Employee training and development 5th chapter 10

Chapter 10
Special Issues in Training and Employee
Development
McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright © 2010 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.


Table 10.1 - Situations That may
Result in Legal Action

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment
 Cross-cultural preparation - involves educating
employees (expatriates) and their families who are to be
sent to a foreign country.
 Expatriates - people who work in a country other than
their country of origin.

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Table 10.2 - Types of Employees
in Global Companies

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 G. Hofstede identified five dimensions of national culture:
 Individualism-collectivism
 Uncertainty avoidance
 Masculinity-femininity
 Power distance
 Time orientation

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 To be successful in overseas assignments, expatriates
need to be:
 Competent in their area of expertise.
 Able to communicate verbally and nonverbally in the
host country.
 Flexible, tolerant of ambiguity, emotionally stable,
outgoing and agreeable, and sensitive to cultural
differences.

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 To be successful in overseas assignments, expatriates
need to be:

 Motivated to succeed, able to enjoy the challenge of
working in other countries, and willing to learn about
the host country’s culture, language, and customs.
 Supported by their families.

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 Key to successful foreign assignment is a combination of
training and career management for employees and their
families.
 Foreign assignments involve three phases:
 Pre-departure phase
 On-site phase
 Repatriation phase

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 Pre-departure phase
 Employees need to receive language training and an
orientation in the new country’s culture and customs;
the family should be included in the orientation.
 Expatriates and their families need information about
the various facilities in the area where they will live.
 Employees must discuss with their managers how the

foreign assignment fits into their career plans and what
type of position they can expect upon return.

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Figure 10.2 - Relationship Between
Training Methods and Training Rigor

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 On-site phase
 Training involves continued orientation to the host
country and its customs and cultures through formal
programs or through a mentoring relationship.
 Expatriates and their families may be paired with a
mentor from the host country who helps them
understand the new, unfamiliar work environment and
community.

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 Repatriation phase
 Prepares expatriates for return to the parent company

and country from the foreign assignment.
 Expatriates and their families are likely to experience
high levels of stress and anxiety when they return
because of the changes that have occurred since their
departure.
 Expatriates decide to leave the company because the
assignment they are given upon return has less
responsibility, challenges, and status than the foreign
assignment.

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 Virtual expatriates - an operation abroad are assigned
to manage without being located permanently in that
country.
 Allows the employee to manage globally while keeping
in close touch with the home office.
 Are less expensive.
 Expatriates may take longer to solve problems because
of the lack of a strong personal relationship with local
employees.

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Table 10.4 - Implications of Cultural
Dimensions for Training Design

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 Managing work force diversity
 The goals of diversity training are:
To eliminate values, stereotypes, and managerial
practices that inhibit employees’ personal
development.
To allow employees to contribute to organizational
goals regardless of their race, age, physical
condition, sexual orientation, gender, family status,
religious orientation, or cultural background.

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 Managing work force diversity
 Managing diversity - creating an environment that
allows all employees to contribute to organizational
goals and experience personal growth.
This includes access to jobs and fair and positive
treatment of all employees.

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Table 10.5 - How Managing Diversity
can Provide a Competitive Advantage

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Figure 10.3 - Cycle Of Disillusionment That Results
From Managing Diversity Through Adherence to
Legislation

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 To successfully manage a diverse work force, companies
need to ensure that:
 Employees understand how their values and
stereotypes influence their behavior toward people of
different gender, ethnicity, race, or religion.
 Employees gain an appreciation of cultural differences
among themselves.
 Behaviors that isolate or intimidate minority group
members improve.

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Training Issues Resulting From the

External Environment (cont.)
 Attitude awareness and change programs
 Focus on increasing employees’ awareness of
differences in cultural and ethnic backgrounds, physical
characteristics, and personal characteristics that
influence behavior toward others.
 The assumption is that by increasing awareness of
stereotypes and beliefs, employees will be able to
avoid negative stereotypes when interacting with
employees of different backgrounds.

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 Behavior-based programs
 Focus on changing the organizational policies and
individual behaviors that inhibit employees’ personal
growth and productivity.
 Approaches:
Identify incidents that discourage employees from
working up to their potential.
Teach managers and employees basic rules of
behavior in the workplace.
Cultural immersion - sending employees directly
into communities where they have to interact with
persons from different cultures, races, and/or
nationalities.
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Table 10.6 - Characteristics Associated with
Diversity Programs’ Long-Term Success

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Table 10.7 - Key Components of Effective
Managing Diversity Programs

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Table 10.7 - Key Components of Effective
Managing Diversity Programs

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Training Issues Resulting From the
External Environment (cont.)
 School-to-work transition programs - combine
classroom experiences with work experiences to prepare
high school students for employment.
 School-to-Work Opportunities Act -designed to assist
the states in building school-to-work systems that prepare
students for high-skill, high-wage jobs or future education.

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