International Human Resource for Culture - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theInternational Human Resource Management for Culture. Answer: International human resource management involves addressing diverse issues that affect companies that have multi-cultural employees. Operating in a foreign nation presents unique human resource challenges for management. This also extends to the measures that may be used to quantify performance. Foreigners who come to work are often faced with the difficulty of making adjustments in order to fit into the new culture. Performance management used in Australia may at times be different from other nations. Understanding the culture and metrics used in performance management is critical to ensure the smooth running of companies in Australia. Cultural issues One of the unique business and cultural etiquettes in Australian companies is the propensity to engage in small time before engaging in the main agenda. In business meetings, it is normal for the small talk to extend up to twenty minutes before attention is drawn to the reason for the meeting. This is shocking for new employees from different countries who expect such meetings to begin immediately. It is also challenging for business executives who fly in to conclude business deals or engage in preparatory talks for future engagement. This is especially if the business executives are working on tight time schedules and have to attend other meetings or fly back immediately. Another cultural issue is that Australians are direct and straight forward. There is no convoluted talk that tries to avoid difficult topics or issues. There is no talk that intends to avoid confrontation. The culture is to be forth right and to get to the point. This can be refreshing or terrifying in equal measure for persons from different cultures. According to Hofstedes theory, they show low uncertainty avoidance (Alexandrina Cristina Luminita 2016). Employees or business partners from nations with high uncertainty avoidance will be challenged when interacting with Australian companies and employers. Steps to address cultural adjustments In order to help employs and business partners to adjust to the Australian business culture, the following can be done. Employees from foreign countries can be assigned a cultural mentor who can coach them into making adjustments in the new culture (Gorrell Hoover 2009). If the employee has a query or need to be given rational explanation about certain cultural issues, the coach can be helpful. For business partners or business executives on short stays, choosing topics that focus on the country of the visitor will help build a common ground. This is different from where local Australian topics are discussed. In addition, assigning the foreign visitors a business aide to explain beforehand the Australian etiquette should be encouraged. Issues of management Most Australian companies have poor performance management of their employs. The office culture in most Australian companies is informal with minimal bureaucracy and hierarchy. This informal organization could be the contributing factor for poor employee performance management. A survey that was recently done on the top 100 Australian companys shows that very few are able to make the connection between their share prices and talent (Windust 2014). Only one in five human resource managers could make the linkage between the attraction and retention of the key personnel in their companies (Gruman Saks 2011). This shows the levels of poor performance management in Australian companies. Steps to address performance management issues One approach that can be taken to improve the management of the performance of employs is to adapt policies that encourage clear channels of communication which give feedback. This should be based on a structure that is less formal and which is transparent. Another perspective that can be used in performance management is to undertake an informal system of appraisal that is continuous and which gives feedback on performance. A good example is the style that has been adopted by Deloitte which is eliminating performance reviews (Pash 2015). In its place, period check-ins are undertaken regularly done on the employees. More check-ins are more beneficial than the yearly formalized reports on employee appraisals. Human resource managers are tasked with ensuring that there is cultural inclusivity in companies where they work. This is important in companies that have staff from different cultures and nationalities. Performance management is also another important aspect that they have to undertake. Australian companies exhibit unique business etiquette that is influenced by the Australian culture. They also have poor measures of performance management. Undertaking actions that lead to cultural adjustments for foreign employees and business partners is important for human resource managers. This applies equally to improving performance management at work. References Alexandrina Cristina, V, Lumini?a, N, 2016, 'HOFSTEDES CULTURAL DIMENSIONS AND MANAGEMENT IN CORPORATIONS', Cross-Cultural Management Journal , Vol XVIII, Iss 1, Pp 35-46 (2016), no. 1, p. 35. Gorrell, P, Hoover, J, 2009, The Coaching Connection : A Manager's Guide to Developing Individual Potential in the Context of the Organization, AMACOM, New York. Gruman, JA, Saks, AM, 2011, 'Performance management and employee engagement', Human Resource Management Review, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 123-136. Available from: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2010.09.004. Kimmorley, S, 2017, 24 Things expats find surprising about Australian working culture, viewed 6 October, https://www.afr.com/leadership/company-culture/24-things-expats-find-surprising-about-australian-working-culture-20170129-gu13b0 Pash, C, 2015, This is why Deloitte is banning performance reviews, viewed 6 October, https://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-is-why-a-top-deloitte-exec-is-banning-performance-reviews-in-the-company-2015-7 Windust, J, 2014, 50% of Australias largest companies ignore people as a key business risk: New cognology research, viewed 6 October, https://www.cognology.com.au/new-cognology-research-shows-50-australias-largest-companies-ignore-people-key-business-risk/