Component 1 of the Assignment:

You are a senior international human resource manager in a multinational corporation (countryX) planning to open a subsidiary in a country of your choice (country Y). In advance of 'start-up' formulate a critical essay to your board of executives which addresses the following:

• The major institutional and cultural differences which separate the country Xand country Y. You should make a reference to Cross Cultural Management literature to explain the main cultural differences faced by expatriates in the host environment.

• Challenges faced by expatriates and company in relation to:
- International recruitment from the expatriate and company perspectives.
- Training and development in the global environment.

Component 2 of the Assignment:

• a ‘Personal Reflection' which is your own reflection on the process of working in a multicultural groupand what you have learned. Your reflection should be written in the first person (use me / I) and should be no more than 500 words in total. This is part of your overall 4,000 word count.

You will be expected to demonstrate that you:

1. Are familiar with and able to critically review the relevant literature on international HRM, international/global managers and intercultural working.

2. Have a critical understanding of the role and contributions of international managers.

3. Have a critical understanding of the capabilities, qualities and conditions that various studies report as being important to the role and effective functioning of an international/global team leader/manager.

4. Have an appreciation of the concepts of ‘expatriates' and their implication for international HRM.

5. Have an appreciation of the specific organisational strategies and interventions that can be used to ensure international managers are fit for the role. Also the challenges that an international manager might face e.g. selection methods, pre-departure briefings and training, cultural competence skills development.