International Human Resource Management

The module introduces students to the principal issues underlying human resource management (HRM) in international organisations. It does so with particular attention to the transfer of HRM practices from one country setting to another through the medium of the multinational corporation and international joint ventures. As the significant context for international HRM, the module introduces students to the nature of national culture and examines the implications for HRM of variations between major cultures.

Human Resource Management is partly about putting people at the centre of business and organisations, but is it also the specialist field of management concerned with ensuring that the most efficient and effective action are taken in relation to the way people are recruited, selected, trained, developed, motivated and managed within the organisation.

The present module is created in full accordance with national educational standards in the field of the higher and postgraduate education, requirements of QAA UK (Quality Assurance Agency). Professors, famous in the academic world of Great Britain, the USA and Europe, took part in development of the program. The original version of the module is developed in English.

Developers of the module assume that the student already has the basic higher finished or incomplete education, is able to work independently with printing and online materials, has access to libraries, including online libraries, and also has the high level of self-discipline and motivation. Experience on the chosen subject matter is not obligatory. Knowledge of English at the level of ability to read literature is not obligatory, but it is desirable.

Module is developed for completely independent studying.

It is supposed that for successful assimilation of a training material of the module the student has to spend about 30 hours.

For a successful completion of the module the student has to execute and protect ONE written work or ONE task (usually it is work of 1,500-2,000 words +/-10%. Work shall be performed in English.

Upon successful completion of this modules the student will receive the following type of certificate:

- Certificate on Completion of the Module.

Topics you are going to learn

1. Introduction and Organizational Context of International Human Resource Management

The first session outlines the structure of the course and:

• - Defines key terms in IHRM and considers definitions of the subject area
• - Examines the historical significance of expatriate assignments and considers their relevance to modern business operations
• - Outlines the key differences between domestic and international human resource management
• - Presents the complexity of IHRM caused by increased transparency and faster and more detailed diffusion of practices across organizations.
• - Examines the organizational context within which IHRM activities take place.
• - Considers control and coordination aspects
• - Outlines how international growth affects the firm’s approach to HRM.

2. Staffing International Operations

In this session we examine how the staffing of international operations is undertaken and consider:

• - The various approaches to staffing international operations and their advantages and disadvantages
• - The primary reasons for using international assignments
• - The various types of international assignments and their implications for both the firm as well as the individual
• - The complex range of roles fulfilled by expatriates and why international assignments continue to be an important part of international business operations
• - The impact on the individual and family life implications for the expatriate employee
• - The role of “inpatriates”, those appointed from the foreign location to work in the head-office environment
• - Cost control and expatriate employment

3. Recruitment and Selection of International Workforce

The focus of this session is on recruitment and selection activities in an international context and will address key issues including:

• - Examining four myths related to the concept of a global manager
• - Issues surrounding the definition and magnitude of expatriate failure
• - Cultural adjustment and other moderating factors affecting expatriate performance
• - Individual situational factors versus common criteria to be used in selecting the appropriate candidate for an international assignment
• - Dual career couples as a barrier to staff mobility
• - Specific issues relating to female expatriates

4. Training, Development and Succession Planning

In this session we examine how the international assignment is a vehicle for both training and development as reflected in the reasons why international assignments continue to play a strategic role in international business assignments. We will be discussing:

• - The role of expatriate training in supporting adjustment and on-assignment performance
• - The components of effective pre-departure training programmes such as cultural awareness, language skills, preliminary visits and relocation assistance
• - How cultural awareness training appears to assist in adjustment and performance
• - The impact that an international assignment may have on an individual’s career and its role in succession planning
• - How international assignments are connected to the creation of international teams

5. International Compensation

In this session we bear in mind the learning outcomes achieved in the previous four sessions and consider how their complexity is reflected within the discussion on compensation issues. To better inform this discussion we shall:

• - Detail the key components of an international compensation programme
• - Outline the two main approaches to international compensation, namely, the Going Rate and the Balance Sheet along with the relative merits of each approach 
• - Outline special problem areas such as taxation, obtaining reliable living costs data and the problems of managing Third Country Nationals’ compensation
• - Present a model of global pay that highlights the complexity and yet familiarity of pay practices in the global context
• - Theorize that a strategic yet sensitive balance can only be achieved by creating and maintaining professional networks comprised of home office and local affiliate HR practitioners supplemented by inputs from external agencies

6. Operating Within Host-Country Environment

As a result of increasing globalization, the scope of IHRM has broadened and now includes a spectrum of questions concerning a larger group of the multinational organization’s workforce including employees from the headquarters as well as from foreign locations. The following issues are considered:

• - Standardization and localization of HRM practices
• - Factors driving standardization
• - Factors driving localization
• - The institutional environment
• - Mode of operation abroad
• - The role of the subsidiary (Gupta and Govindarajan’s four subsidiary roles)
• - Code of conduct – monitoring HRM practices in the host country
• - Off shoring and HRM in India
• - Off shoring and HRM in China

7. Managing Diversity 

Inherent in globalization is a developing recognition of the importance and power of diversity within organizations. This session examines some of the key issues associated with diversity and the management challenges it introduces. After studying this session you should be able to:

• - Understand the pervasive demographic changes occurring in the domestic and global marketplace and how corporations are responding
• - Understand how the definition of diversity has grown to recognize a broad spectrum of differences among employees, and appreciate the dividends of a diverse workforce
• - Recognize the complex attitudes, opinions, and issues that employees bring to the workplace, including prejudice, discrimination, stereotypes and ethnocentrism
• - Explain the five steps in developing cultural competence in the workplace
• - Understand how multicultural teams and employee network groups help organizations respond to the rapidly changing and complex workplace

8. Performance Management

Cross-cultural interpersonal skills, sensitivity to foreign norms and values, and ease of adaptation to unfamiliar environments are just a few of the managerial characteristics most multination firms seek when selecting international managers. Within this session we will be exploring:

• - The basic components of a performance management system that is conscious of and responds to the organizational, national and international elements
• - Factors associated with expatriate performance: the compensation package; task and role; headquarters’ support; host environment factors, and cultural adjustment
• - The performance management of non-expatriates and those on non-standard assignments. The issues relating to the performance appraisal of international employees
• - Appraisal of HNC managers and employees in subsidiary operations

9. Repatriation and Career issues

Repatriation raises issues for both the expatriate and the multinational, some of which may be connected to events that occurred during the international assignment. In this session we will be examining:

• - The process of re-entry to the head-office environment
• - Job-related issues
• - Social factors, including family factors that affect re-entry and work adjustment •Multinational responses to repatriate concerns
• - Staff availability and career issues
• - Knowledge transfer
• - Designing a repatriation programme

10. Revision

Revise all previous activities on the course.

Leaning outcomes

By the end of the course students should be able to:

• - Discuss critically the relationship between personnel management, employee relations and HRM.
• - Understand the nature of national cultures and their comparison with institutional and other differences between nations relevant to HRM.
• - Evaluate the impact of internal and external (national and international) labour markets on the kinds of HR strategies drawn up by organisation.
• - Understand the impact of cultural differences on the process of management.
• - Evaluate different methods of recruiting, selecting, developing and training staff cross-nationally.
• - Understand the opportunities and difficulties in transferring HRM practices across societies.
• - Understand how cultural misunderstanding can affect negotiations and the - management of foreign operations.

Progression

Upon completion or in the first instance you can take more MBA level modules. Check courses in "other products in the same category" block just below this article.

If within the year you will complete 1-2, 3 or 5 or 8 of them you can be awarded by UK Online Academy:

- 1-2 modules - Certificate on Completion of the Module.

- 3 modules - Advanced Certificate in Business Studies.

- 5 modules - Diploma in Mini MBA programme.

- 8 modules - Advanced Diploma in Executive MBA programme.

Read more about our Mini MBA and Executive MBA programme.

Additional Services

Please check our Addons area for what else we can do for you.

Whats next

Before proceeding further please read our Admission Policy and Terms of Use.

ADMISSION POLICY                                             TERMS OF USE

You also may wish to check other documents and information available for Public.

CHECK OTHER DOCUMENTS

If you are not registered at our Academy please do this and add to your account courses or services you need.

When you will check out and successfully pay, you will be contacted by UK Online Academy's academic coordinator within 48 working hours.

After your application form will be completed you will get a letter about your Unconditional Acceptance.

At this stage you will be given link, login and password to access UK Online Academy's  LMS.

Should you have any questions please feel free to contact our team any time. Please use our contact form via button below.

CONTACT UK ONLINE ACADEMY

We wish you good luck with your study with UK Online Academy and career progression!