Intercultural Management- Unit VII Case Study Analysis
Critically analyze AstraZeneca’s expatriate management practices.
AstraZeneca shows that it is important for companies to go beyond the minimum in their bid to ensure that employees are satisfied as they undertake international assignments. Requirements such as compensation and housing are vital but organizations should also strive to ensure that the employees have achieved a work-life balance. The organizations also need to ensure that the employees are adaptable in the new work environment(Deresky, 2017, pp. 340– 345).
AstraZeneca has taken tangible steps to maximize the effectiveness of the employee on the international assignment and also to ensure that the work done by the expatriate is consistent with the business goals of the firm (Deresky, 2017, pp. 340–345). By assigning the worker to an International Assignments Manager (IAS), the chances of the employee succeeding in the new position increase threefold. These chances increase because the employee is trained on company policy about the new assignments, culture and the firm also offers to train the spouse and the employee in the local language.
The company notices that the productivity of the employees depends on how comfortable the worker is on the International assignment. By providing them with flexible work-life balance schedules, comprehensive destination support, the correct work education, and insurance support the employee has little to worry out (Deresky, 2017, pp. 340–345). Once the company also takes care of the needs of the immediate family members, it is very easy for the employee to put in his best and the productivity will yield dividends to the company.
Openness among the employees is an important aspect of employee success in their work assignments. Even though at Astra Zeneca, the company was spending quite a lot of money on ensuring that the company is successful and the employees are comfortable, it may not always mean that the conditions are perfect. The company's decision to ensure to encourage the employees to open up underlines the willingness of the organization to listen to the views of the employees.
Surveys show that most expatriates report feeling the strain of managing the demands of work and home while adjusting to the foreign environment, leading to more anxieties at home and the workplace. What steps can an organization take to mitigate this?
There are several steps that organizations can take to minimize any anxieties that may occur when an individual is on overseas assignments. The first step that an organization must do is to ensure that they hire the right people (Black & Gregersen, 2016). Sometimes organizations overlook other qualities and hire only the people who are technically oriented and skilled instead of hiring the people who can adapt.
To prevent anxieties and worry among the organizations about their home and at their places of work, the organization must put in place a mental awareness and a guidance program before and after the employees fly out so that they can go and carry out their overseas functions (Doki et al., 2018). Employees need to be assured of their wellbeing at their place of work; they require to be connected to people who have already worked in those regions so that they can teach them one or two things about living in the areas. Sometimes these employees get to be so anxious and worried yet the simple solutions for their worries are that they needed someone whom they could just talk to.
The company should encourage a culture of increased relationships between families, friends, and colleagues. This should especially happen to the employees who are on overseas assignments. When employees are abroad sometimes, they may feel lonely and unsure of the new territories. Increased relationships between these workers, families, and friends will give the workers hope that at the very least there is someone who is there for them (Doki et al., 2018).
To reduce these anxieties at the home and the workplace, the organization should facilitate research and into the cost of living and even facilitate the employee to get decent accommodation, a tour guide and even sponsor the new employee to learn a new language while in his or her new assignment.
What decisions related to expatriates can organizations take to maximize the benefits to the company despite the economic downturn? Do you think a company that paid more careful attention to selection could further boost its chances of success?
The company should do a cost-benefit analysis and evaluate whether the experiences, skills, and work output that the employees have gained in their overseas assignment is commensurate with the expected returns on investment(Maley et al., 2020).
During an economic downturn, the company does not have sufficient income. Besides, the focus of the organization will be on reducing costs. In relationship with the expatriate assignments, the company may decide to send a fewer number of people. It may make more sense if the company sends several people abroad whom it can manage their expenses. Sending employees on short-term work assignments or shorter periods will achieve even more results rather than leaving the employees to work for an extended period (Maley et al., 2020).
The company needs to change its selection strategy so that employees that are more qualified and have the necessary skills can be hired to be taken for such overseas assignments. After the selection of the technical assignment-specific employees, the company may also get involved in the skills-based pay structure where the company only pays for the work done. The company should also check which country is more critical for overseas assignments and which one is not critical so that strategic countries that have the best investment policies and the right business environment are selected for such assignments.
If a company pays increased attention to some of its overseas recruitment, it will get better workers, more skilled ones and those that will improve on their success.
References
Black, J. Stewart., & Gregersen, H. (2016, April 29). The Right Way to Manage Expats. Harvard
Business Review. https://hbr.org/1999/03/the-right-way-to-manage-expats
Deresky, H. (2017). International management: managing across borders and cultures; text and cases (pp. 340–345). Pearson.
Doki, S., Sasahara, S., & Matsuzaki, I. (2018). The stress of working abroad: a systematic review. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 91(7), 767–
784. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1333-4
Maley, J. F., Moeller, M., & Ting, A. F. (2020). Sustainable expatriate compensation in an uncertain environment. Journal of International Management, 26(3), 100776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2020.100776
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