Rosalie L. Tung

Selection and Training Procedures of U.S., European, and Japanese Multinationals:

The policies and practices of U.S., West European, and Japanese multinationals differ with respect to the procedures used for selecting personnel to fill positions overseas and the training programs used to prepare candidates.

Dimensions of Organizational Environments: An Exploratory Study of Their Impact on Organization Structure

This study sought to (1) develop a comprehensive typology for interpreting and analyzing organizational environments, (2) empirically test the validity of the typology, and (3) examine the relation...

Career Issues in International Assignments

M uch research in international human resource management has focused on the selection and training of personnel for overseas assignments, such as the criteria for selecting candidates and training programs to prepare personnel for cross-cultural encounters. An often neglected area of research in international human resource management is what happens to the subsequent career path of the individual upon return. In other words, did the international assignment have a positive impact on the persons overall career development and subsequent advancement in the organization? In this article I will explore some of the career issues associated with repatriation. The findings presented here are based on in-depth interviews with the vice-president of foreign operations or the vice-president of human resources in 17 European, 18 Japanese, and 11 Australian multinationals. In many cases, people who have served on overseas assignments in their respective companies were also interviewed. These findings were compared with those from interviews with the director of human resource management in 20 U.S. multinationals and a questionnaire survey of 80 U.S. multinationals. (The multinationals from the various countries came from a variety of industries and services, including automobiles, banking and finance, steel and chemical manufacturing, general trading, and so on.) Career Issues in Repatriation

Network capitalism: the role of human resources in penetrating the China market

In the West, there is growing awareness that connections can be pivotal to a firms success in gaining competitive advantage in the global arena. This paper compares Western networking with guanxi (connections) prevalent in Confucian societies. Guanxi are built between and among people. Hence the effective deployment of human resources is critical to the success of building such relationships. Data from forty West European multinationals with operations in China were collected. Where relevant, these were compared with the findings of Hong Kong firms in China. Specifically, the paper examined (1) how large European multinationals perceive the characteristics of guanxi ; (2) the importance of guanxi for market entry and long-term success in China; and (3) how guanxi is built and maintained by European companies in China. While the European companies have been able to establish a presence in China, their moderate level of satisfaction with performance there may be attributable to their inability to build very strong and appropriate guanxi with the relevant authorities. This may stem from their use of expatriates to staff senior management positions and insistence upon sole or majority-equity ownership to allow for maximum control. The implications for international human resource management are discussed.

A contingency framework of selection and training of expatriates revisited

Abstract In light of the major changes and developments that have taken place in the world since the publication of my 1981 Columbia Journal of World Business , this article contains a critical assessment of whether the contingency paradigm of selection and training identified in the 1981 article still holds. The article first identifies the seven most salient changes that have taken place since the early 1980s. Despite these changes, it appears that the contingency paradigm still holds although additional stipulations have to be included to reflect the realities of the new economic world order. The article stresses, moreover, that a piece-meal approach to international human resource management is ineffective and inappropriate. To maximize efficiency, a holistic and systematic approach has to be adopted which addresses all aspects of IHRM, including selection, training, compensation, appraisal and repatriation. The repatriation function is hypothesized to play a pivotal role in integrating all other aspects of the IHRM system.

Brain drain versus brain gain: an exploratory study of ex-host country nationals in Central and East Europe

To fuel further growth and development, many countries in Central and East Europe that have made the transition from socialist to market economies are anxious to reverse the brain drain by attracting their nationals who have studied and/or worked abroad to return. This study seeks to examine the experiences and challenges encountered by nationals upon their return home, after having lived abroad for an extensive period of time. These people are referred to as ‘ex-host country nationals’ (EHCNs). The findings of this exploratory study of 86 EHCNs, all recipients of prestigious scholarships to study abroad, have important implications, both theoretical and practical, for international human resource management, including governmental attempts to curb or reverse brain drain from their respective countries.

The human resource challenge to outward foreign direct investment aspirations from emerging economies: the case of China

The continued influx of foreign investment into China and the growing desire by indigenous Chinese companies to invest abroad have created an unprecedented demand for people who possess competencies to compete successfully in a global economy. Without this pool of human talent, Chinas economic growth will slow and its outward foreign direct investment aspirations will be thwarted. This paper presents two inter-related studies that can shed light on Chinas ability to meet this human resource challenge in the years ahead. The first study pertains to the intention of a sample of Chinese university students in Canada to return to work in China upon graduation. Most Chinese students were receptive to the idea of returning to China. The second study examines the willingness of non-Chinese university students to work for Chinese firms overseas or in China. In general, non-Chinese students were more willing to work in the North American operations of Chinese companies and less so in relocating to China. These two surveys are supplemented by in-depth interviews with Chinese who have returned to work in China and those who chose to remain overseas. The implications of these findings, both theoretical and practical, are discussed.

Ethno-cultural diversity and organizational effectiveness: a field study

This paper examines the relationship between ethno-cultural diversity and attitudinal and non-attitudinal measures of organizational performance in a field setting. Data were collected from ninety-eight respondents in seven branches of a leading Canadian bank. As compared to culturally homogeneous branches, the culturally heterogeneous branches experienced lower levels of absenteeism and achieved higher productivity and financial profitability despite their lower scores on job satisfaction, organizational commitment and workplace coherence, and higher rates of turnover. These relationships were moderated by age, job tenure, organizational position, childrens age, location of education and previous employment, birthplace and education level.

Human resource management in transitional economies: the case of Poland and the Czech Republic

This is an exploratory study to examine human resource management (HRM) policies and practices in Poland and the Czech Republic in their transition to free market economies. A questionnaire survey was administered to 120 Czech and forty-three Polish firms. This was supplemented by in-depth interviews with ten Czech and nine Polish companies. It was found that macro-environmental variables had a major impact on the development of HRM policies and practices in both countries. HR/personnel departments in Czech state-owned firms were less likely to be involved in training and development activities under the present system because of their former association with the ‘secret police’under the communist system. Because of the Czech Republic’s historically closer linkage with Austria and Germany and its higher level of industrialization, many aspects of its HRM policies and practices tend to resemble those of the industrialized West. The egalitarian tradition in Poland continues to be reflected in a more equitab...

Comparative analysis of the occupational stress profiles of male versus female administrators

Abstract This study sought: (1) to compare the occupational stress profiles of male versus female educational administrators to deternine whether there were significant differences in their profiles, and (2) to examine whether males and females were equally good candidates for administrative jobs, which positions are often associated with a high degree of job-related stress. A 35-item questionnaire, known as the Administrative Stress Index (ASI) was sent to all members of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators ( n = 1855). The 1156 usable questionnaires were returned. Approximatley 9.3% (or 108) of the respondents were female. One-way analyses of variance showed that female administrators experienced substantially lower levels of self-perceived occupational stress than their male counterparts. Findings were disucssed primarily in terms of implications for recruitment of women into administrative positions.