Managing expatriate managers in Nigeria

Comparing institutional and cultural contexts

Gromit, an agricultural company from a developed country of your choice (NB: For this assignment, the term‘developed countries’ refers to the EEA, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore), has decided to produce some of its food in Nigeria and is opening a regional office there. Gromit is committed to the principles of fair trade and seeks to produce only organic food. It also campaigns strongly against corruption and bribery in business. The regional office will be run by a group of expatriate managers from the company’s headquarters (in the developed country of your choice). As a HR consultant, drawing on relevant academic literature, you are required to answer the following questions:

1. Critically compare the institutional and cultural contexts in the developed country of your choice and Nigeria. (30%)

Evidence of extensive reading and understanding of relevant concepts and theories. Use of a good range of reputable sources. Ability to apply theoretical knowledge to generate logical, clear and focused analysis of the contexts within the scenario of interest.

2. Considering the company’s values and focusing on HR functions, identify and discuss problems expatriate managers are likely to face. (25%)

Evidence of extensive reading and understanding of relevant concepts and theories. Use of a good range of reputable sources. Ability to apply theoretical knowledge to explore challenges posed by the given contextual circumstances. Clear and critical analysis with substantiated argumentation.

3. Develop a set of recommendations that could help the managers to address the identified problems. (25%) Demonstrable ability to generate thoughtthrough, critical and logical recommendations

Critically consider limitations of your recommendations.

Critical review of suggested recommendations against the existing relevant scholarship. Evaluation of their drawbacks. Scrutiny of circumstances under which the proposed recommendations may be inefficient or impractical and consideration of alternatives more uitable in these conditions.

Learning Outcomes

This assignment is designed to assess learning outcomes:

1. Critically evaluate the key issues involved in managing and developing people across cultural boundaries in the context of globalization, international mergers and alliances and the general internationalisation of business.

2. Critically analyse the main theoretical contributions towards understanding different culture and national policies and their implications for International Human Resource Management (IHRM) practices.

3. Diagnose complex management and organisational problems relating to the management and development of people across different cultures.

4. Develop and apply courses of action as a means of competitive advantage by diagnosing complex organisational problems relating to the managing of people across different culture.

Identifying challenges for expatriate managers

There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark (after internal moderation) for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or more.

The word limit includes quotations and citations but excludes the references list.

How to submit your assessment

• Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.

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• All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason (see below) will be given a mark of zero.

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