Assignment Title: 

"Comparative Analysis of the Multinational Company’s Cultural Environment in Human Resource Strategies"

The Assignment consists of TWO PARTS:

PART ONE: A Report / 1200 words +/-10% 

PART TWO: An Elevator Pitch Video / only 1 minute.

PART ONE: A Report / 1200 words +/-10%

Description of the assignment, task, content and structure:

Choose two countries with distinct cultures, each located on different continents. The goal is to analyse and compare how cultural dimensions influence ‘Staffing Strategies’ within a single multinational corporation operating in both chosen countries.

"Staffing Strategies" (Choose Any Two for the work). Staffing involves activities such as recruitment, workforce planning/staffing, attraction, selection, orientation, career development, training, performance management, succession planning, diversity and inclusion initiatives etc.

1. Cultural Theories Integration:

• Choose two relevant cultural theories from this list: (Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory, Hall's High/Low Context Culture Theory, Trompenaars' Seven Dimensions of Culture, and GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness) Study) to provide a theoretical foundation for your comparative Ensure that the discussions in this section directly pertain to the chosen countries.
• Apply these theories to understand how cultural dimensions influence ‘Any Two Staffing Strategies’ (recruitment, workforce planning/staffing, attraction, selection, orientation, career development, training, performance management, succession planning, Diversity and inclusion initiatives etc). In the exploration of these chosen theories, students are encouraged not only to embrace them but also to critically engage with them. Through critique, students deepen their understanding, acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the theories they choose to apply.
• In addition to textual analysis, students are strongly encouraged to enhance their presentation by incorporating visual aids. This can include graphs or diagrams illustrating the key dimensions of each theory, providing a concise and visually appealing summary.
• Students should also include proper references and dates for each theory, ensuring transparency and academic rigour in their analysis.
• Students are required to read and cite a particular section of the course textbook (International Human Resource Management by Dowling, Peter; Festing, Marion; Engle, Allen D., Sr 2023, Eight Edition)when addressing the first question (Cultural Theories Integration). The chosen section should be relevant to the discussion of cultural dimensions and international human resource management.

1. Integration of Recent Events:

Research and integrate ONE recent event or change in the cultural or economic, or political landscape in EACH of the selected countries. Consider how these events may impact both staffing strategies mentioned above:

• Cultural Landscape: This involves aspects like societal values, customs, traditions, language, and social norms.
• Economic Landscape: Economic factors encompass elements such as GDP growth, employment rates, industry trends, and economic policies.
• Political Landscape: Political factors involve the structure, stability, and policies of the government.

1. Comparison with Local Practices/Strategies:

Explore and compare the TWO Staffing Strategies in the Multinational Corporation with those of local companies (name a couple of local companies in the same industry as the MNC) in each selected country. Analyse the cultural influences on both sets of practices/strategies. Students have the option to analyse a Multinational Corporation headquartered in either the United States of America or the United Kingdom.

Important to note:

As the chosen Multinational Corporation (MNC) will headquarter in either the United States of America or the United Kingdom, students should select two other countries with distinct cultures for analysis. The goal is to explore how the MNC adjusts its staffing strategies to operate successfully in these two different countries.

For this assignment, it is assumed that the chosen Multinational Corporation (MNC) follows an ethnocentric approach in its international human resource management (IHRM). "An ethnocentric approach implies a centralised management structure where HR practices are standardised across different countries" – i.e. the Coca Cola Company, Nestle, Unilever etc.

1. Optimisation Recommendations:

Provide recommendations for optimising the TWO Staffing Strategies mentioned in the work within the Multinational Corporation. Students should address each of the chosen countries individually.

Please ensure consistent use of the SAME TWO Staffing strategies in all sections above for coherence in the recommendations.

Word Count Allocation Breakdown:

Introduction (Approximately 150 words): Begin by introducing the assignment's purpose and emphasise the importance of understanding the cultural dimensions' impact on staffing in multinational corporations. Clearly state the objective of the Report.

Cultural Theories Integration (Approximately 350 words): Students are strongly encouraged to enhance their presentation by incorporating visual aids:  Introduce the concept of cultural theories as essential frameworks for analysis. Briefly mention the selection of two relevant cultural theories (e.g., e.g., Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory, Hall's High/Low Context Culture Theory, Trompenaars' Seven Dimensions of Culture, and GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness) Study) and their application in understanding how cultural dimensions influence staffing strategies in these countries. In the exploration of these chosen theories, students are encouraged not only to embrace them but also to critically engage with them.

Integration of Recent Events (Approximately 250 words): Emphasise the authenticity of the assignment by incorporating ONE recent event or change in the cultural or economic, or political landscape of the selected countries. Highlight the importance of considering these events in the analysis and discuss how they may or have impacted both staffing strategies.

Comparison with Local Practices (Approximately 250 words): Explore and compare the 'same' staffing strategies of the Multinational Corporation with those of local companies in each selected country. Analyse the cultural influences on both sets of practices, emphasizing the need to consider the local context in shaping staffing strategies.

Recommendations/Summary (Approximately 200 words): Provide recommendations for optimising the staffing strategies within the Multinational Corporation. Students should address each of the chosen countries individually.

Academic sources: It is expected that students include a minimum of 15 academic sources in their work: This requirement emphasises the importance of thorough research and encourages students to draw upon a diverse range of scholarly materials to substantiate their analysis. Students should ensure that the sources used are directly related to the topics of cultural dimensions and international human resource management. Only reliable and reputable sources should be included in the bibliography, avoiding the use of fake or irrelevant sources. There is also the list below of HRM Journals that highly recommended to use in the assignment.

15 HRM Journals RECOMMENDED to use

Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources

European Journal of Industrial Relations

Evidence-based HRM

Human Resource Development International

Human Resource Development Review

Human Resource Management Journal

Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management Review

International Journal of Human Resource Management

International Journal of Manpower

New Technology, Work and Employment

Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management

South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management

Work, Employment and Society

Work and Occupations

Examples of relevant sources:

Dowling, P., Festing, M., Engle, S., and Allen D. (2023) International human resource management. 8th edn. Australia: Cengage.

Tarique, I., Briscoe, D., and Schuler, R. (2015;2022;) International Human Resource Management: Policies and Practices for Multinational Enterprises. 5th;6th edn. Florence: Taylor and Francis.

Hofstede, G., and Pedersen, P. (2002) Exploring culture: exercises, stories and synthetic cultures. Paperback. London: Nicholas Brealey.

Rode, J. Huang, X. and Schroeder, R. (2022) ‘Human resources practices and continuous improvement and learning across cultures’, Journal of International Management, 28(4), p. 100972.

Tarique, I., Briscoe, D. and Schuler, R. (2022) ‘Country and company culture and international human resource management’. Routledge (International Human Resource Management), pp. 115–145.

Hofstede, G. and Hoppe, M. (2004) ‘Introduction: Geert Hofstede's "Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values"’, Academy of Management perspectives, 18(1), pp. 73–74.

To enhance your research, in addition to the 15 academic sources, students should consider incorporating additional perspectives from online articles or news articles. While these sources may not be academic, they can offer valuable insights, particularly for understanding country current events.

East Asia Forum (2023) 'Has the Chinese Economy Hit the Wall?', East Asia Forum, [Online]. Available at: https://eastasiaforum.org/2023/10/08/has-the-chinese-economy-hit-the-wall/Links to an external site. (Accessed: 15 February 2024).

Reuters (2024) 'German economy contracted 0.3% in 2023, says Stats Office', Reuters, [Online]. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/german-economy-contracted-03-2023-stats-office-2024-01-15/Links to an external site. (Accessed: 15 February 2024).

The Guardian (2023) 'Germany and the World Economic Slowdown: OECD Insights', The Guardian, [Online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/sep/19/germany-world-economic-slowdown-oecd-interest-rates-chinaLinks to an external site. (Accessed: 15 February 2024).

 FYI:

A continent is a large, continuous landmass on Earth, typically separated by natural geographical features such as oceans or mountain ranges. There are seven continents on Earth: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Australia, and South America.

Countries in Africa: Africa is the second-largest continent, known for its incredible cultural, geographical, and ethnic diversity. It is home to 54 recognized countries. Here are a few examples: Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya etc.

Countries in North America: North America is the third-largest continent, consisting of three major countries and several smaller territories. Here are examples of countries in North America: United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic.

A multinational corporation (MNC) is a company that operates in multiple countries and has a significant presence in each of them. MNCs engage in business activities, such as manufacturing, sales, and services, on a global scale.

Here are two examples of multinational corporations:

Apple Inc.: An American technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. Apple has a global presence with products sold in numerous countries.

Nestlé S.A.: A Swiss multinational food and beverage company. Nestlé is one of the largest food companies globally, with operations in various countries and a diverse portfolio of products.

To excel in this assignment:

1. Country Selection: Students must choose countries located on different continents, as explicitly instructed in the task. As the chosen Multinational Corporation (MNC) will headquarter in either the United States of America or the United Kingdom, students should select two other countries with distinct cultures for analysis.
2. Cultural Theories Integration: Students should demonstrate a clear connection between the chosen countries and the cultural theories discussed.
3. Integration of Recent Events:The importance of choosing recent events that significantly impact the cultural, economic, or political landscape of the selected countries.
4. Comparison with Local Practices:Explore and compare TWO Staffing/HRM practices both within the Multinational Corporation and local companies in each selected country.
5. Optimisation Recommendations: Students should provide concrete and country-specific recommendations for optimising staffing strategies
6. Academic Sources: The importance of academic rigour by including a minimum of 15relevant sources. These sources should directly contribute to the analysis of cultural dimensions and international human resource management. Highly recommended to use articles from the proposed list of HR Journals.
7. Students must ensure the utmost integrity in their referencing.Use only genuine and reputable sources in the bibliography, as tutors will meticulously scrutinise this section during the assessment. The inclusion of fake references is strictly prohibited and may result in serious consequences for academic integrity.

PART TWO: An Elevator Pitch Video / only 1 minute. It should imitate the Elevator pitch (it should be VIDEO)

Elevator Pitch is your quick, personal selling statement. It can be used when riding in an elevator with the person next to you, when meeting employers at career fairs, and as the foundation for cover letters and email introductions.

 Every Student should use the Elevator Pitch in this assignment as the quick, personal selling statement of the main results and proposals of their written Report above. It can be used when riding in an elevator with the CEO next to them whom they prepared their Report on the Topic "Comparative Analysis of the Multinational Company’s Cultural Environment in Human Resource Strategies".

What to Include in Your One-Minute Elevator Pitch Video

1) Tell who you are, including your credential. Your name and something that differentiates you from your colleagues (degree, experience etc.) and establishes a relationship with the CEO (the graduation of the same university, the same home town, etc.).

2) Tell what your main goals in your Report (clearly defines your report's focus, objectives, and key cultural aspects you're addressing).

3)  Tell what you proposed in your Report (demonstrates a clear summary of your proposals, showing how you’ve tailored HR strategies to fit the cultural context)

4) Tell what makes your Report unique (highlights what makes your Report stand out by focusing on the integration of theories, practical application, and adaptability, which distinguishes it from standard analyses)

5) Tell how your proposal in the Report will influence on the MNC’s further development (explains how the proposed strategies will directly benefit the MNC’s performance and development, highlighting both cultural alignment and business growth)

6) Leave your contacts (your business card, take photo, etc. or something that makes you to stay in the memory of your CEO )

How and Where to submit video

You will need to submit your presentation to Canvas by posting an accessible URL link into a Microsoft Word document (filename “CW1” followed by your student number e.g”12345678”) which will then be uploaded the usual way through the Canvas assignment portal. By “accessible” we mean that you need to ensure that the video settings allow anyone who clicks on the link to be able to open and view your recording. You will need to save your video presentation as an MP4 or .mov file and upload it to a file sharing system in order to generate a URL link. You are recommended to use your UH student OneDrive storage or a YouTube /Vimeo account (as an unlisted video)"