Jack Wood

Cross‐cultural Management Competence in Australian Business Enterprises

This paper identifies four critical cross-cultural management competencies derived from a larger study that examined the expatriate career management practices of twenty Australian business enterprises with a physical presence in the East Asian business region. Results point to the need to reassess existing cross-cultural management competency development practices pursued by Australian business enterprises, so that interactional management skills and transactional management communication skills are enhanced. Other cross-cultural management competency constructs identified included transformational management skills. In addition, while foreign language skills were also identified, the result was marginal. Evidence from this study confirms the need for stronger attention by Australian organizations to cross-cultural management competency development as well as more informed means of developing Australian expatriate managers prior to international career appointments.

Integrating Expatriate Careers with International Business Activity

The second in this series on international and expatriate career activity argues for increased attention to developing a strategic link between international business activity and the HRM and career management functions that purport to support such business activity. Looks towards addressing some of the problems potentially experienced by firms in the international marketplace and their expatriates. This is achieved by: (1) overviewing research that is currently under way with respect to the expatriate career management practices of selected Australian organizations; and (2) identifying some of the more important concerns that existing empirical and case study research on expatriate career management has shown in terms of the types of career initiatives to which organizations need to pay attention, prior to an overseas move by their staff, during an overseas appointment, and finally when repatriating staff.

Managing spouse/partner preparation and adjustment

Identifies a number of critical spouse/partner preparation and adjustment factors derived from a larger study that examined the expatriate career management practices of 20 Australian business enterprises with a physical presence in the East‐Asian business region. Addresses concerns expressed by Adler (1991) that attention to the needs of an accompanying spouse is at best only having a neutral impact on spouse adjustment. That is, organizations have largely failed to assist spouses in establishing what Adler (1991) described as “a meaningful portable life”. Reviews spouse/partner preparation and adjustment from the views expressed by Australian business executives, expatriate and repatriates involved in business operations in East‐Asia. The views of spouses and partners were not gathered in this study. Results point to the need for re‐assessment of existing spouse/partner preparation and adjustment. While results are tentative, evidence from this study confirms the need for more attention by Australian organizations to spouse/partner preparation and adjustment, with particular attention to the development of business environment awareness and empathy which may assist in advancing Adler’s concept of “a meaningful portable life”.

A review of expatriate staffing practices in Australian business enterprises

This paper evaluates the findings from a study of the expatriate staffing practices in twenty Australian business enterprises which have a physical presence in the East Asian business region. Resul...

Realigning international careers ‐ a more strategic focus

Presents a model of strategic international career management. Argues that while existing career models assist in providing a strategic focus to organizational career management, in that they match career practice with business strategy, they essentially fail to recognize the inherent differences that exist in international career moves vis‐a‐vis more traditional domestic career mobility. As there are significant differences in work role transition when an international career move takes place, there has been a failure to recognize that international career moves are, as has been suggested elsewhere, transitional, discontinuous, recursionary and stage‐interdependent in nature. Stresses the centrality of these career considerations, inherent in international career mobility and generally missing from existing career models to the development of the strategic international career management model advanced.

HRM AND INTERNATIONAL EXPATRIATE MANAGEMENT: A STRATEGIC LINK FOR AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS

The increasing literature on international human resource management has produced findings which are largely repetitive and anecdotal and as such are contributing to a reemerging problem for Australian business enterprises wishing to increase their international business activity. The problem concerns the factors which organizations need to consider in most effectively developing and managing international management career programmes. What has traditionally been missing is a strategic framework that links appropriate international human resource management practices with an enterprise′s international business agenda. Develops an argument around this central theme which provides an overview of the need to address what is an emerging problem for Australian business enterprises – how international management careers are best developed and managed in the context of a firm′s human resource management strategy and its strategic international business activity.

A CHALLENGE TO CAREER MANAGEMENT PRACTICE

First in a series of three articles, addressing the literature and current practice on career management. The series begins by questioning the traditional perspective of careers and centres largely on intraorganizational issues and continuous upward movement. Suggests that interorganizational, interindustry and international career mobility are not only viable career options but becoming increasingly important. Given the changing nature of the global business community and apparent increasing practice of manager transfer as well as the increasing need to address more creative career options for managers, the importance of an examination of manager mobility and associated career practices would seem appropriate.

Promoting a strategic business focus to balance competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility – missing elements

Purpose - This paper highlights dysfunctional multistakeholder relations and negative business outcomes; evidenced in lose/lose results, exacerbated by failure to acknowledge strategic business focus as a means to redress problematic business thinking and practice amongst key leadership teams associated with achieving balance between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. Design/methodology/approach - The reframed strategic business focus has been developed employing Eastern philosophy and Western organization theory; and refers to four case examples of dysfunctional business thinking and practice. Findings - Strategic business focus results from an interdependent and complementary positive mediating relationship between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility, which is moderated by organization culture (organization core values, including shared value) and strategic HRM (talent and mindset). Research limitations/implications - Strategic business focus as proposed has not been empirically tested; but seeks to address a conceptualisation that competing business and stakeholder agendas are interdependent and complementary. Practical implications - Strategic business focus seeks to redress traditional win/lose and lose/lose business outcomes; by supporting win/win results, represented by shared value amongst multistakeholders. Originality/value - Eastern thinking and behaviour is usually undervalued in Western business literature, more-so in Western business practice. Joint attention however, may improve competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility agendas in support of diverse management practices, including shared value.

Telework: An Intelligent Managerial Initiative

Publisher Summary This chapter explains why teleworking is considered an intelligent managerial initiative. While there are many complex challenges in implementing effective programs, the case for teleworking as a sound business option appears overwhelming―particularly given growth rates estimated to now exceed 15% per year in many OECD countries. For intelligent management, the actual challenge is to proactively address and effectively manage this innovative work option. Teleworking has the central premise of taking the work to the worker rather than the reverse. Instead of traveling down a bitumen highway, the teleworker can live away from congested urban areas and deliver his or her work output down the so-called “information superhighway.” Teleworking offers reducing cost savings in office space costs associated with downsizing and strong productivity improvement claims. This chapter examines the concept of teleworking from three different perspectives, namely those of management, employees, and the broader society. The chapter also describes the taxonomy of alternative work environments that can be created by applying telework principles. These include: Group 1―virtual office, hot desking, motelling, hotelling or campus-style organizations; Group 2―satellite offices and neighborhood centers; Group 3―home-based telecommuters and teleguerillas; Group 4―resort offices; Group 5―telecottages and telecenters; and Group 6―teleworkers, nomadic workers, and road warriors.

Chapter 11 Renewing Strategic Business Focus through Shared Value: A Eupsychian and Ideation Approach

Abstract Issues, which have negatively impacted a diversity of business stakeholders, suggest that business thinking and leadership behaviors surrounding a desired strategic business focus appear increasingly inadequate. For example, that integration strategies and differentiation strategies are mutually exclusive. Three issues appear to contribute to such circumstances. First, Western strategic business frameworks are largely based on quantitative foci, and remain largely unchallenged. Second, balance between key leadership team agendas and external stakeholder expectations is usually absent. Third, there is minimal connection between what organizational cultures reward, and how human resource management prescriptions provide support. To address such concerns and implant a renewed strategic business focus, Porter and Kramer (2006, 2011) have identified the notion of shared value, which seems an appealing means to redress business problems represented by negative multistakeholder relations; moreover, an absence of any contemporary acknowledgment of the social contract. Nevertheless, a number of elements appear to be missing from the how shared value is portrayed by Porter and Kramer (2006, 2011). Based on Maslow’s notion of Eupsychia, and employing an Ideation approach, a renewed strategic business focus supporting the notion of shared value is presented. The renewed focus seeks to enhance Porter and Kramer’s (2011) framework, by including key features to enhance shared value, including elements of Eastern and Western philosophy, and Western organization theory. Problematic examples, identifying the absence of shared value, and including research propositions are identified.