Assignment 1

5HR009

Module leader: Kate Moseley

Student name:

Student number:

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What factors influence people management in an international context as opposed to a
domestic context?

International Human resources is a term which can be connoted to be many different things.
Primarily, it is a function of work which involves people management on an international
scale. In addition to this, set activities targeting people management are used therefore
organisational objectives are achieved and to accomplish competitive advantage over
competitors at national and internal levels. Point (2019)

International Human Resources and Domestic Human Resources share some similarities
however, there are also factors of influence which affect people management in an
international context as opposed to a domestic context. Staffing approaching in International
Human Resources are a key factor which influence people management. In the international
context, an organization will be looking to hire potential employees who have different
qualities and characteristics than someone who would be considered in a job in domestic
context. The Person specification would be different in an international context. The reason
for this is that the organization would want someone who could speak different languages
other than their mother tongue. In addition to this, having the ability to adapt and understand
different countries norms, values and culture is vital. There are many activities which are
undertaken to operate in an international environment. Therefore, things such as a language
translation service may be required, Dowling, Festing and D. Engle (2017). this puts into
perspective the difference in people management from an international perspective. These
activities are also partly the reason there is a difference in a person specification, highlighting
the different needs of an employee when an organization is recruiting in an international
context in comparison to a domestic context.

Following on from the point above, the use of an ethnocentric staffing approach would not
necessarily work in an international context, which affects the people management in an
international context. The purpose of this is because employees from the home country of the
organization will lack the tools and skills needed to operate in the international field. An
international firm would likely choose to use the geocentric staffing approach. The reason for
this would be that this approach as stated by Robson (2008) identifies the best person for the
job regardless of their personal background. Additionally, this approach is a more
collaborative method between the parent company and subsidiaries. Other characteristics

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such as communication is two way and interactive but also this approach facilitates the
development of the international team of employees. As highlighted the staffing approach is a
factor in which affects people management is affected in an international context in
comparison to a domestic one.

National culture is also another factor of influence. The Culture shock U-curve model
highlights the stages of culture shock individuals will face when entering an environment
which isn’t familiar. The first of the four stages are the honeymoon stage which states an
individual initially goes through excitement due to the new experience and opportunity of the
change in environment. However, this can last up to a few days then the second stage Culture
shock falls into place. During this period the expatriate has feelings of stress as the
uncertainty of what is right and wrong in regards to their behavior makes them feel lost and
anxious. Next the adjustment stage, this stage involves the individual finding and working in
a daily routine, establishing the way in which they are living in the new environment. finally,
the mastery phase is when the employee has fully adjusted and is comfortable in the different
environment and its culture and has a daily routine. This concept highlights the tough reality
of Culture shock, which highlights candidates who are considered for the role in an
international context. An organization which is recruiting or already has an individual in this
position need some who is though and durable therefore they will ensure this concept. In
addition, Alder believes the process of culture shock leads to greater self-awareness and
personal growth as the transition process helps the adaptation to another culture LI (2022).

Another factor which has an effect on people management in an international context are the
external factors, also known as the STEEPLE factors. The anagram STEEPLE stands for:
Social, Technological, Economical, ethical, political, Legal and Environmental factors.
External factors are something an organization has no control over. As mentioned by the
BBC (2015) a business can only react and make decisions based off of these impacts in an
attempt to remain successful. A technological factor which has come to light is the fact that
some countries such as India, USA and England have had high levels of advances in terms of
technology. Countries such as these would be good countries to expand to as they have the
facilities for key elements such as: communication, monitoring and any queries an employee
has who is working in a different country. An example of how technology could be used is
through an organization scheduling a Zoom call with representatives in a different country to
discuss how well things are going and what could be improved on. In addition to this, it is an
efficient way for the organization to have confidential communication without the cost of

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travelling for things like appraisals and updates. From a social aspect, workers’ rights do vary
depending o-n where they are in the world. It Is vital an employee’s happiness is maintained
though employee rights and freedoms and they are not infringed, Max (2021)

References

BBC, 2015. External factors - External factors - National 5 Business management Revision -

BBC Bitesize. [online] BBC Bitesize. Available at:
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zgfrpbk/revision/1#:~:text=External%20factors
%20are%20things%20outside,to%20help%20it%20remain%20successful> [Accessed 3
April 2022].

Dowling, P., Festing, M. and D. Engle, A., 2017. International Human Resource

Management. 7th ed. [ebook] London: Cengage Learning, p.4. Available at:
<https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/wol/reader.action?docID=5161059> [Accessed 3
April 2022].

LI, D., 2022. Culture Shock and Its Implications for Cross-Cultural Training and Culture
Teaching. [online] Flr-journal.org. Available at:
<http://flr-journal.org/index.php/ccc/article/view/j.ccc.1923670020120804.1433/2811>
[Accessed 3 April 2022].

Max, K., 2021. The difference in economic, political, social and technological IHRM factors.
» StudyExcell. [online] StudyExcell. Available at: <https://studyexcell.com/the-
difference-in-economic-political-social-and-technological-ihrm-factors/> [Accessed 3
April 2022].

Point, 2019. HRM - International. [online] Tutorialspoint.com. Available at:

<https://www.tutorialspoint.com/human_resource_management/human_resource_manag
ement_international.htm> [Accessed 3 April 2022].

Robson, F., 2008. International HRM • Fiona Robson • April 2008. [online] SlideServe.
Available at: <https://www.slideserve.com/hetal/international-hrm-fiona-robson-april-
2008> [Accessed 3 April 2022]

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Discuss the employment rights problems in one African country of your choice?

Employment rights is a term which entitles employees to be treated fairly and morally
acceptable. In addition to this, Hepple (2013) states personal rights such as freedom of speech
and social rights such as security, the right to food are a few rights which must be available to
employees. The ILO declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work was adopted
in 1998. International Labour Organization state these rights are universal regardless of what
background any individual comes from or their personal beliefs, ILO (2019).

A country, which has been identified to struggle with adhering to employment rights, is
Nigeria. Despite Nigeria having their highest level of employment, according to the ILO
database (2022) 6.3 million members of Nigeria’s population are still unemployed. The
reason for this likely links to the main employment rights problems which this country is
currently struggling with.

One of the main employment rights problems which Nigeria currently face is the inability or
refusal to pay minimum wage by organizations and the government, Nwokpoku, Monday and
Amaka (2013). This issue has occurred for many years and is still something the country is
struggling to improve. The reason for this is the level of corruption in the country. Nigeria
has been ranked 154/180 according to Transparency (2022) on the level of corruption. These
statistics highlight the issues the country is facing. In addition to this, not only is corruption
just affecting Nigeria’s rank but also the point highlighted above, employment rights.
Furthermore, the high level of corruption may link to the 6.3 million of unemployed members
of Nigeria’s population as this group of individuals may be worried, they might be treated
unfairly and not according to how they should.

The international Labour Organization (2016) label Child Labour as term which means
children who work forcefully, which deprives their childhood and true full potential and
dignity. Findings show that in 2020, children in Nigeria are subjected to numerous forms of
the worst child labour. Dol (2021) state quarrying granite, artisanal mining, commercial
sexual exploitation, and use in armed conflict are the forms of child labour which has been
ongoing in Nigeria for years. It is declared Africa and Asia account for 90% of child
employment. Child labour occurs largely in low-income countries as the root cause of child
labour is due to poverty, which enforces parents to put their children in work, Qassim (2011).
In terms of child recruitment UNICEF (2016) have reported children as young as 12 are still
being recruited by military forces in Nigeria. The organisation has also specified over the past

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decade violent conflicts have almost doubled, which in the end has led to a higher number of
child soldiers being recruited.

To add to the few examples of the employment rights issues Nigeria currently face, forced
labour is another illustration. A survey taken had revealed that Nigeria alone is accountable
for a large number of the prostitution and human trafficking numbers. From Bisi Olateru-
Olagbegi and Anne Ikpeme (2006) their findings suggest an estimated 10,000 Nigerian
prostitutes work in Italy due to them falling victim of human trafficking and being forced into
work such as prostitution. This has been a problem Nigeria has faced for many years and it
has not necessarily got better. Furthermore, this is not only a case of a lack of employment
rights but also basic human rights. Being forced into work unwillingly in any shape or form is
against a person’s free will. Choji (2013) touched on the topic of prostitution which is an
underlying problem in Nigeria. Choji (2013) asserted teenagers appear to be contending with
older women in Nigeria in a bid to sell their bodies. As Nigeria falls into the category of a
low-income country many young girls are forced to turn to such work to make ends meet.

Taking into consideration the points made above, Nigeria have made some progress in terms
of tackling such problems. The Palermo Protocol is a practise in which Suppresses and
Punishes Trafficking. Nigeria signed and ratified the protocol on the 13 th of December 2000
and signed it into the law three years later, Bisi Olateru-Olagbegi and Ikpeme (2006). The
international Labour Organisation has adopted settlements related to human trafficking
therefore the there is an eradication of any forms of forced labour and human trafficking.

Another instance where Nigeria have made some improvement in regards to the mass child
labour issues. In conjunction with the International Labour Organisation Nigeria
implemented nine actions programmes with the objectives to lower the amount of child
labour within the country. However, Kolo, Mustapha and Adhituabe (2005) state awareness
for confronting Child Labour has not been attained. Nigeria should be paying more attention
to this issue as it is a huge problem Nigeria suffers with. What they could do to help eradicate
child labour is to raise awareness amongst the population and also create direct programmed
which deal with this issue therefore, perpetrators who force child labour are heavily punished
and the children are helped mentally and physically to deal with the trauma of child labour.

As Nigeria is a country which suffers from high levels of corruption there are not many
things which have been done to eliminate this issue. As the political elite in Nigeria have the

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power and control it is seen to be a failed state of democracy. The nation is has failed to
deliver democracy to its citizens and this is one of the core reason corruptions still lives
amongst the state of Nigeria. Trott (2020) suggests creating more awareness of the damage
corruption has caused is a way to fight against the issue. Trott (2020) also mentions building
evidence and showing others to spread the word in addition to raising concerns to the public
office. Therefore, a case can be built and used to tackle the oppressors.

With taking the issues and recommendations into consideration, as to what are and how to
deal with Nigeria’s employment rights problems it is fair to say many things can be done in
regards to making more of an effort to make a change. However, as Nigeria is a low-income
country, it does not have the accommodations to facilitate such change so urgently. The lack
of funding and resources heavily affect the ability to make change and reform the country.
Fighting these issues are a huge task and require funding and resources, which Nigeria does
not obtain. Therefore, change and progression with tackling the employment rights in Nigeria
will always be a huge task.

References

Choji, 2013. Nigeria: Why We Are On the Streets - Teenage Prostitutes. [online] AllAfrica.
Available at: <https://allafrica.com/stories/201308191306.html> [Accessed 3 April
2022].

DOL, 2021. Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports. [online] https://www.dol.gov/.

Available at:
<https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/nigeria#:~:text=of
%20Child%20Labor-,Children%20in%20Nigeria%20are%20subjected%20to%20the
%20worst%20forms%20of,a%20result%20of%20human%20trafficking> [Accessed 3
April 2022].

Hepple, B., 2003. RIGHTS AT WORK. [ebook] dgreports, p.11. Available at:

<https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---inst/documents/
publication/wcms_079324.pdf> [Accessed 3 April 2022].

ILO database, 2022. Data Finder - World Employment and Social Outlook. [online] Ilo.org.
Available at: <https://www.ilo.org/wesodata/?
chart=Z2VuZGVyPVsiVG90YWwiXSZ1bml0PSJOdW1iZXIiJnNlY3Rvcj1bXSZ5ZW
FyRnJvbT0xOTkxJmluY29tZT1bXSZpbmRpY2F0b3I9WyJ1bmVtcGxveW1lbnQiXSZ
7
 zdGF0dXM9W10mcmVnaW9uPVtdJmNvdW50cnk9WyJOaWdlcmlhIl0md29ya2luZ1
BvdmVydHk9W10meWVhclRvPTIwMjMmdmlld0Zvcm1hdD0iQ2hhcnQiJmFnZT1bI
kFnZTE1cGx1cyJdJmxhbmd1YWdlPSJlbiI%3D> [Accessed 4 April 2022].

ILO, 2016. What is child labour (IPEC). [online] Ilo.org. Available at:

<https://www.ilo.org/ipec/facts/lang--en/index.htm> [Accessed 4 April 2022].

ILO, 2019. ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

(DECLARATION). [online] Ilo.org. Available at: <https://www.ilo.org/declaration/lang--
en/index.htm> [Accessed 4 April 2022].

Mustapha, K. and Adhituabe, 2005. National programme on the elimination of child labour

in Nigeria. [online] Ilo.org. Available at: <https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---
ed_mas/---eval/documents/publication/wcms_149868.pdf> [Accessed 4 April 2022].

Nwokpoku, Monday and Amaka, 2013. Nigeria Labour Laws: Issues and Challenges.
[ebook] p.1. Available at: <http://Idosi.org/wasj/wasj36(1)18/7.pdf> [Accessed 4 April
2022].

Olateru-Olagbegi, B. and Ikpeme, A., 2006. Review of Legislation and Policies in Nigeria on

Human Trafficking and Forced Labour. 1st ed. [ebook] International Labour
Organization, p.3. Available at: <https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---
ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_083149.pdf> [Accessed 3 April
2022].

Qassim, 2011. Child labour in relation to poverty. [online] 5(48-49), p.1. Available at:
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3533357/> [Accessed 4 April 2022].

Transparency, 2022. Nigeria. [online] Transparency.org. Available at:

<https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/nigeria> [Accessed 5 April 2022].

Trott, 2020. Tackling corruption and promoting transparency in Nigeria. [online]

Luminategroup.com. Available at: <https://luminategroup.com/posts/blog/tackling-
corruption-and-promoting-transparency-in-nigeria> [Accessed 5 April 2022].

UNICEF, 2016. ENDING THE RECRUITMENT AND USE OF CHILDREN IN ARMED

CONFLICT. [ebook] p.3. Available at:
<https://www.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/UnicefChildSoldiersbriefing_U
Kweb.pdf> [Accessed 5 April 2022].
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9
Explain the problems caused by remote working and how they can be overcome?

Within the work of International Human resources many obstacles occur on a regular basis.
Remote working is a subject in which problems have arisen. Since the pandemic remote
working has become a regular practice in today’s working society. Despite their being
benefits such as less commuting time, greater flexibility and reduced need for office space,
Escallah (2021) issues have also mounted. An example of an issue which has originated from
remote working is that remote working will heighten negative work-home spill-overs.
Felstead and Henseke (2017) The reason being work pressures tend to spill-over into an
employee’s personal time and life which therefore causes employee to not switch off. From
this worker will feel drained and demotivated which will eventually affect their performance.

To help deal with this problem that remote working causes, Health In Mind Org (2020) have
suggested a series of recommendations. Having a routine, setting boundaries, switching off
your work phone and enjoying things in your spare time are simple yet affective ways to
tackle the problem at hand which is not being able to switch off from work. Relaxing and
taking time out of your days to focus on yourself will help an individual find their work life
balance therefore, work and time spent out of work can be enjoyed for the employee.

Remote working will cause co-workers to work in different area of the world, meaning
different employees will be in a different time zone. This has become a problem as evidently
the pandemic sped up the transition to remote working in an attempt to stop the spread of
Covid-19. Having members of the same team be in different time zones this has caused issues
such as communication to become apparent. Finding a set time which suits all will be almost
impossible if those working remotely are on the opposite side of the world. Miguel (2018)
suggests communication in remote teams is seen to be an insurmountable obstacle due to the
distance causing a huge difficulty. An example being an employee working in Australia and
other members of the team working in the UK. The time difference between the two countries
is 9 hours. Therefore, finding time would not be easy which suits every member and it also
will affect an individual if tasks and meetings are set at a time which are not moral. This will
inevitably lead to low job satisfaction for the employee as they would feel as though they are
not being looked after.

A suggestion made by Newman (2019) is that the use of body language as well as images and
speaking slowly help reduce the issue at hand which has been caused by remote working.

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Using different methods to communicate such as images and body language are great tools
therefore a wider audience can get an understanding of what the message is that is being sent
across. Additionally, using an app or a platform such as Facebook or canvas which can be
provided by the company can be used to help deal with matters in a timely fashion. This can
benefit teams as having communication from team members about what times suit them
therefore a common ground can be found and timing will not become such of an issue in
remote working.

In addition, Lotus (2021) highlighted language barriers being another problem caused by
remote working. This problem can lead to a misunderstanding, confusing staff and the wrong
information will be passed through instigating false information to be spread. This will not
only cause friction between team members but also use up valuable time. Another affect poor
communication in remote working has caused is that it affects costs drastically. Lotus (2021)
have also highlighted that the French organisation Capegemini invested $330 million into
offshoring capacity and centres.

Another remote working challenge is loneliness for employees. Pinola (2020) highlights
working in a confined space staring at a screen on a day-to-day basis will cause loneliness.
The reason being, co-workers are almost a person’s social circle. Without having that social
interaction or rarely having the opportunity to conversate with co-workers, this will
eventually lead to the expected: loneliness.

To tackle the problem which has been identified as loneliness, Barron (2020) has suggested
that an employee can work outside your home at least once a week. In addition to this, using
social areas such as coffee shops or co-working places are ideal to help boost morale and
increase the likeliness of an employee being social. This will reduce the chances of loneliness
become a problem and allow an employee to enjoy their job, while working remotely.

References

Barron, S., 2020. 10 Tips to Avoid Loneliness When Working From Home or Working
Remotely. [online] Resources.owllabs.com. Available at:
<https://resources.owllabs.com/blog/remote-work-loneliness> [Accessed 6 April 2022].

Escalla, 2021. Remote Working: 5 Benefits and Challenges | Blog | escalla. [online] escalla.
Available at: <https://escalla.co.uk/blog-remote-working-5-benefits-challenges/>
[Accessed 6 April 2022].

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Felstead and Henseke, 2017. Assessing the growth of remote working and its consequences
for effort, well-being and work-life balance. [online] Wiley Online Library. Available at:
<https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ntwe.12097> [Accessed 6 April 2022].

Health org, 2020. Switching off when working from home. [online] Available at: <
<https://www.health-in-mind.org.uk/covid_19_resources/i2280/switching_off_when_wo
rking_from_home_covid_19.aspx> [Accessed 6 April 2022].

Lotus, 2021. 5 Common Remote Work Communication Challenges | Updated 2021. [online]
Lotus QA - Leading IT Outsourcing Company In Vietnam. Available at:
<https://www.lotus-qa.com/remote-work-communication-challenges/> [Accessed 6
April 2022].

Miguel, A., 2018. Seven great challenges of working with remote teams and how to
overcome them. [online] Workana Blog - Welcome to the extraordinary world of remote
freelance work. Connect with the most amazing freelancers and greatest business
projects around the world. Available at:
<https://blog.workana.com/en/entrepreneurship/seven-great-challenges-of-working-with-
remote-teams-and-how-to-overcome-them/> [Accessed 6 April 2022].

Newman, I., 2019. Communicating With People Who Speak a Different Language. [online]
Presenting Yourself and more . . . Available at:
<https://www.presenting-yourself.com/communicating-with-people-who-speak-a-
different-language/> [Accessed 6 April 2022].

PInola, 2020. The 7 biggest remote work challenges (and how to overcome them). [online]
Zapier.com. Available at: <https://zapier.com/blog/remote-work-challenges/> [Accessed
6 April 2022].

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