Adaptability Assessment

Since companies usually know more about their employees' technical than adaptive capabilities, they must focus on measuring adaptation abilities for foreign-transfer purposes. For example, people who have successfully adjusted to domestic transfers or have previous international experience are more likely to adapt abroad. In addition, some companies use a variety of testing mechanisms to aid in the assessment. One is the Early Identification Program (E.I.P.), which assesses an individual's match with different environments. Many other tests assess personality traits that indicate a willingness to change basic attitudes: These include the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey, and the Allport-Vernon Study of Values.

A small minority of companies include spouses in tests and extensive interviews because a foreign assignment is usually more stressful for the spouse than for the transferred employee. The foreign assignment is generally an advancement for (in most cases) the husband; however, the wife must start at the bottom in developing new social relations and learning how to carry out the day-to-day management of the home. The separation from friends and family often makes the wife very lonely so that she turns to her husband for more companionship. But the husband may have less time be­cause of his new working conditions. This may lead to marital stress which, in turn, affects work performance. Interviewers thus look not only at likely adaptivity, but also at whether the marriage is strong enough to weather the stress and not impede performance of employment duties.

Although some companies follow a rigorous procedure of selecting and training people cross-culturally for foreign assignments, the adjustment and performance of their expatriates have been mixed. Nevertheless, the evidence supports a positive relationship between vigorous procedures and adjustment and performance.

The Help of Local Companies

One way of attaining personnel for foreign operations is by buying an existing firm abroad and using the personnel already employed; however, firms should consider the possible efficiency problems of acquisitions. Firms also may tie in closely with local companies in the expectation that these firms will contribute personnel to the operation as well as hire new personnel. In countries such as Japan, where the labor market is tight and people are reluctant to move to new firms, the use of a local partner may be extremely important. However, if a local partner handles staffing arrangements, the employees may see their primary allegiance to that partner rather than to the foreign investor.

Дата добавления: 2014-11-29