1. What steps can the company's IHRM department take to maxi- mize the effectiveness of the expatriate's assignment and the longterm benefit to the company?

2. Discuss the role of reverse culture shock in the repatriation process. What can companies do to avoid this problem? What kinds of skills do managers learn from a foreign assignment, and how can the company benefit from them? What is the role of repatriation in the company's global competitive situation?

3. What are the reasons for the small numbers of female expatriates? What more can companies do to use women as a resource for international management?

4. What is a virtual global management team? How do the members interact? Discuss the advantages and the challenges faced by these teams. Give some suggestions as to how to maximize the effectiveness of virtual teams across borders.

5. Discuss the reasons behind the growing convergence and interdependence of labor unions around the world.