International Human Resource Management Analysis and Report

This report delves into the multifaceted realm of International Human Resource Management (IHRM), exploring critical aspects such as cross-cultural differences, dual-career couples, and expatriation/repatriation. It examines how globalized economies and foreign direct investment have led to increased cultural interactions, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural nuances in managing an international workforce. The report analyzes the impact of cultural differences on employee management practices, compensation, and training within organizations like the Cotton On Group, highlighting the challenges managers face in navigating diverse cultural environments. Furthermore, it addresses the rise of dual-career couples and the need for organizations to accommodate their needs through flexible work arrangements and supportive policies. The report also discusses the processes of expatriation and repatriation, focusing on the challenges and strategies for successful international assignments. Overall, the report provides valuable insights into the complexities of IHRM and offers practical recommendations for managing a global workforce effectively.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
International Human Resource Management
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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Cross-Cultural Differences
The globalized economies and foreign direct investment have paved the path for the
migration flows that has resulted in the professional contact of the people coming from the
various cultures. The differences can be said to be of great importance for the human resource
management within the international environment. The international companies evaluates the
business practice that helps in ensuring that the national norms of the different countries are
considered while framing the business policies (Brewster et al. 2016). The global companies
should build the awareness regarding the other cultures that can help in the long-term growth
of a company. In the event of being the employee of Cotton On Group, I saw that the
employee management practice of the Australians are different from the American and the
German context and this creates barrier in the path of progress of a company. I saw that the
managers in Australia do not think themselves to be superior to the colleagues that is
different in case of the other cultures. The Australians prefer the consultative style of the
management whereas the American management style was individualistic and the
management takes the vital decisions on the basis of their needs. I was working in Cotton On
Group and I was witness to the fact that pragmatism was a main attribute of the Australians.
On the other hand, there are Chinese people who want to obey the instructions that has been
provided to them by the manager.
The cross-cultural differences are applied in the Australian retailer with the help of
suitable practices and the policies. The compensation that is paid to the employees is on the
basis of performance and the rewards are provided to the employees on the basis of their
performances irrespective of the cross-cultural differences. Seniority based compensation
exists in Cotton On Group that provides encouragement to employees coming from the
various backgrounds (Reiche et al. 2016). Cotton On Group provides the opportunity of
training to the employees that is crucial for the growth and the survival of the company. The

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training programs are provided to the employees who are in the other locations that helps in
increasing the skill set of the diverse group of the employees from the other cultural
backgrounds. The power distance in Australia can be said to be relatively low as compared to
that of the world average. Australia can be said to be a highly individualistic culture and the
society can be said to be well-knit in Australia. Cotton-on-Group lays focus on increasing the
loyalty along with the commitment of the employees by treating the employees in the right
manner. Cotton on Group lays emphasis on the development of the employees so that the
company can cater to the needs of the people who are from the other kind of cultural
backgrounds.
The managers have to face various kinds of challenges in the event of the cultural
differences in a company. I have to face the problem of understanding the behaviour of the
employees that can create problems in the company. The behaviour of the individuals in the
society can be said to be closely linked to the underlying values along with the norms of an
individual (Collings, Wood and Szamosi 2018). I have to confront the cultural clashes owing
to the fact that the behaviour of the people can compromise the behaviour of the individuals
in a company. In the role of the manager, the decision making process can prove to be
difficult and everything has to be explained clearly to all kinds of employees in the company.
The managers are entrusted with the work of meeting the deadlines and deliver the high
quality of the work that is within budget. I have to face problems in managing the multi-
cultural environment and communicating with the diverse employees of the team.
I have learned from my experiences that an individual should respect the employees
of the different cultural backgrounds that can increase the efficiency of performance of
workers. The developing of the cultural intelligence is crucial for a company and it can help
in the overall growth of a company. I have understood that the organizations becoming
diverse can help in serving the functional along with the psychological reasons. The

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companies should have the employees who understand the language along with the needs of
the customer. I think that the organizations should take the steps that can blend the employees
from the various kinds of cultural backgrounds. The employees should interact with each
other on the regular basis that can ensure the aspect of multiculturalism (Sparrow, Brewster
and Chung 2016). The employees who go in the other nations should adjust the leadership
style along with the communication patterns of the people of the host nation. I have been able
to learn from my experience that the cultural shocks are caused owing to the various kinds of
management philosophies that are operative in the companies of the various countries.
Dual-couple career
Dual-couple career refers to the families where both the heads of the households
pursue their careers that helps them in maintaining a family life. Dual-earner couple is
indicative of the cohabiting couple in which both the partners work within the labour market
(Kim 2017). This concept can be stated to be different from the male-breadwinner couple
where man works in labour market and women takes up the role of home maker. Both the
partners can be said to be highly qualified and they follow the career path but they do not
renounce having satisfactory family life. The formation of the dual earner couples can be said
to be hindered by the constraints that exist within the labour market participation. It helps in
the maximum utilisation of resources of both the spouses that helps in achieving the best for
the household unit. The number of the dual-career couples have increased in the present age
and the organizations should accommodate the competing demands of the couples that can
ensure the growth of company.
Cotton On Group has provided the facility of the flexible scheduling along with the
opportunity of the split location employment that have helped in providing convenience to
the employees. The company has designed the alternative programs that allows the workers

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in fitting the special hours within schedule. The dual career couple are also given the
opportunity of part time work arrangement that proves to be of benefit for both the employer
along with the employees. The employees of Cotton On Group are provided with the facility
of the compressed work that helps in serving the needs of employees. The human resources
of Cotton On Group provides opportunity to the employees of finishing the work by
Thursday that helps in providing three day weekends to the employees that they can spend
with their family. Flexibility is provided by the human resources to the employees in relation
to the work schedule that helps the employees in beginning and ending the workday within
certain hours (Keith 2019). The company provides the facility of work schedule arrangement
that is flexible and the employees are given the responsibility of deciding when they want to
begin and end the working hours. The human resources management of Cotton On Group
provides the job-sharing facility to employees that hires two employees working on the part-
time basis that can act to the welfare of the dual career couples.
The managers in an organization have to face hindrances pertaining to the dual career
couples that can act as a barrier in the path of development of company. The human resource
managers have to face the problems pertaining to the partial compensation replacement of the
employees in the case of the dual career couples (Mäkelä et al. 2017). In the event of being
the manager, the challenges that will be experienced is in relation to the dual hiring where
both the partners are offered the opportunity of getting employed in the same company. The
educational qualifications and the skill sets of the partners are different and recruiting them
proves to be difficult for the managers of a company. The human resources mangers have to
arrange for the accommodations for the dual career couples that can be a financial burden for
a company (Känsälä, Mäkelä and Suutari 2015). The company has to incur the additional cost
and this can cause problems for the managers of a firm. The governmental policies are
different in various companies and the designing of the programs proves to be difficult for the

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human resources of a company in the event of internationalization of a company (Masterson
and Hoobler 2015). The personal values of the employees are different and the managers
have to think about the aspect of the work-life balance that can create problems for the
company.
I have been able to learn with the help of experience that organizational support is of
crucial importance for the dual career couples. I have learnt that organizations should make
the intelligent use of the I.T. and allow the facility of telecommuting that can enhance the
ability of organization of retaining the employees. I have gathered the knowledge that the
policy makers should provide the alternative support for the child care that can be of benefit
for the dual career couples. The organizations should offer support to the employees in
defining boundary between the home and the work that should be flexible that can prove to
be advantageous for the employees (Fahlén 2015). I have learnt that the executives of the
company have been reared within the traditional families where the wife was not employed
outside home. The senior managers of companies hence have limited understanding in
relation to the dual career issues. I have learnt with the help of experience that employers
should learn the expectations that the employees have that can play a crucial role in solving
the issues in relation to the dual career families.
Expatriation and Repatriation
Expatriation refers to the process of leaving the country and living within the
boundaries of the new country. An expatriate is indicative of an individual who relinquishes
the citizenship of the home country so that they can become the citizen of another country.
Expatriation can be said to be attractive method that helps in the accumulation of the foreign
markets for the various companies. Training and the retaining of people for that of the
international assignments are integral aspects pertaining to the global operational efficiency

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(Baruch, Altman and Tung 2016). Repatriation is indicative of the process of returning the
asset or any kind of item of the symbolic value to that of their place of the origin. Cotton On
Group arranges for the cross-cultural social training that helps in familiarizing family of the
expatriate with the local customs along with the taboos. Cotton On Group manages the
repatriation by taking recourse to various kinds of reintegration factors like work
environment, family issues along with the cultural environment. The repatriation of the
employees are made possible with the help of communication along with the trust that helps
in providing benefits to an organization. The human resource managers of the company
provide assistance to the needs of the family at the time of their readjustment to that of their
home culture.
The human resource management in Cotton On Group takes concrete steps pertaining
to the expatriation along with the repatriation of the employees that helps in the adjustment of
the employees to the new environment and the culture. The labour relations law are taught to
the employees who arrive from the other country that can act to the benefit of the employees.
The expatriates are provided information regarding the productivity standards, disciplinary
methods along with the hiring practices that is instrumental in familiarizing the employees
with the new culture (Ramaswami, Carter and Dreher 2016). The expatriates of the company
are also provided with security training that helps the expatriates in knowing regarding local
conditions that can have an adverse effect on the individuals along with their families. The
HR department of the firm plans for training of expatriates in the event of new products
moving through the company. The training is provided by taking recourse to the computer
along with the web-based training that aids in the process of adjustment of the expatriates
(Kierner and Suutari 2018). It can make the employees acquainted with the development
along with the progress of the company that can aid in the process of growth of employees.

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There are challenges that are faced by the managers while the process of expatriation
goes on in a company. The technical abilities of the employees are different of the employees
who come from the foreign country and the management of a company has to face problems
in managing those employees. The expatriates operates in a kind of environment that can be
said to be stressful as they are separated from their friends and the families. The managers
have to face barriers in relation to understanding these employees that can be pivotal for the
success of a company. The communication skills is another arena that pose challenges for the
managers in dealing with workers from the other countries. The managers have problems in
managing the expectations of the employees and this acts as a drawback in the case of
expatriation (Akkan, Lazarova and Reiche 2018). The managers face problems in selecting
the right personnel that can help a company in achieving the goals. The appointment of the
proper expatriates acts as challenge for managers as they have to select employees who can
meet requirements pertaining to the international operations. The managers have to face
hurdles as the employees speak a different language that cannot be easily understood by the
managers.
I have learnt valuable lessons with the help of my experience in Cotton On Group. I
have understood that cultural awareness programs can be organized that can help the
employees in understanding the culture prevalent in the host country. Language training can
be stated to be enviable program in relation to the pre-departure training. It can improve
ability of the expatriates in communicating with the citizens of that of host country. I have
understood that costs is the main area of concern of that of expatriate management. I have
understood with the help of my experience that companies should compensate the employees
with the hardship allowance along with the club membership that can serve the interests of
the company. There should not exist any kind of discrimination against the female employees
that can help in the growth of the company in the long run. The local employees should try to

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adjust themselves with the expatriates that can help in their assimilation in the foreign
culture.

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