Managing Across Cultures Case Study

The HR Director, based on experience and analysis of how the firm is developing, feels it is desirable to send young consultants on foreign assignments to develop international experience. Local offices are also developing expertise in new areas of business. However, the Board opposes an international assignee programme. They have heard that ‘most assignments fail’, and do not want to risk damaging local operations with underperforming and expensive expats. At the same time, some directors have voiced the opinion that Dexter International ought to be careful about granting country managers too much autonomy, especially for new operations: risk management had, after all, been a big issue in the past. On balance, the Board’s preferred option was to send specialist staff when needed, and impose more formalised risk controls. The IT Director also argued that ‘virtual working’ would be just as good. Given the Board’s current concerns about the risks and costs associated with an international assignee programme, prepare a 1,500-word paper which: 1. offers a justification for the possible use of international assignments, 2. analyses the main components of an international assignment policy for the company, and 3. identifies some of the key challenges in implementing the policy across the business.    

Sample Solution