important to analyze an overview of Nike Inc. in how it manages expatriates briefly. Nike Corporation is a leading supplier of athletic shoes globally. Ironically it outsources all its production and only deals with the manufacture of essential technical aspects of the Nike air system. The products require extensive marketing. The corporation focuses on preproduction as well as postproduction activities involving sales, marketing, and distribution. By carefully using an on-site expatriate program to control and coordinate its suppliers that are based outside the country. The corporation outsources its advertising and marketing component. Therefore, the marketing manager expatriate will play a significant role in enhancing its marketing information system.
Selection process that should be adopted by Nike Corporation
The selection process is an essential process in ensuring the right expatriates are selected for the international task. The corporation selection process to hire an expatriate from U.S to undertake the marketing role must be dire. Several aspects must be considered. Some of the assessment areas involve; the technical ability of the expatriate, he or she must be able to do the requisite managerial and technical tasks while in Singapore in the corporation. The company should emphasize on technical skills since they can be evaluated through analysis of the candidate’s past performance. However, it is not adequate because it cannot predict how the candidate will perform in a different culture. The cross-cultural suitability of the candidate should also be analyzed. His or her ability to adapt to a new culture should be considered including adaptability, language, and cultural empathy. The family requirements of the candidate must also be analyzed because the candidate might have a family that they need to take along with them. Factors such as schooling and health conditions of the family must be taken into consideration by the corporation. Cultural/country requirements should also be taken into consideration. The candidate’s viability to get work permits and visas should be incorporated in the selection process. Finally Nike Inc. while doing their selection should assess the candidate’s proficiencies in language speaking as well as writing. Knowledge of extra languages especially the local language spoken in Singapore will be an added advantage.
Various avenues that can be used for the assessment of the marketing manager expatriate may include; conducting an interview to find out their ability in adjusting to Singapore. Conducting formal assessment tests to evaluate the expatriate’s traits such as flexibility, adaptability, perfect interpersonal skills that will enable the expatriate to adapt in the new culture; career planning; recommendations from senior managers and also through the selection process.
Training process that should be adopted by Nike Corporation
After selecting the marketing manager expatriate, the corporation should conduct pre-departure training to ensure the expatriates success and effectiveness in Singapore especially now that the country is culturally tough. A good preparation will assist the expatriate to adjust to Singapore quickly. Effective training should entail effective training methods, proper training timing and preparation of the expatriate’s family when they are to accompany him or her to Singapore for the assignment. The marketing manager is expected to spend two years in Singapore in the Nike Inc.; therefore, he or she should be given a high training. The marketing manager expatriate and the family should be taken through the expat and family training program to impart useful knowledge about the corporate culture, values, society as well as day to day living of people in Singapore. This will enhance the cross-cultural experience and reduces the risk of cultural misunderstanding. Nike Inc. manager and cultural team briefing will help to provide insight into the cultural norms and values of the assignee. This can be attained through video conferencing however if it is not possible online sources can be essential in gaining relevant information. After that, the marketing expatriate should be undertaken through the alignment project training to address reporting strategies, setting milestones and timelines. When the expatriate gets to the Nike Inc., he or she should be taken through a face to face orientation and induction into the corporation. Furthermore, there should be an ongoing and systematic knowledge management process by documenting lessons learned.
Discussion of potential strategies for facilitating repatriation
Repatriation is an essential and crucial phase. In management, repatriation refers to the process readjusting or returning an employee together with their families back to their home country. Returning expatriates to their home country, who have successfully completed their assigned tasks is essential in developing and establishing multinational corporations because the repatriate exhibits firsthand experience and knowledge of certain cultural contexts incorporating information regarding specific customers and markets. Therefore, the repatriation process that will be used by the Nike Inc. will be significant in determining the career development of the marketing manager expatriate.
Strategies that can be used to ensure an effective return of the marketing manager to U.S upon completion of the two-year assignment
The repatriation process begins long before an employee leaves home. After the completion of the two-year assignment in Singapore at the Nike Inc., the corporation should have an effective and efficient repatriation process in place to see a smooth transition from the foreign country back to their home country. Nike Inc. should take note that the expatriate greatly relies on them since they have greatly impacted his or her career life. The way they will treat the marketing manager expatriate will greatly determine his or her international experience and how the competitive the experience was worth. To have an effective repatriation process Nike Inc. can implement the following strategies;
Repatriates adjustment strategy; it involves the Nike Inc. Helping the marketing manager to conform and adapt to his or her work and living environment in U.S. Conforming or adjusting entails or includes an adjustment to relating and interacting with his or her home people, work adjustment as well adjustment to the culture and the environment. Nike Inc. can introduce the Black, Mendenhall, and Oddou (BMO) model. The model incorporates a three-dimensional perceptive of repatriates a...