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Why Do Many Mncs Continue to Recruit Internally from the Home Country Instead of the Local Labour Market When Seeking to Hire Managerial Staff for Overseas Subsidiaries? What Are the Limitations of This Approach and How

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Q4. Why do many MNCs continue to recruit internally from the home country instead of the local labour market when seeking to hire managerial staff for overseas subsidiaries? What are the limitations of this approach and how should management respond?

Abstract

A selection of perceived and valid reasons encourage Multi National companies (MNCs) to recruit Parent country nationals (PCNs) for managerial positions at overseas subsidiaries rather than employing Host or Third Country Nationals (HCN/TCNs). The reasons range from a good ‘fit’, of the person to their environment (Tarique, 2006) and, the employees actual capabilities of doing the job. However, limitations exist when adopting this approach in various aspects of the process. …show more content…

Tenure increases commitment to Parent company goals (Gregersen & Black, 1992)and should be considered in selection process. Organisational support from the firm, avoids the “information gap” (Chorafas, 1967) where communication is overlooked with colleagues abroad. It causes misinterpretation of information or lack of it throughout the course of the assignment. Support will reduce this hazard and increase commitment from to the parent company.

The ability to adjust can be assisted by defining the goals and objectives of the firm; clarity of the job design also helps this process. Therefore the capability of adjustment by expatriate and spouse/family must be considered at the selection stage of the international assignment. Shaffer et al., (1999) research show that more emphasis on designing global positions should exist where jobs are clearly defined and the employee has greater decision-making authority. Job design refers to the role clarity, its discretion and novelty, which in turn relates to the success of the international assignment. A supportive organisational culture both home and abroad will enhance expatriates ability to adjust thus increasing their effectiveness on the job. This should include repatriation support by the provision of a buddy or assignment of a “special employee” to help expatriate navigate the cultural and business terrain as used in the Amos Tuck School’s

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