Choices in Appointing International Managers

Globalization is requiring companies to make important choices about how to deploy international managers. The costs of making the wrong choice are heavy both economically and in the emotional and physical toll it can take on employees and the impact it can have on the overseas branch.

Traditionally companies have required managers to accept foreign postings of, perhaps, several years' duration. Such postings mean upheaval for the manager's entire family-schools, dual career issues, isolation-and these problems of adapting to different cultures are a common cause of the failure of such postings. The burden on the manager is heavy with the double challenge of dealing with unfamiliar work patterns and anxiety about the family's ability to settle away from home.

A compromise is for assignments to be shorter, no more than one year. Such postings permit greater choice for the employee. The family may wish to come along but no long-term adaptation is required. Or the family may stay behind and be content to visit, knowing that the absence is not too long. This is clearly less disruptive for the employee but means the company has an additional burden of making new postings every year.

More recently, we have seen the emergence of the international commuter, who ostensibly lives at home, but commutes every week or so to the job abroad. This is less disruptive for families but is likely to lead to travel fatigue, even burnout for the employee.

A further option is for a key employee to make frequent trips to a foreign branch without actually relocating and doing so only when physical presence is a necessity-this choice is made easier by technologies that allow video meetings, telephone conferences, use of intranets and other means of real-time remote contact.

A recent study by Cranfield Centre for Research into the Management of Expatriation (CREME) found that organizations are increasing their use of all four types of handling international assignments. However, many questions remain about how companies can find the best solutions for staffing overseas branches.

Although more flexible working patterns have been sought because employees clearly have difficulty in dealing with long-term overseas postings, the newer patterns are not themselves necessarily any easier to handle or more successful. The short-term assignment affects continuity of staffing and, in many cultures, frequent changes of manager are themselves a source of difficulty. The international commuter may cause local resentment by being seen as somebody imposed from outside who does not really wish to integrate with the local operation. Similarly, the frequent flyer will have less influence locally and is likely to find performance impaired both at home and abroad simply from the strain of travel.

Globalization has opened up exciting prospects for companies but the Cranfield study suggests that, while the economic opportunities are well understood, the best means of staffing overseas operations are not. Companies need a much more holistic view of the costs of an international assignment: the costs of relocating somebody (financial, emotional, physical) and the local costs of bad placements, cultural misunderstandings and inefficiency, all of which can be reflected in poor year-end results.

How can companies achieve this overview? Will they want to? To answer the second question first, it seems obvious that those companies that take the issue seriously are the ones likely to have the greater success in the global economy. As to the 'how', it will need a strategic approach that matches the company's goals. However, a strategy can only be implemented after a proper study of all the factors involved:

? How long will it take a manager to become proficient in the overseas branch?
? What preparation does the manager need before taking up the posting?
? What support does the manager need in post?
? What are the impacts on family life and how can they be mitigated?
? What are the behavioural adjustments needed by the manager and the family in order to function in the new environment?
? What will the process of repatriation entail?
? How can the knowledge gained form each posting be garnered and used for the next assignments?
? How can the local branches be supported while they adjust to a new manager?

Undoubtedly there are many more questions that need to be raised. But one thing is clear: globalization is here for the long term, and if companies are to succeed they need to take the issue of overseas appointments very seriously indeed.

Brenda Townsend Hall is a business communications and cross-cultural trainer. She is an associate member of the Itap International Alliance (http://www.itapintl.com).

---

Cultural Differences: Making it Work Virtually

Working virtually adds a whole new dimension to the phrase... Read More

Delegate or Die!

You Can't Do It All - Learning To DelegateThere is... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Improving Workplace Safety

This article relates to the Safety and Working Environment competency... Read More

2 Steps For Increasing Company Profits or Performing Business Turnarounds

1. Eliminate wasteEliminate reports, habits, products, duplicate input, and processes... Read More

How to Beat the Turf Mentality

Want to hear a fascinating story? Let's sit in at... Read More

The Death Spiral

Sometimes things just happen. Maybe we lose focus and take... Read More

Problem Solving

When problem solving, you may recognize that you were working... Read More

Will a Workplace Bully Bankrupt Your Company?

Safeguard Your Company Against Harrassment ClaimsTwenty-five percent of employees suffer... Read More

Let the Professionals Help You Out - Outsource

As your website grows in terms of attracting more footfalls,... Read More

Change Behaviors, Change Performance

Every organization is looking for the holy grail of performance... Read More

Business Innovation ? Tacit Knowledge

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Preparation: Your Companys Best Defense in Case of Catastrophe

You've hung out your shingle and are ready for business.... Read More

Organizational Culture and Creative Blocks ? the Similarities

Few Decision makers see the link between between creativity and... Read More

Make Them GLAD Youre Their Boss

Criticism has the power to do good when there is... Read More

Make a Difference - Sweat the Small Stuff First

My background is in retail management - yes, running stores,... Read More

Hiring Productive Employees: A Checklist for Assessing Their Appeal

The characteristics of job applicants have a strong influence on... Read More

People - You Cant Make Them What Theyre Not

Many business people and managers are spending too much time... Read More

The Narcissist in the Workplace

To a narcissist-employer, the members of his "staff" are Secondary... Read More

Twitch Speed: Reaching Younger Workers Who Think Differently

Every parent, educator, and manager knows that "Nintendo children"--those born... Read More

Your Biggest Problem in Business? Work Ethic

US Work Ethic Issues and Lack of serviceWell many... Read More

Knowledge Management: More Than Just Know-how!

People sometimes interchange the terms "know-how" and "knowledge", but there's... Read More

Productive Meetings: How to Make Your Meetings More Productive

There's one simple secret to effective meetings: set an agenda... Read More

The Comfort Zone

The Comfort Zone I... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Senior Management and Directional Change

This article relates to the Senior/Top Level management of an... Read More

Birds of a Feather May Be Turkeys

Birds of a Feather May Be TurkeysBy Gene Griessman, PhD... Read More

A Sense of Humor in the Workplace ... Is it Me? Or, was that not funny?

When I was first initiated into Corporate America, I had... Read More

Year 2010: Permanent Employees No Longer Required

Jack Welch joined a conference that was held in Duke... Read More

Taking Care of Middle Manager Bounce Off

How many times have the management consultants been 'in' and... Read More

How to Meet Quality Standards with ISO 9001

In today's hectic business environment, it is vital that we... Read More

The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Communication Breakdown

An ongoing series of articles exploring the seven critical areas... Read More

Smart Choices: How to Hire the Best

Your organization's continued growth and success depend on making smart... Read More

Re-Discovery Procedures for Building Effective Management Systems: Phase V

Now we turn the corner to our final phase: Re-Discovery.Last... Read More

Argue Your Way To Business Success

"Jack" (not his real name) is a vice president of... Read More