Introduction to Vancouver Communication
Vancouver Communication has enjoyed unparalleled growth in the recent past. Under the leadership of its Chief Executive officer Mike Ansell, the company has been able to open several subsidiaries in different regions of the world. The first subsidiary to be opened by Vancouver communication was a production facility located in Wolverhampton in England.
Subsequent to the accomplishments of England’s subsidiary and the desire of Vancouver to extend its growth in market share to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the company has appointed Helen Reeves who was serving as the assistant head of marketing for Vancouver Communication in Canada, to head the company’s newly established production and distribution facility situated in Ankara Turkey. It is through witnessing immense success in the operations of the Wolverhampton subsidiary, that Mike Ansell is not afraid of proposing similar organizational and people management systems and practices to Helen.
Vancouver Communication’s Management Approach
Mike Ansell has no doubt that his proposal will bear fruit. Having been proved earlier in different situations from those in Canada, the company’s approach was found to achieve success in England. One of the major attributes associated with the Vancouver communications management approach is the fact that the strategy used by the company is participative rather than coercive. By being participative, the company ensures that the employee’s views are incorporated into the company decision-making process.
This is achieved through holding time-to-time sectional and departmental conferences. In addition, the company uses the same approach to make sure that all employees are made to understand the company’s core values, rules, and regulations that are stipulated. In the same sense, the response of workers on projected management initiatives is well gauged through their incorporation in various departmental meetings.
In order to enhance the prosperity of any company, it is recommended that a company’s administrative body utilize vast professional knowledge and acumen. Similarly, the company is encouraged to carry out extensive research on any project that it may wish to involve itself in (Dowling et al, 2008, p. 54). Dowling, et al (2008, p. 54) however, further notes that in many corporations, the directors seek professional advice from incompetent experts. The managerial body can reverse this trend by involving the company’s working force in its participative management approach. Through making use of this strategy, Dowling et al (2008, p. 55) point out that the company will equally be dealing with worker’s morale and their loyalty to the company.
Another positive attribute of the participative managerial policies used by Vancouver communication is the fact that the company does not keep strict rules and regulations or even insist so much on formality. This attribute has facilitated largely toward achieving the huge accomplishment of the company in the period it has been operating, not only in Canada but also in its subsidiary in Wolverhampton England.
According to Mike, members of staff will be productive, flexible, and more innovative, when they are subjected to minimal formality, rules as well as regulations. Similar sentiments are echoed by Dowling et al (2008, p. 56) who observe that free labor is more productive than a forced one. Once the workers are given the liberty to operate and perform their duties with fewer formalities, more innovation and distinctiveness will be observed in the operation of the company.
Likely Challenges for the Subsidiary Head
As the head of the newly established Turkish operation, Helen Reeve will face new challenges i.e. challenges that are very different from the ones she was used to in her position as the deputy head of marketing for Vancouver communication-based in Canada. In her previous responsibility, Helen was not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. However, in her current position, Helen has the sole responsibility of overseeing the management and operation of the Ankara subsidiary.
Her management capability will be put to test. Therefore, in order to meet the expectations of her, she will be required to exhibit indisputable wisdom in her decision making, as this will dictate whether the company is to encounter success or setbacks. If all things are going to be held constant, the proposed theory of running the Ankara plant will no doubt be another success story. However, some hypotheses are only applicable in theory and not in the real world situation.
Prior to commencing her role as head of Ankara subsidiary, Helen Reeves should be aware that there is quite a significant difference between the operations of a domestic company, and those of international incorporation. There are many distinct differences between domestic human resource management and international human resource management (Kaila 2005, p.458). According to Kaila (2005, p.458), one of these differences is the fact that international human resource management consists of more purposes and has roles that are more heterogeneous.
Similarly, international human resource management involves frequently changing perception, in addition to the need for involvement in more personal affairs of the employees. On the same scale, international human resource management is influenced by external sources and usually involves a greater level of hazards compared to the typical domestic operations that Helen was used to in Canada.
Ways of Dealing with Likely Challenges
In order to overcome the new challenges that Helen is likely to face in her new role as the head of the Ankara subsidiary, she should remember that the challenges in turkey are likely to have different overtones from problems faced at the Wolverhampton subsidiary in England. By this fact, Helen should be flexible in her decision making, as well as being ready to make an alteration in the way Vancouver communication has traditionally operated.
Helen will definitely have to introduce change is the way human resource has been managed in both Vancouver parent company and its subsidiaries. In as much as Helen may wish to follow to the letter the proposed approach recommended by Mike, it is going to dawn on her that situations may not be the same and hence the need to deviate a bit from norms. However, Helen should not get rid of the whole approach, but rather supplement it with the necessary alterations that are appropriate as per contextual demands.
Headquarters may play a big role in making decisions on who to deploy or assign which role in the new subsidiary. However, Helen has to note that, the approach to different HR issues such as compensations will have to be altered to fit into country specifications or expectations. Similarly, when tackling fringe benefits made available to host company workers, some fascinating impediments may arise (Gold & Bratton 2001, p.95).
Gold & Bratton (2001, P.95), discuss the situation in the US, where health insurance cover is provided to a company’s workers, together with their family members. In this case, the authors note that the term family in the US means the immediate members of a company’s employees, such as the spouse and their children. In other parts of the world, however, the term family may as well comprise various spouses and other members of the extended family. This means that Helen has to approach her task in the framework provided by her company but adopting everything to host country characteristics.
Vancouver communication is one multinational corporation that can be said to have achieved immense success because of its person-centered type of management style. While many of its rival companies are struggling to make any impact on the market, Vancouver has been expanding its operation to the extent of opening subsidiaries in different parts of the words. This great accomplishment can be attributed to its unique management approach and the policies it follows in its human resource management.
In as much as its management approach is admirable, a number of weaknesses, which require constant attention in order to enhance the company’s chances of more growth, mar the approach. Due to numerous changes that are taking place in the business world, it will be suicidal for any firm to cling to its traditional or rigid way of operation. Similarly, Vancouver communication should initiate some inevitable changes in its approach to operations. The changes will help the hr function to remain relevant and at the same time solve most of the current and previous problems associated with its way of operation.
Problems Facing VC Relating to Support of Its Expatriates
Just like any other growing multinational corporation, Vancouver communication has encountered few challenges from its current and previous employees. The good part with these challenges, however, is the fact that, if these challenges are accorded the necessary measures they deserve, the company will in the process have prevented future incidences that may impede its growth.
Going by the grievances articulated by the current and previous expatriates of Vancouver communication, the timing of Tony Rossini, the head of the human resource at Vancouver headquarters in Canada, to carry out an email survey can be said to be a little bit late. However, this does not imply that the survey will not be of any importance, as it will be used to help in tackling the current and previous weakness affecting the company’s expatriates.
Following news of opening another subsidiary in Ankara Turkey, as the head of the human resource of Vancouver communications, it was encouraging of Tony to spearhead a survey in efforts to prevent further embarrassment among the company’s expatriates in the future. This step by Tony was as a result of the fact that the number of expatriates was to increase, as the new subsidiary was to receive 15 managers from Canada.
Based on the responses of both current and previous expatriates, it is clear that the company has had a bad history when it comes to the management and support of its expatriates. Among the grievances raised by the sample of the population concerned, is a lack of proper plans on the definite kind of job or specific duties an employee is supposed to undertake upon his or her return from an assignment abroad. One staff, in particular, is lamenting on how the company has failed to establish anything meaningful for him to do, two months after his return from England. The worker in addition argues that the company had no problem locating an office, tables, and chairs for him, but that the disaster was in assigning him a job.
Ways of Solving Problems facing VC in the management and support of its expatriates
According to Hutchings & Cieri (2007, p. 358), flexibility in policies and practices, is a major concern in many multinational incorporations. The dilemma with Vancouver communication as far as dealing with its expatriate is concerned, can be attributed to its system of management. According to the approach of the company to management, Vancouver communication prefers giving its employee’s career development in diverse skills rather than concentrating on the traditional job categories and descriptions. However, as the situation stands, the approach seems to have a number of shortcomings.
To rectify these weaknesses and avoid future inconveniences, Tony and the entire company should formulate some policies where upon reaching a certain level in management, managers are permitted to specialize in their field of operations (Hodgetts & Hegar, 2007, p.530). Hodgetts & Hegar (2007) further note that this will not only provides a solution to current and future shortcomings but will in addition enable the company to benefit from increased production, as each manager will be free to do what he best finds pleasure in doing. Under this policy, chances of innovations will exceptionally be enhanced for the reason that the security and confidence of what one is doing will eventually promote research and development.
The other issue raised in the survey entails the decisive factor used by the company to come up with a formula for remunerating its workers. One particular employee fails to understand the principles used by the company to reward the workforce. According to his complaints, he alleges that a fellow Canadian colleague is paid 20 percent more than what he earns, yet they perform the same comparable job. Once again, one cannot fail to observe that the source of the problem is directly linked to the company’s approach to the administration and management of their employees. According to the company’s policy, Vancouver communication does not recognize the traditional job description policies but rather prefers to train its employees in various categories of skills.
According to Storey (1995, p.274), it is of paramount importance for a company to come up with a clear policy of rewarding its employees, founded on different criteria that are acceptable to all involved parties. Storey further notices that such criteria should as well meet the stipulated rules and regulations of the country in which the corporation is located. In the case of Vancouver communication, the head of human resource should see that the company’s policy clearly stipulate the standards used in rewarding its employees. On the same note, there should be a clear distinction of the job category in order to avoid conflict based on remunerations.
On the same issue of remuneration, another expatriate claimed that he is paid exceedingly higher compared to his British counterparts who happen to be doing a similar job. According to his explanation, the employee claims that the issue has brought unnecessary disunity among the employees. Bach (2005, p.332) comments that remuneration is a very sensitive issue which if not well handled, and mostly while dealing with international human resources, can lead to a great deal of loss, not only financially, but also politically. In addition, Bach (2005) observes that international human resource is in particular faced with a diversity of national and global issues. Bach (2005, p.333), argues that while dealing with reimbursement issue, the human resource manager has got to synchronize pay arrangement in diverse countries with various currencies, that may change in comparative value to one another over time.
In such a situation, Vancouver communication is supposed to take extra care in its policies and mostly while dealing with international workers or employees’ grouping that has different cultural backgrounds. Tony must consequently harmonize approaches and procedures to manage expatriates from the company’s home nation; mother countries nationals, host-countries nationals, in addition to the third country residents for instance an English director running a Canadian multinational corporation in the company’s subsidiary in Turkey.
From the email survey carried out, one employee in particular articulated her reservations due to failure to cope with numerous changes that had already taken place within the company. He as well observes that due to restructuring within the company he was compelled to spend the best part of a year, after his return from England, seeking directions because he no longer felt acquainted with the new environment that had turned him into a stranger at home.
What worried him most was the fact that even after all the struggles he encountered, not many of her colleagues back home were ready to assist him. However, his biggest disappointment registered when no one seemed to care about the European experience that he had amassed while he worked in England. The feeling made him pick out his stay in England as a wasted time because his knowledge could simply not be put to any meaningful use upon his return.
It is in the subsidiary that the amplified participation of international human resource managers in the private life of employees turns out to be predominantly noticeable (Dickmann, 2008, p.3). Dickmann (2008) additionally, comments that it is not abnormal for subsidiary human resource managers to become frequently involved in making accommodation, healthcare, transport, and other social necessities to its employees.
Tony should, therefore, come up with strategies to establish means and ways through which the expatriates who return from foreign assignments are catered for. In addition, policies should be created on how the company employees in foreign nations are to be treated especially when it comes to matters concerning their social and private lives. Before dispatching the new lot of managers to the Ankara subsidiary, Tony should make sure that the welfare of the group is clearly tackled in order to avoid future inconveniences. Similarly, measures are supposed to be put in place in order to make use of the knowledge that the returning expatriates may have gained in the course of their working duration in foreign countries. This will not only motivate the employees and boost their morale, but will as well make them feel appreciated.
On another pressing matter, Tony; the human resource manager of Vancouver communications should formulate effective policies within the headquarters and subsidiaries to deal with the current and previous expatriates. These policies should mobilize resources in order to come up with a system that will be ensuring expatriates about to return to their mother company receiving courses to update them on the various changes if any that might have taken place in their absence.
Conclusion
It is not unusual for multinational incorporation of Vancouver’s reputation, to experience such challenges with its huge workforce. It should however be noted that regardless of the magnitude of any challenge, with proper attention, the problems are solved. Tony has to move fast and respond to the issues raised in order to curtail the problem from scaling to an uncontrollable magnitude. As discussed, Vancouver communication should establish ways and means of detecting any shortcomings in its operation from the initial stage of the problem. More and frequent surveys, therefore, ought to be carried out, coupled with flexibility in policy and decision-making.
References
Bach, S., 2005. Managing Human Resources: Personnel Management in Transition. Wiley-Blackwell publishers: Massachusetts.
Dickmann, M., 2008. International Human Resource Management: A European Perspective. Routledge: New Jersey.
Dowling, P., J., Festing, M., & Engle, A., D., 2008. International Human Resource Management: Managing People in a Multinational Context. South Western Publishers: London.
Gold, J., & Bratton, J., 2001. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. Routledge: New Jersey.
Hodgetts, R., M., & Hegar, K., W., 2007. Modern Human Relations at Work. Cengage Learning: Ohio.
Hutchings, K., & Cieri, H., D., 2007. International Human Resource Management: From Cross-Cultural Management To Managing A Diverse Workforce, University of California: California.
Kaila, H., L., 2008. Human Resource Management. Gyan Publishing House: New Delhi.
Storey, J., 1995. Human Resource Management: A Critical Text. Routledge: New Jersey.