Case Study on Human Resource Management of Woolworths

Running head: CASE STUDY ON WOOLWORTHS HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Case Study on Human Resource Management of Woolworths
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1CASE STUDY ON WOOLWORTHS HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Executive Summary
Factors those must be considered by the company in analysing expatriate and international staff
selection was analysed through this report. It was revealed that selection of expatriates by
Woolworths in China must depend on affective dimension of intercultural competence that
reflects emotional attitude of staff towards foreign or Chinese culture. Moreover, for ensuring
best performance of the expatriates, the company must consider that the stage of international
business will impact the performance success of these employees. It was also gathered that third
country nationals (TCN) being transferred to another subsidiary and HCN transferred within
parent -country operations training methods are vital in making expatiates conscious with the
demands of the international assignment.

2CASE STUDY ON WOOLWORTHS HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................3
2. Factors Considered by Woolworths in Evaluating Expatriate and International Staff
Selection..........................................................................................................................................3
2.1. Competence..............................................................................................................4
2.2. Soft Skills Needed....................................................................................................6
2.3. Selection Procedures.................................................................................................8
2.4. Performance Management Criteria.........................................................................10
2.5. Role of Training and Compensation.......................................................................12
3. Conclusion.....................................................................................................................15
References..........................................................................................................................17

3CASE STUDY ON WOOLWORTHS HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
1. Introduction
Woolworths is one of the largest Australia based retailer that has expanded its business
operation as a multi-national company in several countries of the world. The supermarket retailer
has recently launched “Tmall Global” that is an overseas platform which can facilitate Chinese
consumers in acquiring range of exceptional quality products directly from Woolworths (Branco,
2018). The objective of the report is to analyse the case study of international human resource
management in Woolworths for establishing successful business operation in the selected nation
China. Considering same, factors those must be considered by the company in analysing
expatriate and international staff selection will be analysed through this report.
2. Factors Considered by Woolworths in Evaluating Expatriate and International Staff
Selection
International human resource involves developing necessary human resource capabilities
for addressing diverse needs of the multinational companies. The expatriate selection criteria for
the international business operations of Woolworths considers evaluating the candidates
technical ability, cross-cultural suitability along with family requirements those fall under
individual factors (Care & Donohue, 2017). In addition, organization-specific requirements,
language and MNC needs are greatly impacted by working situation of Woolworths. In order to
execute the planning of business expansion of Woolworths in China, the organization focuses on
regularly filling the vacant positions with qualified candidates. Positioning itself as Australia’s
largest supermarket it has attained a sustainable position in the word as an MNC through
expanding and addressing consumer needs. Certain external factors are considered by

4CASE STUDY ON WOOLWORTHS HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Woolworths those ensure evaluating fairness of the company’s selection procedure such as
social, legal, economic and political factors of the host countries.
There are certain factors those must be considered by Woolworths in evaluating
expatriate and international staff selection for ensuring successful business establishment in
China (Sinangil, Ones & Wiernik, 2018). Certain important factors are focussed on competence,
necessary soft skills, and selection procedures, criteria of performance management along with
the training and compensation role. The selection decision for the people is based on the
criteria’s those are indicated in the figure below:
Figure 1: Factors in Evaluating Expatriate and Individual Staff Selection in
Woolworths
(Source: Oh, Lee & Oh, 2018)

5CASE STUDY ON WOOLWORTHS HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
2.1. Competence
Woolworths employ staff belonging to diverse national cultures and for this reason in
sustaining successful business expansion in China the company must consider the cultural
environment of the country. This serves as an important factor in determining successful
performance in which intercultural competence along with capability to adjust to international
culture have important roles in selection process of expatriates (Ott & Michailova, 2016). Along
with the technical ability and managerial skills those are necessary for working in Woolworths;
the international staff selection process of the company must also consider that expatriates
require cross-cultural capabilities which enable people in operating within new environment and
for ensuring efficient functioning of culturally diverse employees. This factor is termed as
interpersonal competence where expatriates attain ability to function effectively within other
culture. The desirable attributes those must be attained by candidates in ensuring their
intercultural competence includes cultural empathy, diplomacy, adaptability, language ability
positive attitude, emotional stability and maturity. Woolworths must consider that these
competence factors are associated with three basic structural dimensions of intercultural
competence (Qureshi et al., 2017). Selection of expatriates by Woolworths in China must depend
on affective dimension of intercultural competence that reflects emotional attitude of staff
towards foreign or Chinese culture. The cognitive layer is associated with Chinese culture
specific knowledge and most vital is the ability dimension as this encompasses the actual
intercultural behaviour of expatriates.
In analysing intercultural competence for selection of international staff by Woolworth’s
cultural indulgence must also be considered as an important factor to be attained by candidates.
Cultural intelligence along the expatriate selection of Woolworths will consider analysing factors