Discuss about the International Human Resource Management for Culture Shock.
International Human Resource Management (IHRM) deals with the problems related to human resources pertaining to the multinational firms within foreign subsidiaries. It primarily deals with the relationships between that of HRM activities in the organizations and foreign environment within which the organization operate. It is inclusive of the work systems of the firms and the employment practices. It deals with both the individual along with the collective aspect pertaining to people management. This essay deals with culture shock and the policies and practices that can be undertaken by international human resource management so that it can successfully deal with it. Culture shock refers to the experience that a person has when he moves to a cultural environment that is different as compared to that of one’s own. Culture shock is indicative of an experience when an individual has to move into a cultural environment that is different from his own. This essay analyses the policies and practices of Coca Cola that has helped it in managing “culture shock”.
It is found that if culture shock is not managed in the proper manner then the work skills of an individual become unusable on account of the cultural differences. In the event of an expat not being able to get along with other colleagues then he will lose his motivation of working. He will feel workplace stress and it would reduce the value of the individual in front of the company. Cultural awareness can help in making the expat think about the cultural limitations beyond his/her own. Cultural training helps in emphasizing on the features pertaining to the business culture of the host countries like that of communication styles and etiquettes (Fitzpatrick, 2017). Familiarizing the family members of the expat in the arenas of lifestyle and other local culture can prove to be an effective step in helping the expats to deal with the culture shock. This can help them in having a more fulfilling life within the new country by imparting to them teachings regarding standard of behavior within the host society.
The human resources should make arrangements so that the expat can work in a flexible manner with the people of other nationalities within the team. The human resources in an organization should appreciate the different kind of working styles that will help the expat in successfully adjusting to the situation. The national culture differ from that of the foreign culture in terms of communication behavior, disclosing of information along with that of self-categorization (Naeem, Nadeem & Khan, 2015). The expat human resources manager should be able to adapt to the cross-cultural communication skills that can help the expat in having cultural empathy so that he can avoid the work place conflict. It can pave the way for augmenting the work performance of the expat employee. The human resources management should introduce the expat staffs in the proper manner so that it can help him in working with the new people. Proper amount of time should be kept so that he can know the other people working with him before starting with the work (Goldstein & Keller, 2015)
Coco- Cola is an international company that has managed to maintain its standing in the top of industry. The success of the company is on account of the branding along with smart marketing of the company. Coco Cola has managed to handle the issue of culture shock by understanding and appreciating the culture of the people belonging to the different culture. Self-awareness along with reflection helps the employee in getting deeper perspective regarding why some of the things are different (Van Dyne, Ang & Tan, 2017). The human resources management of Coca Cola has played an important part in providing empathy to the workers that can help them in successfully adjusting to the new environment. Tolerance to that of the new working style along with culture of the expat worker can play an effective step in building rapport and maintaining relationships with the employees (Martin, 2014). Human resources management of Coca Cola recruits employees who would be able to accept the new cultural norms. Adherence to the core values pertaining to official communication can prove to be an important step in managing the organizational culture It has been seen that cultures are learned and the mangers in Coca-Cola communicate about the core values of the company that can help the employees from the new culture to adjust to the new working environment (Clark, Gertler & Whiteman, 2017).
Coca- Cola takes steps so that specific information is provided to the employees before their return. A “welcome pack” can be built in line with the line manager of the employee at home in order to help the expat employee. The human resources management of Coca Cola takes steps to communicate about the legislative industry change, organogram and details regarding the organizational developments so that he can work comfortably in the new culture (Davies, Kraeh & Froese, 2015). The employees bring along with them invaluable insight along with first-hand experience. The human resources of Coca Cola sets apart sufficient amount of time so that they can share their experiences with the help of which the entire organization can learn. Good platform is provided owing to meeting between that of the HR representative and that of the new employee. The Human Resources management of Coca Cola involves the expat employees in various aspects of that of the organizational life that can help them in adjusting to the new environment. The employees along with their partners can be invited to the social functions along with events that can help them in overcoming the effects pertaining to culture shock. This will make them feel as if they are an integral part of the organization and they will be able to work in an efficient manner (Thomas, 2017).
It is important to maintain open communication with that of the employees so that it can help them in knowing about the expectations of the organization. The human resources management of Coca Cola help the employees in making the appropriate life adjustments and keeps them informed at all stages. A follow-up meeting can prove to be of immense help and they should be scheduled after every 3 months in between the HR and the employee (Selmer & Lauring, 2015) This meeting can prove to be beneficial for both the parties involved. It can help the employees in voicing their concerns regarding issues in relation to the repatriation. It can help the human resources in averting loss of that of highly skilled employees.
National cultural differences are an aspect that creates conflict within the organizations pertaining to the globalized world. The corporate culture can vary on that of two levels: organizational values along with pattern of organization. It is found that if the employees within an organization cannot agree with that of the fundamental values of an organization then it can create conflict in between the employees. Person-organization fit is crucial for the success of an organization (Punnett, 2015). The human resources management of Coca Cola takes effective steps so that the individual members feel connected to that of the organization and it helps them in performing at an optimal level. The human resources management of Coca Cola helps the expat employees in the arena of language training that can help them in understanding the organizational values in a better manner (Kassar, Rouhana & Lythreatis, 2015). It is of extreme importance that everyone in the organization should learn the techniques pertaining to working through the language barriers so that the employees can serve the organization in a better manner
Conclusion:
It can be concluded that the improper management of culture shock can pave the path for loss of motivation of the worker. The human resources management can carry out cultural training that can highlight on the important features in relation to that of business culture. The human resources management should familiarize the family members of the expat employee in the arenas of lifestyle along with that of local culture that can help them in dealing with the issue of culture shock. The human resources management of Coca Cola communicates to the employees regarding the changes pertaining to legislative industry and other important details regarding the development in an organization. Open communication is fostered between the employees that can help them in knowing about the goals of the organization. The human resources management pertaining to Coca Cola helps the employees in making life adjustments and keeping them informed helps them in overcoming culture-shock.
References:
Clark, G. L., Gertler, M. S., & Whiteman, J. E. (2017). Regional dynamics: studies in adjustment theory. Routledge.
Davies, S., Kraeh, A., & Froese, F. (2015). Burden or support? The influence of partner nationality on expatriate cross-cultural adjustment. Journal of Global Mobility, 3(2), 169-182.
Fitzpatrick, F. (2017). Taking the “culture” out of “culture shock”–a critical review of literature on cross-cultural adjustment in international relocation. critical perspectives on international business, 13(4), 278-296.
Goldstein, S. B., & Keller, S. R. (2015). US college students’ lay theories of culture shock. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 47, 187-194.
Kassar, A. N., Rouhana, A., & Lythreatis, S. (2015). Cross-cultural training: its effects on the satisfaction and turnover of expatriate employees. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 80(4), 4.
Martin, G. C. (2014). The effects of cultural diversity in the workplace. Journal of Diversity Management (Online), 9(2), 89.
Naeem, A., Nadeem, A. B., & Khan, I. U. (2015). Culture Shock and Its effects on Expatriates. Global Advanced Research Journal of Management and Business Studies, 4(6), 248-258.
Punnett, B. J. (2015). International perspectives on organizational behavior and human resource management. Routledge.
Selmer, J., & Lauring, J. (2015). Host country language ability and expatriate adjustment: The moderating effect of language difficulty. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(3), 401-420.
Thomas, E. (2017). Globalisation, cultural diversity and teacher education. In Globalisation, education and culture shock (pp. 152-170). Routledge.
Van Dyne, L., Ang, S., & Tan, M. L. (2017). Cultural intelligence. Oxford University Press.
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