This report examines key issues associated with global human resource management. It explores the best practices identified by human resource managers with respect to the
recruitment, selection, training, placement and compensation of
managers for overseas assignments in globally positioned companies. Using a review of relevant literature, the report emphasizes the necessity of carefully screening and training potential expatriate managers capable of responding the very real challenges and difficulties of global assignments.
One of the primary requisites of competing in the global marketplace successfully is developing a multicultural, international workforce. To develop this competency, global companies must formulate new strategies for identifying, attracting, motivating, and retaining managerial and other talent. Unfortunately, as Harvey (1999) noted, few expatriate managers and workers can successfully cross cultural barriers and become wholly accepted by host country managers and employees.
The problem is particularly significant for multinational firms headquartered in the United States -- firms that tend, in many instances, to deploy American managers for service abroad in countries and cultures with which such managers are seldom fully familiar. As Osland commented, expatriates face unique and often highly challenging demands in overseas assignments -- demands that can lead the expatriate worker or manager to question his or her identity, values and assumptions about everyday life (1995).
Given this challenge, the purpose of the present report is to examine the strategies used by human resource management (HRM) to actively recruit, train, develop, deploy and compensate managers and other workers for global workplace proficiency. Cultural adaptation among U.S. overseas workers (or any group of nationals, for that matter, who are asked to function abroad) is of special significance. Given the significa...