Chapter 11 International Human Resource Management
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The process by which companies choose people to fill vacant position is
a.
Recruitment.
b.
Compensation.
c.
Selection.
d.
Training and development.
2. Inpatriates are
a.
Employees who come from a different country where he/she is working.
b.
Expatriate workers who come from neither the host nor the home country.
c.
Local workers who come from the host country where the unit is located.
d.
Employees from foreign country who work in the country where the parent company is
located.
3. Home country nationals are
a.
Expatriate employees who come from the parent’s home country.
b.
Employees who come from a different country where he/she is working.
c.
Expatriate employees which come from the parent’s home country.
d.
Employees from foreign country who work in the country where the host company is
located.
4. Expatriates are
a.
Local workers who come from the host country where the unit is located.
b.
Employees who come from a different country from where he or she is working.
c.
The more talented local managers.
d.
None of the above
5. Expatriate workers who come from neither the host nor home country are
a.
Host country nationals.
b.
Parent country nationals.
c.
Neither country nationals.
d.
Third country nationals.
6. One reason for US expatriate managers failure is
a.
Personality of the manager.
b.
Lack of technical proficiency.
c.
Lack of motivation.
d.
All of the above choices.
7. All of the following are benefits that companies obtain by using expatriates EXCEPT
a.
Receiving important strategic information.
b.
Increased coordination and control of international operations.
c.
Timely information on the local markets.
d.
Reduced turnover for key international managers.
8. All of the following are benefits of international assignments EXCEPT
a.
International assignments help managers acquire skills necessary to develop successful
strategies in a global context.
b.
Expatriate assignments help a company coordinate and control operations dispersed
geographically and culturally.
c.
International assignments provide companies access to preferential quotas and duties.
d.
Global assignments provide important strategic information.
9. International cadre are
a.
A group of managers who specialize in international careers.
b.
Managers who are hired on a temporary basis to solve international problems.
c.
Experts on international operations who work as part of the headquarters staff.
d.
A group in charge of training managers for expatriate assignments.
10. Key expatriate success factors include all of the following EXCEPT
a.
Professional or technical skill.
b.
Experience in at least two cultures different from the assignment country.
c.
Stress tolerance.
d.
Favorable family situation.
11. A person with good relational abilities has
a.
The capacity to adapt to strange situations.
b.
The flexibility to modify their behavior.
c.
A sensitivity to cultural norms and values.
d.
All of the above
12. Evidence on training for international assignments suggests
a.
Cross-cultural training reduces expatriate failure rates.
b.
Cross-cultural training makes people feel more comfortable but there are no bottom line
effects on performance.
c.
US firms invest the most in this activity.
d.
It only beneficial for long term assignments.
13. Which of the following is NOT true regarding low training rigor?
a.
Low training rigor usually includes briefings concerning company operations.
b.
Low training rigor usually lasts for a short period.
c.
Low training rigor usually includes lectures and videos on the local culture.
d.
Low training usually lasts over two months.
14. Which of the following is NOT one of the issues that make expatriate performance appraisals difficult?
a.
Unreliable data
b.
Refusal of host company to provide performance information regarding expatriate
c.
Time differences and distance separation
d.
Complex and volatile environments
15. Suggestions to improve expatriate performance appraisals include
a.
Using the same standards as the home country to improve fairness.
b.
Giving up on performance appraisal since they often fail in the international setting.
c.
Evaluation only at the end of the assignment since it takes a long time to learn about
another culture.
d.
Using multiple evaluators with varying periods of evaluation.
16. The main objective of the balance sheet approach to international compensation is
a.
To match home and host county purchasing power.
b.
To make sure you reward international managers for their hardship.
c.
To save costs in inexpensive countries.
d.
To provide headquarters’ accountants with consistent information on salaries.
17. Adjusting wages to local lifestyles and costs of living refers to which expatriate compensation system?
a.
The balance-sheet method
b.
The host-based compensation system
c.
The global pay system
d.
The headquarters-based compensation system
18. The use of worldwide job evaluations, performance appraisals methods, and salary scales to determine
pay is the
a.
The global pay system.
b.
The balance sheet approach.
c.
The multi-local pay system.
d.
The headquarters-based system.
19. Experts on repatriation suggest
a.
That managers will experience no problems if they return to their home cultures.
b.
Reverse culture shock can occur regarding national and organizational culture.
c.
There are difficult problems with repatriation but few solutions at this time.
d.
People may feel uncomfortable for a while but work performance will not suffer.
20. Difficulties that managers face in coming back to their home countries and reconnecting with their
home organizations is known as the
a.
Repatriation problem.
b.
Reverse culture shock.
c.
Low home re-adaptation index.
d.
Expatriation problem.
21. According to the text, which of the following is NOT one of the strategies used to allow successful
repatriation of expatriates?
a.
Provide a strategic purpose for the repatriation
b.
Allow the expatriate to return when he/she is ready to do so
c.
Provide training and preparation for the return
d.
Establish a team to aid the expatriate
22. Studies of women expatriates suggest that all of the following statements are true about international
assignments in traditional cultures EXCEPT
a.
Women typically do not succeed in expatriate assignments.
b.
Women have some challenges in international assignments.
c.
Women have some advantages in international assignments.
d.
Opportunities for women expatriates are expected to grow in global companies.
23. The text suggests several strategies that US women may use to succeed in traditional cultures. These
include
a.
Emphasize nationality, not gender.
b.
Develop close contact with local government officials.
c.
Not being overly aggressive in negotiation.
d.
Proving that women can also be successful at international assignments.
24. All of the following explain why there may be more international assignments for women in the future
EXCEPT
a.
Legal and social pressures for equal opportunity in North America.
b.
Acute shortage of men willing to take international assignments.
c.
Globalization creates opportunities to hire skilled women from any country.
d.
More federal funds to train women for international assignments.
25. Companies with a global HRM orientation
a.
Usually provide significant extra pay for expatriate assignments.
b.
Evaluate their managers by headquarters’ country standards.
c.
Focus primarily on language training as preparation for expatriate assignments.
d.
Use similar pay and benefit packages for all international assignments.
26. Companies with ethnocentric HRM orientations
a.
Use similar pay and benefit packages worldwide.
b.
Select home country nationals for key positions.
c.
Emphasize extensive training in the company culture before allowing a manager to go
international.
d.
Often use international experience as a technical qualification for high level management.
27. Host country nationals may have limited career development in a company with a (an)
a.
Ethnocentric, Regio or polycentric HRM orientation.
b.
Only an ethnocentric HRM orientation.
c.
Regiocentric or global HRM orientation.
d.
Only a polycentric HRM orientation.
28. Using more local managers to reduce the costs of training expatriate managers is a benefit usually
associated with
a.
A global HRM orientation.
b.
A polycentric or regiocentric HRM orientation.
c.
An ethnocentric HRM orientation.
d.
A geocentric orientation.
29. Companies with a multi-local strategy are most likely to have a
a.
A global HRM orientation.
b.
A polycentric HRM orientation.
c.
Either a ethnocentric or regiocentric HRM orientation.
d.
A geocentric orientation.
30. Extra money paid to expatriates for particularly difficult posting due to issues such as high risk or poor
living conditions is known as
a.
Foreign service premiums.
b.
Hardship allowance.
c.
Relocation allowances.
d.
Home-leave allowances.
31. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE regarding women expatriates compared to male
expatriates?
a.
Women expatriates have more difficulty being taken seriously early in their careers.
b.
Women expatriates have more pressures to balance work and family compared to male
expatriates.
c.
Women expatriates have poorer relational and communication skills than male expatriates.
d.
Women expatriates have more pressures to worry about their spouses than male
expatriates.
32. Which of the following is NOT one of the strategies discussed in the text to help repatriation of
expatriates?
a.
Provide a strategic purpose for the repatriation
b.
Establish a team to help with the repatriation
c.
Provide support for the expatriate and family on reentry
d.
Provide vacation to help the expatriate get readjusted at home
33. The two aspects to consider when evaluating the possibility of hiring expatriates are the high cost and
a.
Skills in multinational management.
b.
High success rate.
c.
High failure rate.
d.
None of the above
34. All of the following are possible steps that can be taken by multinationals to remove barriers faced by
female expatriates EXCEPT
a.
Provide opportunities for interpersonal networks with other female expatriates.
b.
Provide mentors.
c.
Identify and remove sources of barriers.
d.
Provide more appropriate performance appraisal systems for female expatriates.
35. International Human Resource Management
a.
Is no different from domestic HRM.
b.
Is the application of HRM to international settings.
c.
Is the orientation to hiring international employees.
d.
Is the selection and compensation of expatriates.
36. Third-country nationals are
a.
Workers who come from the host-country where the unit is located.
b.
Foreign workers who work in a country where the parent company is located.
c.
Workers who come from neither the host nor the host-country.
d.
None of the above
37. Employees who are sent on frequent but short-term international assignments are known as
a.
Flexpatriates.
b.
Inpatriates.
c.
Shortpatriates.
d.
Expatriates.
38. Which of the following statements about flexpatriates is FALSE?
a.
Flexpatriates are those workers who travel on short notice for shorter duration.
b.
Flexpatriate assignments usually last longer than expatriate assignments.
c.
Flexpatriates provide flexibility as the company can send someone on numerous and much
shorter duration assignments.
d.
All of the above are true.
39. Which of the following best describes emotional intelligence, one of the factors key to the success of
an expatriate?
a.
The ability to adapt to new and strange situations
b.
The motivation to accept international assignments
c.
The ability to being aware of oneself and to understand and relate to others
d.
None of the above
40. Which of the following factors is not necessarily included in an expatriate’s compensation package?
a.
Local market cost of living
b.
Housing
c.
Adjustments for taxes
d.
All of the above are included in an expatriate’s compensation package
ESSAY
1. Identify the components of HRM and describe how they differ for IHRM.
2. Describe the types of nationals employed by multinational firms. Explain when each type would be
used.
ANS:
3. Discuss and contrast the four IHRM orientations. Describe how each can support a multinational
strategy.
4. Contrast the positive and negative issues for using short term flexpatriates and international cadre
members as expatriate managers. Consider both the organization’s perspective and the career
implications for the individual manager.
5. Discuss the options available for expatriate compensation. Consider how these options might be used
for a transnational and a multidomestic company.
ANS:
6. Discuss how multinational companies can deal with the repatriation problem. Why is it necessary to
deal with this issue?
7. What are some advantages women have in expatriate positions? Discuss some challenges that are
faced by women in international assignments.
8. Discuss any three of the key expatriate success factors and their implications for selection.