Exam 3: The Global Environment

The actions of management toward labor and the actions of labor toward management are heavily restricted by law.

Azus is an international food products company with subsidiaries in many countries. It employs host-country nationals extensively in each of its foreign locations. The corporate human resources (HR) function in Azus focuses primarily on coordinating relevant activities with their counterparts in each foreign location. Each subsidiary has its own fully functioning HR department that is responsible for managing all local HR issues for lower- and upper-level employees. In the given scenario, which of the following staffing models does Azus employ?

Florence is an expatriate manager at a multinational corporation. Her managers expect her to act independently and acquire specialized knowledge and transfer it to her subordinates. The only issue she faces is being unable to get the local employees to go along with her ideas. As a result, there is a high risk of agency problems. In the context of the four international strategies proposed by Bartlett and Goshal, Florence is working with a company that uses a(n) _____.

Tanya, a social activist, works closely with a local nonprofit organization (NGO) to spread awareness about the importance of education in rural areas. She is actively involved in planning and organizing programs conducted by the community. Together, they have helped enroll 500 students in public schools and have also been responsible for setting up 15 new schools. Tanya takes a lot of pride in her work and her association with the NGO. In the context of the dimensions of national culture as identified by Robert House in his GLOBE project (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness), Tanya belongs to a culture that is likely to score:

Aimi Corporation, based in Japan, decides to open a big manufacturing and distribution center in China. It does this by acquiring operating facilities from another company in China. The management at Aimi believes that adopting this approach will provide the company with instant access to new markets. In this context, the HR function at Aimi Corporation will:

In the context of selecting expatriates, which of the following is a type of recruiting firm that actively seek qualified managers and other professionals for possible placement in positions in other organizations?

Organizations using the ethnocentric staffing model have a fully functioning human resource (HR) department in each foreign subsidiary that is responsible for managing all local HR issues for lower- and upper-level employees alike.

How do international businesses compensate expatriates?

What are the various strategies that organizations can adopt to compete in the international environment? What are the challenges that these strategies pose for human resource managers?

Axtara, an automobile manufacturer, has several factories in foreign countries. The management strongly believes in giving precedence to the values and perspectives of its home office over those of its foreign subsidiaries. As a result, the management hires workers from the home country to staff the upper-management positions in all the foreign offices of the company. In the context of the different staffing strategies used by international businesses, Axtara most likely uses the _____.

Briefly discuss international labor relations.

In the context of Robert House's GLOBE project (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness), which of the following refers to the degree to which people value long-term planning and investing?

Philip, a French national, is hired by an international corporation based in Japan for its London office. After joining, Philip learns that two other candidates, one from the company's home office in Japan and the other from its London branch, were also considered for the same position. After a complete assessment, however, the management hired Philip because they found him better qualified for the job. In the context of the different staffing strategies used by international businesses, the company that hired Philip most likely uses the _____.

Jared has been working as a manager in a foreign subsidiary of Constructo Inc. for 5 years. When his assignment ends, the company starts the process of bringing Jared and his family back home. The human resource department briefs Jared on new openings and opportunities available within the company. In this scenario, Constructo Inc. is involved in Jared's _____.

In the context of the dimensions of national culture as identified by Robert House's GLOBE project (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness), who among the following individuals is most likely to belong to a culture with high performance orientation?

Robert, an executive manager, works in a firm with a clearly-defined hierarchical structure. He prefers to strictly follow the work schedule designed by the top management and assigns tasks to his subordinates well in advance. He expects his subordinates to follow his directions without questioning them and favors a standardized and structured approach to work. In the context of Geert Hofstede's dimensions of national culture, Robert belongs to a culture that is likely to score:

Which of the following statements is true of the local compensation issues that international businesses face?

Suave Inc. is an accessories and jewelry retailer based in France. The company wants to enter new markets to expand its business. As a result, it decides to sell its goods to retailers in other countries. Which of the following is an advantage that Suave Inc. is most likely to have using this approach?

In a technology company named X-Core Inc., the managers are friendly with their team members and everyone is on a first-name basis with each other. The work environment is open, and team members are encouraged to discuss ideas with their managers. The teams often go on informal lunches with their managers, and the conversations are free and friendly. In the context of studies of national culture and its influence on behavior at work conducted by Dutch scholar Geert Hofstede, X-Core Inc. is most likely to score:

List the dimensions of national culture as identified by Geert Hofstede.