BHRM

SEPTEMBER 2020
BBIH4103

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
MATRIX CARD NO : 771003056161001

IDENTITY CARD NO : 771003-05-6161

CONTACT NO : 012-3396242

EIMAIL : stevecassie@oum.edu.my

LEARNING CENTRE : OUM Negeri Sembilan

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 CONTENTS
NO DESCRIPTION PAGE NO

1. Main Page 1

2. Contents 2

3. Rubric 1 3

4. Rubric 2 6

5. Rubric 3 8

6. Rubric 4 9

7. Rubric 5

8. Rubric 6

9. Conclusion 14

10. References 17

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RUBRIC 1

China, Chinese (Pinyin) Zhonghua or (Wade-Giles romanization) Chung-hua, also spelled

(Pinyin) Zhongguo or (Wade-Giles romanization) Chung-kuo, officially People’s Republic of
China or Chinese (Pinyin) Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo or (Wade-Giles romanization)
Chung-hua Jen-min Kung-ho-kuo, country of East Asia. It is the largest of all Asian countries
and has the largest population of any country in the world. Occupying nearly the entire East
Asian landmass, it covers approximately one-fourteenth of the land area of Earth. Among the
major countries of the world, China is surpassed in area by only Russia and Canada, and it is
almost as large as the whole of Europe.

The diversity of both China’s relief and its climate has resulted in one of the world’s widest
arrays of ecological niches, and these niches have been filled by a vast number of plant and
animal species. Indeed, practically all types of Northern Hemisphere plants, except those of
the polar tundra, are found in China, and, despite the continuous inroads of humans over the
millennia, China still is home to some of the world’s most exotic animals.

Demographics

The national census of 2010 recorded the population of the People's Republic of China as
approximately 1,370,536,875. About 16.60% of the population were 14 years old or younger,
70.14% were between 15 and 59 years old, and 13.26% were over 60 years old. The
population growth rate for 2013 is estimated to be 0.46%. China used to make up much of the
world's poor; now it makes up much of the world's middle class. Although a middle-income
country by Western standards, China's rapid growth has pulled hundreds of millions—800
million, to be more precise of its people out of poverty since 1978. By 2013, less than 2% of
the Chinese population lived below the international poverty line of US$1.9 per day, down
from 88% in 1981.China's own standards for poverty are higher and still the country is on its
way to eradicate national poverty completely by 2019.

Given concerns about population growth, China implemented a two-child limit during the
1970s, and, in 1979, began to advocate for an even stricter limit of one child per family.
Beginning in the mid 1980s, however, given the unpopularity of the strict limits, China began
to allow some major exemptions, particularly in rural areas, resulting in what was actually a
"1.5"-child policy from the mid-1980s to 2015 (ethnic minorities were also exempt from one

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child limits). The next major loosening of the policy was enacted in December 2013,
allowing families to have two children if one parent is an only child. In 2016, the one-child
policy was replaced in favour of a two-child policy. Data from the 2010 census implies that
the total fertility rate may be around 1.4, although due to underreporting of births it may be
closer to 1.5–1.6.

According to one group of scholars, one-child limits had little effect on population growth or
the size of the total population. However, these scholars have been challenged. Their own
counterfactual model of fertility decline without such restrictions implies that China averted
more than 500 million births between 1970 and 2015, a number which may reach one billion
by 2060 given all the lost descendants of births averted during the era of fertility restrictions,
with one-child restrictions accounting for the great bulk of that reduction.

Ethnic groups

China is a multinational country, with a population composed of a large number of ethnic and
linguistic groups. The Han (Chinese), the largest group, outnumber the minority groups or
minority nationalities in every province or autonomous region except Tibet and Xinjiang. The
Han, therefore, form the great homogeneous mass of the Chinese people, sharing the same
culture, the same traditions, and the same written language. For this reason, the general basis
for classifying the country’s population is largely linguistic rather than ethnic. Some 55
minority groups are spread over approximately three-fifths of the country’s total area. Where
these minority groups are found in large numbers, they have been given some semblance of
autonomy and self-government; autonomous regions of several types have been established
on the basis of the geographic distribution of nationalities.

The government takes great credit for its treatment of these minorities; it has advanced their
economic well-being, raised their living standards, provided educational facilities, promoted
their national languages and cultures, and raised their literacy levels, as well as introduced a
written language where none existed previously. It must be noted, however, that some
minorities (e.g., Tibetans) have been subject to varying degrees of repression. Still, of the 50-
odd minority languages, only 20 had written forms before the coming of the communist
regime in 1949; and only relatively few written languages—e.g., Mongolian, Tibetan,
Uighur, Kazakh (Hasake), Dai, and Korean (Chaoxian)—were in everyday use. Other written
languages were used chiefly for religious purposes and by a limited number of people.

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Educational institutions for national minorities are a feature of many large cities, notably
Beijing, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Lanzhou.

Languages

There are as many as 292 living languages in China. The languages most commonly spoken
belong to the Sinitic branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, which contains Mandarin
(spoken by 70% of the population), and other varieties of Chinese language: Yue (including
Cantonese and Taishanese), Wu (including Shanghainese and Suzhounese), Min (including
Fuzhounese, Hokkien and Teochew), Xiang, Gan and Hakka. Languages of the Tibeto-
Burman branch, including Tibetan, Qiang, Naxi and Yi, are spoken across the Tibetan and
Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. Other ethnic minority languages in southwest China include
Zhuang, Thai, Dong and Sui of the Tai-Kadai family, Miao and Yao of the Hmong–Mien
family, and Wa of the Austroasiatic family. Across northeastern and northwestern China,
local ethnic groups speak Altaic languages including Manchu, Mongolian and several Turkic
languages: Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Salar and Western Yugur. Korean is spoken natively
along the border with North Korea. Sarikoli, the language of Tajiks in western Xinjiang, is an
Indo-European language. Taiwanese aborigines, including a small population on the
mainland, speak Austronesian languages.

Standard Mandarin, a variety of Mandarin based on the Beijing dialect, is the official national
language of China and is used as a lingua franca in the country between people of different
linguistic backgrounds. Mongolian, Uyghur, Tibetan, Zhuang and various other languages are
also regionally recognized throughout the country.

Spoken languages

The spoken languages of nationalities that are a part of the People's Republic of China belong
to at least nine families:

 The Sino-Tibetan family: 19 official ethnicities (including the Han and Tibetans)
 The Tai–Kadai family: several languages spoken by the Zhuang, the Bouyei, the Dai,
the Dong, and the Hlai (Li people). 9 official ethnicities.
 The Hmong–Mien family: 3 official ethnicities
 The Austroasiatic family: 4 official ethnicities (the De'ang, Blang, Gin (Vietnamese),
and Wa)

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  The Turkic family: Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Salars, etc. 7 official ethnicities.
 The Mongolic family: Mongols, Dongxiang, and related groups. 6 official ethnicities.
 The Tungusic family: Manchus (formerly), Hezhe, etc. 5 official ethnicities.
 The Koreanic family: Korean language
 The Indo-European family: 2 official ethnicities (the Russians and Tajiks (actually
Pamiri people). There is also a heavily Persian-influenced Äynu language spoken by
the Äynu people in southwestern Xinjiang who are officially considered Uyghurs.
 The Austronesian family: 1 official ethnicity (the Gaoshan, who speak many
languages of the Formosan branch), 1 unofficial (the Utsuls, who speak the Tsat
language but are considered Hui.)

Education

Beijing's Peking University, one of the top-ranked universities in China

Since 1986, compulsory education in China comprises primary and junior secondary school,
which together last for nine years.In 2010, about 82.5 percent of students continued their
education at a three-year senior secondary school. The Gaokao, China's national university
entrance exam, is a prerequisite for entrance into most higher education institutions. In 2010,
27 percent of secondary school graduates are enrolled in higher education. This number
increased significantly over the last years, reaching a tertiary school enrollment of 50 percent
in 2018.

As of 2018, 96% of the population over age 15 are literate. In 1949, only 20% of the
population could read, compared to 65.5% thirty years later. In 2009, Chinese students from
Shanghai achieved the world's best results in mathematics, science and literacy, as tested by
the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a worldwide evaluation of 15-
year-old school pupils' scholastic performance. Despite the high results, Chinese education
has also faced both native and international criticism for its emphasis on rote memorization
and its gap in quality from rural to urban areas.

Urbanization

China has urbanized significantly in recent decades. The percent of the country's population
living in urban areas increased from 20% in 1980 to over 60% in 2019. It is estimated that

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China's urban population will reach one billion by 2030, potentially equivalent to one-eighth
of the world population.

China has over 160 cities with a population of over one million,including the 10
megacities(cities with a population of over 10 million) of Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing,
Chengdu, Harbin, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Shijiazhuang and Suzhou.
Shanghai is China's most populous urban area while Chongqing is its largest city proper. By
2025, it is estimated that the country will be home to 221 cities with over a million
inhabitants.The figures in the table below are from the 2017 census, and are only estimates of
the urban populations within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists when
considering the total municipal populations (which includes suburban and rural populations).
The large "floating populations" of migrant workers make conducting censuses in urban areas
difficult; the figures below include only long-term residents.

Religion

China is one of great centres of world religious thought and practices. It is known especially
as the birthplace of the religio-philosophical schools of Confucianism and Daoism (Taoism),
belief systems that formed the basis of Chinese society and governance for centuries.
Buddhism came to China perhaps as early as the 3rd century BCE and was a recognized
presence there by the 1st century CE. The country became an incubator for many of the great
present-day Buddhist sects, including Zen (Chan) and Pure Land, and, by its extension into
Tibet, the source of Tibetan Buddhism. In addition, hundreds of animist, folk, and syncretic
religious practices developed in China, including the movement that spawned the Taiping
Rebellion of the mid-19th century.

The political and social upheavals in China during the first half of the 20th century had a
disintegrating effect on Confucianism, Daoism, and (outside Tibet) Buddhism, and traditional
observances of these were greatly weakened. From 1949 the country became officially
atheist, although state-monitored religious practices continued to be allowed. However, some
religions were persecuted, notably Tibetan Buddhism after China assumed military control of
Tibet in 1959. The Chinese government has gradually relaxed many of its earlier restrictions
on religious institutions and practices, but it still curtails those it considers threats to the
social and political order (e.g., the spiritual exercise discipline called Falun Gong, or Falun
Dafa).

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About one-half of China’s people claim that they are nonreligious or atheist. Adherents to
various indigenous folk religions, collectively about one-fifth of the total population,
comprise the largest group of those professing a belief. Many Chinese who are identified as
adherents of folk religions also embrace aspects and rituals of other religions. Members of
non-Han minorities constitute the bulk of those following Buddhism and Islam. Christians are
a small but significant and growing minority, many of them converts to Evangelical
Protestant denominations.

Demographic trends

Population growth

Historical records show that as long ago as 800 BCE, in the early part of the Zhou dynasty,
China was already inhabited by about 13.7 million people. Until the last years of the Xi
(Western) Han dynasty, about 2 CE, comparatively accurate and complete registers of
population were kept, and the total population in that year was given as 59.6 million. This
first Chinese census was intended mainly as a preparatory step toward the levy of a poll tax.
Many people, aware that a census might work to their disadvantage, managed to avoid
reporting, which explains why for centuries all subsequent population figures were

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unreliable. In 1712 the Qing emperor Kangxi declared that an increased population would not
be subject to tax; population figures thereafter gradually became more accurate.

Since 1970, however, when the third family-planning program was launched, state efforts
have been much more effective. China’s population growth rate is now among the lowest for
a developing country, although, because its population is so huge, annual net population
growth is still considerable. About one-sixth of the population is younger than 15 years of
age.

Understanding Chinese Business Culture

Culture in China influences all areas of daily life, including business. Chinese business
culture is totally different from Western culture, even though some business practices in
China have now evolved to align with other global practices. Still, the country boasts a
unique business culture owing to its unique history and background.

When doing business in China, a simple cultural misunderstanding can potentially scuttle a
good working relationship. Therefore, people from western nations ought to understand the
Chinese business culture in and out. This will help them avoid any cultural
misunderstandings that can make it difficult to do business or work in China.
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Here are some of the common aspects of the Chinese culture you need to be well-versed with
prior to embarking to China either for business or other work-related purposes.

Chinese Put a Lot of Emphasis on Relationships

Depending on your professional personality, this concept of Chinese business culture may be
quite enjoyable…or it can be a bit uncomfortable. In the Chinese context, business
relationships inevitably become social relationships with time. But in Western nations
however, business relationships tend to remain professional.

Regardless of the type of business you are doing in China, you can create a strong business
relationship between your clients and partners by sharing your personal life, including
hobbies, aspirations, political views and family. In Chinese business context, plenty of time is
normally spent discussing issues that are outside of business. In fact, a large part of your
success when doing business in the world’s most populous nation will depend largely on your
personal relationship with the parties involved.

For some foreigners who do business in China, this is a welcomed difference. They may
thoroughly enjoy chatting about their personal lives and forming close relationships with
those they work with. However, for other people who prefer to keep their work and
professional lives private, this can be a difficult aspect to get used to. Further, if you have a
high regard for efficiency and getting to the point during a meeting, then you could become a
little frustrated.

Hierarchy Matters a Lot in China

China is traditionally a hierarchical society. So in China, the levels within the societal
heirarchy matter a great deal; especially in government or state-owned institutions. While
working or doing business in China, you can’t just call anyone Mr. or Mrs. like it is normally
the case in Western nations. In China, every person in a business setting is address by their
designation i.e. Manager [name] Director [name], etc.

This hierarchy should also be kept in mind in the order which you greet, serve, or interact
with people professionally and even socially. For example, if you are offering to serve a

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drink, you should always remember to serve the most senior persons first prior to serving
other ordinary persons.

The Concept of Saving Fact / Image is Important in China

The idea of “saving face” is that you don’t do things that will embarrass another person. The
face-saving concept is a crucial part of Chinese culture in general, and this extends into
business culture. If you want a place where you can do business or work without facing much
criticism, then China is ultimately the best place for you.

The Chinese business culture discourages criticism (whether intentional or non-intentional),

public disapproval and jeopardizing prestige. Here, they believe that the face/image should be
protected all the time no matter what.

Generally, Chinese take things personally and the last thing they would want is to lose face.
This is also why some people prefer keeping their personal opinions to themselves, and the
reason why your Chinese boss may desist from pointing out your flaws.

While there are some positives that come from this concept, the idea of “saving face” can be
a problem in business, especially for foreign employees. It may be difficult to get the true
opinion of others, and even more difficult when it comes to the job performance of other
people. Careful of being critical, especially if it isn’t your place (remember the hierarchy).

Style of communication

Chinese (and to a larger extent people from Eastern cultures) view their Western counterparts
as quite upfront in their way of speaking. As a result, this may create misunderstanding
between the two groups of people, sometimes inadvertently hurting people’s feelings.

People of western origin are taught to express and even defend their ideas, sometimes turning
to debates just to prove their point or get the other party to agree with them. But this is
perceived as rude and humiliating in China. When working in China, be careful to avoid
being too upfront or strongly opinionated in your way of speaking. Don’t argue to prove your
point (especially if it isn’t critical). Just nod along with other people’s ideas, even when you
don’t necessarily agree with them.

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Keep in mind that this could vary depending on the company you are working with. Chinese
companies are becoming more Westernized in some ways, as many of their employees may
have studied abroad or worked in other international companies. So you could find that the
communication style could vary.

Titles are More Important in China

As a result of the importance of hierarchy in China, job titles are much more important. This
is a key difference between the Chinese and modern Western business culture. In the West,
there has been a trend toward having less emphasis on job titles. Many modern companies
want their teams to seem like they are all on the same level, even managers, so it is more like
a peer atmosphere. There are even some CEOs and high level VPs that sit at desks among
their staff, rather than in a private office.

This level of openness in Western business leads to teams that interact freely at their
respective workplaces, without placing so much importance on titles or positions. However,
titles are greatly respected in China. This is evident even from the way of greetings, whereby
one has to start greeting the senior most person first and then move down the line of
hierarchy. In fact, in many Chinese events / meetings you may notice that the level and titles
of each person determine who speaks first, and so on.

Punctuality

The concept of time is more concrete in most Western societies, and it is expected that people
always show up on time for meetings and important appointments. Simply put, Westerners
tend to take punctuality very seriously, and being tardy is frowned upon and even seen as
rude. However, in China lateness is excusable depending on the prevailing circumstances.

RUBRIC 2

Cultural assimilator:

According to Morris and Robie (2001) the cultural assimilator technique has been the focus
of considerable research. They name the following: Becker, 1982; Bhawuk, 1998; Brislin,
1986; Cushner, 1989; Harrison, 1992; Landis, Day, McGrew, Thomas and Miller, 1976;
Symonds, O’Brien, Vidmar and Hornik, 1967; Tolbert and McLean, 1995; Weldon, Carlston,

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Rissman, Slobodin and Triandis, 1975; Worchel and Mitchell, 1972 and Yarbro and Lynette,
1988. “The approach of the culture assimilator is to provide scenarios of cross-cultural
situations requiring a decision by the expatriate, then offer four decision alternatives. The
trainee selects an option and defends his/her choice. If the choice is incorrect, the trainee is
told why that choice is an inappropriate response and asked to select again. The reasons
behind the choice are more important than the option selected as they indicate the schemata
used by the trainee to make inferences about culture-appropriate behaviour. The goal of the
cultural assimilator is to provide the trainee with experience making decisions in realistic
social situations, much like a role-play, while imparting knowledge about the behavioural
norms specific to that culture” (cited from Morris and Robie, 2001).

Example of a Cultural Assimilator

One day a Chinese administrator of middle academic rank kept two of his assistants waiting
about an hour from an appointment. The assistants, although very angry, did not show it
while they waited. When the administrator walked in at last, he acted as if he were not late.
He made no apology or explanation. After he was settled in his office, he called his assistants
in and they all began working on the business for which the administrator had set the
meeting.

If you happened to observe the incident exactly as it is reported in this passage, which one of
the following would you say describes the chief significance of the behaviour of the people
involved?

a) The Chinese assistants were extremely skilful at concealing their true feelings
b) The Chinese administrator obviously was unaware of the fact that he was an hour late for
the appointment
c) In China, subordinates are required to be polite to their superiors, no matter what happens,
nor what their rank may be.
d) Clearly, since no one commented on it, the behaviour indicated nothing of any unusual
significance to any of the Chinese

You selected 1: The Chinese assistants were extremely skilful at concealing their true
feelings

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This is not entirely correct.
It is quite characteristic of the Chinese to try to appear reserved under any circumstances. If
the assistants were extremely skilful at concealing their true feelings, would you know that
you were not seeing their true feelings? Also, does the reference to the chief significance of
the behaviour of “the people involved” limit it to the assistants?

Please return to questions and try again.

You selected 2: The Chinese administrator obviously was unaware of the fact that he
was an hour late for the appointment

A very poor choice.

While the administrator acted as if he were unaware of his tardiness after observing the
hour’s wait, don’t you suspect that perhaps he was acting?

Please return to questions and try again.

You selected 3: In China, subordinates are required to be polite to their superiors, no

matter what happens, nor what their rank may be.

Very good.
You are utilizing the information in the episodes to its fullest extent. Continue. This is the
correct response.

You selected 4: Clearly, since no one commented on it, the behaviour indicated
nothing of any unusual significance to any of the Chinese

This is completely wrong.

While the behaviour reported in the passage does not seem so significant for the Chinese in
this relationship as it might be to others, why was nothing said about the tardiness? And why
were the assistants “very angry” although they “did not show it?” Isn’t there a more
significant level of meaning for this behaviour?

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Please return to questions and try again.

To some extent the “deference to the boss” may be observed almost anywhere in the world,
but you are far more likely to find it carried to a higher degree in Chines than in the other
parts of the world. There were certain clues to help you select 3: the assistants’ concealed
feelings, the administrator’s failure to apologize, the fact that no one mentioned the tardiness,
and the subsequent keeping of the appointment which the administrator had set.

Language Training

More expats are being created through business assignments, where families are relocated by
businesses in order to take up placements abroad. There are many countries that host many
expats now compared to 10 years ago. Language training is becoming more crucial for those
taking up these assignments.

Expats often venture in quest of a better life. It may be for geographical reasons – a quest for
sun and fresh landscapes, economical reasons – in pursuit of greater wealth, cultural reasons
– in search for an enriching experience or just for an adventure. Of course, such motivating
factors are wide and diverse and are hard to assess.

The main challenges that face expats relate to language learning. This is especially the case in
business assignments abroad. According to a survey amongst senior managers in global
mobility industries, three-fifths (61 per cent) decided that lacking knowledge on local
languages was their biggest and most sticky obstacles. Without knowledge of local language,
you are just confined in how you can express yourself during day to day activities. Here’s
where language training is crucial.

Improve language skills

Being an expat, you will pick up nuances in the local language if you try to be attentive. If
you use this as a springboard to actually learn the language, then you will make significant
progress. Through immersion between day-to-day conversations in streets and in work, etc,
you will be exposed to a wide variety of words, phrases and colloquialisms that will give you
a relatively complete picture of a language. If you consolidate upon this, you have a good
chance of becoming very proficient very quickly.

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 How to pick up the local language easily?
Because you are immersed in a language, you may well learn quickly if you try. If you
already have some language knowledge then that’s great, it will be even quicker. Picking up a
few words is a damn-sight different to fluency though, so learning actively is crucial. With
extensive active learning and practice, fluency is possible in relatively short periods of time.

Why would you need to pick up fast?

Often, expats do feel alienated until they learn a local language. Of course, areas with large
expat communities will help you feel at home but nonetheless, there will be occasions where
you aren’t able to communicate in a situation where it’d be valuable.

Challenges you might face picking the language up.

Being immersed is a double-edged sword. Some languages in some areas of the world may be
packed full of colloquialisms and local dialects and that could serve to trip you up. And
language training can be complicated because of the lack of exposure to a foreign language
from both sides.

Creative ways to learn a new language quickly for expats

Language training for an expat relies on you to make up the difference between immersion
and active learning. If you don’t try and consolidate upon the info you hear then you won’t
get far. If you do, try and learn actively in addition to this immersion then you’re sure to
experience an accelerated learning process. There are many ways to complete your language
training:

#1 Online classes
Online classes have developed hugely and there’s a massive choice. With huge varieties of
courses and styles to choose from you’re sure to find something that you get on with well.

#2 Language Exchange
Language exchange allows you to give and take knowledge from another language speaker.
It’s a great way to learn and will keep your knowledge thriving whilst you immerse yourself
in a new culture. There are many great ways for language training and Bilingua provides a
unique approach where you retain your connection to native speakers whilst you learn. By

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connecting to natives from your expat country, you can share your experiences, converse
about them and discuss the local language along with your personal observations.

#3 Mobile apps
Mobile language training apps are a great way to master a new language. You can simply
download any app of your choosing to your mobile device an learn at your own pace and
comfort.

The expat life isn’t for everyone but for those who do take to it, it can be one of life’s greatest
adventures and comes packed with tons of rewards. From new cultures, people and
languages, embracing the change that comes with expatriation may well forge a new chapter
in your life which you will come to value greatly. On the other side, though, expats can feel
alienated and lonely. Some may even feel threatened by a new environment and vulnerable. It
varies enormously, as does every human experience, but one thing is for sure – there’s only
one way to find out!

Onsite Consulting / Field Simulation Training

When the company believes that the employees have successfully passed the “survival
training” stage, it is time for field simulation training. The employee (and family) visits a
neighbourhood of the same ethnic background as the destination or, if the trainees are already
in-country, then they move out to the “real world.” Depending upon the conditions, an
individual may be dropped into a rural area with limited resources and told to get back to the
office. Or a family may be moved into temporary housing so that they can meet their
neighbours, shop for food, locate transportation, and just explore the area. When the
simulation is over, the trainees come back to the centre to compare notes and share
experiences.

Onsite consulting provides guidance for expats in handling business and adjustment issues
that arise during their international assignments. The purposes of onsite consulting are to
assist expats in assessing the approaches they use to handle such issues and to provide them
with guidance in determining and implementing new approaches.

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The focus of onsite consulting can be on business, performance, team, personal or family
issues. Experienced intercultural consultants can work with expats to formulate approaches to
managing current business issues and to develop contingency plans for handling issues that
might arise in the future. To optimize the overall performance of expats in the local
workplace, consultants can provide coaching on various performance issues. If expats are
team managers, consultants can assist by facilitating team meetings and conducting
teambuilding sessions, and by coaching expats in acting appropriately in these roles. If expats
are members of a team, consultants can coach them in intercultural meeting participation and
teamwork. Finally, consultants can counsel working expats and family members regarding
issues of adjustment and family dynamics in the new environment.

A significant benefit of onsite consulting is that it targets real issues in a timely manner.
The following are actual situations that could have been improved with onsite consulting:

An overseas Chinese manager working in China reported: “Sometimes I sit with local
employees at lunch. People come to me with complaints. I want to tell my (Western)
boss about the complaints. But he doesn’t ask me about things”. Being mindful of
hierarchy, this manager hesitated to transmit bad news without being asked. The
Western boss, on the other hand, assumed that because the overseas Chinese
manager spoke English well, he would communicate in a direct manner.

A Chinese woman working in Germany wanted to show interest in and build close
rapport with the “family” she worked with every day. Consequently, she made a daily
investigation of the contents of her colleagues’ mailboxes. She also frequently and
overtly examined any papers lying on the desk of her German male boss. In the office
as well as in meetings, she was coy and flirtatious with male colleagues; in
particular, with her boss. She became confused and demotivated after her boss called
her into his office and spoke to her in a very stern manner, telling her that her
behaviour must change.

Expats who have the advantage of onsite consulting are often able to handle issues before
they escalate and thereby avoid negative repercussions for the themselves, their colleagues
and the company.

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RUBRIC 3

Expatriate Pre-Departure Training Challenges

When implementing a program designed to prepare expatriates for host culture experiences,
trainers want to first select the research-based assessment and training module that is most
relevant to the particular context of the experience at hand (i.e. missions, business, foreign
affairs). Such programs are designed to assist sending organizations with tools for selecting
and/or preparing the best candidates for experiences abroad. If administered correctly, these
programs can yield dividends for both the sending organization and the expatriate (Black &
Gregersen, 1999; Shay & Tracey, 1997). There seem, however, to be recurring themes
regarding the success of such programs that is unrelated to the quality of the program itself.
Instead, the simple factors noted above, as enacted during training, seem to influence the
success rate of an expatriate preparation program. Below is an explanation of these three
factors, examples, and suggestions on how to prepare and adjust for these challenges. To
maintain confidentiality, all names have been changed.

Challenge #1: Trainee Accountability

One might assume that all who register for expatriate preparation training would come fully
prepared to engage in the process of learning and implementing new skill sets. Surprisingly,
this
is not always the case? Even in situations where the trainee expresses a strong interest in the
abroad experience, full interest in a preparatory program and confidence in its legitimacy is
not a guarantee.

To increase trainee accountability, each trainee should maintain a journal documenting his or
her specific areas of growth, notes related to these areas from the discussions, a plan of action
to improve post-test scores in these areas, and an accounting of what the trainee actually did
to improve training. Regular review of these journals by the trainer encourages trainees to
maintain records of the directions they have followed, and it increases the likelihood that they
will act when provided with sound pre-departure advice. A second suggestion to increase
trainee accountability can work especially well in a professional consulting situation where
the trainer is paid to provide expatriate pre-departure training: the collection of an additional

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deposit from trainees or their funding organization (i.e. place of employment) that will be
returned upon the successful completion of the training program can drive trainees to fulfill
requests more readily.

Challenge #2: Amount of Time in Training

The second challenge that has been continually evident in pre-departure training lies in the
amount of time allotted to affect change. Intercultural readiness requires hours and hours of
assessment, self-reflection, training, and real effort on the part of the trainee. It remains to be
seen just how many hours of training are required to affect sufficient levels of change in a
person’s ability to thrive in a host culture, but from my experience, expatriates often wait
until the last few months prior to departure to begin preparations, which often simply does
not leave
them long enough to prepare effectively.

There is wide variation in terms of accepted wisdom and training recommendations for how
much time is enough. The commonly allotted three months of pre-departure preparation falls
well below Colgate-Palmolive’s widely successful expatriate readiness program
recommendation of six to eighteen months prior to departure (Black & Gregersen, 1999).
Some skills development processes take up to 40 hours of face-to-face training, which does
not include out of-class time where learned skills are practiced or tasks are performed to
increase function or
task readiness (Allington, 2011). TED Talk speaker and author Josh Kaufman (2013) claims
optimistically that any new skill can be learned in only 20 hours, while for decades people
have accepted the common rule that it takes ten thousand hours to completely master a new
skill (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Romer, 1993; Gladwell, 2008).

This wide variance in expectations regarding time allotted to training should lead intercultural
communication scholars to test how much preparation time is required for most pre-departure
expatriates to garner the necessary skills to perform proficiently in a host culture. As such a
test has not yet been created or conducted., it is from my experience that I claim that a
preparation term of a few months, involving three to five individual or group sessions and a
common preparation model, is simply not enough time to affect substantive intercultural
readiness.

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Other examples of time-constraint in pre-departure intercultural communication training
include assisting candidates in: becoming less rigid in their time orientation (helping
candidates
become more flexible in their daily routines through less reliance on a daily planner),
becoming more socially accepting of others (showing candidates that they can initiate and
maintain a
relationship with someone much different than themselves), helping family members reframe
the way they think of dangerous mission work. Some candidates make substantive strides
toward positive adjustments in pre-departure deficits, yet fail to experience the host culture. It
is, therefore, paramount that intercultural readiness trainers appreciate the extended amounts
of time that might be needed to truly prepare expatriates for separation from their home and
acculturation into a host culture.

Challenge #3: Level of Trust between Trainer and Trainee

The third and final challenge this paper aims to address is the level of trust between the
trainer and trainee. Decades of research regarding the importance of the interpersonal
relationship between counsellor and client have been affirmed by Lambert and Barley (2001),
noting that the relationship factor is the most important aspect in affecting positive outcomes
for clients. Similarly, it is essential that intercultural trainers and trainees develop a
relationship of trust in order to increase the likelihood of trainee receptiveness and overall
intercultural readiness and success abroad.

Therefore, we must find expedited ways of bridging this interpersonal relationship gap so as
to foster an environment in which trainees will be quick to listen and follow instructions.
Suggestions on how to build this rapport as an outsider are for the trainer to discuss his or her
professional experience in the field, past travel experience, training experience and success
stories, and mention his or her level of education and research related to the subject matter.

Another method of creating an optimal learning atmosphere, where candidate learning is

likely to increase, is to use teacher immediacy behaviors. Knowing the candidate’s name and
providing

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other welcoming verbal and nonverbal communication patterns can greatly increase a
candidate’s learning (Chesebro & McCroskey, 2001) and decrease their levels of anxiety
(Velten, 2012) with the trainer. Whatever specific tactics are chosen, it seems imperative that
practitioners work purposefully to build rapport with trainees prior to the actual training
process if we want to capture the greatest return on pre-departure training investments.

RUBRIC 4

What is pre-departure training for expatriates?

Pre-departure training for expatriates is a broad term for a programme that briefs soon to be
expatriates on what to expect when living and working abroad. Well delivered training allows
employees to personalise learnings to anticipate and plan for challenges they and their family
may face when they move abroad.

What are the benefits of pre-departure training for expatriates?

There are a range of benefits of a holistic training plan for expats as they settle in to their role
abroad:

Clear understanding of their role:

employees who are sent abroad for the right reasons are likely to be most successful. Pre-
assignment training that clearly lays out the primary goals of their assignment is likely to help
employees meet expectations with greater ease.

Better integration:
the inability to settle into their new country is cited by most expatriate failures as a key
reason for their return home. Therefore, detailed inter-cultural studies and sensitivity training
is required to:

Provide a detailed overview of the cultural differences between home and host countries.
Develop emotional flexibility to accept unfamiliar behaviour and values are effective ways of
doing things. Help the expatriate to evoke a sense of respect towards the culture and norms of
their host country and to enact change in a culturally sensitive way.

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Improved language skills:
ideally pre-assignment training will offer the basics of the host country’s language to those
moving abroad. Good host language skills improve an expatriate’s access to information once
they move abroad and helps them to build connections, an essential element of expat success.

Happy families:
BGRS mobility trend survey shows the most common reason listed for expat failure is
‘family concerns’ including challenges relating to their partner settling in, children’s
education, quality of life or support in the host country. Some of these can be alleviated by
not forgetting the expatriate’s family when it comes to pre-assignment training.

In-country coaching:
pre-assignment training should also outline the in-country coaching an expat can expect.
Receiving structured support from other expats, management and colleagues once they move,
can significantly improve the overall success of their time working abroad.

Solutions

Language and Technical Training

First, focus is given to these two training that seem to be the most challenging items during
the mission. The expatriates essentially received language and technical training: « I have
received
language training, nothing automatic ». « I had a language training and technical updates».
« I had basic Chinese lessons » « I had an introduction Chinese course ». However, such
training are not always organized and are not always sufficient : « There should have been
more classes ». « Language training was useful, sad that the family could not join ».
Some received information about the tax system and logistic issues (accommodation,
installation): « Preparation to the administrative part and the health care organization »
«Administrative preparation; visa … and for moving».

Briefing
Some received an information day about intercultural differences. That is the most frequently
mentioned. « I received information about differences between Chinese and French culture.

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This helps but not always I mostly learned from my own mistakes that I still make». Another
also received a likely training and assumes having learned from previous experiences. « I
received half a day training. This helped me. This was about specific aspects of India:
cultural differences between France and India, infrastructures, traditions, cast system, etc…
But this training was quite disorganized, not long enough and did not really help me.
Certainly, my experiences in Korea, in Canada or Brazil help me to integrate the country. I
was not anxious or stressed…my partner had more to tell since she had never been so far for
such a long period of time ». Another had no information at all: « No training …This was not
mandatory. The best training is the on-the-field training ».

Mentoring and Tutorial

Three expatriates enjoyed help of a mentor. One among them precise: « The preparation is
different regarding the country where we are going. For me, there was a mentor in the host
country for the first steps in the country and in the company. This could have been better if
we had two mentors: one in Belgium to keep in touch with the head company and avoid
feeling of
isolation, forgotten by the company and one in host country. Finally, now, we have intranet ».
The expatriate mentioned the importance of the two tutors: one in the home country and the
other in the host country. This double mentoring exists but not everywhere. In our sample,
only one expatriate had double mentoring.

The impact that allows mentoring and different types of personalized follow-up, remains
uncertain: some see some support, some practical help, some a source of advice, some,
finally, away of building network… For the expatriate in China, the mentoring was linked to
the learning of a language « I had 30 hours of Chinese when I first arrived, they waited my
arrival to start the training. Some previous teachers help new students, but quite informal,
not considered as a support program. It is more about willingness ».

Very few of them mention mentoring. They mention the high price of such training.
Expatriates, yet, experience such follow-ups informally by asking for help from previous
expatriates or superiors. One of them explains « I was followed by a superior. As soon as I
had a problem, I could ask for help. They were always available to help me in any context…
at work…in life ».

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Another would have appreciated to be able to have a mentor during the first year of their stay.
Three of them mention the informal tutorial they had by having previous expatriates helping
them during the first week of arrival in the host country: « I am in touch with my
predecessor. He gives me advice about the country but also for the job. We, however, do not
have official
« mentoring ». This helps me a lot ». This expatriate and his wife received training before and
after their leave. The cultural training included case studies, debates and presentations: « It
was
rewarding and interesting ». On the field, they rather received information: «At the moment
of the arrival, there has been a presentation explaining the difference between India and
France
realized by a French coming originally from India. This is useful ». « We had a brief
overview of major differences. This took one day, after few days of my arrival. Yes, this
helped me. They have explained me cultural aspects of India. I was aware about my new
coming life » Another employee arrives in an ‘occidental’ country and positively remarks the
utility of a training in the host country about the cultural and administrative differences. «
The US company proposed technical, administrative and welcome training ».

Internship and Visit

Some companies organized visit previous to departure. Yet, only 4 expatriates had the
opportunity to travel to the host country before their real departure. « We had 3-month
internship in the Central Office in order to better understand the country » says one of them.
« I had 1 week stay before my real departure » says another one. « I have been twice and
stayed 1 week each time before I moved ». Some had longer journeys: « I stayed one month
in the country before my departure for the administrative procedure», « I have passed one
recognition month to meet my predecessor ».

Companies rarely implement such procedures. Yet, all types of training and follow-ups
mentioned above all, even when organized all together, seem not to be sufficient. The
technical training does not allow to avoid cultural and adaptation difficulties. In the same
way, intercultural training did not always allow to reduce difficulties linked to the daily life
and particularly, in a country like India. Language training can seem to be strongly
insufficient for expatriates in China, for example. As for the coaching organized by
colleagues, it is about the accomplishment of the work and does not guarantee adaptation.

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 Role plays:

Trainees imagine themselves in situations presented by the trainer and act out simulated roles
(Baumgarten, 1995).

Case studies:

This method stresses situation or problem analysis. The trainee is asked to determine possible
courses of action for the solution of the problem presented in the case. The individual
outcome is discussed in a group (Baumgarten, 1995).

Instructional games:

An essential characteristic of instructional games is the simplified representation of real-life

situations in which the participants need to apply their business, interpersonal and
communication skills (Baumgarten, 1995).

CONCLUSION

Results from this study provide first-hand knowledge about training needs of managers in the
Asia Pacific region on the various functional management areas, for their success in overseas
business. This knowledge would help HRD professionals in formulating training strategies in
terms of planning, designing and delivering effective training programmes for managers to be
sent on overseas assignments. This study has also succeeded in providing insights of the
current training strategies of the companies operating out of Singapore for their expatriates in
the Asia-Pacific
region. It would appear that the contents of international HRD programmes in the firms are
determined by the HRD professionals or management. They determine the contents of the
programme and the relevance of various issues.

The framework shows the relationship between the phases of recruitment/selection of the
expatriate, training design considerations, the content areas of training, and the expected
performance of the overseas manager as implied by the findings. The training programme and
content areas planned by the companies appears to be shaped by the management’s perceived
importance of the immediate requirements for overseas business operations and the
preparation of expatriates in order to perform effectively in the relevant overseas

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environments. These primary design considerations influence the priority ranking of the
broader training content areas, knowledge and skills that would prepare the expatriate
manager to perform effectively in overseas assignments The framework includes the learning
process for the organisation through the feedback provided by the overseas manager
himself/herself as well as the feedback obtained by the company through its performance
appraisal of the overseas manager, would in turn influence the recruitment/selection strategies
and practices and may suggest changes to the contents of the training programmes.

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