KENNETH ISAAC PETER 012020020617

NAME MATRIC NO.

SUBJECT INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CODE BHR20203

PROGRAMME BHCM/BIB/BETR GROUP
LECTURER SULTAN REHMAN SHERIEF DUE DATE 18.8.2021
FINAL PROJECT IS TO ACHIEVE:

COURSE OUTCOME 3:
Assess potential current issues related to international human resource management practices
(Expatriate Performance)

PROGRAMME EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES (PEO)

PEO1: Knowledgeable and skillful individuals in the field of human capital management and have the
ability to face challenges in the business world in order to fulfil the needs of industry and nation
either as workers or entrepreneurs.
PEO2: Individuals who possess high awareness in social responsibility whilst maintaining the highest
ethical standards.
PEO3: Individuals who have the ability to communicate as a leader or as a team member as well the
skills in problem solving techniques.
PEO4: Individuals who are able to apply their knowledge and skills of entrepreneurship as well as aware
of the importance of the need for lifelong learning.

INSTRUCTION:
1. This is Final Project will cover 40% for the coursework, replacing Final Examination
2. This cover page must be printed on PURPLE paper.
3. If you have any difficulties in submitting the Final Project, please come and consult the lecturer.

QUESTION:
 The issues and challenges faced by foreign professionals or expatriates in Malaysia

FORMAT:
1. Arial with 11pt.,
2. Margin: use A4 – Normal
3. Spacing: 1.5
(For lecturer only) MARKS
1. Main Idea /20
2. Paragraph /10
3. Content /30
4. Grammar /10
5. Punctuality /10
6. Presentation /20
TOTAL MARKS /100
4. DO NOT BIND your final project. Just staple on the top left

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TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION 3

THE ISSUES FACED BY FOREIGN PROFESSIONALS IN

MALAYSIA 4-5

THE CHALLENGES FACED BY FOREIGN

PROFESSIONALS IN MALAYSIA 6-7

ROLES THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT 8-9

CHALLENGES FACED BY FOREIGN PROFESSIONALS

IN SEGI UNIVERSITY 9-10

RECOMMENDATIONS 11

CONCLUSION 12

REFERENCES 13

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INTRODUCTION

Foreign professionals or expatriate are people who resides and works in a nation other than his
or her home country, usually temporarily and for work reasons. An expatriate is also someone
who has given up citizenship in their native nation in order to become a citizen of another. Over
the last decade, the country has gone through three major waves of arriving expatriates. The
first wave of expats to arrive in Malaysia were Britons working in the private sector as CEOs,
managers, and other upper management positions. They typically serve as technical
professionals, ambassadors, advisers, and scholars in the government sector.

Foreign professionals from the United States of America and other European nations who were
placed in multinational organizations made up the second wave. The last wave of expatriates
has motivated our government to improve our country's electronics sector and strengthen ties
between Malaysia, Australia, and the Newly Industrialized Asian countries.

Interestingly, expatriates frequently get new experiences and have the opportunity to embrace a
different lifestyle, especially when the cultures in a new location differ greatly from those in their
native country. Expatriates must adapt to their surroundings in order to flourish in a demanding
work environment. Adjustments need time, energy, and money sacrifices, which may cause
grief for some people. It is difficult for people to stay dedicated to their careers if they lack
tenacity and enthusiasm for their profession and work duties. As a result, it is natural that some
expatriates have had to reevaluate their decision to remain in the foreign nation.

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THE ISSUES FACED BY FOREIGN PROFESSIONALS OR EXPATRIATES IN MALAYSIA

Foreign professionals in Malaysia experience many kinds of issues that causes job
dissatisfaction and sometimes a negative perspective on Malaysia. Those issues are common
in workplace especially in big and successful companies. One of the issues is work stress due
to the overload of work. Most companies that hire expats tend to give them an overloaded work
knowing that opportunity-seeking expats will not complain. This, however, has been causing
and excessive amount of stress for those expats to cope and try to balance their personal lives
as well. Work stress is caused by conflicting activities, hazy tasks, and heavy tasks, which result
in spiritual exhaustion, loss of identity, and depression of mood. This would cause a lower job
involvement in return as they are unable to keep up to their work. For example, some foreign
professionals who are working as managers in big companies are given heavy tasks to finish in
a short period of time, tend to be mentally exhausted which affects their job performance.

Next issue is correlated to work stress which is job performance. Job performance of expats are
affected in other ways as well. At work, expatriates may face higher demands from their
supervisors and coworkers in terms of job performance. In addition to the usual structures,
overseas establishes priorities are required to do specific activities such as imparting expertise
and technology to locals. Unfortunately, when expats come from a different cultural background,
fail to satisfy role expectations, and are unable to grasp cultural variations in role expectations,
they are frequently viewed as having bad work performance. Individuals who operate in a new
culture and work environment, for example, are likely to begin with inferior job performance,
which will have an impact on their reputation.

Moreover, job satisfaction among expats is frequently influenced by their material and
psychological requirements, such as their connections with coworkers and bosses, work duties
and responsibilities, income, and sense of accomplishment. Job satisfaction is an important
factor that motivates expats to pursue professional development, higher pay and recognition.
Furthermore, it is related to one's personal well-being, mental health, and job productivity. With
the work stress and low job performance, obviously is not going to give job satisfaction to
foreign professionals, not to mention low salary and lack of respect among colleagues. This
issue also affects the organization through decrease in its efficiency, reputation, and
productivity.

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Also, foreign professionals' rights have been a key problem in the industrial sector for decades.
People have yet to become aware of their employees' rights, as well as novel notions and
norms for improvisation. rights to life, liberty, and the ability to select jobs depending on
workplace conditions, compensation, and cleanliness, as well as the right to obtain permanent
and long-term benefits. This problem has heavily affected expats who have come to Malaysia
away from their home countries, mainly because they are unable to voice out almost anything in
workplaces but have to comply to everything given to them.

Lastly is difficulty in addressing names of Malaysians according to social status. Most expats
believed that social etiquette was highly essential in the natives' regular social interactions. This
is in contrast to the foreign culture, where informality and direct connection are the standards.
Such distinctions provide difficulties for expatriates since they are obliged to recognize who they
are speaking with or addressing in terms of the person's title (i.e., Tan Sri, Dato', and
Professor). Social formalities can also function as a gap or barrier in communication, making
social interactions unpleasant in some cases.

THE CHALLENGES FACED BY FOREIGN PROFESSIONALS OR EXPATRIATES IN

MALAYSIA

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Foreign professionals face many challenges when working in Malaysia. One of them is being
cautious over religious issues. The majority of Malaysians are Malay Muslims, and as a result,
Islamic religious prohibitions have been ingrained in Malaysian customs and conventions.
Becoming conscious of this issue, expatriates found themselves being careful in their
interactions with local Malays, whether at work or outside of work. Clarifications must be
provided in order to reach an agreement on religious concerns and avoid future misbehavior.
Clarifications on clashing religious issues are sometimes necessary and restricted to the
expatriates themselves, but they should also be extended to their family members who live
together in Malaysia. For instance, during fasting month, children of expats are frequently
advised not to drink water close to a Muslim since this person is fasting.

Also, there are preconceived assumptions about western female expats in Malaysia. This
knowledge is created in a variety of ways, the most frequent of which is through the mass
media. When engaging with the other sex, the women expatriates had a problem due to their
common assumptions. Malaysia has a somewhat higher level of masculinity than the rest of the
world. For example, although women are offered possibilities to work as expatriates in Malaysia,
the prospects are still restricted due to the difficulties in gathering a large number of female
expats in the corporate area.

Besides, foreign professionals find it difficult in complying with the working pace. Most expats
come from highly industrialized countries where people are accustomed to living in the fast lane
and having better established and efficient public services. Considering their prior working
pattern differs from the working style that they are presently experiencing in Malaysia, it has
been a challenge for the majority of these expats here. Among the difficulties are slow working
speeds and ineffective services provided. In Western nations, for example, people are more
stressed and everyone is time sensitive, whereas here, people take their time by beginning late
and leaving early for lunch.

Moreover, this country has a high level of bureaucracy. People in top management positions in
their hierarchical positions primarily gain great influence over workplace challenges. As a result,
in certain cases, it disrupts the flow of work between locals and expatriates. Decision-making
processes and job completion times may be longer than planned. This was a problem that
expatriates faced, and it took some cross-cultural negotiation skills to adjust and solve any
issues that arose. For example, as a leader in a project that has been entrusted to an

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expatriate, an issue emerges when the Malaysian subordinates do not finish their work on time
owing to orders issued by the senior management team to complete another new task without
first informing the expatriate.

Lastly, another challenge is the lack of an organized introduction training programs for expats
regarding Malaysian culture. The majority of them had no experience with cross-cultural training
programs.  However, it is mostly about expats' employment requirements rather than their
cultural orientation. Expats must go through a cross-cultural awareness training in order to be
well acclimated in a new culture. For example, expats who are unfamiliar with Malaysian norms
may experience "culture shock" during international assignments.

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WHAT ROLES THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT PLAY TO SOLVE THE ISSUES AND
CHALLENGES FACED BY FOREIGN PROFESSIONALS OR EXPATRIATES

The Malaysian government play an important role in eradicating the issues and challenges
faced by foreign professionals in Malaysia. This involves explicitly defining deadlines for expats’
policy changes as well as the accessibility of accessing current information on the present
framework. More significantly, measures on this front have been implemented in conjunction
with other government efforts, such as talent development or improvements to the current
incentive system for luring foreign direct investments (FDI). Policy implementation and
modifications are phased in and conveyed to the sector properly. Reforms to expat policies are
required for Malaysia's long-term gain; nevertheless, they will definitely result in short-term
changes to the economy.

Moreover, the government has recognized the importance of expatriates and has formed a
distinct section known as the Talent Corp Foreign Talent Facilitation, as well as collaboration
with nine other authorizing agencies to form a Joint Working Committee-Expatriate (JWC-E).
The have aligned policies and programs to recruit and keep expats in the nation, and ensure
that expatriate-related activities are implemented comprehensively and effectively by agencies
and the private sector. This effort in return has increased expats’ job performances and
satisfaction in workplace.

Next, the government has implemented a new mechanism to educate foreign professionals on

Malaysian law and culture, ensuring that they are not subjected to abuse and can better
integrate into the Malaysian work environment. This is to guarantee that the source nations
accept responsibility for providing its workers with basic knowledge about Malaysian culture and
regulations before they come to work.

Furthermore, to guarantee that expats are not victimized in this nation, the government will
examine the criteria for hiring them. Proper housing and the right of expats to be insured are two
of the principles that will be investigated. Despite the fact that expatriates are required to have
insurance, the coverage is minimal owing to the low price paid. A report will be prepared
involving all stakeholders, including insurance firms, to examine how foreign professionals may
be provided additional coverage for their medical expenses.

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Last but not least, The Ministry of Human Resources' Department of Occupational Safety and
Health is in charge of establishing workplace occupational safety and health for expatriates.
They created the Occupational Health Division to satisfy regulatory obligations and to promote
health promotion and health protection in all workplaces. For example, The Occupational Health
Division offers seminars and discussions to raise occupational awareness of health among all
employees and foreign professionals. 

THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACED BY FOREIGN PROFESSIONALS IN SEGI

UNIVERSITY

Like any other universities in Malaysia, Segi university also hires foreign lecturers. Those
professionals go through certain challenges while carrying their jobs even in universities. The
main issue is language barrier as students in Malaysia have different native languages. Almost
all the students are fluent in Bahasa Melayu which is the main language spoken here. However,
foreign lecturers that try to master this language would not be enough to understand the
students as they speak other languages as well such as Mandarin and Tamil. This is a problem
for lecturers in Segi University as most of the students there speak Mandarin among each other
and they find it hard to communicate to the students.

Next, is the period covering the first years which is known as the introduction to teaching, is a
period of intense pressures and learning in typically unknown circumstances, during which new
foreign lecturers must gain professional knowledge based on the Malaysian culture while also
maintaining a certain level of personal balance. Many of them in Segi University experience
"reality shock" during their first year of teaching, a process of rigorous trial-and-error learning
defined by a survival principle and the primacy of practical ethics. The foreign lecturers are
getting lack of support from the department and university, and the lack of initial training in
university teaching.

Besides, many foreign lecturers are unaware that they are teaching the Millennial and Z
generations. These generations especially in Malaysia are quite different from past generations
in that they want to connect with their lecturers and be acknowledged as young people, rather
than just listen. Furthermore, if they do not have a "digital approach" to teaching, they are seen

9
as outdated. This is a challenge for some foreign lecturers in Segi University as they are older in
age and are not familiar with the modern technological way of teaching.

Moreover, new foreign lecturers in Segi are not paid as high as others as they are not as
experienced. This is a drawback for them as some move in to Malaysia with their families and
low income is going to cause a burden for the family. Some expats have to teach in tuitions after
their work time in order to make extra income. To further add, this will cause mental and
physical exhaustion, thus reduces their job performances.

Also, some lecturers from the Western countries who are working in Segi are not very
comfortable with the weather. They are still not used to the hot and rainy days that is a norm in
Malaysia. The weather in Kuala Lumpur especially, where Segi University is located, is usually
hot and the congestion of many people there makes it stuffy for them. For example, lecturers
need to wear formal attire where some of them after lunch, which they normally eat outside,
have to continue their lectures after sweating throughout their attire.

Lastly, the most common problem not only in Segi Universities but in any universities in
Malaysia is, facing racism and discrimination. Despite Malaysia being a multi-race country, there
is still racism among some people, not to mention students. For instance, foreign lecturers from
the Middle East or even other Asian countries are often made fun of their accents, skin colour
and even their races. This leads to psychological issues among foreign lecturers when they go
through those discrimination in long term.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

The first recommendation to solve one of the challenges faced by foreign professionals is every
firm that hires expatriates should have a robust cross-cultural training program in place. Training
programs should not only focus on organizational culture inside the firm, but also on Malaysian
culture in general. The training program should be managed and facilitated by both Malaysians
and representatives from the home nation.

Comparative studies on Western expatriates should be conducted to discover patterns of

adjustment while living and working in Malaysia. Furthermore, the obstacles and adaptations
faced by these expats' wives and children, as well as factors influencing expatriate
performance, may be subjects of interest for future research.

Lastly, the duration of stay in the host nation can promote expatriate interactional adjustment
since remaining longer in the host country allows them to get familiar with the host country's
language, culture, and customs, and this adjustment helps them to do their work.

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CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the government and employers should have a greater understanding of the well-
being of expats in Malaysia. It adds to the understanding and meaning of experiences in terms
of the problems and adjustments faced by men and women expatriates in this nation. Due to
disparities in cultural background and knowledge, these expatriates will face problems.
Furthermore, the majority of them are from industrialized Western nations with unique work and
social cultures that are markedly different from those in Malaysia.

Generally, owing to differing upbringing and cultural backgrounds, there are going to be
disparities in the two cultures' cultural understandings. As a result, it is the obligation of all
parties involved, notably the expatriate and the host nation, to be more conscious of and
sensitive to differences. Also, various attempts might be made to raise knowledge in order to
decrease the obstacles associated with Malaysian attitudes, customs and religion, addressing
social status, gender concerns, Malaysian working habits, and cross-cultural training.

Organizations should thus take efforts to guarantee that their expatriates can quickly transition
to their new environment and execute their job tasks successfully. In other words, after
expatriates adjust to their host country's atmosphere, their job performance improves.
Organizations and managers should thus educate and give cross-cultural training to their
expatriates before to and throughout their overseas assignment in the host country to guarantee
they can acclimatize and perform successfully.

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REFERENCES

Syed, S. (2016). The Malaysian Government’s Actions in Improving and Protecting the Rights of
Foreign Workers in Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of Governance & Development, 12(2).
http://jgd.uum.edu.my/images/Journal/vol12_2/bab-13.pdf

Gürses, L., Coşkun, O., Gayretli, Z., Kale, A., & ÖZtürk, A. (2020).
https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/1328425. İstanbul Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi,
83(4). https://doi.org/10.26650/iuitfd.2019.0082

Sultana, U. (2019, August 18). How Cultural Divergence Influences Expatriate’s Performance in
Malaysia | KnE Social Sciences. Knowledge E.
https://knepublishing.com/index.php/KnE-Social/article/view/5097/10189#:%7E:text=The
%20expatriates%20through%20face%20these,%2C%20leisure%20family%20hours
%2C%20etc.

Tompkins, D. (2020, August 31). 8 Challenges Faced by Expatriates. Expat Financial - Global
Insurance for Expats. https://expatfinancial.com/8-challenges-faced-by-expatriates/

Tahir, A. (2007). Cross-cultural Challenges and Adjustment of Expatriates: A Case Study in

Malaysia. ResearchGate, 6(3).

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Student’s Name & ID 1. _________KENNETH ISAAC (012020020617) __________

2. _______________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________

Elements 4 3 2 1 Total

Clearly presents a main idea and There is a main idea supported Vague sense of a main idea weakly Details and examples are not
Main Idea supports it throughout most of throughout most of the paper. supported throughout the paper. organized, are hard to follow
(20 marks) the paper. and understand.

All paragraphs have clear ideas, Most paragraphs have clear ideas, Some paragraphs have clear ideas, Introductory paragraph is not
Paragraph are supported with examples and are supported with some support from examples may be apparent.
(10 marks) have smooth transitions. examples and have transitions. missing and transitions are weak.

Exceptionally well-presented and
argued; ideas are detailed, well
developed, supported with
Content
specific evidence & facts, as well
(30 marks)
as examples and specific details.
Well-presented and argued; ideas
are detailed, developed and
supported with evidence and
details, mostly specific.
Content is sound and solid; ideas Unable to find specific details.
are present but not particularly
developed or supported; some
evidence, but usually of a
generalized nature.

Excellent grammar, spelling, A few errors in grammar, sp Shows a pattern of errors in Numerous grammatical and/or
Grammar & syntax and punctuation. elling, syntax and punctuation, but spelling, grammar, syntax and/or spelling errors.
Mechanics not many. punctuation. Could also be a sign
(10 marks) of lack of proof- reading.

Submit during class. Submit after class on the date Late submission with reason. Late submission without any
Punctuality of
given. reason.
submission
(10 marks)

Total Points: /80

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Student’s Name : KENNETH ISAAC
Matric No : 012020020617
Subject : International Human Resource Management (BHR20203)
1 2
Audience cannot understand
presentation because there is no
sequence of information.
Organization
Student does not have grasp of
information; student cannot
Subject answer questions about subject.
Knowledge
Student uses superfluous graphics
Graphics or no graphics
Student reads all of report with no
Eye Contact eye contact.
Student mumbles, incorrectly
pronounces terms, and speaks too
Elocution quietly for students in the back of
class to hear.
Audience has difficulty following
presentation because student jumps
around.
Student is uncomfortable with
information and is able to answer
only rudimentary questions.
Student occasionally uses graphics
that rarely support text and
presentation.
Student occasionally uses eye
contact, but still reads most of
report.
Student's voice is low. Student
incorrectly pronounces terms.
Audience members have difficulty
hearing presentation.
15
3 4
Student presents information in
logical sequence which audience
can follow.
Student is at ease with expected
answers to all questions, but fails to
elaborate.
Student's graphics relate to text
and presentation.
Student maintains eye contact
most of the time but frequently
returns to notes.
Student's voice is clear. Student
pronounces most words correctly.
Most audience members can hear
presentation.
Total
Student presents information in
logical, interesting sequence
which audience can follow.
Student demonstrates full
knowledge (more than required)
by answering all class questions
with explanations and
elaboration.
Student's graphics explain and
reinforce screen text and
presentation.
Student maintains eye contact
with audience, seldom returning
to notes.
Student uses a clear voice and
correct, precise pronunciation of
terms so that all audience
members can hear presentation.
Total Points: /20