Week 5 Discussion

Expatriates

How would you feel about working in another country? The thought of traveling seems fascinating and daunting at the same time. There are hundreds of expatriates traveling to various countries. The thought of seeing new landscapes, being in tropical desert climates, and experiencing another culture can be wonderful. As wonderful as it may seem, there are certain regulations, policies, governmental guidelines, and customs that must be followed. For example, Dubai is very alluring with beautiful hotels, monumental skyscrapers, and tropical climate. With all of the allure and state-of-the-art facilities, this country has been built on certain social customs and restrictions due to its location. There are numerous countries where an employer may send an expatriate. The HR professional must have extensive knowledge of certain protocols in order to acclimate expatriates to another country. Such areas of concern should be allowing the expatriates or their family members to visit the country prior to relocation, �nding suitable housing, investigating the educational system for children, immersing the expatriates and their family members in the language of the country, and so on. The HR professional must be cognizant of the political climate and any terrorist activity. Working abroad can be very exciting for an expatriate, but it is the responsibility of the HR professional to establish sound policies and international compensation programs to assist the expatriate with the transition.

Pros and Cons of Moving to Dubai

Pros Cons

Open to other religions Must recognize Ramadan and the �ve- time daily call to prayer.

New high-rise apartments Rent must be paid in full and up front for one year.

Realtors may be dif�cult to work with.

An agent is required when signing the lease.

Sporadic maintenance and lack of fees paid by owners may prevent expatriates from using some of the amenities.

There are a few questions to consider:

What is the competitive advantage, and how do international activities �t in?

What type of cross-cultural training should an expatriate receive?

What factors must the HR professional consider before designing an international compensation program for an expatriate?

Why is the balance sheet for the US expatriate’s compensation package so important?

Why is repatriation important to an expatriate?

Pros Cons

English is spoken Even though English is spoken, it can be very dif�cult to open a bank account, set up basic utilities, mobile phone, or obtain a visa since the formal documentation may be in Arabic.

Good public transportation Beware of driving in Dubai.

Additional Materials

From your course textbook, Strategic Compensation: A Human Resource Management Approach, read the following chapter:

Compensating Expatriates

From the South University Online Library, read the following articles:

Compensation Issues Relating to Expatriate Managers: A Review of Related Literature (https://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp? sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=116350598&site=eds-live)

Lessons from Fred Bailey's Expatriate Experience in Japan: Proactively Preparing Employees for International Assignments (https://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp? sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=66961080&site=eds-live)

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