HRM Incident 1: The Overseas Transfer
In college, Pat Marek majored in industrial management and was considered by his teachers and peers to be a good all-around student. Pat not only took the required courses in business, but healso learned French. After graduation, Pat took an entry-level management training position withTuborg International, a multinational corporation with offices and factories in numerouscountries, including the United States. His first assignment was in a plant in Chicago. Hissupervisors quickly identified Pat for his ability to get the job done and still maintain goodrapport with subordinates, peers, and superiors. In only three years, Pat had advanced from amanager trainee to the position of assistant plant superintendent.
After two years in this position, he was called into the plant manager’s office one day andtold that he had been identified as ready for a foreign assignment. The move would mean a promotion. The assignment was for a plant in Haiti, a predominantly French-speaking country; but Pat wasn’t worried about living and working there. He was excited and wasted no time inmaking the necessary preparations for the new assignment.
Prior to arriving at the plant in Haiti, Pat took considerable time to review his Frenchtextbook exercises. He was surprised at how quickly the language came back to him. He thoughtthat there wouldn’t be any major difficulties in making the transition from Chicago to Haiti.However, Pat found, on arrival that the community where the plant was located did not speak the pure French that he had learned. There were many expressions that meant one thing to Pat buthad an entirely different meaning to the employees of the plant.
When meeting with several of the employees a week after arriving, one of the workerssaid something to him that Pat interpreted as uncomplimentary. Actually, the employee hadgreeted him with a rather risqué expression but in a different tone than Pat had heard before. Allof the other employees interpreted the expression to be merely a friendly greeting. Pat’s disgustregistered in his face.
As the days went by, this type of misunderstanding occurred a few more times, until theemployees began to limit their conversation with him. In only one month, Pat managed virtuallyto isolate himself from the workers within the plant. He became disillusioned and thought aboutasking to be relieved from the assignment.
1.
What problems had Pat not anticipated when he took the assignment?
Pat knew pure French but did not know the many expressions that were not pure French. This placed him in major difficulty when workers were attempting to communicate to him.2.
How could the company have assisted Pat to reduce the difficulties that he confronted?
8.
The company could have helped Pat to better know and understand the culture that he was goingto encounter. Certainly past managers had encountered similar problems.
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3. Do you believe the situation that Pat confronted is typical of an American going to a foreign assignment? Discuss.
Unfortunate, the situation that Pat confronted may be more typical than it should be. Many timeexpatriates are chosen because they have proven to successful in the managerial setting in theUnited States. When transferred overseas, they may find it difficult to cope with the situation.This may or may not be the case with Pat. In any event, lack of knowledge about the culture hasmade for a difficult situation for Pat.