APPRAISAL AND ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

Appraisal and Assessment Techniques

Appraisal and Assessment Techniques

Q: “Critically discuss if appraisal and assessment techniques enhance the 'manageability' of expatriate expatriate employees”?

Part 1: Introduction

International human resource management (IHRM) examines the management of human resources (people) across national borders. Two broad issues are addressed within the field of IHRM: first, human resource management (HRM) in multinational corporations (MNCs) with operations in multiple countries, and second, comparative analyses of HRM across countries. It should be noted that some scholars argue that comparative analyses of HRM should not be viewed as part of IHRM, the latter only encompassing HRM in MNCs. The focus here is on HRM in MNCs.

Research has identified different staffing patterns among MNCs from different regions, with Japanese MNCs consistently being most likely to use home country nationals in key positions overseas. U.S. MNCs seem less likely than European firms to staff foreign units with home country nationals. Other factors found to influence staffing decisions are the subsidiary host country, the age of the subsidiary, and the international strategy and experience of the MNC. Development of foreign country nationals through transfers to head-quarters—labeled inpatriation—appears to have increased in importance in many MNCs.

Subsequent to Perlmutter's important contributions, two streams of work soon began to emerge: one focusing on the management of expatriates (persons sent abroad on long-term assignments), where the emphasis was on the adjustment of the expatriate; the second on the roles that the transfer of people across units played in the management of the MNC. The focus in expatriate management was for a long time on how to select, prepare, train, and support expatriate managers and their families so that they would adjust well to conditions abroad. Most of this research asserted that lack of general, interaction, and/or work adjustment on the part of the expatriate increases the likelihood that he or she fails to complete the international assignment. Therefore, rather than select persons because of their technical skills or proven performance in the home country, they should be chosen based on their ability to adjust, with cultural intelligence recently having been suggested as an important predictor. Several studies also indicate that a well-adjusted spouse increases the likelihood that the expatriate will be well adjusted and complete his or her assignment abroad.

More recently, the IHRM literature has adopted a wider view of international mobility, including more short-term assignments abroad and frequent traveling, both of which are associated with considerable challenges for both individuals and MNCs. Furthermore, it has been acknowledged that significant human and organizational issues are associated with the process of returning to the home country after a foreign assignment.

Part 2: Determinants influencing Multinasional Company (MNC) managers in choosing particular employee

Expatriates

Expatriates are employees who go overseas to accomplish a job-related goal. To remain competitive in the world marketplace or to obtain new marketing opportunities, multinational companies (MNCs) are sending increasing numbers of expatriates on international assignments. In fact, recent research estimates that more than 250,000 Americans currently are serving as expatriates on international ...