HRMT20025: IHRM - Relocation Challenges from Sydney to Paris in 2019

This essay explores the international human resource management (IHRM) issues a HR manager in Sydney would face when relocating a manager to a subsidiary branch in Paris. It identifies challenges related to cultural differences, weather, working culture, and employee relations, including the impact of the "yellow vest" protests on employment laws and employee expectations in France. The essay highlights the differences in work practices, employment laws, and societal influences between Australia and France, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive training and compensation benefits to support the relocating manager's adjustment and well-being. It concludes that proper preparation and support are crucial for successful international business expansion and management.

Running Head: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGMENT
International Human Resource Management
Report
Student name
[Pick the date]

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGMENT 1
Introduction
International human resource is considered as the backbone of every organization which is either
working on their international operations or thinking to work on an internal operation. It is this
international human resource management which aids the organization in designing human
resource practices in terms of cross-cultural context (Wang, Hutchins & Garavan, 2009). In
addition, it is the international human resource management that helps the organization to
understand the difference related to culture, labour law, behaviour, believes, values in foreign
countries. International human resource management plays a very significant role in relocating
employee from native country to foreign country in a very smooth manner with the help of
advance HR strategies especially when two countries are totally different from each other.
IHRM issues related to manger transferred from Sydney to Paris
As per the study, it can be said that Sydney and Paris display different culture, behaviour,
employee laws, language and beliefs. Even, the working culture of Paris is very different from
Australia. In this case, HR manager of the organization has to face many challenges related to the
relocation of a manager from Sydney to Paris.
Relocation issues
One of the big challenges that a person from Sydney has to face in Paris will be weather.
Australia is having lovely weather for an almost complete year (Schuler, Jackson & Tarique,
2011). While Paris is offering this kind of weather for only a few months and rest of the months
are full of heavy rain and winter. Hence, it will not be easy for the manager of Wesfarmers
Company to face such different climate situation. This issue can directly impact the living of the
person. Another issue which this manager has to face will be working culture because Paris
working culture cannot offer good growth opportunity as compared to Australia working culture.
Paris working culture is actually displaying a closed loop as compared to Australia (Meyskens et
al., 2009). In addition, Paris is not able to offer money making opportunity as compared to
Australia.
Cultural issues

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGMENT 2
As per the study it has been seen that people in Paris are not friendly as compared to people in
Australia which can possibly display a barrier in sharing ideas from a non-French employee
which can directly impact the self-confidence of the manager which is from Sydney. Even they
pay low attention to that person who cannot speak French and in many cases does not consider
them as their community part. Another issue which this manager has to face in Paris will be a
busy lifestyle. Working hours in Paris are more as compared to Australia and it is not possible
for an average salary based person to maintain a healthy lifestyle as compared to Australia
(Santoso & Loosemore, 2013). In addition, doctors only consider cheque as the mode of
payment, no cash out in the supermarket and have to book an appointment in order to visit the
bank. Hence, it will be very challenging for the manager to adjust himself in such an
environment.
Employee relation issue in Paris that can impact working of manager
As per the study, employee relation in Paris is always considered as a complex body of rules that
outlines the fundamental rights of employees in the legal framework.
Yellow vest
Due to yellow vest protest in France, things related to the employee have not remained same as
compared to previous time because of 26% increase in tax. The employees are demanding more
salary to maintain their healthy life along with safety aspects. Yellow vest protest has actually
impacted many companies operating in France such as cancelation of air ticket in the last minute,
closing of electronic stores during protest and decline in sale of commercial products which has
actually cost these companies millions (Reuters, 2019). In order to remain sustainable, these
companies have to lay-off many employees from their company which has given rise to
unemployment. In addition to this, this protest has also impacted the stability of the France
government and has forced them to think before any further reform in their political policy. In
fact, opposition parties and Trade Union tried to politicize ever single opportunity to gain points.
Unlike Australia, Paris employee relation is totally dependent on the written document (Bach &
Bordogna, 2011). In Paris, the employment offer must be based on a written contract in order to
make it valuable and valid. While in Australia employment can be offered on a verbal agreement
and has validation. According to French employment law, the minimum wage that must be paid

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGMENT 3
to the labour in Paris must be 1,521.2 € per month and low than that. Because of yellow vest
protest, the president of Paris has announced a rise of € 100 in the monthly salary as an addition
benefit (The local, 2019). Paris has restricted job change opportunity to employee which has
come from outside and hence the person has to stick at one company for long time which may
impact creative thinking of the organization manager. In addition, society acts as a strategic
partner in employee relation in Paris and has a great influence from the earlier time and hence
while working in Paris, the company have to give preference to the local person first if the
person is capable for the manager post as compared to person from outside (Kochan et al., 2019).
In Paris, unions have great influence on employee relation as compared to Australia and hence
must be given managed in a proper way in order to attain proper development and growth.
Yellow vest protest offered great power to the union leaders on the collective bargaining in Paris
as compared to Australia where they have very little influence over the organization
management.
Conclusion
Development and growth is the first preference of every country in this world which can be
achieved only through business expansion. But doing business in the country which is
completely different from the native country in terms of work culture, behaviour, climate,
believes and values. Hence, it is very important to offer proper training to the manager which is
selected for Paris subsidiary part of the organization. This training program must include all the
detail information connected to the Paris such as employee relations, laws, climate adjustment
and payment mode. In addition, the organization must introduce a new compensation benefits
program that can offer a great amount of support to the manager who is relocating to Paris in
terms of living standards and sustaining a healthy life.
References

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGMENT 4
Bach, S., & Bordogna, L. (2011). Varieties of new public management or alternative models?
The reform of public service employment relations in industrialized democracies. The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(11), 2281-2294.
Kochan, T. A., Riordan, C. A., Kowalski, A. M., Khan, M., & Yang, D. (2019). The Changing
Nature of Employee and Labor-Management Relationships. Annual Review of Organizational
Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 6, 195-219.
Meyskens, M., Von Glinow, M. A., Werther, Jr, W. B., & Clarke, L. (2009). The paradox of
international talent: Alternative forms of international assignments. The International Journal of
Human Resource Management, 20(6), 1439-1450.
Müller, S., & Schnabel, C. (2019). Industrial Relations: Worker Codetermination and Collective
Wage Bargaining. Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik, 239(1), 1-4.
Santoso, J., & Loosemore, M. (2013). Expatriate management in Australian multinational
enterprises. Construction Management and Economics, 31(11), 1098-1109.
Schuler, R. S., Jackson, S. E., & Tarique, I. (2011). Global talent management and global talent
challenges: Strategic opportunities for IHRM. Journal of World Business, 46(4), 506-516.
The local. (2019). Somber Macron hikes minimum wage in hope of calming 'yellow vest'
rebellion [online]. Retrieved from: https://www.thelocal.fr/20181210/macron-announces-wage-
reforms-in-hope-of-calming-yellow-vest-rebellion
Wang, J., Hutchins, H. M., & Garavan, T. N. (2009). Exploring the strategic role of human
resource development in organizational crisis management. Human Resource Development
Review, 8(1), 22-53.
Reuters. (2019) Impact of yellow vest protest on France and Europe [online]. Retrieved from:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-protests-companies-factbox/impact-of-yellow-vests-
protests-on-french-and-european-companies-idUSKCN1P50ZC