Expatriate assignments

 This module explain how can some situations make workers change their workplace or location of work, how can organizational country culture affects employees behavior.

Expatriate Assignments (EA) help individuals obtain new experiences and use them to have a better knowledge for their careers. They are characterized by temporary assignments and centered on building skills across companies rather that ascending hierarchies. EA focuses on return to employment in the same company and firm system after been abroad, and the OE experience typically involves inter-company rather than intra-company job transfers.

The main objective of an expatriate is to maintain significant attachments to their home countries while expanding their career opportunities by working abroad.

The main characteristic of an expatriate is to build relevant skills and ascend in status within one company.

Types of expatriate assignments:

1.Long-term expatriate assignments: Expatriate assignment is referred to as a long-term assignment where the employee and his/her spouse/family move to the host country for a specified period of time, over one year.

2. Short-term expatriate assignment: is an assignment with a specified duration, usually less than one year. Family may accompany employee.

3. International commuter: is an employee who commutes from the home country to a place of work in another country, usually on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, while the family remains at home.

4. Frequent flyer: is an employee who undertakes frequent international business trips but does not relocate

Question:

Analyze the potential implications of the Co-determination principles over the organization’s decision-making process from the perspectives of the managers and the employees.

Co-determination is the possibility that employees can have a role in the management inside the organization, the word co-determination have origin from the word “Mitbestimmung” in German, the origins of this management style were initially used in Germany.

This principle allows employees to have discussions with the employers in a skilled supervisory board.

“The German model of co-determination is based on indirect participation, with elected worker representatives and formalized institutions, with rights supported in law. In contrast to the UK, the German system is highly juridified, with a considerable amount of legislation providing a constitution of rights for employees (Lane, 1989; Furstenburg, 1991; Lawrence 1992)” [1]

Inside the organization co determination principle have many advantages that provide more general training and supports a high-skill equilibrium. Co-determination allows having diversity of opinions at the moment of taking a decision, and provides a feeling among employees of participation and equal importance in all levels of the hierarchy.

Co-determination in the decision-making process is extremely important not only to employees because they are able to express their opinions but also to manager because they can hear diverse ideas and solutions with different perspectives; it is also important because employees have a representation of their opinions and feelings in the board of directors, this give to managers a more complete overview of the organization situation.

References:

Expatriate Assignment Versus Overseas Experience: Contrasting Models of International Human Resource Development. Kerr Inkson, Judith Pringle, Michael B. Arthur, Sean Barry.

Royle T. Avoidance strategies and the German system of co-determination. International Journal of Human Resource Management [serial online]. December 1998;9(6):1026-1047. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 18, 2010.

[1] FitzRoy F, Kraft K. Co-determination, Efficiency and Productivity. British Journal of Industrial Relations [serial online]. June 2005;43(2):233-247. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 19, 2010.

Piette, Jean-Jacques. 2004. “Understanding Management German style”. Les Amis de L’ecole de Paris.

http://inspiredexpatriates.com/2009/11/13/xpat-spouse-factor

http://www.expatriatefoundation.com/HRCI_Recertification.html

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