“Diversity among employees in terms of cultural background leads to a richer, more sophisticated and more effective corporate environment.”
World has changed completely and is still on a way of continuous transformation. Globalisation and international business are keywords nowadays. Introduction of Intercultural Management and International Human Resource Management has become inevitable the last few years. Companies have to think and act in an international way. In order to be successful it is necessary to enter new markets and to make international contacts. With intercultural well trained leaders a company gets competitive advantage: global leaders know the customs, culture, and etiquette of a foreign country and understand the nuances of business practices in those areas.
Expatriation of executives or managers has become an important part of business life. But this mobility represents a real challenge for multinational organisations. In most cases the implementation and performance of Intercultural Management and International Human Resource Management cannot be made without difficulties. Expatriation failures, deterioration of performance, social or personal problems are just some examples of intercultural difficulties . One tool to solve or avoid such problems is Intercultural Training which consists of two parts: preparation for expatriates who are going to leave the home country and training for repatriates who come back to the home country after a foreign assignment.
The following seminar paper focuses on the repatriation. This part of Intercultural Training is often badly treated and lots of companies do not pay attention to it. If they do, their programmes are often incomplete although satisfying reintegration is a key factor for success or failure of the foreign assignment . In a first theoretical part general facts about repatriation, its necessity and meaning will be pointed out.
It follows a practical part that should underline the company’s behaviour towards repatriation. Therefore a questionnaire was made which can be found in the appendix. Unfortunately only few companies responded so that this survey is not representative. Nevertheless it gives an interesting insight into company’s practices of Intercultural Training. Together with the theoretical facts it allows to draw a general conclusion about repatriation programmes.
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Theoretical Part
- Basic concepts and theoretical approach
- Necessity of repatriate training
- Repatriation Difficulties
- Professional difficulties
- Causes of problems
- Possible Responses to difficulties
- Social and personal problems
- Professional difficulties
- How to benefit from repatriate and their experiences
- Practical Part
- Evaluation of the questionnaire
- Question 1: Does your company offer Intercultural Training for repatriates?
- Question 2: Are you going to implement such a programme?
- Question 3: How do you value a repatriation programme?
- Question 4: Which of the following items do you offer to a repatriate in order to support his/her re-entry and how do you evaluate them? (from 1 =completely to 5 =rarely, n.a.=no answer)
- Question 5: Which tasks and costs does your company cover? (n.a. = no answer)(See Appendix 2 for the diagrams)
- Question 6: How long does the preparation phase for the re-entry take?
- Question 7: Which role does the repatriate play in your company after his/her return and how is it valued? (from 1 = very important to 5 = not important, n.a. = no answer)
- Question 8: What benefits does your company get out of the experience of the repatriate?(See appendix 4)
- Question 9: Which problems occurred for the repatriate? (from 1 =very often to 5=rarely, n.a. = no answer) (See appendix 5 for the diagrams)
- Question 10: Please give us some personal remarks concerning your experience with repatriates.
- Question 11: If one of your repatriates had time to answer some questions we would be pleased to make a short interview with him. Therefore we would appreciate it if you give us his/her contact details
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This seminar paper focuses on the repatriation process, a crucial component of Intercultural Training often neglected by companies. The paper aims to highlight the necessity and significance of repatriation training and analyze the company's approach towards it through a questionnaire.
- The Importance of Repatriation Training
- Challenges and Difficulties Faced by Repatriates
- Company Practices and Support for Repatriates
- The Role of Intercultural Training in Successful Repatriation
- Benefits of Repatriation for Individuals and Organizations
Chapter Summaries
- Preface: This section introduces the importance of intercultural management and the growing need for international business practices. It emphasizes the challenges of expatriation and the crucial role of Intercultural Training in mitigating these difficulties, particularly focusing on repatriation.
- Theoretical Part: This chapter delves into the theoretical aspects of repatriation, including its significance, the need for training, and the challenges repatriates often encounter, both professionally and personally. The section also explores the potential benefits of repatriation for individuals and organizations.
- Practical Part: This section focuses on the practical aspects of repatriation by analyzing the results of a questionnaire administered to companies regarding their practices and approaches towards repatriation training. It explores various aspects of company support, including program offerings, cost coverage, and the role of repatriates in their organizations.
Keywords
The core focus of this text is on Intercultural Training, specifically the importance of repatriation, and the challenges and opportunities associated with it. Key terms include: repatriation, intercultural training, intercultural management, expatriation, international human resource management, globalization, cultural differences, reintegration, and company support.
- Quote paper
- A. Tucholka (Author), A. Blöchlinger (Author), J. Widmer (Author), R. Schmidt (Author), 2007, Repatriation as an essential part of intercultural training in the context of intercultural management, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/93046
