How long are you willing to commit to the assignment? (For guidelines on how to do this, see Creating Your Entry Plan.) Share it with your new direct reports, regional HR staffers, and your boss, so that theyll understand how you intend to lead change at the organization. Now imagine yourself heading up a new unit or project in a corporate and national culture radically different from your own. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5350/is_200308/ai_n21334696. In a foreign country, you will lose those familiar traditions and institutions and have to learn many new ways of accomplishing your given tasks. What are your language skills at present, and are you interested in learning a new language? Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Bureau for International Education. What would be the hardest part of an overseas assignment for you and why? This involves three things: choosing a person who is open-minded and committed enough to adapt to the local culture, thinking about the specific skills that this person will develop as a result of the assignment, and identifying how these new skills will ultimately benefit the organization. Many of his new team members spoke English poorly. Successful expatriates are adaptable, open to learning new languages, cultures, and skilled at finding common ground for communication. Contreras, C. D. (2009). Rhinesmith, S. (1984). The journey can be unpredictable, and the pitfalls many, but an international assignment can be among the most exciting and challenging transitions an aspiring leader can undertake. Next well examine traits and skills of the successful expatriate. Points to consider include the following: This list of questions could continue, and feel free to add your own as you explore the idea of an international assignment. In my more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy I have been stationed overseas in 3 countries, Antarctica and on 5 ships. None of them were really DIFFIC WebIn contrast, the tax-free allowances paid during overseas assignments (especially the housing allowances) are generally considered to be an incentive to serve overseas, as they can be quite generous. Do I need to create an account to buy a membership? Share your results with your classmates. This problem has been solved! Encourage the development of local talentin anticipation of your eventual exit. They may also share their sense of adjustment, even embrace of their host culture, and the challenges of reintegration into their native country. Find an advertisement for an international assignment. What once took a five-minute phone call may now take a dozen meetings and a month to achieve, and that may cause you some frustration. Your experience with other cultures may have come firsthand, but for most, a foreign location like Paris is an idea formed from exposure to images via the mass media. The unfortunate reality is that even companies providing well-crafted relocation packages (including the all-important cultural training) may not have the talent management mechanisms in place to truly leverage the valuable skills expatriate employees gain during their assignments. Still, turning the plant around would require clear, top-down mandates for change, so he presented an aggressive planwhich included shutting down a production line, reconfiguring two support groups, and laying off about 5% of the workforceto the senior managers and expected them to fall in line. What is your relationship with your employer, and can it withstand the anticipated stress and tension that will result as not everything goes according to plan? Imagine if Oscar had tapped a trusted adviser, someone with years of experience on the ground in Chinasomeone who might have steered the transitioning leader away from picking up that pen. In a foreign country, you will lose those familiar traditions and institutions and have to learn many new ways of accomplishing your given tasks. The international assignment process Selection and preparation You may look at your home culture in a new way and question things that are done in a particular way that you have always considered normal. Diagnose the situationand align the leadership team around some early prioritiesbut dont focus only on whats wrong. Stay in constant touch and have a plan for their return. Even when he tried to reinforce positive behavior among his staff members, Oscar found himself making mistakes. Acculturation, or the transition to living abroad, is often described as an emotional rollercoaster. Next well examine traits and skills of the successful expatriate. WebView ASSIGNMENT PART 1 AND 2.docx from POLS 102 at Erie Community College. WebLinehan and Scullion (2001) estimated that only 3% to 15% of expatriates are women on overseas assignments. The easiest part of an overseas assignment for me would be packing lightly with everything I need and cannot buy there. After years as an adventure Chapter 16: Help for English Language Learners, Chapter 17: Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content. An international assignment, whether as a student or a career professional, requires work and preparation, and should be given the time and consideration of any major life change. Want to create or adapt books like this? Research one organization in a business or industry that relates to your major and has an international presence. But if you have only ever known about a place through the lens of a camera, you have only seen the portraits designed and portrayed by others. Awareness of this difference is an important step as you prepare yourself for life in a foreign culture. Can you stand being out of the loop, even if you are in daily written and oral communication with the home office? Coming up next are the focuses I would consider as hard: 1. What would be the hardest part of an overseas assignment for you and why? People abroad generally distinguish between US policy and Americans as a people, so while many policies are disliked, Americans are not. In fact, i And returning employees often lack a planned landing pad to ease their re-entry and harness the new skills and experience they have gained. All these major life changes can stress an individual beyond their capacity to adjust. How long are you willing to commit to the assignment? What would be the easiest part of an overseas assignment for you and why? Is the cultural framework of your assignment similar toor unlikeyour own, and how ready are you to adapt to differences in such areas as time horizon, masculinity versus femininity, or direct versus indirect styles of communication? Compliance with all international tax, employment, and immigration laws; A team to ensure all of the above takes place in the shortest timeline possible; Challenges of Global Mobility. You may adjust superficially at first, learning where to get familiar foods or new ways to meet your basic needs. Will this assignment benefit your family? BBNG3103 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDENT NAME: STUDENT ID: 0 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Part Please share your supplementary material! Oscar and Jennifer compounded their difficulties by choosing not to live in an expat community. But regardless of whether your assignment involves relocation abroad, supervision of managers in another country at a distance, or supervision by a foreign manager, you will need to learn more about the language, culture, and customs that are not your own. Write a first draft of the research paper. If the decision is yours to make, take your time. They listened politely but said little and did less, and the plan went nowhere. Chapter 7: The Writing Process: How Do I Begin? International business assignments are a reflection of increased global trade, and as trade decreases, they may become an expensive luxury. Internal knowledge transfer is a common assignment objective to address talent or skills shortages within overseas regions. An international assignment, whether as a student or a career professional, requires work and preparation, and should be given the time and consideration of any major life change. You will represent your company and they will represent you, including a considerable financial investment, either by your employer (in the case of a professional assignment) or by whoever is financing your education (in the case of studying abroad). The reality is that local auditing and other compliance systems may not fully protect you and your reputation. If you cant think of meaningful ways that the assignment will help both the person and the business move forward, you should probably rethink the assignment. Successful expatriates are adaptable, open to learning new languages, cultures, and skilled at finding common ground for communication. They can help you translate and deliver your intentions and ideas in context-appropriate ways. Can you adapt to new ways of doing business? When you lose a loved one, it takes time to come to terms with the loss. WebOn average, expatriates cost two to three times what they would in an equivalent position back home. They generally deal with complex management issues more adroitly than their domestic peers do. With this perspective in mind, lets discuss how to prepare for the international assignment and strategies to make you a more effective professional as a stranger in a strange land. You will represent your company and they will represent you, including a considerable financial investment, either by your employer (in the case of a professional assignment) or by whoever is financing your education (in the case of studying abroad). He came away confident that he understood exactly what needed to be done. An international assignment, whether as a student or a career professional, requires work and preparation, and should be given the time and consideration of any major life change. Yes. 1.1 Why Is It Important to Communicate Well? Many expats advise that this is the time to tough it outif you give in to the temptation to make a visit back home, you will only prolong your difficult adjustment. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Bureau for International Education. Paris may be known for its art, as a place for lovers, or as a great place to buy bread. In fact, many of these employees leave the company shortly after their International experience is as valuable as everparticularly in todays global organizations. Will this assignment benefit your family? Reality One of the main challenges of global mobility is identifying talent who can and are willing to take on international assignments. You may once again be elated at your return and the familiar, and experience a sense of comfort in home and family, but culture shock may again be part of your adjustment. If you minimize disruption for the family, you can increase the odds that everyone will thrive in the new setting. Executives can personally prepare themselves for an international assignment. Only later, in a conversation with the head of HR, did Oscar realize that his focus on individual achievement ran counter to Chinese culture and its elevation of the collective over the individual. They also open themselves up to a broader set of opportunities, particularly in todays global and heavily matrixed organizations. Residence abroad requires some knowledge of the language, an ability to adapt, and an interest in learning about different cultures. A crucial factor in making a smooth transition is to retain as much of the familiar as possible. All these major life changes can stress an individual beyond their capacity to adjust. The impulse to live with the people is laudable and can certainly be rewarding. What would be the hardest part of an overseas assignment for you and why? Anticipate these contingencies so that both the organization and the employee have realistic expectations and a plan moving forward. The risk is that these are all equally valuable and desirable to competitors. They feel secure in their place as explorer, and understand that mistakes are a given, even as they are unpredictable. You may find the prospect of an international assignment intriguing, challenging, or even frightening; indeed, most professionals employed abroad will tell you they pass through all three stages at some point during the assignment. For children, you should try to time the move to coincide with a natural break in their schooling. With the right planning and attitudes, these leadership roles can stretch capabilities, challenge assumptions, and steer both people and profits in a positive direction. How will it affect your childrens education? They form relationships and are not afraid to ask for help when it is warranted or required. Suppose you have the opportunity to work or study in a foreign country. Probably packing my suitcase. About 4 years ago I took a short-term teaching assignment at South Central University for Nationalities in Wuhan, Chi Your awareness of culture shock may help you adjust, and your preparation by learning some of the language will assist you, but know that living and working abroad take time and effort. You may also begin to feel that the grass is greener in your host country, and long to return. Once next steps have been established, build in time when the employee comes home to reintegrate. If others are involved, and family is a consideration, you should take even more care with this important decision. If family members are not a part of the decision, or lack the language skills or interest, the assignment may prove overwhelming and lead to failure. Suppose you have the opportunity to work or study in a foreign country. This left her isolated, as she tried to set up the house and figure out the basics of living in China. BNET. You wont become an expert, so dont even try. There should be a clear organizational need and a compelling reason that this need cant be met through a local hire. Should you accept the international assignment? Just as with remote or virtual employees, expats find that keeping up with their email isnt necessarily the same as having their finger on the pulse of the office, which can be a constant reminder of how different and faraway their former life really is. For example, one company we spoke with builds in monthly check-ins. What are your language skills at present, and are you interested in learning a new language? Meanwhile, Jennifer and the children had arrived in Beijing and were off to a shaky start: The pollution was far worse than she had expected, few of her neighbors spoke English well, and Jennifer had difficulty finding child-care providers with whom she could communicate. What happened? Those travelling and relocating with partners or children may also run the risk that their loved ones will be unable to adjust, thereby ending the memo format Expert Answer 100% (5 ratings) Memorandum To: Manager From : Overseas The risk is that theyll send the message There is no good here. While this is a pitfall for every new leader, its particularly problematic when one is moving from the home office to an international assignment: Everyone in the organization may already be in a defensive mind-set; it takes only a little reinforcement to cast this in concrete. He can be reached at + (1) (514) 482-3572 Extension 100 or by clicking here. Paris may be known for its art, as a place for lovers, or as a great place to buy bread. (2002) describe three main issues that concern the training and development of the expatriates. Find an article or other first-person account of someones experience on an international assignment. Do you need everything spelled out or can you go with the flow? Returning home. Find an article or other first-person account of someones experience on an international assignment. Briefly describe your findings and share with classmates. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Mid to senior-level management executives.
I have recruited for top 10 Service providers as well as high profile In-house clients such as blue-chip organisations Its crucial to have in-depth, honest conversations about international assignments with your spouselong before you make specific decisions about which opportunities you are (or are not) willing to pursue. What would be the easiest part of an overseas assignment for you and why? As the weeks passed, Oscar became less and less sure of himself. You may look at your home culture in a new way and question things that are done in a particular way that you have always considered normal. The first time I ever traveled alone by airplane, I was on an airport, going through one of these body scanner things. Before I even stepped on the As technology allows for instant face-to-face communication, and group collaboration on documents via cloud computing and storage, the need for physical travel may be reduced. Rather than responding with frustration, they learn the new customs and find the advantage to get the job done. That investment should not be taken lightly. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_nl_v37/ai_14922926. provides ten steps that show the process of acculturation, including culture shock, that you may experience: Humans fear the unknown, and even if your tolerance for uncertainty is high, you may experience a degree of anxiety in anticipation of your arrival. View the full answer. Here again, cultural interpreters can be invaluable. For their part, executives who gain international experience early in their careers enjoy greater agility and adaptability over the course of their work lives. You wont anticipate the need for two hours at a bank for a transaction that once took five minutes, or could be handled over the Internet, and find that businesses close during midday, preventing you from accomplishing your goals. In others, there may be a particular need at an overseas office that only a person with a specific skill set can meet. Still, there are several guidelines that can serve you well as you start your new life in a strange land: Preparation is key to a successful international assignment.

To me, process and tangible outcome are equally important. But an international management assignment can be a harrowing journey of sorts. When someone you love is diagnosed with a serious illness, the news may take some time to sink in. Being a stranger is no easy task, but they welcome the challenge with energy and enthusiasm. Webignored. Sixty-four percent of expatriate respondents who terminated their assignment early indicated that family concerns were the primary reason.Contreras, C. D. (2009). But expatriate assignments can be extremely expensive: up to three times the cost of a persons typical annual salary, according to some statistics. Oscars story demonstrates the complexities of making a successful transition from a leadership position in a familiar setting to a position of similar or even greater responsibility overseas. First well dispel a couple of myths associated with an idealized or romantic view of living abroad. Awareness of this difference is an important step as you prepare yourself for life in a foreign culture. 1.5 Your Responsibilities as a Communicator, 2.4 Language Can be an Obstacle to Communication, 3.1 Getting Started: Understanding Your Audience, 3.2 Self-Understanding Is Fundamental to Communication, 3.6 Listening and Reading for Understanding, 4.1 Getting Started: Effective Business Writing, 4.7 Overcoming Barriers to Effective Written Communication, 5.2 Think, Then Write: Writing Preparation, 5.3 A Planning Checklist for Business Messages, 5.4 Research and Investigation: Getting Started, 5.5 Ethics, Plagiarism, and Reliable Sources, 5.6 Completing Your Research and Investigation, 6.5 Paraphrase and Summary versus Plagiarism, 7.5 The Writing Process: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 8.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement, 8.4 Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs, 8.5 Writing Essays: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 9.2 Qualitative and Quantitative Research, 10.1 Revising and Presenting Your Writing, 10.3 Specific Revision Points to Consider, 12.4 Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style, 12.5 APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 13.8 Writing Basics: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 15.7 Working With Words: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 16.3 Count and Noncount Nouns and Articles, 16.9 Help for English Language Learners: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 17.1 Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content, 17.2 Effective Means For Writing a Paragraph, 17.3 Writing Paragraphs: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 18.4 Refining Your Writing: End-of-Chapter Exercises, 19.4 Myths and Realities of Public Speaking, 19.5 Overcoming Obstacles in Your Presentation, 20.1 Principles of Nonverbal Communication, 20.5 Nonverbal Strategies for Success with Your Audience, 21.5 Organizing Principles for Your Speech, 22.1 Functions of the Presentation to Inform, 22.4 Diverse Types of Intelligence and Learning Styles, 22.6 Creating an Informative Presentation, 23.3 Functions of the Presentation to Persuade, 23.6 Speaking Ethically and Avoiding Fallacies, 25.5 Rituals of Conversation and Interviews, 27.2 How to Understand Intercultural Communication, 27.5 International Communication and the Global Marketplace. While the timeline may vary, its critical to build in a structured transition process with a mixture of check-ins and downtime so reacclimation is a seamless reentry rather than a crash landing. You will lack the multidimensional view of one who lives and works in Paris, and even if you are aware of its history, its economic development, or its recent changes, these are all academic observations until the moment of experience. Everyone looked down while the analyst squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5350/is_200308/ai_n21334696. But the personal challenges of an overseas assignment are also as daunting as theyve ever been. When someone you love is diagnosed with a serious illness, the news may take some time to sink in. Conduct a search on expat networks including online forum. But if you have only ever known about a place through the lens of a camera, you have only seen the portraits designed and portrayed by others. Your awareness of culture shock may help you adjust, and your preparation by learning some of the language will assist you, but know that living and working abroad take time and effort. Settling your family, adapting your communication style, and understanding the new regulatory environment are critical for transitioning successfully, the authors say. As you live in the new culture, divergence will become a trend and youll notice many things that frustrate you. They feel secure in their place as explorer, and understand that mistakes are a given, even as they are unpredictable. How long are you willing to commit to the assignment? Note the qualifications, and share with classmates. You'll get a detailed solution from a subject matter expert that helps you learn core concepts. This person will also turn in the final proposal (in this document). You will need to compare and contrast, and seek experiences that lend insight, in order to communicate more effectively. 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