7SBP1303 International and Comparative HRM Assignment Sample
Module code and Title: 7SBP1303 International and Comparative HRM Assignment Sample
1.0 Individual Essay
1.1 Introduction
This study shed light on the critical cultural factors and differences of new countries that may affect the employee performance for pay and reward. As an HR manager, there is a great responsibility if the business is expanding to the international market and it creates some difficult situations if the business is expanding into two different countries. In this modern age, the technology companies are expanding their business in an immersive way, and in this aspect, this tech company is also looking forward to expanding the business from the UK to India and Japan. Along with that, this study also demonstrates cross-cultural factors and differences between new countries and organizations.
1.2 Discussion
Cross-Cultural Factors and Differences between Indian and UK
There are four major differences between Indian and British cultures. Those factors can affect an organization if it is trying to develop and expand its business. As an HR director of this global tech, company it has been analyzed that,
Indian culture is mainly focused on group orientation than British Culture. It has been also analyzed that the main difference between these two countries is related to the collectiveness that is valuable places. In India, there are few heavy emphases and those are placed on clan and family (Merhi et al. 2019). Those are related to political factors, religious factors, and socio-economic factors.
In Indian organizations, most people are like groups so major poverty has been analyzed in this aspect. On the other hand, British cultures are more individualistic. They are also connected with social groups and families but in an organization, an individual also gets the same response as a group. In Indian culture, groups are the first priority but in British culture, individuals are mainly focused to complete their personal and professional needs.
It has been also analyzed that UK culture is “Less Hierarchical” than Indian Culture. As an HR director, it is necessary to choose a proper location where the company can expand its business. India is a developing country and there are many metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi available where the business can be expanded.
These cities are very productive and the citizens of these cities are very attractive to the new tech companies, so their cross-cultural factors and differences might not create any difficult situations (Drouhot and Nee, 2019). This can also support the preferences for reward and pay. These areas are very developed and transportation systems are very convenient so it would be a better place for business expansion in India.
Along with these, there are two major cultural differences and factors that have been noticed which are that Indian cultures are more closed instead of British Culture. In terms of conservativeness, Indian culture is more conservative than British Culture.
Cross-Cultural Factors and Differences between Japan and UK
As an HR director, it has been analyzed that there are many critical cultural differences present between these two countries. The main differences are “Reading Body Language”, Following proper dress code, asking questions, modesty is the key, being Unable to make a mistake, Priority is on the group, Ned to hide true feelings, “No Means No”, Silence is on the first priority.
All of these are the main cultural barriers in terms of expanding the business in Japan. The culture is different from these so there might be a complication in terms of expanding business in the developing cities of Japan. In this country, these factors can directly impact the preferences of employees in terms of pay and reward (Aizawa and Rose, 2019). As Japanese culture is not very open to all, the preferences of employees might not be entertained and that can create problems.
Impact of Cross-Cultural Factors on pay and Reward system in improving Employee performance
The desired attitudes and behaviors can be articulated and this reward system can communicate to their cultures while adding new members to the organization. News adoption most of the time creates cultural differences in payment and reward systems. This function is interrupted in this aspect. In this aspect, a major contradictory view is also created in the new business and with new employees. Cross-cultural differences can transmit their values according to the norms of their members.
As an HR director, it has been observed that this situation can directly demotivate all employees and the main impact would be visible on the performance (Kwon and Farndale, 2020). There are a few cross-cultural factors between India and Japan that can directly impact employee performance and their behavior in the workplace.
Generational Differences, Religious matters, Educational Differences, Different Dress Code, Feedback, Communication, and teamwork are the major contradictory areas of the organization. These are also considered one of the trickiest cultural factors that can affect employee motivation. A payment and reward system is one crucial area where the organization gets more profit. Offering payments and rewards to the employees helps to motivate the employees in every aspect but different cultural factors which have been mentioned above can create major discrimination in the working environment and that needs to be managed (Khan et al. 2020).
These areas need to be solved with a special impact unless the business cannot be moved forward towards success and is unable to expand also. Employee recognition and reward systems can improve this situation across different cultures and that procedure needs to be implemented. It is necessary to increase the motivational rate of the employees and support their preferences because this can enhance the team efforts and increase the satisfaction rate of the consumers.
These are the critical and crucial areas of the organization and can reinforce the behaviors of the employee. Improving behavioral concepts can help to mitigate the issues of cultural factors and differences that create problems in the organization (Miao et al. 2018). As Japanese and Indian culture is very different, different initiatives need to be taken to mitigate the issues of cultural barriers so that the business can expand to these new areas.
Employees’ preference in pay and reward system
- Role of reward in escalating employees’ motivation
The Reward system plays a great role in shaping the working operations of the business as well as in increasing the working efficiency of the employees (Mendis, 2017). Through several research and surveys, it has been evaluated that rewards play a great role in increasing the rate of motivation in the working life of the employees. Giving rewards to the employees helps in boosting their engagement level towards work. Due to this mechanism, it has been evaluated that the working efficiency of the employees has been increased. Therefore, when the employees are given a reward they start working dedicatedly towards the end goal.
There are four types of reward system, which has been taken into consideration by every system,
Monetary reward– it is said to be the most common reward system which has been used by mostly every business to increase the working efficiency of the employees and motivate them to do better in future (Mendis, 2017). The monetary rewards generally include plans based on profit-sharing, stock options, cash rewards and many others. This is said to be the most effective reward system in motivating the employees to work dedicatedly towards their respective goals.
Non-monetary reward system– in this case, it has been evaluated that the reward system could be very simple and it can just focus on the employee of the month or the top performer. These rewards are given in form of certificates and memento for motivating the employees.
Employees assistance programs– these programs are generally designed to help the employees so that they can make their work-life better (Ahmad et al. 2019). This is done by supporting the employee’s physical and health needs.
Recognition programs– through several researches it has been evaluated that the employees who have been recognized in the organization for their productivity and accomplishments generally tend to work even harder so that they can contribute positively to the business.
The employees feel that the company trusts them for their work and it is their responsibility to help the company achieve its targeted goal effectively and efficiently. In this study, it has been evaluated that the UK Company is trying to expand its business in India and Japan. Through this, it will be evaluated what are the effects of the rewards system in India and Japan. As it is known that the benefits and motivation of the employees generally go hand in hand. All the factors together contribute to the achievement of a high retention rate due to the reward system. All these mechanisms together help in improving the dedication of the employees so that their working efficiency can be increased.
- Implementation of a pay and reward strategy to drive cross-cultural business
Implementation of a pay and reward system is very important as it helps in increasing the motivational level of the employees (Martono et al. 2018). Due to this, the employees feel more dedicated and their engagement level towards the work increases. It requires the implementation of effective strategies so that reward strategy can help in boosting employees’ motivation. It is very important to allow assess the total reward of the current state. The business should identify the current state of the business bore proceeding with the rewards strategy and its implications.
Therefore, the business should also focus on the understanding and the values of the employees that the employees are providing the business. This mechanism also includes building effective leadership so that all the targeted goals can be accomplished in an effective and efficient manner. Measuring the cost so that it can positively affect the total reward system that is going to be provided to employees.
The discussion throws light over the cross-culture business so that the reward strategies can be effectively implicated in the business (Ngwa et al. 2019). This mechanism will help the UK business to effectively expand in India and Japan. The cross-culture business has ensured that all the people from different cultures effectively interact with each other. This helps in building a business bond between the two clients and a professional relationship is created.
Cross-culture is very important as it helps in embracing the adaptability and agility of the business. It can also be said that through a cross-culture business and reward system it can be said that the dedication of the employees can be improved (Kappagomtula, 2017). These mechanisms have helped the business in hiring practices and have also helped the business to improve its access to talented tools. These policies have effectively promoted innovations at the workplace due to which employees’ dedication towards work has increased too.
Hence, it can be said that the business the UK is trying to expand its business in India and japan so that bir can effectively capture the market growth in these two countries. The reward system has been initially seen in the company when it was in the UK, but while expanding it has been observed that in India the reward system had a slight low impact on the policy of motivation. Even in Japan, it was seen that the reward system could not affect much on the employee’s motivation level. These are some of the major reasons why it is very important to implement reward systems and appraisals in business so that employees’ dedication and motivation can be boosted.
1.3 Conclusion
Hence, it can be concluded that the implication of the reward system is very important in cross-cultural business. This mechanism helps to increase the motivation level of the employees so that they can dedicatedly work towards the achievement of the targeted goals of the company. A Reward system is a key factor that helps in boosting the working efficiency of the employees. If the employees working efficiency will be increased, as a result the productivity of the business will also be increased. The above-covered points starters why appraisal and reward are very important in every business. These key factors have also laid a special emphasis on the development of the brand name in the competitive market.
2.0 Weekly attendance log
| Teaching Week | W/C | Topic | Description | |
| 1 | 7th Feb | Introduction to the module and ICHRM | The topic was to conduct detailed research on the concept of cross-cultural business management, and how different factors might impact a leading global tech company. In this regard, the learners were introduced to the “Hofstede’s Dimension Theory” in the first week. This will help me to understand how to expand business in various different countries by following cross-cultural theories. | |
| 2 | 14th Feb | Comparative HRM | In the second week we were introduced to the concept of “Comparative HRM,” which is concerned with dealing with questions like “why human resource management practices differ in various countries?” After the competition this week, we learned “Hofstede’s Contribution to International Management.” I think it will help me to understand different HR practices in different countries. | |
| 3 | 21st Feb | National culture and IHRM | This week we were introduced to international human resource management concepts and theories. It differs from one culture to another culture. After completion of this week, we learned the theory of “Scientific management theory.” Learning from this theory will help me to understand why leaders force people to work effectively. | |
| 4 | 28th Feb | Equal opportunities | After the completion of this week, we were introduced to the concept of giving equal opportunities to all the employees within an organization trying to expand business in two different countries. The theory we learned this week was “Principles of administrative management theory.” It will help us to know why equal opportunities are required for organizational development. | |
| 5 | 7th March | International staffing | We learned this week that international business expansion would not be possible without recruiting employees from the nation where an organization is trying to expand. After the completion of this week, we came to learn “Human relations theory.” This knowledge would help me to understand human relations and intentional staffing more profoundly. | |
| 6 | 14th March | Play and rewards | Our professor has discussed that the play and reward system is one of the best concepts to maintain a good workplace. Plays can be both individual or group basis. Rewards can be both non-monetary and monetary. This week we learned the concept of “Transactional leadership theory.” It will help me to know how one leader can manage their employees effectively. | |
| 7
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21st March | Performance management and appraisal | This week I learned that performance, quality, and an appraisal are interconnected. Managers or leaders must constantly monitor the performance management activities of their employees. It helps the leaders to give employee appraisals. After successful completion of this week, we came to learn “Contingency management theory.” It will help me to understand how leaders manage their teams efficiently. | |
| 8 | 28th March | Assignment 1 Briefing | This task focused on the different cultural factors that are affecting employee preferences for reward and pay. Multicultural factors of Indian and Japan have been included in this study and this provides a brief idea about cultural barriers. |
| 9 | 4th April | Group Task | We all have done this task, which helps to increase and enhance our knowledge about multicultural factors. With the help of this group task, we have understood that it is necessary to pay attention to the reward and pay system of employees in the multicultural organization for development. |
Table 1: Weekly Attendance Log (Source: Self-developed)
3.0 Individual reflection
Introduction
In this section, I am trying to develop a clear understanding of the learning outcomes that I have developed during the nine weeks of the group sessions. The key theme of the weekly group sessions was to discuss how a business can get success by following proper leadership techniques, models, and theories when they try to expand business in two different countries. I must highlight that in terms of presenting this section, I have taken the help of “Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle.” With the help of this cycle, I can systematically and clearly present my feelings during the weekly group session regarding the concept of “cross-cultural business management.” Below is a list of points, I have depicted based on “Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle.”
Description
My group of friends started attending the weekly group sessions to learn about the concept of cross-cultural business management of a global tech giant company that is trying to expand its business in two different countries. For this purpose, we started preparing an assignment. We have given ourselves enough time to understand the topic and finished the work within the deadline.
Feelings
Before we came together as a team and realized that we had to work on a single project, I was extremely happy as I got a chance to work with my friends. I was happy to explore various theories discussed in the weekly group sessions. The best part was we got the opportunity to learn about cross-cultural business expansion and management. However, when we realized that we could not do this assignment with the help of our seniors and professors, I got frustrated. However, we started feeling motivated after completing nine weeks in group sessions.
Evaluation
The things that must be highlighted are that firstly we got nervous and frustrated while working as a team. However, having proper guidance was helpful for us to remain motivated, which significantly helped us to achieve the desired outcome. All the team members of my group were quite good at their individual tasks, which had been very helpful to finish the assignment within the deadline. However, one of us got sick during the third week; this is why we need to work some hours extra on a daily basis to finish the tasks on deadline. This showed that we were good at working as a team, as we all were enthusiastic to learn cross-cultural business management styles.
Analysis
I think the main reason that our group assignment went well was that each member was dedicated to finishing his or her individual tasks. Furthermore, from the group sessions, we came to know that knowledge regarding this topic would help us to secure a job in any country or any culture. This was one of the many reasons; our team was very effective while presenting a paper discussing the role of leaders and managers in terms of expanding their business in two different countries.
Conclusion
After completing the group assignment, I came to realize that when there is motivation and a better communication framework within a team, all the team members tend to work very effectively and efficiently. This is the reason we were successful in competing for the assignment within the deadline. However, there was a situation when a team member got sick for five days when we had to work more efficiently. Moreover, I will continue to respect individual thoughts and self-identity while working in a group. There are certain aspects where I need to work to become a more effective team performer, which I discussed in the next section.
Action plan
I must highlight that the next time I am working with a team, I must know what are the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. This will help me to divide tasks as per the skill of my team members. I think I need to work further along with my team members to understand the concept of cross-cultural business management more profoundly. Lastly, I will ask each member if we need to rectify our discussed plan or if they have any issues. I think by reminding each team member and myself that we want the best possible outcomes, we will be able to work more effectively.
References
Drouhot, L.G. and Nee, V., 2019. Assimilation and the second generation in Europe and America: Blending and segregating social dynamics between immigrants and natives. Annual Review of Sociology, 45, pp.177-199.
Kappagomtula, C.L., 2017. Overcoming challenges in leadership roles–managing large projects with multi or cross culture teams. European Business Review.
Khan, Z., Soundararajan, V., Wood, G. and Ahammad, M.F., 2020. Employee emotional resilience during post-merger integration across national boundaries: Rewards and the mediating role of fairness norms. Journal of World Business, 55(2), p.100888.
Kwon, B. and Farndale, E., 2020. Employee voice viewed through a cross-cultural lens. Human Resource Management Review, 30(1), p.100653.
Martono, S., Khoiruddin, M. and Wulansari, N.A., 2018. Remuneration reward management system as a driven factor of employee performance. International Journal of Business & Society, 19.
Mendis, M.V.S., 2017. The impact of reward system on employee turnover intention: a study on logistics industry of sri lanka. International journal of scientific & technology research, 6(9), pp.67-72.
Merhi, M., Hone, K. and Tarhini, A., 2019. A cross-cultural study of the intention to use mobile banking between Lebanese and British consumers: Extending UTAUT2 with security, privacy and trust. Technology in Society, 59, p.101151.
Miao, C., Humphrey, R.H. and Qian, S., 2018. A cross-cultural meta-analysis of how leader emotional intelligence influences subordinate task performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of World Business, 53(4), pp.463-474.
Ngwa, W.T., Adeleke, B.S., Agbaeze, E.K., Ghasi, N.C. and Imhanrenialena, B.O., 2019. Effect of reward system on employee performance among selected manufacturing firms in the Litoral region of Cameroon. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 18(3), pp.1-16.
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