Expatriate Staff Research Articles

Human resources and expatriate evacuation: a conceptual model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a conceptual model that integrates multi-disciplinary research in relation to crisis management, and to consider its application for international human resource managers in preventing and managing the evacuation of expatriate staff during crises. Design/methodology/approach – The paper critically reviews and distils research into crisis and evacuation management, and examines its relevance to a generic framework of international human resource roles. The paper evaluates this body of literature and suggests potential research avenues from an international human resource perspective. Findings – The review reveals a dearth of research on emergency evacuation of expatriates from a human resources perspective. The paper articulates a framework that delineates what role human resource managers could, or should, play during crisis preparation and response. This framework aims to establish a basic “roadmap” for use by practitioners and researchers. Originality/value – Focusing on the human (rather than business) implications of crises, the paper links crisis management literature to the role of international human resource managers in supporting the health, safety, and security of international assignees during crises. A framework is presented which enables managers to map their current (and potential) contributions to preventing and managing expatriate evacuation. From this, several avenues of future research are drawn.

Academic Staff in the UAE: Unsettled Journey

This study investigated how instructors in United Arab Emirates higher education institutions view their professional employment, the extent of their identification and engagement with their institution, and how their views are shaped by the national and institutional contexts in which they work. Many interviewees felt their professional contributions were valued and they were respected as individuals, but, at the same time, they were regarded by their employing institution as transient and easily replaceable. Findings suggest that the extensive use of expatriate staff on short-term contracts can work against the development of institutional loyalty or commitment. Results of this study hold broader implications for universities in other countries that see increasing their reliance on expatriate instructors as a prudent course of action.

Orienting EFL teachers: Principles arising from an evaluation of an induction program in a Japanese university

Despite the ubiquity of teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) globally and the weight of evidence about the importance of training for new expatriate staff in international settings, the process of orienting EFL instructors to new workplaces and unfamiliar cultural surroundings has yet to be researched. This article presents the results of a program evaluation of a two-week induction for 22 new English teachers at a private foreign languages university in Japan. The views of a range of stakeholders were obtained (beginning teachers, experienced teachers and management), as were perspectives at different points in time (before and after induction, one semester later, one or more years later). The evaluation resulted in a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the orientation program, which in turn led to the implementation of a range of measures to improve current practice. The findings also gave rise to the proposal of a framework outlining the major areas that all EFL orientations need to consider.

Inpatriation

Much research has been conducted about transferring the headquarters (hereafter HQ) staff to subsidiaries (expatriation). On the contrary, this paper reviews existing researches on transferring subsidiary staff to the HQ (inpatriation). Inpatriate staff clearly form a heterogeneous group and differ from expatriate staff in terms of their positions, strengths, and roles. The overall stream of related researches can be summarized into three topics. (1) Empirical surveys on Japanese companies have been conducted since the late 1980s, in which inpatriation was considered as a tool for localization of human resources. (2) Growing business opportunities in emerging economies stimulated researches on inpatriation since the late 1990s, especially focusing on Western multinational corporations. A research group headed by Harvey discussed the need for inpatriation and management issues that inpatriate staff may encounter at the HQ; Collings and his colleagues discussed the importance of strategic global staffing and preconditions for inpatriation. (3) In the 2000s, Reiche and others discussed knowledge transfer by inpatriate staff and the factors that facilitate this process (i.e., inpatriation) as a means of knowledge transfer in multinational corporations. It is possible that inpatriation, which has been discussed within the context of localization of human resources since the 1980s, will now present a new solution for many Japanese companies that are struggling to gain or transfer market knowledge from emerging markets.

Fukushima Nuclear Incident

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off the Sanriku coast of Japan, which resulted in multiple tsunamis. The earthquake and tsunami damaged several nuclear power stations, with the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant being the worst affected, which led Japan to declare a State of Nuclear Emergency. As of November 9, 2011, the National Police Agency of Japan reported a death toll of 15 836 people, with 3664 people still reported missing, following the earthquake and tsunami. Australian radiation health advisers were deployed to Tokyo early in the nuclear emergency to assist the Australian Embassy in assessing the radiological threat, to provide risk advice to Embassy staff and Australian citizens in Japan, and to plan for any further deterioration in the nuclear situation. This article explores the challenges of risk assessment, risk communication, and contingency planning for expatriate staff in the worst nuclear incident since Chernobyl, outlines what measures were successful in addressing heightened perceived risks, and identifies areas where further research is required, particularly in a radiological context.

Role of organizational justice in determining work outcomes of national and expatriate academic staff in Malaysia

PurposeThe study aims to analyze the differences between national and expatriate academic staff perception of organizational justice in Malaysian institutions of higher learning. It also explores the role of organizational justice in shaping teaching faculties' attitude (job satisfaction and commitment) and behavioral intention (turnover intention).Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of teaching staff belonging to several faculties drawn from four public universities in Malaysia. Sample was divided into two groups – Malaysian nationals with tenure appointments and expatriates with contractual appointments. Data were collected using standardized tools to measure the study variables.FindingsExcept for job satisfaction, where Malaysians recorded significantly higher endorsement compared to expatriates, no significant difference was found between the two groups on perception of distributive, procedural, and interactional aspects of organizational justice, as well as organizational commitment and turnover intention. However, Malaysians demonstrated significantly higher level of job satisfaction compared to expatriates. Different facets of organizational justice predicted work outcomes in the two groups. Whereas interactional and distributive justice promoted expatriates' organizational commitment and/or intention to stay with the organization, it was mainly procedural justice that contributed to local employees' job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Distributive justice also predicted turnover intentions of locals.Practical implicationsThe study should add to the literature on international human resource management. Organizations that employ expatriates and knowledge workers should benefit from the findings of this study.Originality/valueNot many empirical studies have been conducted on university academic staffs' perception of organizational justice in an Asian context, as well as how employment practices might influence justice perception and resultant work outcomes of national citizens vs expatriates. This study attempts to fulfill the gap.

Reconciling the conflicting needs for flexibility and certainty

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature concerning expatriates on overseas assignments. Based on an exploratory study examining the experiences of independent expatriates (IEs) in China, this paper seeks to add to the currently limited understanding of IEs by focusing on the particular issue of IE staff turnover in the Sino‐foreign Higher Education sector.Design/methodology/approachUsing the “Snowball” technique, a questionnaire survey is carried out electronically with 48 completed questionnaires received, representing 18 nationalities residing in 12 countries. A supplementary case study is also conducted on three Chinese institutions offering UK programmes.FindingsThis paper presents findings suggesting that IEs in China are more likely to move between jobs in different organisations within a shorter space of time than their counterparts in other countries. Possible contributing factors include the IEs' initial expectations, their experiences in the early stage of relocation, their ability to adapt to the local culture, and contractual arrangements. This paper also suggests that to reconcile the IEs' individual need for flexibility and their employing organisations' need for certainty and continuity, employers should consider taking a number of practical steps, such as language and culture training, shadowing and maintaining accurate written records.Originality/valueThis paper is relevant to any Chinese organisation that is relatively inexperienced in employing expatriate staff.

Health Risks and Risk‐Taking Behaviors Among International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Expatriates Returning From Humanitarian Missions

To assess self-reported health risk and risk-taking behavior of humanitarian expatriates. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was completed by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expatriates returning during May 2003 to September 2004, covering perceived health status before and after mission, malaria prevention, prevalence of exposure to stress, accidents and violence, and risk-taking behaviors. More than one-third (36.4%) reported worse health on return from the mission. A third (35%) of expatriates returning from Sub-Saharan Africa excl. South Africa reported not having followed ICRC's recommendation on taking malaria prophylaxis in spite of stating a high degree of awareness of the risks and availability of effective drugs. Over 40% reported the mission having been more stressful than expected, mostly due to the working environment; 10% reported injury or accidents and 16.2% exposure to at least one act of violence. Almost one-third of the respondents reported having engaged in casual sexual relationships. Of these, 64% reported using condoms at every sexual contact, and women reported lower usage of condoms than men. Many (27%) reported involvement in risk-taking behavior. This study shows that humanitarian aid workers experience significant worsening of their health during overseas missions. Many are at risk of experiencing violence, accidents, or injuries. Despite awareness of the risks, many expatriates engage in behaviors that could endanger their health. Improved selection of expatriate staff, training programs emphasizing areas of concern, strengthening social support locally, and follow-up in field may help to alleviate these problems.

Violence-related mortality and morbidity of humanitarian workers

(1) To determine the rate of violence-related deaths, medical evacuations, and hospitalizations occurring to national and expatriate staff of participating humanitarian organizations; (2) to describe the distribution of all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity of humanitarian workers with regard to possible risk factors. Surveillance study of field-based humanitarian workers; data were regularly collected from headquarters of participating organizations via e-mail and telephone between September 2002 and December 2005. Eighteen humanitarian organizations reported on any death, medical evacuation, or hospitalization of any national or expatriate staff for any cause, in any field location during the study period. None. Risk of violence-related events was calculated as the number of deaths, medical evacuations, and hospitalizations during the study period divided by the total number of field staff for organizations that had staff in those countries where events occurred to the staff of any participating organization. Distribution descriptions are presented as simple proportions. Risk of violence-related deaths, medical evacuations, and hospitalizations was six per 10,000 aid worker person-years. Fifty percent of intentional violence cases were lethal. Intentional violence accounted for 55 percent of all deaths reported, followed by coincidental illness (27 percent) and accidents (15 percent). Aid worker deaths in this group were more frequently caused by intentional violence than either accidents or coincidental illness. The rate of six intentional violence events per 10,000 person-years can be used as a baseline by which to track changes in risk over time.

The College of Medicine in the Republic of Malawi: towards sustainable staff development

BackgroundMalawi has a critical human resources problem particularly in the health sector. There is a severe shortage of doctors; there are only few medical specialists. The College of Medicine (COM) is the only medical school and was founded in 1991. For senior staff it heavily depends on expatriates. In 2004 the COM started its own postgraduate training programme (Master of Medicine) in the clinical specialties.MethodsWe explore to what extent a brain drain took place among the COM graduates by investigating their professional development and geographical distribution. Using current experience with the postgraduate programme, we estimate at what point all senior academic positions in the clinical departments could be filled by Malawians. We demonstrate the need for expatriate staff for its most senior academic positions in the interim period and how this can be phased out. Lastly we reflect on measures that may influence the retention of Malawian doctors.ResultsSince the start of the COM 254 students have graduated with an average of 17 students per year. Most (60%) are working in Malawi. Of those working abroad, 60% are in various postgraduate training programmes.In 2015, adequate numbers of Malawi senior academics should be available to fill most senior positions in the clinical departments, taking into account a 65% increase in staff to cope with increasing numbers of students.ConclusionThere seems to be no significant brain drain among graduates of the COM. The postgraduate programme is in place to train graduates to become senior academic staff. In the interim, the COM depends heavily upon expatriate input for its most senior academic positions. This will be necessary at least until 2015 when sufficient numbers of well trained and experienced Malawian specialists may be expected to be available. Improved pay structure and career development perspectives will be essential to consolidate the trend that most doctors will remain in the country.

Linguistic barriers at a Malawian referral hospital

The paper discusses a small segment of the findings of a sociolinguistic study that was conducted at a Republic of China-funded referral hospital located in the predominantly Chitumbuka-speaking Northern Malawi. The main objective of the study was to identify linguistic barriers to communication that existed at the hospital. Although the official policy in Malawi provides that expatriate medical staff must be competent in English for them to be allowed to practise, the study's findings point to the fact that additional knowledge of at least one of the local lingua francas is an added advantage. This is the case since the majority of the patients do not speak English, and as a result, ad hoc interpreters have to be used. The paper illustrates the problems of having English as one of the lingua francas at a referral hospital in a so-called English-speaking African country. Lwati: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 2 2005: 71-83

Strategy, power and negotiation: social control and expatriate managers in a German multinational corporation

This paper contributes to the ongoing debates on HRM in head office/subsidiary relationships and the uses of expatriates in corporate strategy, focusing specifically on the literature that argues that expatriates are used by the head offices of multinational corporations primarily for social control. Taking Erving Goffman's theories of strategic self-presentation, I suggest instead, on the basis of a detailed ethnographic study of the expatriate staff of the London office of a German multinational bank, that, in fact, not only do the local managers use the presence of the expatriates to resist head office's practices, but that the expatriates themselves employ their position strategically, to negotiate between both parties according to their own interests. This creates a situation characterized less by domination and resistance than by dynamic negotiation between different groups with different strategies engaging in particular forms of self-presentation, in which no group ultimately prevails. I conclude by arguing for the development of a new way of considering international management in theory and practice, taking into account the influences on the managers and their organization, and the strategies of individuals and groups within the MNC.

Women and expatriate work opportunities in Austrian organizations

Previous research has indicated that female managers are still a minority among expatriate staff. As studies dealing with this topic from a European perspective are still more than rare, this study focuses on the situation of female expatriates in Austrian companies. After surveying the TOP 500 organizations and the largest banks, insurance and consulting companies in Austria, results showed that – although women are still under-represented in international management – among nearly one quarter of the respondents, women who have already succeeded in breaking through the glass ceiling of local management are also succeeding more frequently in getting postings abroad. Moreover, the limited representation of female expatriates was explained primarily by a general lack of female talent available for the functions which are relevant for international positions, second, by prejudices of host-country nationals towards female managers and, third, by a lack of interest shown by women in global assignments due to personal reasons. This paper reports on a questionnaire distributed to human resource managers and provides more insight into the subject of female expatriates. It begins by reviewing the literature dealing with women in international management before analysing the matter of under-representation of female expatriates from a different perspective and asking for the reasons why female managers are not sent abroad by Austrian companies. Then the research method is discussed before the findings are presented and their implications discussed in terms of future research.

Gift Giving, Guanxi and Illicit Payments in Buyer–Supplier Relations in China: Analysing the Experience of UK Companies

This paper explores the relationship between gift giving, guanxi and corruption through a study of the relationships between UK manufacturing companies in China and their local component suppliers. The analysis is based on interviews in the China-based operations of 49 UK companies. Interviews were carried out both with senior (often expatriate) staff and with local line managers who were responsible for everyday purchasing decisions and for managing relationships with suppliers. The results suggest that gift giving is perceived to be a significant problem in UK-owned companies in China. However the relationship between these payments and established understanding of gift giving within guanxi-networks appears to be weak. Gift giving appears to be associated with illicit payments, corruption and the pursuit of self-interest. Firms seek to reduce the incidence of illicit transactions by changing staff roles, instituting joint responsibilities, which include the separation of different aspects of sourcing/purchasing, ineasing the involvement of senior staff in the process and through the education of employee and suppliers.

'Managing across borders': knowledge management and expatriation in professional service legal firms

Within professional service firms (PSFs), capital accumulation is dependent upon the embodied knowledge, skills, practice and trustworthiness of fee-earning staff. In legal PSFs, clients purchase idiosyncratic knowledge from individuals which are supplied through close-interaction, co-location and proximity. Legal firms expatriate staff to export English Common Law to their international offices, but simultaneously, employ the services of 'local' staff to practice local jurisdiction law. But, as this analysis of knowledge management and expatriation within London-headquartered firms proceeds, the findings indicate that expatriation is not homogenous for every region of the globe. In east Asia, expatriation followed a 'Multinational' typology, characterized by one-way knowledge diffusion from London and a demarcation of labour where expatriates manage offices, departments and teams. In contrast, expatriation in Europe and North America reflected a 'Transnational' typology, where knowledge was developed and diffused in a network of relationships. Here, expatriates worked with locally qualified partners and lawyers, and expatriates of other nationalities, in an environment where locals, expatriates of other nationalities and British qualified staff manage, held partnerships and lead teams. In such circumstances, expatriation was a process creating 'transnational communities' within the firm. Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press.

Competence and trust guardians as key elements of building trust in east‐west joint ventures in Russia

This paper summarises the author 's doctoral research on the development of interpersonal/interorganisational trust in relationships between expatriate and Russian staff working in east‐west enterprises in Russia. There is strong evidence from a variety of researchers to suggest that in order for western businesses investing in Russia to succeed, the dif.cult process of building trust needs to be understood and managed since in the Russian business climate western standards and norms of ethical business have not yet been established. According to research.ndings, western investors doing business in Russia and the long‐term, personal trust that characterises family and friend relationships more congenial and more productive than formal, arm's‐length contacts and contracts. In such a context, it becomes important to identify what creates and destroys trust in the post‐Soviet business environment. This paper describes the causal factors leading to trust or lack of trust in relationships within western‐invested strategic alliances in Russia. The key relationship under consideration is the one between expatriate western staff and managers seconded to the venture on the one hand, and their local Russian staff, counterparts and superiors on the other.

Mental health status of human rights workers, Kosovo, June 2000.

Human rights workers in humanitarian relief settings may be exposed to traumatic events that put them at risk for psychiatric morbidity. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in June 2000 to study the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among 70 expatriate and Kosovar Albanian staff collecting human nights data in Kosovo. Among those surveyed, elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were found in 17.1, 8.6, and 7.1% respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that human rights workers at risk for elevated anxiety symptoms were those who had worked with their organization longer than 6 months, those who had experienced an armed attack, and those who experienced local hostility. Our study indicates that human rights organizations should consider mental health assessment, care, and prevention programs for their staff.

Foreign expansion in service industries: Separability and human capital intensity

We investigate the effect of operating in service industries, in which separability and human capital intensity factors influence the choice of foreign entry mode and expatriate staffing decisions. To look into this issue, we compared 14,863 instances of Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) into manufacturing and three service industries (wholesale trade, retail trade, and financial services). Our theoretical and empirical analyses support the assertion that in situations where required capabilities must be developed through (1) close contacts with end customers and (2) high levels of professional skills, specialized know-how, and customization, wholly owned subsidiaries and expatriate staff are preferred. From our results, we draw implications for the FDI literature and offer a novel perspective on the factors influencing the internationalization of service firms.

Appropriate manufacturing strategy in China: a case study

In recent years, many Foreign-Invested Enterprises (FIEs) in China have either downgraded their profit projections, relocated to other regions of Asia, or retreated to their home nation. Their rationale often includes rising costs, exchange rate concerns, and difficulties in the operating environment (e.g., logistics, language, and labour issues). Despite this, some FIEs thrive. Here, we present a Beijing-based medical products/rehabilitation company, documenting how it is not only coping with the complexities of life in China, but even viewing its operations as providing a model for the rest of Asia. Its strategy involves a carefully crafted mix of leading technology and dedicated people (with very few expatriate staff) to meet the challenges of an ageing and increasingly wealthy population. The case serves as an example of how businesses are exploiting technology in China today, as well as providing a teaching tool to illustrate manufacturing and logistics management practice in an international context. Case questions are included in an Appendix.

Humanitarianism and local service institutions in Angola.

The role of local service institutions is not a major focus of current discourse on humanitarianism and complex emergencies. These institutions, in the few places where they are mentioned, are usually presented as either the seed of civil society and future democracy, or as pawns and components of the predatory economic, political and military élites. Few would deny that examples can be found which conform to both of these stereotypes. This simplistic representation of local institutions ignores the perspectives of the actors themselves--the nurses, extension agents, school teachers and others who actually staff most NGO-supported projects. The debate has focused on what 'we' should do; the moral dilemmas of aid agencies and their expatriate staff, inevitably leading to the question of whether or not humanitarian workers should stay or leave situations in which aid may be causing more harm than good. Without denying the fundamental importance of these issues, it is important to consider also how the discourse has unfortunately moved away from those humanitarian workers who have no such choice, since they live there. Current concerns about keeping humanitarian aid from feeding local political and military struggles may inadvertently and paradoxically serve to constrain room for maneuver in the field, particularly among those individuals with the greatest tacit understanding of the predatory environment. There is a need to understand how actors in local service institutions make sense of their own situations, including the factors which frame their moral dilemmas and their day-to-day choices. By analysing the organisational processes within local service institutions, this study is intended to provoke consideration of how these individuals and their institutions may be effectively supported in complex emergencies through a focus on how they themselves deal with danger and complexity. It is suggested that there is a value in considering the lessons learnt in recent years about how service organisations in the North function in turbulent environments. This experience points to the importance of allowing workers the discretion to develop a relationship with their clients, and in so doing make sense of a confusing and ambivalent environment.