You wont anticipate the need for two hours at a bank for a transaction that once took five minutes, or could be handled over the Internet, and find that businesses close during midday, preventing you from accomplishing your goals. You may find the prospect of an international assignment intriguing, challenging, or even frightening; indeed, most professionals employed abroad will tell you they pass through all three stages at some point during the assignment. BANGKOK (AP) A U.S. Army officer has died while on temporary duty in Thailand to take part in a major multinational military exercise, U.S. and Thai officials said Wednesday. Chapter 18: Refining Your Writing: How Do I Improve My Writing Technique? You may also begin to feel that the grass is greener in your host country, and long to return. The days, weeks, and months leading up to your new assignment are crucialand potentially maddening as you sort out the personal and professional challenges youve taken on. Is your family supportive of the assignment? Will this assignment benefit your family? provides ten steps that show the process of acculturation, including culture shock, that you may experience: Humans fear the unknown, and even if your tolerance for uncertainty is high, you may experience a degree of anxiety in anticipation of your arrival. People and places change, the familiar is no longer so familiar, and you too have changed. Similarly, in order to be a successful expat, or expatriate, one needs to prepare mentally and physically for the change. When someone you love is diagnosed with a serious illness, the news may take some time to sink in. View the full answer. You may look at your home culture in a new way and question things that are done in a particular way that you have always considered normal. Should you accept the international assignment? At this stage, you will feel that living in this new culture is simply exhausting. International business assignments are a reflection of increased global trade, and as trade decreases, they may become an expensive luxury. Will this assignment benefit your family? What is your relationship with your employer, and can it withstand the anticipated stress and tension that will result as not everything goes according to plan? As many as 40 percent of foreign-assigned employees terminate their assignments early (Tu, H. and Sullivan, S., 1994), at a considerable cost to their employers. He emphasized how good it would be for his career and for the childrens cognitive and social development. Many expats advise that this is the time to tough it outif you give in to the temptation to make a visit back home, you will only prolong your difficult adjustment. Steven Rhinesmith provides ten steps that show the process of acculturation, including culture shock, that you may experience: Humans fear the unknown, and even if your tolerance for uncertainty is high, you may experience a degree of anxiety in anticipation of your arrival. 1.1 Getting Started: Effective Business Communication. Diversity is a set of conscious practices that involve understanding and appreciating interdependence of humanity, cultures, and the natural environment; practicing mutual respect for qualities and experiences that are different from our own; understanding that diversity includes not only ways of being but also ways of knowing; recognizing that Finally, well examine culture shock and the acculturation process. Its critical for transitioning international executives to consider, identify, and manage compliance issues. Want to create or adapt books like this? Establish e-mail relationships with future colleagues so that from day one members of your family know people in country. Share and compare with classmates. They feel secure in their place as explorer, and understand that mistakes are a given, even as they are unpredictable. In others, there may be a particular need at an overseas office that only a person with a specific skill set can meet. They should also have enough experience in the organization that they can help mentor the assignee on how to maneuver around potential obstacles and make the most of the assignment. Chapter 15: Working with Words: Which Word is Right? Oscar had worked for 10 years at a U.S.based pharmaceuticals firm, moving relatively quickly from an entry-level position in manufacturing all the way up to a post as general manager in one of the companys biggest domestic plants. Experience a different culture. How deep is the talent pool? These individuals are the point people and mentors for ensuring the fit from the company perspective, the fit from the assignees perspective, and for comanaging the process throughout. You may find the prospect of an international assignment intriguing, challenging, or even frightening; indeed, most professionals employed abroad will tell you they pass through all three stages at some point during the assignment. Even when he tried to reinforce positive behavior among his staff members, Oscar found himself making mistakes. Maintain regular communication with colleagues, friends, and family back homeinvite them to visit, or even establish a blog that recounts the familys adventures in your new home. The people selected for overseas assignments are not consistently the companys best-performing and brightest. What once took a five-minute phone call may now take a dozen meetings and a month to achieve, and that may cause you some frustration. But if you have only ever known about a place through the lens of a camera, you have only seen the portraits designed and portrayed by others. To avoid this trap, ask people lots of questions instead of making statementseven if, like Oscar, youre pretty sure you know what the central issues are. Can you stand being out of the loop, even if you are in daily written and oral communication with the home office? JT Euro Note Currency CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Without a good idea of what youll say and do in the first 24 hours, the first week, and the first month, you risk getting caught up in crisis managementreacting to each organizational flare-up rather than moving your own strategic agenda forward. The pharmaceuticals company boasted multiple operations in China, and he eagerly anticipated the challenge of living and working thousands of miles from his native New Jersey. Here again, cultural interpreters can be invaluable. After reading Chapter 18, complete exercise "3" at the end of Section 18.7 in the text: ENG103 Assignments Chapter 18 What would be the hardest part of an overseas assignment and why? Develop a thesis statement. WebHumanitarian Aid in International Studies Group Assignment. Next well examine traits and skills of the successful expatriate. memo format Expert Answer 100% (5 ratings) Memorandum To: Manager From : Overseas How long are you willing to commit to the assignment? But regardless of whether your assignment involves relocation abroad, supervision of managers in another country at a distance, or supervision by a foreign manager, you will need to learn more about the language, culture, and customs that are not your own. The risk is that theyll send the message There is no good here. While this is a pitfall for every new leader, its particularly problematic when one is moving from the home office to an international assignment: Everyone in the organization may already be in a defensive mind-set; it takes only a little reinforcement to cast this in concrete. One organization we spoke to asks assignees to blog about their experiences both during and after the assignment. WebWhat would be the easiest part of an overseas assignment for you, and why? Create a research paper outline. Oscars story demonstrates the complexities of making a successful transition from a leadership position in a familiar setting to a position of similar or even greater responsibility overseas. In some companies, for example, international experience is a requirement for moving into leadership positions. The international assignment process Selection and preparation Even a leader with strong emotional intelligence in his home country can make grave miscalculations in a new culture. 1.1 Why Is It Important to Communicate Well? We spoke with seven different executives and consultants with deep experience managing the expat process, asking what theyve learned over the years about how to maximize the value of these critical assignments. Paris may be known for its art, as a place for lovers, or as a great place to buy bread. Is the cultural framework of your assignment similar toor unlikeyour own, and how ready are you to adapt to differences in such areas as time horizon, masculinity versus femininity, or direct versus indirect styles of communication? Tu, H., & Sullivan, S. (1994). We discovered five tips for increasing the return on investment of your overseas assignments. Chapter 19: Developing Business Presentations, Chapter 24: Business Presentations in Action, Chapter 25: Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Business Communication, Chapter 26: Negative News and Crisis Communication, Chapter 28: Group Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5350/is_200308/ai_n21334696, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_nl_v37/ai_14922926, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. AcculturationThe transition to living abroad., or the transition to living abroad, is often described as an emotional rollercoaster. But regardless of whether your assignment involves relocation abroad, supervision of managers in another country at a distance, or supervision by a foreign manager, you will need to learn more about the language, culture, and customs that are not your own. When a new baby enters your family, a period of adjustment is predictable and prolonged. Imagine if Oscar had tapped a trusted adviser, someone with years of experience on the ground in Chinasomeone who might have steered the transitioning leader away from picking up that pen. Rather than responding with frustration, they learn the new customs and find the advantage to get the job done. Your experience with other cultures may have come firsthand, but for most, a foreign location like Paris is an idea formed from exposure to images via the mass media. You may adjust superficially at first, learning where to get familiar foods or new ways to meet your basic needs. Still, turning the plant around would require clear, top-down mandates for change, so he presented an aggressive planwhich included shutting down a production line, reconfiguring two support groups, and laying off about 5% of the workforceto the senior managers and expected them to fall in line. That is not to say that research does not form a solid foundation in preparation for an international assignment, but it does reinforce the distinction between a media-fabricated ideal and real life. You will need to compare and contrast, and seek experiences that lend insight, in order to communicate more effectively. Settling your family, adapting your communication style, and understanding the new regulatory environment are critical for transitioning successfully, the authors say. When a new baby enters your family, a period of adjustment is predictable and prolonged. Companies can also host special sessions or brown bag lunches on managing global work and intercultural communication, including returning expats alongside outside guest speakers and panel discussions. If there was one tip that everyone we spoke with agreed on, it was the critical importance of open, frequent communication throughout the assignment. Note the qualifications, and share with classmates. They feel secure in their place as explorer, and understand that mistakes are a given, even as they are unpredictable. Teacher Eastern Gateway Community College, What would be the hardest/easiest part of an overseas assignment for you and. Returning home. You will represent your company and they will represent you, including a considerable financial investment, either by your employer (in the case of a professional assignment) or by whoever is financing your education (in the case of studying abroad). You may once again be elated at your return and the familiar, and experience a sense of comfort in home and family, but culture shock may again be part of your adjustment. Over time, if you persevere, you will come to accept and adjust to your host culture, and learn how to accomplish your goals with less frustration and ease. If you start reaching out on day one, word will quickly spread across the organization. Note the qualifications, and share with classmates. Your awareness of culture shock may help you adjust, and your preparation by learning some of the language will assist you, but know that living and working abroad take time and effort. At first the honeymoon period is observed, with a sense of elation at all the newfound wonders. Life experience. Steven Rhinesmith provides ten steps that show the process of acculturation, including culture shock, that you may experience: Humans fear the unknown, and even if your tolerance for uncertainty is high, you may experience a degree of anxiety in anticipation of your arrival. What resources are available to help you prepare, move, and adjust? Ideally, you will find at least two: an expatriate who has a lot of experience working in the culture youre moving to, and a native who has a lot of experience working with expatriates. As assignees delve into their new roles overseas and companies plug the holes left behind by absent employees, its easy for companies to lose touch with people they send abroad. WebHumanitarian Aid in International Studies Individual Assignment. Find an advertisement for an international assignment. WebAn international assignment, whether as a student or a career professional, requires work and preparation, and should be given the time and consideration of any major life People abroad generally distinguish between US policy and Americans as a people, so while many policies are disliked, Americans are not. In fact, i Find an advertisement for an international assignment. With the right planning and attitudes, these leadership roles can stretch capabilities, challenge assumptions, and steer both people and profits in a positive direction. Thats what it was like for a leader well call Oscar Barrow. Awareness of this difference is an important step as you prepare yourself for life in a foreign culture. The company met cost and revenue targets within the first year, incorporated Gillettes superior go-to-market processes, and continued to position itself for growth even as the current recession loomed. What are your language skills at present, and are you interested in learning a new language? This left her isolated, as she tried to set up the house and figure out the basics of living in China. Flexibility and the ability to adapt to fluid circumstances (71 percent) led the list of behavioral characteristics businesses look for when considering an employee for an , or expatriate, one needs to prepare mentally and physically for the change on day one members of family. Increasing the return on investment of your overseas assignments are a reflection of increased global trade, understanding. Gateway Community College, what would be the easiest part of an assignment... 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