1. International Human Resource Management
IHRM Cases
International Human Resource Management
Case exhibits, figures, tables, appendices and activities
Managing people in a multinational context

2. International Human Resource Management
IHRM Case 1
International Human Resource Management
Managing people in a multinational context
Spanning the Globe

3. Tex-Mark Corporation Exhibit A IHRM Case 1 – Spanning the Globe 3
Pre-departure activities
‘Country briefings’, outsourced to a consulting firm in San Antonio that had experience dealing with the countries in which Tex-Mark operated. Tex-Mark was prepared to pay for four sessions each lasting one hour.
‘Reading Assignments’. Three to four books (depending on region of assignment) on national or regional culture and/or doing business in the focal region. Accompanying spouses/partners had access to a similar library.‘Interviews and conversations’ with Tex-Mark employees with country experiences.
‘Language courses’. Attendance at elective ‘survival level’ language classes. These courses last from eight to twelve weeks, with three course meetings a week. Tex-Mark will pay for spouses/partners as well.
In-country training and development
Upon arrival, Tex-Mark staff in the local operation will assist the accompanying spouse/partner with job search activities. They will assist with finding children acceptable schooling situations. Where possible, Tex-Mark staff will endeavour to provide a social support network.
Repatriation
Upon return all expatriates are required to go through a debriefing and career counselling
session with HR staff. This should be held within two months of the person’s re-entry to the home
location.
IHRM Case 1 – Spanning the Globe 3

4. Case 1 Activity In the role of Eric
Summarize your thoughts on the problems at hand, alternative solutions and your strategy on how to proceed at the forthcoming meeting.
How will your proposal solve the problems you have defined?
How can you defend your solution from budgetary concerns? In what way is your approach both a solution to the problems of expatriates at Tex-Mark and a good economic investment?
Step back out of the role and answer the following
Does Eric’s personal background assist in his assessment of the problems he faces?
Would you have approached this situation differently? If so, what benefits would your different approach provide for Tex-Mark?
IHRM Case 1 – Spanning the Globe 4

5. International Human Resource Management
IHRM Case 2
International Human Resource Management
Managing people in a multinational context
Quality compliance at the Hawthorne Arms

6. Alistair Mackay’s short list of possible candidates
Exhibit A
Alistair Mackay’s short list of possible candidates
‘First candidate. Marie Erten-Loiseau. Born in Prague, her family moved to Toulon when Marie was twelve
years old. Brought up in France, she was educated as an aeronautical engineer in France and Germany.
Marie worked for Trianon for 13 years, in two divisions within France and Germany with increasing levels
of project responsibility. Her leadership of two projects over the last three years in Lodz, Poland, and two
sites in the Czech Republic has been marked by remarkable success. Married, her husband is semi-retired.
They have one child in university.
Second candidate. Janos Gabor. Born in Gyor, Hungary, Janos was educated at University of Pecs, Hungary.
He has a good background in the production of cathode ray tube and display systems technologies,
albeit from the Central European perspective. He has worked at Trianon for nearly four years, and has just
been transferred into the cathode ray tube division as a Senior Engineer. His family is reportedly very well
connected with national government officials, particularly the old, ex-party members of multiple ministerial
bureaucracies. Janos is single.
Third candidate. Sinead Marrinan-McGuire, a production engineer on loan to Trianon’s London office for
joint venture analyzes and ‘due diligence’ reviews on technical and legal grounds. She has spent three
years in the R&D development team in Dublin and London, working on the very technologies to be applied
in this Hungarian joint venture project. Alistair met and talked with her today in Limerick and was
very impressed with her understanding of corporate level concerns and strategic issues. Most of her career
has been in Ireland and around London, with only short, tactical trips to France. Married, her husband
is a solicitor in Dublin. They have three children, ages 7, 9 and 13.
IHRM Case 2 – Quality compliance at the Hawthorne Arms 6

7. Case 2 Activity
Consider the three candidates in Exhibit A. If forced to make a decision tomorrow, which candidate should Alistair choose for the job? What major factors should determine his choice?
We are told nothing of the process that Trianon uses to recruit candidates for this level of final selection. Given what you know about the firm from the case, outline a general recruitment and selection process for Trianon. Describe how your proposed process fits with ‘best’ selection practices as well as the strategic needs of this company.
Should HR staff be involved in strategic decisions relating to international business operations such as finalizing a joint venture agreement?
IHRM Case 2 – Quality compliance at the Hawthorn Arms 7

8. International Human Resource Management
IHRM Case 3
International Human Resource Management
Managing people in a multinational context
Jaguar or Bluebird?
(A)

9. Case 3 Activity
Discuss whether Mark should stay overseas or return home after his expatriate asssignment.
IHRM Case 3 – Jaguar or bluebird? (A) 9

10. International Human Resource Management
IHRM Case 4
International Human Resource Management
Managing people in a multinational context
Jaguar or Bluebird?
(B)

11. Discuss Mark’s realizations and his options.
Case 4 Activity
Discuss Mark’s realizations and his options.
IHRM Case 4 – Jaguar or bluebird? (B) 11

12. International Human Resource Management
IHRM Case 5
International Human Resource Management
Managing people in a multinational context
Wolfgang’s balancing act

13. Key data on the Healthcare Group
Table 1
Key data on the Healthcare Group
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 13

14. Net sales by region of the Healthcare Group
Table 2
Net sales by region of the Healthcare Group
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 14

15. Employees by region of the Healthcare Group in 2005
Table 3
Employees by region of the Healthcare Group in 2005
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 15

16. Personnel costs of the Healthcare Group
Table 4
Personnel costs of the Healthcare Group
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 16

17. HR policies of the Healthcare Group
Table 5
HR policies of the Healthcare Group
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 17

18. Recent developments in the internationalization strategy of Healthcare
Figure 1
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 18

19. Balancing global integration and local responsiveness in Healthcare’s compensation strategy
Figure 2
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 19

20. Should he add or delete some existing practices from the T account?
Question block A: Standardization vs local responsiveness of compensation systems
Wolfgang reconsiders the degree of global standardization and local responsiveness of the current global compensation system.
Should he move some of the existing pay elements across the T account in Figure 2, shifting them from globally standardized to locally customized?
Should he add or delete some existing practices from the T account?
Should he change the weights or emphases (percentages) of existing elements of the pay system?
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 20

21. Question block B: job-based vs competency-based compensation
If Healthcare’s job-based pay dominated the existing system, while other such as competency-based compensation have not been pursued, then what advantages might a competency based system have for Healthcare?
How can the firm communicate to the geographically dispersed executives the need to acquire and maintain those management competencies that have been defined in the competency set (in folder three)?
Would a purely competency-based pay system be somehow more flexible?
But then again, what about the standardization Healthcare has just achieved through standardizing the job descriptions across units?
How would he take these three competency categories and use them to develop a series of measurable, behavioral indicators to be used to assess an executive’s contributions to Healthcare? In what sense should these new behavioral indicators be customized to local (regional) contexts? How can Wolfgang go about this process to ensure a balance of organizational standardization and local relevance?
IHRM Case 5 – Wolfgang’s balancing act 21

22. International Human Resource Management
IHRM Case 6
International Human Resource Management
Managing people in a multinational context
Strategic forecasts and staffing formulation: Executive and managerial planning for Bosch-Kazakhstan

23. Instruments of employee development
Figure 1
Instruments of employee development
IHRM Case 6 – Strategic forecasts and staffing formulation 23

24. Kazakhstan’s geographic location
Figure 2
Kazakhstan’s geographic
location
IHRM Case 6 – Strategic forecasts and staffing formulation 24

25. Form for situation analysis
Figure 3
Form for situation analysis
IHRM Case 6 – Strategic forecasts and staffing formulation 25

26. Figure 4
Planning Chart
IHRM Case 6 – Strategic forecasts and staffing formulation 26

27. Case 6 Activity
Taking the role of HR manager at Bosch, address these issues:
Analyze the company and country-specific situation by using the steps outlined in Figure 3.
Plan the number and nature of short/medium-term (2007–2010) as well as long-term (2011–2014) staffing requirements on the basis of the figures in the chart on facing page and the described situation. Fill in your figures in the chart (Figure 4).
Finally, prepare an action plan describing how you will meet managerial staffing targets. Look especially at information provided in the ‘employee development’ and ‘talent management’ sections of the case for activities and timetables. Write down your action plan.
IHRM Case 6 – Strategic forecasts and staffing formulation 27

28. International Human Resource Management
IHRM Case 7
International Human Resource Management
Managing people in a multinational context
Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA

29. Map of Portugal Appendix A
IHRM Case 7 – Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA 29

30. Organization chart, Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA
Appendix B
Organization chart, Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA
IHRM Case 7 – Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA 30

31. Climate study factors Appendix C SAT – JOB SATISFACTION
The degree to which employees are satisfied with their current jobs.
CLAR – CLARITY OF MISSION AND OBJECTIVES
The degree to which employees understand and accept the organization’s mission and objectives.
ESTRUT – STRUCTURE
The degree to which the organizational structure supports, rather than interferes with, getting information, making decisions and getting the work done.
SIN – SYNERGY WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION
The degree to which people in different parts of the organization work together, support each other and do not duplicate activities.
AMB – BUSINESS AMBITIOUSNESS
The degree to which the mission and objectives are perceived as lofty and challenging.
ESTILO – MANAGEMENT STYLE
The degree to which managers’ styles are supportive of employees and helpful in getting the work done.
IHRM Case 7 – Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA 31

32. Climate study factors Appendix C REMUN – REMUNERATION
The degree to which remuneration is perceived as (a) internally equitable, (b) competitive with other organizations, and (c) supportive of individual and team performance.
IDENT – CORPORATE IDENTITY
The degree to which employees (a) perceive the organization as having a unique identity and (b) accept and support the identity.
EMPOW – EMPOWERMENT OF EMPLOYEES
The degree to which employees feel empowered to take the actions and decisions they need to take in order to get the job done. Also, the perception of how much the organization empowers, rather than controls, employees.
RH – HUMAN RESOURCE POLICIES
The degree to which human resource policies and practices are perceived as (a) supportive of getting the work done, (b) appropriate to employee needs, and (c) appropriate to prepare the organization for the future.
IHRM Case 7 – Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA 32

33. Preliminary results of the climate study
Appendix D
Preliminary results of the climate study
IHRM Case 7 – Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA 33

34. Norge Portugal Grades Appendix E
IHRM Case 7 – Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA 34

35. Job evaluations, Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA
Appendix F
Job evaluations, Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA
IHRM Case 7 – Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA 35

36. Case 7 Activity
Discuss João Silva’s actions to professionalize HR management in the Portuguese subsidiary.
IHRM Case 7 – Norge Electronics (Portugal), SA 36