Introduction
Nowadays, organizations must overcome several obstacles if they want to expand internationally. In order to maximize productivity at all levels of the company, this process calls for global leaders to make crucial transnational choices that have an influence on how the corporation handles business abroad and approaches business issues from a worldwide viewpoint. International assignments encourage the company to keep its competitive edge while looking to develop internationally. Although giving the organization’s internal talent pool opportunity, such assignments simultaneously place significant demands on those who serve these crucial jobs (HRM 584, 2023a).
As a result, an employee must receive pre-departure training in order to be ready for an international assignment. The employee is often introduced to the local culture during pre-departure training before beginning their employment (HRM 584, 2023b). Therefore, in the case of Charles Ramoz-Ramrez, the new pre-departure program will be holistic and involve cultural awareness lessons. It will also prepare the staff for common challenges involving stress, commuting, and others for an easy transition.
Background
Before establishing the programs and delving deeper into the experiences and required feedback, it is necessary to give an overview of the case. In order to create and provide internal pre-departure training programs for US MNC workers assigned to South American projects, Charles Ramoz-Ramrez founded a consultancy (Reiche et al., n.d.). The founder shared that he had just been contacted by the HR director of MNC, where he had previously worked (Reiche et al., n.d.). The MNC’s senior management had grown more alarmed over the last year about the overall inability of its expatriate personnel to adapt to life in Mexico, the current HR director informed Charles (Reiche et al., n.d.). The HR department had thus hired a third party to assess training requirements.
To provide a comprehensive program, it is necessary to focus on feedback and previous experiences. Forty engineers who had returned from projects in Mexico in the previous two years provided statements that served as the basis for a portion of this assessment (Reiche et al., n.d.). Merely twenty-five engineers received formal pre-departure training, and fifteen had none (Reiche et al., n.d.). The twenty-five workers went through a variety of pre-departure training procedures, however, seven of them deemed the online training materials to be of little use in preparing for their duties (Reiche et al., n.d.).
Lastly, the main difficulty that was encountered while working in Mexico was communication barriers with the local employees (Reiche et al., n.d.). Other difficulties the expatriates face are listed in Figure 1, stressing issues such as accommodation, anxiety, safety, and others. The MNC’s HR director has now asked CRR Expatriate Development to create and run a ten-day pre-departure course for its employees in Mexico (Reiche et al., n.d.). Therefore, the mission is to establish a program covering all mentioned issues.
New Ten-Day Pre-Departure Program
The expatriate and family will participate in pre-departure training that includes lessons in language, intercultural awareness, and practical aspects of adjusting to a new environment (Carlson et al., 2020). In the given case, the new pre-departure program should include several essential elements to ensure the engineers and project managers have a successful assignment in Mexico. These elements are included in Table 1 and show which assignments are allocated for what day, with the most crucial lessons being given the most days.
Cultural Awareness Training
The first essential part of the program is cultural awareness training, which was previously identified as one of the biggest concerns among MNC’s expatriates in Mexico. This training should cover Mexico’s culture, customs, traditions, and values. As previous employees stressed, their lessons were not as helpful. Therefore, the new program will incorporate cross-cultural training into potential expatriates’ training as the best method to prepare them. Employees in immersion programs often take evaluations, participate in simulations, start intensive language instruction, and take a course in diversity training (HRM 584, 2023b).
Secondly, a moderate pre-departure training strategy is used in the emotional style. Here, the employee is expected to examine cases, participate in role-playing exercises, start a modest language training program, and acquire basic stress management strategies (HRM 584, 2023b). Lastly, by using an information-giving strategy, it will be feasible to instruct the employee about the new nation. This will be done through lectures about the region and culture, country-specific films, literature, and videos, language lessons, and the use of interpreters while on duty (HRM 584, 2023b). Thus, such an approach will help employees understand the local culture and avoid any cultural misunderstandings.
Language Training
The second essential part of the new program is the involvement of language training. It was mentioned in the analysis of the expatriates’ experience that the most significant challenge was communication barriers with local employees. The new program should provide basic language training to help employees interact with foreign coworkers, at least on a fundamental level. This training should focus on common phrases, business vocabulary, and local dialects (Carlson et al., 2020). In this case, employees will be prepared and know what to expect in the new workplace.
Technical and Business Training
Then, the program should provide an overview of Mexico’s technical and business practices. Previous experience demonstrates that employees face technical issues related to work. Such instances can lead not only to frustration and stress for the employees but also to litigation. The new training should cover the regulatory environment, business practices, and local industrial standards (Carlson et al., 2020). Such training lessons can help adjust to the new setting.
Health and Safety Training
Moreover, the U.S. and Mexican healthcare and criminal justice systems differ. As a result, without proper knowledge of local practices and guidelines, employees can be unprepared for emergencies. Therefore, the new program should provide training on health and safety issues in Mexico. The recommendation is that pre-departure training should cover basic medical information, food and water safety, and emergency procedures involving crime (Peng, 2022). This way, the expatriates will know the exact steps to be taken.
Logistics and Travel Training
Furthermore, the program should provide training on logistics and travel in Mexico. As employees who worked in Mexico emphasized, travel within Mexico was among the main issues they faced during their stay. The recommendation is that the new training should cover transportation options, local customs, and local infrastructure (Peng, 2022). As a result, this contributes to quick orientation in the new environment and minimizes work disruptions due to being late or unable to reach the workplace.
Cross-Cultural Training
Finally, the new program should provide training on cross-cultural issues that the employees may face during their assignments. Staff can feel stressed and homesick without lessons preparing expatriates for the new environment. As a result, it is recommended that the new training should cover issues such as communication, teamwork, and leadership (Peng, 2022). Another issue worth considering is allowing employees to travel with their families. As was stressed by Evans and colleagues (2017, p. 273), “whenever possible, select a family, not a person.” This way, the expatriates are more likely to adjust quickly and feel less stressed.
Explanation of Essential Elements
Each element is necessary to ensure the employees have a successful assignment in Mexico. Cultural awareness training is essential to aid employees in understanding the local culture and customs (Carlson et al., 2020). Language training helps employees communicate with locals and avoid any misunderstandings (Carlson et al., 2020).
Technical and business training is necessary to help employees understand the local regulatory environment and practices (Carlson et al., 2020). Health and safety training is necessary to ensure employees know about the medical risks and emergencies (Peng, 2022). Travel training is necessary for understanding transportation options and local infrastructure (Peng, 2022). Cross-cultural training is crucial for comprehending the differences in communication, teamwork, and leadership styles (Evans et al., 2017).
The amount of program time devoted to each element varies based on the importance of the component. Therefore, cultural awareness training is the most important element and should be given the most time. Language training is additionally essential and should be given a significant amount of time. Technical and business training, health and safety training, logistics and travel training, and cross-cultural training should be provided equal time.
Further Information from Employees
The organization would collect more information from the forty employees who have finished their missions in Mexico to construct the ten-day pre-departure program. It is vital to ask them to identify the most significant challenges they faced during their assignments, as well as their opinions on the pre-departure training they received and their suggestions for improving the training.
In addition, it is important to review relevant literature to identify best practices in pre-departure training for employees working in foreign countries. Additionally, consulting with intercultural communication and cross-cultural training experts will help ensure that the program provides employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their assignments. Finally, the company should pilot-test the program with a small group of employees to gather feedback and make any necessary revisions before scaling up the program to a larger group of employees.
Further Information about Engineers and Project Managers
Before finalizing the design and content of the pre-departure program, MNC would conduct a thorough analysis of the thirty engineers and project managers and their forthcoming assignments in Mexico. This would involve gathering detailed information about their job responsibilities, technical skills, and cultural background, as well as their interests and preferences.
An additional step would be to seek information about the location of the assignment, including the local culture, customs, and traditions, as well as the business environment and any other factors that may impact their work and daily life. By taking the time to gather this information and tailor the pre-departure program to the specific needs and interests of each individual, MNCs can ensure that the employees are fully prepared and equipped for success in their new roles and that they feel welcomed and supported throughout their stay in Mexico.
Augmenting the Content of the Program
Finally, to enrich the program further, MNCs might need to implement additional measures to support cultural awareness during an expatriate’s assignment. In addition to the current online resources, virtual training, and in-person training, the consulting company would provide an interactive cultural immersion experience. This experience would include guided tours of cultural landmarks, meetings with local residents, and opportunities to participate in cultural events.
Furthermore, consulting experts would establish a mentorship program where expatriates are paired with a local resident to facilitate a deeper understanding of the host culture. When the worker is on duty, the host country manager is in charge of providing coaching, mentoring, and conducting all performance evaluations (HRM 584, 2023c). The host country supervisor will additionally offer advice and comments to the home country management on the expatriate’s development as well as any overall performance measures (HRM 584, 2023c). For performance indicators to be met across countries, communication between the home and host countries is crucial (HRM 584, 2023c). Through these additional measures, employees would have ample opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation of the local culture and enhance their overall experience during their assignment.
Conclusion
Hence, the new pre-departure program will be comprehensive and include lessons on cultural awareness in addition to preparing the staff for everyday challenges. The new program will include lessons on cross-cultural communication, language proficiency, training in technical and business skills, health and safety protocols, and logistics operations. For an assignment to be successful in Mexico, each component is essential. Depending on how important an element is, different amounts of program time are given to it. To develop the ten-day pre-departure program, the organization would gather additional insights from the forty employees who have completed their assignments in Mexico. The thirty engineers and project managers would next be thoroughly examined, along with their upcoming responsibilities in Mexico, by MNC.
References
Carlson, K. D., Kavanagh, M. J., & Johnson, R. D. (2020). Human resource information systems: Basics, applications, and future directions. SAGE Publications.
Evans, P., Pucik, V., Bjorkman, I., & Morris, S. (2017). The global challenge: International human resource management (3rd ed.). Chicago Business Press.
Peng, M. W. (2022). Global business. Cengage Learning.
Reiche, B. S., Harzing, A., & Tenzer, H. (n.d.). International human resource management. Web.
HRM 584. (2023a). Week 2: Global HR and expansion strategies [Lecture].
HRM 584. (2023a). Week 3: Recruitment, selection, and retention of talent in the global arena [Lecture].
HRM 584. (2023c). Week 4: Performance management, training, and development [Lecture].