International HRM: Wal-Mart's Challenges, Future & Recommendations

This report delves into the complexities of International Human Resource Management (IHRM), focusing on the challenges faced by multinational corporations like Wal-Mart. It examines the impact of technology, international mobility, and ethical business practices on HRM, highlighting issues such as talent management, performance management, and cross-cultural training. The report further discusses the future implications of these challenges and provides recommendations for companies to enhance their technological adoption, ethical standards, and international mobility strategies. By analyzing Wal-Mart's experiences, the report offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of IHRM and its impact on organizational success. Desklib provides access to this report along with a wide range of study resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to support students in their academic endeavors.

Human resource management
International human resource management
Students name
9/20/2019

International human resource management 1
Executive Summary
This report mainly throws light on the international human resource management, their
challenges their future implications and certain recommendations are also made in respect of
challenges for the future so that the company can perform well and generate profit and success
for the long term period. Wal-Mart, in similar concern, has adopted creative and innovative
techniques, having knowledge about labor laws of different countries, an adaption of employees
mobility, training and development aspects are considered to improve its performance and
success in longer perspectives. Certain challenges such as technological factors, employee
mobility factor, some ethical factors affect the workings, productivity, and profitability at large.
Hence, to all these challenges, various recommendations are made such as the adoption of
upgraded technology, keeping the knowledge of various laws, rules, and regulations of various
countries so that it should not affect employee's salaries, their benefits, and bonuses. Lastly, in
mobility concern, a company should focus on proper planning in terms of cost, technology as
such aspects will help the company to speed to market, helps in managing the risk management,
helps in maintaining the talent management for a longer period.

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Contents
Executive Summary.................................................................................................................1
Introduction..............................................................................................................................4
Company overview...................................................................................................................4
Contemporary issues and challenges Affecting international human resource management
....................................................................................................................................................5
Technological impact...............................................................................................................5
Impact of technology and e-HR for acquiring human resources.................................................6
Impact of technology on training and development....................................................................6
Challenge of international mobility........................................................................................7
Impact of international mobility on talent management..............................................................7
Impact of international mobility on performance management..................................................7
Challenge of ethical business practices..................................................................................8
Impact of ethical business............................................................................................................8
Impact of ethical business challenges on business......................................................................9
Future implication on international human resource practices..........................................9
Recommendations..................................................................................................................11
Enhancement in technology.......................................................................................................11
Practicing better ethical business values....................................................................................11
International Mobility................................................................................................................12

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Conclusion...............................................................................................................................12
References...............................................................................................................................14

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Introduction
When we talk about the human resource aspect, it mainly highlights the numerous
activities, which are mainly adopted by the leader who is responsible for managing resources
related to employees. Moreover, the term human resource involves developing and
administrating the programs, which further helps in increasing the effectiveness of the
organization by the use of recruiting, selecting, training, and development aspect manager is able
to create, manage and cultivate the employee-employer relationship (Briscoe, Tarique, &
Schuler, 2012).
However, in terms of international human resource management, it generally defines the
activities and managing the organizational human resource at an international level so that the
organization set their objectives can be fulfilled. This helps the organization to create a
competitive advantage over their competitors. All functions are the same which human resource
management carries, to the international human resource but there are certain activities such as
global skills management and expatriate management are considered (Brewster, Vernon
Sparrow, & Houldsworth, 2016).
Company overview
Wal-Mart one of the leading companies in terms of retailers whose headquarters are
situated in the United States. Other than this, Wal-Mart further generates its operations through
the superstores and discount stores. Moreover, this particular company also generates its
operations in china, japan, and Brazil. In terms of global perspectives, every organization mainly
selects its employees from various diverse groups and further adopts the new labor laws and tax

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abilities. Wal-Mart also faces certain challenges such as technological changes within a different
country, mobility factor, and cultural factor. Lastly, certain ethical issues and challenges are also
faced by the company while working on international grounds which not only affects the
working of the organization but also had a greater impact on their profitability and the fulfillment
of the objectives (GAO, & WU, 2016).
Contemporary issues and challenges Affecting international human
resource management
In general, when we talk about the contemporary issues and challenges of Wal-Mart,
which affects the international human, resource management highlights the technology aspect,
government regulations, the risk of international operations and lastly, channel expansion and
high growth pains are the major issues. Along with this, certain other issues, which highlight the
technological aspect, training, and development issue and human resource practices are major,
affected the workings within the organization. Moreover, it is also seen that international
mobility and business ethics play a major role in which the company's operations and
management are majorly affected (Schuler, Jackson, 2014).
Technological impact
It is seen that over time, many companies have converted themselves or are getting more
inclined towards the technological aspect, similarly, Wal-Mart also applied technology in
acquiring the human resource by applying the electronic human resource system to attract the job
seekers and provide training and managing employee performance. Furthermore, this particular
aspect also helps in targeting talented employees, which helps in achieving the organizations'

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ability in achievement. This is helpful in determining the intentions and the behavior of
employees but this aspect affects the system acceptance, varies the nature of communication
media and message characteristics.
Impact of technology and e-HR for acquiring human resources
Furthermore, it is also seen that when the company applied the E-HR source for acquiring
employees, the company faced many challenges in terms of the technical aspect such as staff
resistance, lost productivity lack of implementation and lastly issue of data migration are majorly
affected in long run. Other than this, it is also seen that such practices adopted by Wal-Mart have
seen expensive, time-consuming, it also leads to cumbersome recruitment and onboarding.
Lastly, it was also seen that due to adoption of the E-HR technology aspect also sometimes
generate insecure data storage or transfers which majorly affects the workings of the Wal-Mart at
large (Schuler, Jackson, & Tarique, 2011).
Impact of technology on training and development
As training programs mainly encompass the in-house seminar and meetings, which are,
designed and given to employees on the job knowledge of skills, which are important for doing
business globally. Similarly, when Wal-Mart has expanded its business in a global market they
have also faced issues regarding the training and development of employees who are from
diverse fields and countries. Hence, it was seen that people from different cultures and countries
responded differently to the same aspects. So for that, the company should have to generate the
cross pieces of training to the employees and leads to the betterment of future conditions
(Luthans, & Doh, 2012).

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Challenge of international mobility
Global mobility is also one of the issue or a challenge, which affects both the company as
well as employees. Wal-Mart in this concern faced issues in talent fetching, talent identification,
as they need the talented employees who can be matched with global opportunities and due to
this mobility issue, the working within the company became complex. Another challenge for the
company was to select the right person for the right job. Along with this, it includes a variety of
decision factors, including cost, timing, risk and tax considerations. Hence, such mobility
concern affects the working of Wal-Mart at large and also affected international human resource
management in global concern. And an employee's concern, it is seen that the global assignments
are complex in nature and generate a disruptive experience and make it difficult to get involved.
Impact of international mobility on talent management
Such a global mobility challenge for employees generates a lack of support for global
companies as well as employers. Not only has this, moving to another country also generated
challenges in terms of housing, language, culture assimilation, schooling of children’s makes
difficult for the employee to adjust in this environment and thus, such reasons affects the
employees decisions and creates major harm for company to attract the talent employees (Arora,
& Hanumante, 2017).
Impact of international mobility on performance management
Other than this, cultural differences also affect the global mobility of the employees in
other countries. As it is very hard for the organization to understand and maintains the cultural
diversity aspect. Moreover, it is always seen that working with the people who are from different
locations or from different cultural backgrounds means the company needs to develop new ideas,

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newer ways communication along with they will also face a challenge in relation to the
unfamiliar social practices. Similarly, Wal-Mart also faced cultural differences when they
entered into china, the United Kingdom and many other countries. So, from this, we can state
that every company has its own cultural norms, which mainly includes communication
differences, status differences, reward and recognition, and gender roles
Challenge of ethical business practices
In terms of ethical issues of human resource is raised due to complex multinational
companies their various bleedings of languages, cultures, and ways of doing business creates a
minefield of challenges. Various issues such as lack of cultural awareness, bribery, and privacy
issue and lastly, compensation aspect majorly comes under the ethical issues, which influences
the international human resource management system of the organization. A lack of cultural
awareness generates a lack of respect for the conservative or liberal nature of the other, culture
which affects the company at large. Other than this, compliance and privacy are also issues for
many companies as different countries have different regulations. Moreover, compensation,
levels also vary from country to country, such difference in salaries also impacts the employees'
workings in various countries as if they will be satisfied they will join or continue and if not they
will not take any interest in same (Floyd, Xu, Atkins, & Caldwell, 2013).
Impact of ethical business
In Wal-Mart concern, they hired people as part-time workers so would have to pay
medical benefits, which makes employees only eligible for benefits if they will work for 30
hours or more. Other than this, an ethical issue in terms of health and safety, restructuring and
layoff and employee responsibilities are also some reasons due to which the international human

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resource management is affected. All these practices not only harm the employees but also harms
the organization's performance along with the reputation in an entire market (Noe, et al, 2017).
Impact of ethical business challenges on business
Other than this, when we talk about the impact, it generates a negative effect on
employee's performance, lack of motivation towards work and thus leads to a decrease in the
performance. Due to all these factors companies’ image and credibility are also affected, the
customer base also gets weakened and thus, the profits of the company are majorly harmed for
the long term period. At last, an unethical business creates threats in the mind of employees,
customers and communities; such lack of business ethics endangers the future of Wal-Mart,
jeopardizes the public good and also negatively affects the business environment is large (Stahl,
et al, 2012).
Future implication on international human resource practices
According to these challenges, the company will majorly face a technology issue,
employee mobility issue, training, and development issue and ethical issue which badly affects
the company outcome at large. In addition, due to all these reasons for challenges a company's
future in international aspect concerns will not be able to grow, attract, retain and reward the
employees, customers, and societies towards them. Hence, this will majorly influence the
employees’ performances within the company and thus it will lead to the breakdown of the
company (Cascio, & Boudreau, 2016).
If the company will lack the technological aspect, it will be hard for the business to carry
out its further operation in an international market this will majorly influence their workings. It
will be time-consuming, leads to the rigid working style, more of cost to pay employees fewer

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profits generation as workings will not be according to the customers wants, preferences,
communication issues, lack of innovation and creativity and definitely affects the working and
overall performances of organization on an international grounds (Shaffer, et al, 2012).
Other than this, in the future, the company with such challenges will not be able to attract
the top talents to the organization and thus, again it is badly harming the productivity and success
of the organization in long run. Because it is seen that for every organization when it moves over
the international way, they need to recruit the best talents so that the organization can perform at
its best on international ground, so that the organization needs to develop proper training and
development aspects so that they perform. Therefore, this can be done when an organization
focuses on employees’ interests as well as the technological aspect and employees’ mobility
aspect (Salas, et al 2012).
Other than this, when a company works over its ethical aspect it helps in building
customer loyalty, helps in creating a more positive image in the international marketplace. In
employees' terms, the ethical aspect helps in retaining the good employees, helps in generating
their career advancement and thus, it will further benefit the company in the long run. Further
ethical aspect within the business practices also helps companies to avoid the legal problems
such as labor laws, safety hazards and much more, which will in future, helps the companies to
sustain their reputation and generate profits in long run (Collings, 2014).

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Recommendations
Enhancement in technology
In the recommendation aspect, the first and foremost aspect of the companies is to focus
on the technological aspect, in which they need to upgrade their technology. So, that the working
can be done on a faster pace, less complexity within workings, more flexibility, foster
innovation, and creativity, less cost, leads to the lesser time consuming and will able to attract
more customers and helps in generation of profit in long run.
Other than this, the company should also focus on its technical aspects, which helps in
giving training to employees. As enhanced technology leads to enhanced training and
development methods, which helps the company to train for the advanced enhancement
personally as well as it will benefit the company. This will help them in the future and as due to
training and development, employees are able to enhance their innovation and creativity, which
improves the companies’ productivity in long run (Sparrow, 2012).
Practicing better ethical business values
Other than this, if a company is working on international grounds, every companies HR
duties are to keep knowledge about the laws and regulations of the local, state or weather
international. As different labor laws and other regulations in the countries from hiring practices
wage payment to workplace safety is to be considered. This aspect helps the company to make
employees retain for a longer period and will also help employees from the bigger losses which
may arise if the company has no knowledge about the laws of that particular country (McNulty,
& De Cieri, 2016).