Shared Flashcard Set

Details

IHRM
Chaps 1-3
52
Business
Undergraduate 4
04/19/2015

Additional Business Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Define “expatriate”
Definition
an employee who is working and temporarily residing in a foreign country. Many firms prefer to call such employees ‘international assignees’.
Term
Tax equalization policies concerning expatriates are designed to _____
Definition
to ensure that there is no tax incentive or disincentive associated with any particular international assignment.
Term
The administration of tax equalization policies is
Definition
complicated by the wide variations in tax laws across host countries and by the possible time lag between the completion of an expatriate assignment and the settlement of domestic and international tax liabilities
Term
The direct cost of international assignment failures can be as high as _____
Definition
three times the domestic salary plus relocation expenses, depending on currency exchange rates and location of assignments.
Term
Know the differences between HRM and IHRM
Definition
the complexity of operating in different countries and employing different national categories of workers is a key variable that differentiates
Term
Know the differences between HRM and IHRM Dowling argues that the complexity of international HR can be attributed to six factors:
Definition

1. More HR activities.

2. The need for a broader perspective.

3. More involvement in employees' personal lives.

4. Changes in emphasis as the workforce mix of expatriates and locals varies.

5. Risk exposure.

6. Broader external influences.

Term

* The cultural environment.

* The industry

* The extent of reliance on the home-country domestic market.

* The attitudes of senior management.

Definition

Know the four variables that moderate the differences between HRM and IHRM

Term
Cultural difference is not necessarily equivalent to ___
Definition
National differences
Term
A multidomestic industry is one in which……
Definition
competition in each country is essentially independent of competition in other countries. Traditional examples include retailing, distribution and insurance
Term
Define “Global industry”
Definition

a firm's competitive position in one country is significantly influenced by its position in other countries.

 

 

Term
What is a key driver for firms seeking international markets?
Definition

A small home market.

It is frequently assumed that a global market perspective would be dominant in the firm's culture and thinking. However, size is not the only key variable when looking at a multinational – the extent of reliance of the multinational on its home-country domestic market is also very important.

Term
What is an “asymmetric event”?
Definition
threats that our political, strategic, and military cultures regard as unusual.
Term

What is an “asymmetric event”?

In terms of trying to define asymmetric events,

Gray notes that they tend to be:

Definition

* Unmatched in our arsenal of capabilities and plans. Such events may or may not appear truly dangerous, but they will certainly look different from war as we have known it.

* Highly leveraged against our particular assets – military and, probably more often, civil.

* Designed not only to secure leverage against our assets, but also intended to work around, offset, and negate what in other contexts are our strengths.

* Difficult to respond to in a discriminate and proportionate manner.

Term
Know the activities of IHRM
Definition

* More HR activities

* The need for a broader perspective

* More involvement in employees’ personal lives

* Changes in emphasis as the workforce mix of expatriates and locals varies

* Risk exposure

* Broader external influences

Term
Successful internationalizing the HR function requires…..
Definition

The challenge for the corporate HR manager who wishes to contribute to the internationalization of the desired ‘global mindset ’.

This goal requires  a HR manager who is able to think globally and to formulate and implement HR policies that facilitate the development of globally oriented staff.

Term

*Human resource planning

* Staffing(recruitment, selection, placement)

* Performance management

* Training & Development

* Compensation and benefits

* Industrial relations

 

Definition

 Know the HRM activities…..

Term
Cross-cultural management research is based on the assumption that….
Definition
there are differences between management practices in various countries and that the respective environment is of particular significance in explaining these differences. This perspective rejects the approach of researchers who assume universal transferability of management knowledge – i.e. a universalistic, culture-free approach to management.
Term
A major criticism of cross-cultural management studies is____
Definition
Cross-cultural studies are generally subject to the problem of not doing justice to a dynamic, context-sensitive concept of culture.
Term

Power distance

Uncertainty Avoidance

Femininity vs. Masculine

Individualism vs. collectivism

Confucianism dynamics

 

Definition
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are _____
Term
Power distance dimension
Definition
is the acceptance of members of a culture that power is not distributed equally. Countries with high power distance accept hierarchical structure with little need for people to justify their place in the system whereas countries with low power distance value equality and demand justification for formal power.
Term
Uncertainty Avoidance dimension
Definition
is the extent to which the members feel threatened by uncertainty and lack of structure and avoid it. Behavior codes are strict and any deviance from norms is rigidly shunned. Countries with low uncertainty avoidance, practices give way to principles allowing form more tolerance of deviations. Hofstede suggests that this allows for more innovations.
Term
Femininity vs. masculine
Definition
says that a culture can be more feminine or masculine. Cultures with higher masculinity comprises the pursuit of financial success, heroism, and strong performance pursuit. Feminine cultures prefer quality of life, modesty and interpersonal relationships. This allows for greater flexibility in roles.
Term
Individualisms vs. collectivism
Definition
describes the extent to which individual initiative and caring for oneself and the nearest relatives is preferred by a society as opposed to public assistance or extended family. In individualistic cultures there are more casual networks and each person is responsible for themselves. Collectivist cultures have closer more clearly denied systems of relationships. Company cultures with high level of collectivist orientation structure reward systems in a group-oriented way while individual company cultures reward systems are focused on the individual aspects.
Term
Under Confucianism dynamics, orientations can be either ____ or _____
Definition
long-term or short-term in nature
Term
Long-term:
Definition

* Great endurance to pursue goals

* Ranking based on status

* Modern adaptions to traditions

* Respect of social & status obligations within certain limits

* High savings rates and high investment activity

* Readiness to subordinate oneself to a purpose

* Feeling of shame

Term
Short-term:
Definition

* Personal candor and stability

* Avoiding loss of face

* Respect of social status obligations w/o the consideration of costs

* Low savings rates and low investment activity

* Expectations of quick profit

* Respect for traditions

* Greetings, presents and courtesies based on reciprocity

Term
Hofstede’s study is classified or based on _____
Definition
  • Preliminary theoretical considerations and statistical analyses, which can be used to describe cultural differences between countries.
  •  116,000 surveys from IBM employees.
Term
What are the criticisms of the Globe study?
Definition

* The scales do not measure what they should, and the further differentiation of the Hofstede’s original 5 dimensions

 

* Widespread equivalence f culture to nation can be a source of concern as well

Term
  • High vs. Low Context Communication
  • Spatial orientation
  • Monochrome vs. polychrome concept of time
  • Information Speed
Definition

Hall and Hall’s research emphasizes four cultural dimensions

Term
High vs. Low Context Communication:
Definition
Cultures differ in the way their members communicate with each other. In High Context cultures, a more indirect form of expression is common, where the receiver must decipher the content of the message from its context, whereas in so-called Low Context cultures the players tend to communicate more to the point and verbalize all- important information. Examples of High Context cultures are Japan as well as France. Germany is more of a Low Context culture.
Term
Spatial orientation :
Definition
The focus of this dimension is on the distance between people of various cultures when communicating. Distance that is adequate for members of one culture, may feel intrusive for members of another culture.
Term
Monochrome vs. polychrome concept of time :
Definition
One side of the spectrum is dominated by processes, where one thing is done after the other. In the oppossite side of the spectrum actions occur at the same time.
Term
Information speed :
Definition
This dimension focuses on whether information flow in groups is high or low during communication. Thus, in the USA people tend to exchange personal information relatively quickly, while in Europe such a rate of information exchange would require a more extended acquaintance.
Term
“Born globals” are ….
Definition
formed expressly with the international market in mind
Term
What is the typical initial stage of a firm entering international operations?
Definition

Export. As such, it rarely involves much organizational response until the level of export sales reaches a critical point. Of course, simple exporting may be difficult for service companies (such as legal firms) so that they may be forced to make an early step into foreign direct investment operations (via a branch office, or joint venture). Exporting often tends to be handled by an intermediary (for example, a foreign agent or distributor) as local market knowledge is deemed critical. As export sales increase, however, an export manager may be appointed to control foreign sales and actively seek new markets.

Term
Which stage of international operations tend to create a separate international division in a company?
Definition
foreign production/service operations where all international activities are grouped
Term
“Miniature replicas” are ______
Definition
foreign subsidiaries structured to mirror that of the domestic organization, established by the firm with the spread of international activities The subsidiary managers report to the head of the international division, and there may be some informal reporting directly to the various functional heads. For example, there may be contact between the HR managers in the two country subsidiaries, and the HR manager at corporate headquarters, regarding staffing issues.
Term
Explain the “think global, act local” paradox
Definition

The increasingly complex international environment – characterized by global competitors, global customers, universal products, rapid technological change and world-scale factories – push the multinational toward global integration while, at the same time, host governments and other stakeholders (such as customers, suppliers and employees) push for local responsiveness.

To facilitate the challenge of meeting these conflicting demands, the multinational will typically need to consider a more appropriate structure, and the choice appears to be either: the matrix; the mixed structure; the heterarchy; the transnational; or the multinational network.

Term
Know the advantages of a matrix structure
Definition

* conflicts of interest are brought out into the open,

* Each issue with priority in decision-making has an executive champion to ensure it is not neglected.

 

In other words, the matrix is considered to bring into the management system a philosophy of matching the structure to the decision-making process.

Term
The management of a multi-centered networked organization is ____
Definition

 complex. Apart from the intra-organizational network (comprising headquarters and the numerous subsidiaries), each subsidiary also has a range of external relationships (involving local suppliers, customers, competitors, host governments and alliance partners). The management of both the intra-organizational and inter-organizational spheres, and of the total integrated network, is crucial to global corporate performance. It involves what has been termed a less-hierarchical structure, featuring five dimensions:

Term
multi-centered networked organization involves what has been termed a less-hierarchical structure, featuring five dimensions:
Definition

* Delegation of decision-making authority to appropriate units and levels.

* Geographical dispersal of key functions across units in different countries.

* Delayering of organizational levels.

* De-bureaucratization of formal procedures.

* Differentiation of work, responsibility and authority across the networked subsidiaries.

Term
Define “clan control”
Definition
describes social control as a legitimate control system to supplement or replace traditional structural, bureaucratic control
Term
Social capital emphasizes the need for _____
Definition
contacts and ties, combined with norms and trust, that facilitate knowledge sharing and information exchanges between individuals, groups and business units
Term
The matrix structure is characterized by ______
Definition
continues to be the only organizational form which fits the strategy of simultaneous pursuit of multiple business dimensions, with each given equal priority … [The] structural form succeeds because it fits the situation’.
Term
Culture
Definition
consists of pattern ways of thinking feeling and reacting acquired and transmitting mainly by symbols the distinctive achievements of human groups including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional …ideas and especially their attached values.
Term
“Culture is mental programming or
Definition
software of the mind” Hofstede
Term
A monochrome concept of time
Definition
is dominated by processes, where one thing is done after the other,
Term
polychrome concept
Definition
these actions occur at the same time.
Term
Cultures with higher masculinity
Definition
comprises the pursuit of financial success, heroism, and strong performance pursuit.
Term
Feminine cultures
Definition
prefer quality of life, modesty and interpersonal relationships. This allows for greater flexibility in roles.
Term
Multidomestic industry examples
Definition
  • retailing
  • distribution
  • insurance
Term
include commercial aircraft, semiconductors and copiers
Definition
Examples of Global Industry
Supporting users have an ad free experience!