Training and Development

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Training in International Management

• Training
– Process of altering employee behavior &
attitudes in a way that increases the probability
of goal attainment
– The most common topics covered in cultural
training include:
• social etiquette
• customs
• economics
• history
• politics
• business etiquette

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 Reasons for Expatriate training
• Organizational reasons
– Overcome ethnocentricism
• Belief that one’s own way of doing things is superior to that of others
– Improve the flow of communication between home office & foreign
subsidiaries
– Increase overall efficiency & profitability
• Personal reasons
– To improve the ability of overseas managers to interact effectively with local
people in general & with their personnel in particular
• Personal shortcomings in areas such as politeness, punctuality, tactfulness,
sensitivity, tolerance, empathy
• Arrogant demeanor (Ugly American problem)
• Open criticizing by expatriate managers of home or host country
– Improve overall management style (leadership, decision making,
communication, group work)
– Focusing on dispelling myths & stereotypes by replacing them with facts about
the culture
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 Pre-departure Training
Cultural Awareness Programs
• Dependent on degree of interaction required
in host culture and similarities between
individual’s native culture and the new culture

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 Contingency Approach to Cross-Cultural Training
(Mendenhall, Dunbar & Oddou, 1987)
Length of Cross-Cultural Training Approach
Training
Immersion Approach
1-2 Months HIGH

Affective Approach
Level of
1-4 Weeks
Rigor

Information Giving
Less than
LOW Approach
a Week

LOW MODERATE HIGH

Degree of Integration
1 Month 2 - 12 1-3
Length of Stay or less Months Years 5
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 Cultural Assimilators
• A Cultural Assimilator consists of critical incidents.

• Critical incidents are short descriptions of situations where there is a problem of cultural
adaptation, or where there is a problem rising from cultural differences between the
interacting parties.

• In a Cultural Assimilator the incidents are equipped with alternative explanations &
feedback. Trainees are expected to choose the "best" explanation considering the context.

• This method helps to sensitize users to cultural differences between their own culture & the
target culture.

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• Sensitivity training is about making people understand
about themselves and others reasonably, which is done
by developing in them social sensitivity and behavioral
flexibility.
Social sensitivity in one word is empathy. It is ability of
an individual to sense what others feel and think from
their own point of view.
Behavioral flexibility is ability to behave suitably in
light of understanding.

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Preliminary Visits
Preliminary trip of host country
Accept or reject the assignment based on
experience
Language Training
Host country language skills and adjustment:
improves expatriate’s effectiveness and
negotiating ability, info of host country, social
support
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• Role of English language
• Knowledge of corporate language: a common
company language –English

• Practical Assistance
Adaptation to new environment, assist in
relocation

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 Cross-Cultural Training Programs
Major types of cross-cultural training programs
Environmental Briefings  Provide information about things
such as geography, climate,
housing & schools

Cultural Orientation
 Familiarize the individual with
cultural institutions & value
systems of the host country

Language Training

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 Cross-Cultural Training Programs
Major types of cross-cultural training programs
 Programmed learning techniques
Cultural Assimilators
designed to expose members of one
culture to some of the basic
concepts, attitudes, role perceptions,
customs, & values of another culture

Sensitivity Training  Develop attitudinal flexibility

 Send participant to the country of
Field Experience assignment to undergo some of the
emotional stress of living and
working with people from a different
culture
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 Cross-Cultural Training Programs
• A variety of other approaches can be used to prepare
managers for international assignments including:
– Visits to the host country

– Briefings by host-country managers

– Training in local negotiation techniques

– Analysis of behavioral practices that have proven most effective

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Developing staff through international
assignments
Outcomes of international expertise:
• Management Development : experienced
international operators for future assignments
• Organizational Development : stock of KSA’s
for future

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 Individual Development
• Career advancement
• Exposed to range of jobs, tasks and challenges

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Developing International Teams
Employees with international experience
• Mechanism for fostering innovation,
organizational learning ,R&D and transfer of
knowledge
• Encourage diverse inputs into decisions, problem
solving and strategic assessments
• Develop global perspective etc.
• Informal networks for composition of project
teams

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 Individual
Development

International
Assignment

International
Team/Cadre

Organizational
Development

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