Supporting an Expatriate Worker for an Overseas Assignment in Qatar

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Table of Contents

Overview of the Case
Preparing Melissa for the Doha Assignment
Pre-assignment Training on Cultural Sensitivity
Training on Language
Emotional Stability and Cross-Cultural and Interpersonal Skills
Compensation and Benefit
Post-arrival Training and Support
Conclusion
References List

As companies expand their global footprint, their international assignments are growing exponentially and relying on expatriates to manage their overseas operations. The increasingly globalized economy is driving the need for human resource managers (HRM) to adopt and develop robust strategies to support a multinational and diverse workforce. The posting, hosting, and managing employees to and from other countries pose a major challenge due to the variations and disparities in such areas as national culture, regulatory environment, and economic conditions. In the given scenario, the multinational news agency intends to give Melissa an international expatriate duty in Qatar.

In this regard, adequate pre-posting preparation and support during the expatriate assignment are key considerations for the corporation’s HRM to ensure the successful operations overseas. For instance, it is imperative for Melissa to be comprehensively briefed about Qatari customs to enhance her cultural sensitivity and interrelationships with a diverse workforce compromising different nationalities, age, and gender. Although there is limited need to learn cultural languages, HRM should strategize on how to manage Melissa’s expectations, stimulate a positive attitude, and promote a comprehensive understanding of the business and societal norms in Qatar.

Overview of the Case

Melissa Lamont is a senior manager working for a large multinational news media agency based in the United States. The corporation has given her a three-year international assignment to work in the Middle-Eastern office in Qatar. After relocating to Doha, she will deputize a male managerial Qatari national, who was previously stationed in the USA. Melissa will also lead 50 journalists in the firm’s business and economics team.

The workforce at the Qatar office is diverse and comprises people of different gender, age, and nationalities. Melissa has worked for the news media corporation in New York for ten years, has never undertaken an overseas assignment, and English is the only language she speaks. Moreover, she will have to relocate with her family and will be stationed at Doha for the entire duration of her three-year tenure in the Middle East. The news media corporation has an obligation to adequately prepare and support Melissa to facilitate a smooth transition and subsequent success in the execution of her duties in Middle East.

Preparing Melissa for the Doha Assignment

Having worked for the multinational news media agency in New York for ten years, Melissa Lamont, an American national, has never worked abroad before, and requires pre-assignment support and preparation for the task ahead. Increased globalization and workplace diversity has accelerated the need for organizations to regularly and periodically transfer their employees to manage their overseas operations and expand the workers’ experience diversity (Wilkinson, Redman, and Dundon, 2017).

However, working abroad requires the expatriates to be equipped with a global mindset, intercultural sensitivity, and the skillful negotiation through the cross-cultural engagements (Wilkinson et al., 2017). HRM plays an integral role in training the workers who have accepted international assignments in preparing them for what lies ahead before their relocation to the host country (Konanahalli and Oyedele, 2016). In this regard, Melissa needs to be trained in such areas as sensitivity to other cultures, accommodativeness to diversity, acquisition of local languages, familiarity with regulatory issues, and emotional stability, among others.

Pre-assignment Training on Cultural Sensitivity

Melissa is an American national with no previous experience of working abroad. This implies that pre-departure training is critical to equip her with cultural awareness and sensitivity skills. Cross-cultural consciousness is an indispensable component which directly influences the success or failure of expatriates (Okpara, 2016). In this regard, training employees on various cultural issues before they depart to the host countries supports and promotes their easy adjustment to the new customs. Among the prominent reasons for expatriates’ failure and poor job performance is the absence of an effective cultural training, which precedes the collapse of cultural adjustment (Cuhlova and Yar, 2018).

For instance, Melissa is a 40-year- old American national who has never taken any overseas assignment. Although the New York workforce is diverse owing to the multinational nature of the organization, the operations have been taking place within the context of the American culture. Therefore, she has not been adequately exposed to experiences influenced by unfamiliar traditions or occurring outside her customs.

Melissa’s success on her overseas assignment is hinged on her ability to interact with and influence the different groups of employees which hold different cultural perspectives. The pre-departure training will nurture cultural sensitivity, which is indispensable when working in a multicultural organization with a diverse workforce (Wilkinson, Redman, and Dundon, 2017). Through the training, Melissa will acquire valuable knowledge, skills, and insights to help her demonstrate respect, appreciation, and value in other peoples’ customs. For instance, she has lived in a highly feminine cultural setting where gender roles are more fluid than in Middle East, which is a predominantly masculine culture (Moghadam, 2020).

Similarly, Melissa should familiarize herself with the deeply collectivist cultural inclination of the Arabs, which is a key departure from the Western traditions (Hecker and Johannsen, 2017). The in-depth understanding of these disparities is critical in eliminating all barriers that could impede her effectiveness in Qatar.

Additionally, brief diversity management training will be critical in supporting Melissa’s effectiveness and operational efficiency as the deputy manager of the multinational news media corporation in Qatar. This will be a deliberate effort to enhance her ability to navigate a considerably inclusive workplace, which protects and values all its employees equally. For instance, the Doha office constitutes 50 journalists, 70% of whom are male. Additionally, the average age of the Qatari personnel is 32 years and 50% have been recruited from the region. Although the organizational culture embraces diversity, the context within which the various primary cultural aspects interact is different.

Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions enumerates the significance of understanding the specific traditional components and how to operate effectively in a diverse work setting. Beugelsdijk and Welzel (2018) assert that discerning the beliefs, values, and customs espoused by various groups of people promotes a manager’s ability to positively influence the subordinates. Inegbedion et al. (2020) and Sharma (2016) illustrate that diversity management skills supports the creation and maintenance of a positive work environment which values individual differences and similarities.

For instance, language and its associated attributes of the host country are a major factor that expatriates should familiarize with to enhance their communication effectiveness, reduce the potential for misunderstanding, and mitigate cultural barriers. Notably, these components rank among the leading reasons why expatriates fail in their overseas assignment (Tahir and Egleston, 2019). They also form the foundation on which other events take place, including social conversations and cultural adjustment.

Training on Language

Although English is the predominant business language used within the company, some knowledge and understanding of the local language is essential. Developing some familiarity with the foreign language can enhance the expatriate’s ability to assimilate and acquire the cultural capital to negotiate with other employees. The simultaneous utilization of multiple languages, including the host country’s speech and customs guiding conversations is a common pre-departure practice that reflects the expatriate’s genuine desire for integration (Zhang and Harzing, 2016). This implies that despite Melissa’s adept knowledge of and ability to communicate in English, she needs to develop basic language aspects of the region.

Additionally, the usage of the local language is an influential instrument, directly impacting the ease of adjustment and the understanding of the culture of the Middle Easterners (Paulus and Muehlfeld, 2017). For instance, fluency and proficiency in the usage of English may conceal the cultural differences between Melissa and the Qatari nationals. Moreover, this would limit her expression abilities to only the formal interactions, which could form the basis of her exclusion or inclusion. Therefore, learning the basics of the local language would enhance her image as an insider.

Emotional Stability and Cross-Cultural and Interpersonal Skills

The success of expatriates is not entirely dependent on the years of experiences they worked for an organization but also a wide array of personality attributes and soft skills. Apart from the cultural sensitivity, diversity, and language training, it will be necessary for Melissa to acquire and enhance her interpersonal skills and emotional stability before she departs for Qatar. This type of support and preparation directly influences the expatriate’s ease of adjustment and adaptability while minimizing the adverse implications of cultural shock (Wang et al., 2017; Abugre and Debrah, 2019).

Additionally, the immediate post-transfer phase is a challenging and hectic duration, encompassing multiple tasks and activities. In this new environment, the expatriate will immensely rely on the support of the locals, accentuating the significance for effective communication, socialization, connection, and cooperation with others. The use of soft skills in the new cultural orientation can play an integral role in preventing disappointments, enhancing the assimilation process, and promoting the sense of belonging (Bayraktar, 2019). Therefore, interpersonal skills enable an expatriate to create social support and networks with the people in the host country, which rank among the most critical predictors cross-cultural adjustment.

Emotional intelligence is a critical tool that enhances the efficacy of an expatriate’s cross-cultural adjustment, job performance, socialization, and the success of their engagement. This implies that HRM should develop an elaborate training through which Melissa would be equipped with these fundamental skills to help her transition and work effectively abroad. Sing and Mahmood (2016) contend that emotional intelligence can provide the basis and foundation for successful overseas assignments.

For instance, an assertive communication style is an indispensable constituent of Melissa’s deputy managerial position. However, she needs to be trained on how to balance her conversations without projecting herself as too aggressive or passive. Similarly, the utilization of active listening skills and a responsive attitude would help prevent misunderstandings, allow the provision of an appropriate response, demonstrate respect for the other party, and avoid making impulsive decisions.

Additionally, emotional intelligence training would help Melissa to build, develop, and enhance her social competence. These set of skills would assist her in handling interactions effectively, maintain close relationships, and respond adaptively. In this regard, emotional intelligence training is a modulating factor that would foster cordial relations between Melissa and the host country’s nationals (Chen, 2019; Sokro and Pillay, 2019). Although these skills would not be acquired overnight, an effective training program would adequately prepare Melissa with the basics which would ultimately contribute to the smooth transition and the subsequent success in her overseas assignment.

Compensation and Benefit

Compensation and benefits are a major consideration and an absolute motivating factor for taking up international assignments. Bonache and Zarraga-Oberty (2016) argue that the remuneration-pay satisfaction is a primary factor which directly influences the expatriate’s willingness to relocate and undertake the overseas assignment. Developing the right compensation plan for Melissa is an indispensable aspect for effective execution of her duties and the provision of a sense of satisfaction with her job (Maley, Moeller, and Ting, 2020). From this perspective, the HRM of the news media multinational should engage Melissa and deliberate on the specific components of her remuneration.

She will move to Doha with her husband, a freelance journalist, and their two children who will continue their education in Qatar. Although Melissa’s spouse will continue working from abroad, it is imperative for the HRM to make arrangements regarding the education of the two children and consider the contextual factors and differential aspects of school fees between the United States and Middle East. This may include a provision for an educational package since, in most instances, overseas assignments are underlined by costs which often surpass the expenses at the expatriate’s home country.

Post-arrival Training and Support

The post-arrival training and support encompass the specific assistance extended by an organization after the expatriate’s arrival in the host country. These sessions are critical in reinforcing the previously acquired skills and knowledge at the pre-departure phase. According to Webber and Vogel (2019), such post-departure trainings and assistance as orientation and practical language tutoring for the expatriate and their families enhance their adaptability and familiarization to the host country’s culture and environment. Additionally, this assistance and support helps to mitigate the culture shock effects.

Webber and Vogel (2019), further assert that some cross-cultural aspects can only be understood fully through personal experiences. This suggests that usually brief pre-departure training cannot exhaustively prepare an expat for the actual living and working conditions they will encounter overseas. For instance, the HRM office in New York can only provide narrated previous without the backing of real-life experiences. These may include language training, orientation, and a practical exposure to the key cultural issues. Since Melissa has never worked abroad, she may experience heightened anxiety due to cultural shock and perceive understanding to the new life as tough undertaking.

Although Melissa is lucky to deputize a Qatari national who has worked in the United States, the HRM should coordinate and support the orientation process by allowing her a month after arrival before assuming office. During this phase, the manager can organize for her exploration and gradual exposure to the local community. The local HR department can support Melissa and her family’s induction through the introduction to the relevant foreigner registration authorities and legal frameworks.

These sessions should also combine shock-reliving engagements for the entire family to mitigate the adverse effects of moving into a new territory and prepare them for more challenging occurrences ahead. The poor management of this immediate following the transition to the host country has a profound impact on the performance, effectiveness, and productivity of the expatriate (Aravind et al., 2017). Therefore, the HRM can support Mellissa through the execution of a developed post-arrival strategy.

Additionally, the Doha HR department can organize Melissa familiarization with the Middle East’s regulatory policies on various topical issues, such as labor and environment. Notably, the organization can minimize the induction and orientation costs by organizing a series of social events instead of hiring experts to assist Melissa and her family to integrate fully. These activities would provide them the opportunity to experience and see the various cultural issues, communication, and interrelationship aspects as they happen. In this regard, the cross-cultural learning would be a regular event designed to support the progressive familiarization, integration, and assimilation of Melissa and her entire family in the Qatari culture.

However, the organization should also have in place Melissa’s post-assignment and homecoming preparations since her tenure in Qatar is for three years. Chiang et al. (2017) contend that a comprehensive preparation for repatriation and reentry is just as important as the pre-departure arrangements. Similar to the pre-departure preparations, the news media agency should acknowledge the potential of culture shock once the family returns to the United States since preparing her for the overseas duties is as critical as organizing for her return.

Conclusion

Melissa is an invaluable asset to the American news media multinational. Having worked for the organization for ten years, she is suited for an overseas assignment to deputize a Qatari national who manages a diverse workforce at the Doha offices. Her reassignment to work abroad requires extensive preparation and support to ensure that her smooth transition and the successful execution of her duties. Considering that she has never worked outside the United States in her career, the firm’s HR department will organize a brief training for Melissa on cultural sensitivity, language, diversity management, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence.

The acquisition of these abilities will support her cultural adjustment and assimilation process. Additionally, the firm will have to engage her regarding the remuneration and benefits package since she will be moving with her entire family. Finally, the news media outlet will have to prepare for Melissa’s return to the United States since her tenure last for only three years.

References List

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