Objective
This report seeks to discuss the vital issues that need to be addressed by a company trying to harmonize its human resources division while trying to expand the firm’s work into a new region, Sub-Sahara African. Even though Africa has brilliant opportunities for growth and development, they differ in each region and nation. Therefore, the organization follows a strategy of undertaking ventures in newer markets, with a preference for the sub-Saharan African market because the segment provides it with a deal of opportunity for expansion (Burrows, 2016). This report analyzes the various essential components of the organizational strategy to achieve the desired goals set by higher management.
Target
The company intends to start by launching offices in a few African countries. Gradually, using experience and knowledge from the first few offices to expand into other countries. Further, these offices would be opened in phases after the firm has laid a robust infrastructural foundation. In the first phase of expansion, the organization is set to open offices in ten countries, Mauritius, Cape Verde, Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Senegal, Seychelles, Kenya, and Uganda. These countries were selected because they have a robust economic infrastructure and a stable political environment (Rosenberg, 2016). Hence, expanding into such places will be a good start for the organization, while at the same time, it will provide a fair glimpse of the African markets. In the initial stage, the organization would open offices in these countries and advertise its products/services. It would also set up training camps to recruit and train workers from the respective country for basic organizational operations.
Employees
The firm will have to start by relocating seven employees to each nation. This implies that a total of seventy employees will be relocated to ten African nations. The entire staff will be randomly allocated to each of these nations, and they will be required to travel together to their new workstations. The seven employees will comprise a country manager, two team leaders, a housing manager, a person in charge of transport, one amenity in charge, and one supervisor. The team of seven would recruit workers from their respective countries and train them for organizational work.
Roles and Responsibilities
The country manager would be the topmost authority in their country office. The manager will be responsible for the overall functioning of the team at their offices. All the employees would report to the manager, and the manager would align with the top management to enforce the organizational strategy and achieve the goal. The two leaders would form separate teams and are primarily responsible for local workers’ recruitment and training. All day-to-day functions would be created and managed by team leaders. Likewise, the transport manager is responsible for the overall transport facility of the organization and the staff. The housing manager would arrange and take care of the staff’s basic needs, such as food, housing, amenities, among others. The amenity in charge will take care of all the staff’s needs and requirements from daily life. The supervisor would manage the workers and enforce the organizational strategy at the grass-root level.
Family Program
The employees will be allowed to relocate their families to the countries they are assigned to work. The organization would ensure proper accommodation and other facilities for the staff overseas. The assignment lengths will take a year for all the employees as research shows that one-year plans are far more effective (Cadden, n.d.). One year is an optimal time as the organization would get a good idea of the progress in the period, and the employees will have sufficient time to prove their worth working abroad on the project. The employees’ children would be sent to a standard convent school. The organization will tie up with a school and arrange transport facilities for the children’s drop and pickup from the apartments.
Relocation Plan
The firm will lease apartments to house the relocated staff and their families. The organization would take up an entire building which will have separate housing facilities for each of the staff and his/her families. For this purpose, the housing manager would be required to conduct prior research and establish housing requirements in the host country. The company would not provide any housing allowance as it will secure accommodation for the entire staff. The organization is keen on keeping the entire staff together at one location due to security concerns. Besides, it will be easier for the firm to arrange transport facilities for the staff. The housing manager will also secure an office location and set up a workplace for training and operational activities.
Amenities Plan
The organization would set up a commissary in the apartment itself, where the staff could buy the stuff required for daily use. The commissary would be stocked with grocery items, eateries, and others. This will ensure that the employees do not have to search for the items in local markets too often. The amenities in charge would arrange the items with co-operation from the local market and workers. Banking facilities will be arranged with an agent’s help from any local banks or any overseas bank working in that country. The dedicated agent for the employees will visit the office and housing facility from time to time, and the agent will be readily available on a call. The agent will also take care of the currency exchange as and when required. The agent would sit in the office and the apartment for a few hours daily so that everyone could make use of it. The amenities in charge will be the person responsible for any urgent requirements for the staff. There will be additional local workers helping the amenities in charge of proper functioning.
Staff Release Plan
The assignment will last one year, so the staff is expected to spend time in the respective country after signing the contract. However, the staff will be recalled if they face severe challenges, such as health conditions or family issues. The issue should be documented appropriately and sent to the organization via the country manager. The final decision will be made by higher management.
Compliance
All the employees related to the African expansion program will be required to read the contract carefully and have time to make an informed decision. Once onboard, the employees have to comply with all the regulations and safety standards strictly (Burrows, 2016). The manager will create guidelines and a transparent system for everyone to work lawfully in a foreign land, which will require commitment from all the parties.
References
Cadden, M. (n.d.) Shrinking worlds, broadening horizons changes in international relocation in 21st century. Families in Global Transition. Web.
Rosenberg, A. (2016) Sub-Saharan Africa’s most and least resilient economies. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Burrows, T. (2016) Expanding into Africa. The Margin. Web.