Project report on

Opportunities and challenges of international assignment face by

TCS employees

Submitted By:- Pooja Sharma

Submitted To:-Abhishek Mathur Sir
Masters of Business Administration:- I SEM

Table of contents
S.NO TOPIC PAGE NO.
1 Company profile 5

2 SWOT Analysis of 6
TCS

3 International 10
assignment

4 Types of International 12
assignment

5 Challenges 15

1
 6 How HR can ensure 16
international
assignment success

7 Conclusion 18
8 Bibliography 20

Company profile
Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) is a subsidiary of the Tata Group, an Indian
information technology consulting and business solutions company which operates in 46
countries worldwide. TCS Limited was founded in 1968 by a division of Tata Sons Limited. Its
early contracts included punched card services to TISCO (now Tata Steel), working on an Inter-
Branch Reconciliation System for the Central Bank of India. In 1975 TCS made an electronic
depository and trading system called SEMCOM for Swiss company. TCS also established India's
first software research and development center called Tata Research Development and Design
Centre in Pune, Maharashtra. On 25 August 2004, TCS became a Publicly Listed Company.

TCS is a global leader in technology and consulting services. It enables clients in 46 countries to
create and execute strategies for their digital transformation.A part of the Tata group, TCS has
3,95,000 associates(including subsidiaries) representing 131 nationalities, spanning across 46
countries as of March 31, 2018. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $19.09

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 billion( a growth of 8.6% over the previous year) for the year ended on March 31, 2018, and is
listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India.

TCS provides a wide range of information technology-related products and services including
application development, business process outsourcing, capacity planning, consulting, enterprise
software, hardware sizing, payment processing, software management, and technology education
services. The firm's established software products are TCS BaNCS and TCS MasterCraft.

Some important aspects related to TCS are:-

 TCS is one of the largest employers of women with 35.3% of women employees.
 TCS became the first Indian IT company to reach $100 billion market capitalization with a value
of $102.6 billion in Bombay Stock Exchange and a second Indian company ever after the
Reliance industries that achieved the same in 2007.  
 TCS is ranked 10th on the Fortune India 500 list in 2018.
 It is the world's 9th largest IT service provider by revenue.
 TCS is ranked 64th overall in Forbes World's most innovative company ranking, making it the
highest-ranked IT services company ever. 
 In the latest, TCS, the biggest software services company, has added 12,000 jobs in the first
quarter of 2019 and sent offer letters to 30,000 fresh graduates building the employment level in
the country

Business Highlights of TCS

 Ranked #2 in the PEAK Matrix IT Service Provider of the Year: ITS Top 20 by Everest
Group, for being a Leader in 18 evaluations and a Star Performer in 4, in 2020.
Additionally, TCS was named the Leader of the Year in Application Services and in Life
Sciences, and the Star Performer of the Year in Healthcare.
 Launched the TCS COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Management Suite of modular, easy-
to-deploy solutions that leverage AI, robotics, blockchain, and the Internet of Things
(IoT) to streamline every stage of the end-to-end testing and vaccination journeys,
enabling more individuals to get tested and vaccinated faster and return to normal life
experiences.
 Ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction across Europe in an independent survey of 1,700
CxOs of top IT spending organizations by Whitelane Research. Additionally, in the
individual country rankings, TCS was ranked #1 in UK, France, Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Nordics.
 Ranked among the Top 3 brands in IT services by Brand Finance; TCS clocked the
highest absolute brand value growth in the sector in 2020 and was named the fastest-
growing brand in the industry over the last decade (2010-2020).
 Augmented the Banking Service Bureau built and run by TCS for the digital banking
industry in Israel, with a new transformative Digital Bank Guarantee platform, powered
by the Quartz Blockchain solution. Bank Hapoalim, Israel’s largest bank that manages
over 30% of the total bank guarantees in the country, is the anchor customer for the SaaS
platform.

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 Launched TCS Clever Energy™, an energy and emission management system that uses a
digital twin setup based on IoT, AI and cloud, to help commercial and industrial
organizations manage their energy consumption better, drive energy and cost efficiencies,
decrease carbon emissions, and accelerate their carbon neutral journeys.
 Established a strategic partnership with Prudential Financial Inc (PFI), that saw over
1,500 employees of Pramerica Systems Ireland Ltd, PFI’s Irish subsidiary, transfer to
TCS’ new global delivery center in Ireland. Besides expanding the PFI relationship, the
new center enhances TCS’ nearshore capability to provide a range of services to
customers in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US.
 Deepened the relationship with Deutsche Bank by acquiring its subsidiary, Postbank
Systems AG (PBS), its full-range IT captive that provides project management,
application management and infrastructure support services. The addition of PBS’ 1,500
employees further adds to TCS’ scale in Germany, and strengthens its growth outlook.
 Selected as a Superbrand, in the US and UK, based on the strength of its brand reputation
across channels, business performance, industry-leading job creation, scale of employee
training and development, and dedication to nationwide corporate social responsibility
initiatives.
 Launched new cloud practice units to gain leadership in the rapidly expanding
opportunity around the three major hyperscale platforms – AWS, Microsoft Azure and
Google Cloud Platform. Each unit is a full-service, multidisciplinary organization
offering customers the full range of transformational and operational services on the
respective technology stacks, spanning advisory services, migration, application and data
modernization, including SaaS and enterprise productivity suites, infrastructure, cyber-
security and edge.
 The Contextual Masters program that recognizes experienced TCSers who demonstrate
high levels of contextual knowledge, crossed the 10,000 masters milestone. Contextual
knowledge is highly valuable tacit knowledge about a customer's business, operations
and technology landscape, acquired on the job by immersing oneself into that
environment, a key differentiator for TCS.
 Operationalized 10 new Threat Management Centers, at Bloomington, Minnesota – US,
Manchester – UK, Madrid – Spain, as well as at major Indian cities. These will offer
comprehensive and integrated cybersecurity and threat management services across IT,
OT, IoT and cloud ecosystems, helping customers stay secure and cyber-resilient while
meeting local data- and cyber-sovereignty regulations.

 Launched TCS Safe Workplace, a return-to-work solution for global enterprises that uses
existing enterprise platforms to create a workplace command center that assesses the
readiness of employees, the work environment, and the workforce model; automates the
return-to-work processes, including contact tracing, shift management, and workspace
planning; and monitors critical risk factors.
 Opened up the game-changing National Qualifier Test (NQT) to other corporates, making
it a common gateway test for fresher recruitment. This standardized test will provide
candidates with access to open positions at multiple corporates while helping corporates
get an in-depth understanding of applicants’ cognitive abilities and reduce evaluation
overheads.

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  Ranked #2 by revenue in the UK market for software and IT services in
TechMarketView’s UK SITS rankings, up from #5 in 2019. Further, based on revenues
earned, TCS was ranked #1 in Applications and #2 in Consulting and Solutions.
 Built and deployed a blockchain-based digital supply chain platform, powered by the
TCS Data Marketplace solution, to support Indigenisation of Diagnostics, an ambitious
new project launched by the Government of India to scale up indigenous Covid-19
diagnostic test-kit production capacity to a million test kits a day.
 Successfully deployed TCS DynaPORT, a state-of-the-art terminal operating system at
Tilbury2 Ro-Ro, London’s latest freight ferry terminal. TCS implemented this solution in
under twelve weeks, 100% virtually during the COVID-19 lockdown, leveraging the
Secure Borderless Workspaces (SBWS) model.
 Offered free of cost access to TCS iON Digital Glass Room, a virtual learning platform,
to educational institutions in the US, Europe and India, to enable educators and students
to connect in a secure virtual environment, moving lessons from classrooms to interactive
digital glass rooms.
 Fully institutionalized the SBWS operating model and also replicated it for customers.
The model was strengthened with additional analytics and extended to cover the end-to-
end customer engagement lifecycle, including prospecting, sale and even new project
ramp-ups.

Vision

Tata consultancy services limited company vision is to help customers achieve their business
objectives by providing innovative, best-in-class consulting, IT solutions and services and to
make it a joy for all stakeholders to work with company.

Mission

Tata consultancy services limited company mission is to provide its product and services in all
over the word with the customer satisfaction. The company structure is domain led and
empowered to help provide customers a single window to industry specific solutions.

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 SWOT Analysis of TCS
Strengths of TCS
Strengths are an organization’s distinct skills that offer it a competitive edge in gaining greater
market share, attracting more customers, and maximising profitability. TCS’s strengths are listed
below:
 
 Extensive Global Reach – TCS’s global reach, which currently extends from North America,
the United Kingdom, Africa, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific regions, reflects the company’s efforts
to obtain as much coverage as possible in diverse areas. TCS has a strong worldwide image
thanks to its presence in a variety of geographical locations.
 Major number of Customers from various sectors – TCS supports customers in a wide range
of industries, including banking, finance, retail, telecommunications, and media & entertainment.
Exposure to different enterprises mitigates the hazards of over-dependence on a particular market
or industry. 
 Strong reputed Brand Image in the market – TCS has unquestionably created its own brand,
image, and reputation; it keeps its consumers satisfied and acts as a sign of excellence.
 Well established strategic alliances – TCS has formed significant alliances with multinational
companies all around the world. It collaborated with technology powerhouses such as Amazon,
Adobe, Dell, Bosch, and HP, among others. Through these partnerships, TCS provides both
technologically viable and creative commercial and tactical solutions.
 Robust Service Portfolio – TCS has a diverse service offering that includes application
development and maintenance of Business Process Services (BPS), IT infrastructures, business
intelligence, and more. A robust and diversified portfolio is drawn to various corporate clients.
 Empowered and encouraged employees – Through effective training and learning initiatives, a
highly competent workforce has been created. TCS invests heavily in employee training and
development, resulting in a staff that is not just highly competent but also driven to achieve
greater success.
 Excellent returns on capital invested – TCS has an excellent track record of executing new
projects and generating good returns on capital expenditure by establishing new income streams.

 Weaknesses of TCS
Weaknesses are elements of a company or brand that need to be improved. The following are
TCS’s significant flaws:
 
 Performance of Diligenta deteriorated – Diligenta, a TCS subsidiary, has consistently
performed poorly. TCS’s bottom line is unlikely to improve rapidly as a result of the enterprise’s
poor performance and hence has a negative effect.

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 Legal Squabbles – TCS filed a lawsuit against Epic System in 2014 for suspected abuse of
private information. TCS was found guilty in 2016 and was charged $940 million in damages.
TCS objected to and rejected the higher competence’s decision. Such incidents have a negative
impact on the company’s image.
 The product segment is not relatively impressive – While TCS does well by delivering the
greatest services, its products aren’t what one would anticipate from a company of its kind. They
do require some effort.

 Opportunities for TCS

Opportunities are possible areas of emphasis for a firm to focus on in order to enhance outcomes,
boost sales, and, eventually, profit.
 
 Emerging Interest in Cloud Computing – Digital technologies and high-speed internet access
have evolved. In fact, spending on cloud services will rise at a CAGR of 19% over the next five
years. Society is shifting towards cloud-based solutions. TCS has a robust cloud-based
infrastructure and is thus prepared to capitalise on the created demand.
 M2M Solutions – Wireless and cable communications systems are both enabled by Machine to
Machine (M2M) solutions. There are bright possibilities for M2M solutions in the future, and
revenues are projected to be substantial. TCS offers a comprehensive variety of M2M services,
allowing the need for M2M solutions to be met.
 Transformation of the Digital Universe – Because the world is becoming more digital,
business forces are altering the digital economy. TCS’s primary goal is to digitally transform and
deliver digital solutions. TCS could expect more expenditure on technology for digital
transformation.
 Solutions for mobility – With a rising mobile worker population and the increased usage of
sophisticated mobile devices, enterprise mobility solutions are expected to be driven by business
applications. The demand for mobility solutions is latent and is expected to grow at a CAGR of
24.7 per cent through 2022. TCS is well-positioned to profit from its increased emphasis on the
development of enterprise mobility solutions.

Threats to TCS
Threats are environmental elements that might have a negative impact on a company’s success.
TCS’s threats include the following:
 
 Competition is fierce – IT firms such as Infosys, Wipro, Capgemini, Deloitte, Accenture, and
others confront fierce rivalry. As a result, the industry is experiencing price wars and has a
restricted market share.

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 A high rate of attrition – The Indian IT sector has a high rate of turnover, which raises the
expense of providing new workers with skills and leadership development and has a negative
impact on the company’s reputation.
 The Constraints on Immigration – With immigration regulations, increasing H-1B visa fees,
and changing political situations in the US, Indian IT firms are anticipated to suffer as they
increase their costs and damage profitability, posing a risk to the sector.
 Large multinational corporations – Large multinational corporations are expanding into India
and competing for a worldwide clientele.

TCS recognized as a Global Top Employer

Tata Consultancy Services a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization
today announced that it has been recognized as a Global Top Employer by the Top Employers
Institute. This makes it one in only eight organizations worldwide to have achieved this status. In
its assessment of 1,072 companies worldwide, the Top Employers Institute rated TCS as an
exceptional performer across nine core Human Resources (HR) areas: talent strategy, workforce
planning, on-boarding, learning and development, performance management, leadership
development, career and succession management, compensation and benefits and company
culture.

TCS, which employs over 344,000 professionals from 125 nationalities, has received this rating
across all its largest markets. It has earned a Top Employer certification in 24 countries located
in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

In North America, TCS was recognized as a Top Employer in both the United States and
Canada. This year, it was also certified as the Region-wide #1 Top Employer in Europe for the
4th consecutive year. TCS earned the foremost rating in the United Kingdom and Germany, and
also received an accreditation in six other countries in Europe: Belgium, Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands. In Latin America, TCS was recognized in seven
countries: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. In the Middle East and
Africa, it achieved this status in South Africa, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia – where it operates
an all women BPS center. In Asia and the Pacific, TCS was certified in Australia, Singapore and
India, where the company is headquartered.

Ajoy Mukherjee, Executive Vice President and Global Head, Human Resources, TCS,
commented: “We are delighted to have been certified as a Global Top Employer. In today’s
digital economy, having a fully committed, engaged and culturally diverse workforce is more
critical to business success than ever before. At TCS, we pride ourselves on our commitment to
our people as well as our ability to create an exceptional environment and a nurturing platform
that helps our employees around the world to realize their potential.” He added: “This is a
significant achievement for our organization and we will look forward to building on this success
and delivering an even better experience for both our employees and our customers around the
world.”

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“Optimal employee conditions ensure that people can develop themselves personally and
professionally,” said Dennis Utter, Global Business Director, Top Employers Institute. “Our
comprehensive research concluded that Tata Consultancy Services provides an outstanding
employment environment, and offers a wide range of creative initiatives, from secondary
benefits and working conditions, to performance-management programmes that are well thought
out, and truly aligned with the culture of their company.”

Established in 1991, the Top Employers certification is designed to identify and recognize the
world’s leading organizations in the field of HR management and employee conditions. The
award of this certification is based on an industry-leading  research methodology, conducted by
the Top Employers Institute and audited by Grant Thornton.

International assignment

An international assignment is an overseas task set by a company to an employee. Companies

that engage in international assignments are mainly multinational corporations (MNCs). MNCs
send employees from the home country to a different country for business operations at overseas
offices or subsidiaries. These employees are called expatriates. International assignments can
fulfill a number of key organisational functions and are viewed as development opportunity for
organisations to build a global and mature workforce. As a result of globalization and the
saturation of domestic markets, international assignments are a strategic tool for organisations to
compete successfully on the global stage and achieve specific organisational objectives. These
organisation missions are a key way of developing global perspectives. They can encourage
diverse inputs into decision and develop shared values within the Headquarters, home country
and subsidiaries

Reasons for international assignments

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 Expansion into both new and existing markets
According to the Global Mobility Survey 2012 conducted by the Santa Fe Group, the
most popular reason for transferring employees overseas was expansion into existing
markets, with 52 percent of survey respondents citing this factor. Sending employees
abroad helps grow a small office into a strong international arm of your business. By
building out a talented workforce abroad, you can bolster your company’s global
influence and revenue.But moving employees to another country can also give your
company the foot in the door it needs overseas, with the second most popular reason for
sending workers abroad being expansion into new markets, according to the Santa Fe
Group survey, with 49 percent of respondents citing this reason. In today’s fast-paced
world, business operations can no longer be siloed. Every day, industries are
strengthening their global presence, and identifying new opportunities in cities that are
rapidly rising as centers of commerce. By sending employees abroad to areas that are
seeing this dynamic growth, your company can make sure it does not miss out on
establishing a presence in a burgeoning scene for your industry.

 Development of top talent

Sending an employee abroad to represent your company in another country is a reflection
of that person’s value to the organization. Overseas, this individual will act as the face of
your company and will be responsible for helping to maintain its corporate identity and
reputation. Moving an employee overseas is an expression of commitment to their
professional development, and international experience can help train employees for
leadership, managerial and executive roles in the future.

 Streamlined operations 
If your company is looking to make moves quickly, sending an existing employee abroad
can help streamline operations. A domestic employee sent overseas has the company
knowledge and experience to quickly embed themselves in business activities in your
market abroad, bypassing time-consuming on-boarding and training that is necessary
when hiring a brand new employee for overseas work. In addition, a shortage of qualified
talent in the local area can hurt overseas operations, which makes having a qualified
employee willing to move especially valuable.
 New perspectives are gained 
Having employees working overseas helps funnel new perspectives, ideas and business
practices back to headquarters. Being immersed in a new culture boosts creative problem
solving and reveals valuable new ways of doing things, and the employee can both share
these exciting insights with the company and apply them in his day-to-day work.

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 Types of International assignment

Business travel

Business travel involves short-term trips, typically enabling individual employees to carry out
specific business-related activities, such as attending conferences and meetings, negotiating
contracts and networking, in a different country for a brief period.Compared with other mobility
types, business trips may be less costly and less administratively onerous where employees travel
without a work permit. However, for many organisations, the volume of business travel is such
that as a whole, it acts as the biggest drain on mobility budgets.Since business travel tends to
occur without triggering any organisational global mobility procedure or support, it can be
challenging for organisations to have an accurate understanding of the total financial outlay. This
is further complicated by expenses, with reimbursement processes for globally mobile employees
creating an additional lawyer of cost and budget management.Business travel also presents a
range of immigration and tax compliance risks for both the employer and employee.Local
immigration laws constantly change and current trends in global immigration policy are seeing a
move towards more stringent monitoring and management of business travellers. Where
employees travel without first checking against local immigration rules, any reliance on a visa
not specifically designed for business purposes, or travelling without express, prior work
permission for the intended activity, could see the employee detained at the border at the
discretion of the immigration officials.Employees who travel extensively on business could also
become ‘accidental expats’ by involuntarily or unknowingly triggering legal or tax rules that re-
classify them as resident in the host country.In response, employers are advised to support their
travelling employees through ongoing training and explore technology solutions to improve data
collection and storage in relation to monitoring business travellers’ movements and managing the
associated compliance with immigration and tax regulations.

Short-term assignments

Short-term overseas assignments can be a flexible approach to developing talent within your
organisation, by offering key employees highly valuable international exposure and experience,
with potential career progression into managerial, executive and leadership roles on their
return.Short-term assignments can also enable employees to gain first-hand insight and industry
knowledge to bring back and use to improve performance and operations in their home
workplace.There are however various inherent risks of short-term assignments, including seeking
the relevant immigration approvals, which can become onerous and costly given the short-term
nature of the assignment.You will also need to ensure that the employee is aware of the relevant
legal and cultural differences to enable them to maximise their time on assignment, and avoid
any adverse impact on the success of the assignment or falling foul of the law.

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Long-term assignments

Long-term overseas assignments can support longer-term business growth objectives either by
establishing a foothold in a new regional market or driving growth efficiency programmers
through existing operations .Deploying existing employees can also be a more effective
alternative to recruiting overseas in achieving the commercial objective, where knowledge of the
organisation is critical and timescales are challenging. One of the main challenges in long-term
assignments however is controlling costs and ensuring their commercial viability. In particular,
you will need to factor in relocation costs for both the employee and their family, operational
costs of providing ongoing support for supporting the assignee and ensuring the compensation
package is at a level, which offers an attractive financial incentive that will motivate the
employee. When assessing the value and return on investment of a long-term overseas
assignment, you will also need to consider the cost of repatriation at the end of the assignment.
Failure to sufficiently invest in the assignment, either from the outset or throughout the lifecycle,
especially any failure to offer sufficient personal support for a long-term assignee during their
time abroad, can result in expatriate failure, early repatriation and employee attrition. As an
employer you have a moral responsibility and a duty of care, not to mention a vested financial
interest, not only to ensure the personal safety of an employee but also their overall wellbeing
and happiness. Indeed, ensuring that you maintain a supportive, open and communicative
working relationship throughout a long-term assignment can mean the difference between
retaining the services of an employee either during or at the end of the assignment, and losing
their global talent to a competitor.

Permanent relocations

For employers, permanent relocation is increasingly being seen as a cost and resource-intensive
option, which may be too rigid and long term for the organisation’s requirement.Administering
the move and preparing the employee and their family for relocation is a financial commitment
from initial orientation, destination and arrival services onwards.

Pre-travel training for the employee and their family will also be essential, for example, to
overcome any language or cultural barriers.It does however provide a more secure alternative to
hiring someone local who cannot offer the organisational insight and knowledge necessary to
drive forward a specific business aim, such as a regional reorganisation programme or expansion
strategy.Importantly, local visa rules may restrict and determine the availability of a permanent
relocation as an option for global mobility. This means this type of global mobility is generally
not suited to anything other than to fill skills gaps and to manage operations. If you are looking,
for example, to transfer expertise or develop new talent within your company or organisation,
either short-term or long-term assignments or even frequent business travel, are likely to be
viable options from an immigration perspective.

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Managing a global mobility portfolio

Global mobility can offer many advantages but also carries risks, depending on the type of global
mobility assignment involved.Importantly, travel and work rights between the EU and the UK
are likely to be overhauled following Brexit, and organisations will need to quickly adapt to
maintain a legally compliant global mobility programme involving employee movement into, out
of and through Europe.When assessing the benefits and risks of the different types of global
mobility, there are various ways that you can help to maximise the potential success of an
overseas assignment. In particular, by planning ahead, giving assignees sufficient support,
training and time to prepare for their trip, both practically and mentally, will be critical factors in
the overall programme outcome.More and more, employers are segmenting their expatriation
policy, not just by assignment duration (long-term versus short-term) but also by expatriate
assignment purpose (strategic assignment versus developmental moves or moves requested by
the employees themselves) to achieve better alignment between the mobility programs and the
business/talent needs of the organisation.

Challenges of international assignment face by employees

Culture shock and language barrier

Culture shock is one of the significant challenges that expatriate managers may be confronted by
in their new environment. Culture shock is felt more profoundly by people whose community
differs greatly from the one they migrate to .It is possible that as a result of unfamiliarity with the
new surroundings expatriate managers may well encounter various problems when they are
exposed to a new environment and society. Therefore, they may experience anxiety, depression,
isolation, confusion and frustration when they work in a new setting, in which expatriate
managers may need a considerable amount of time to adapt to this new environment. Moreover,
expatriate managers may face new customs or traditions which might be confusing or sometimes
surprising

The language barrier is also a significant issue that every multinational company should take into
account, particularly when it expands into other countries that do not have the same language as
the company’s home language. Language is one of the main problems that expatriate managers
are confronted by, because the language barrier may lead to a lack of communication between

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the expatriate manager, his/her employees and the local people. Language barriers have a
substantial influence on business operations. Thus, expatriate managers need to know more than
one language, specifically English and the language of the host country to work in international
business, in an attempt to overcome the communication challenges that they will encounter in the
host country. If expatriate managers do not know the language of the host country, they may
experience difficulty in daily communications. Assignment or transfer managers require upward
communication with their home country in addition to communicating downward in everyday
management to their workers in subsidiaries. Regarding their first language, workers do not
experience any difficulties in interacting with their manager. Nonetheless, when dealing with
local staff, several difficulties and issues might arise

Different situations, culture and cross-cultural psychology:

Working in different situations and different cultures may have a great influence on the attitude
and behaviour of expatriate managers. Therefore, the attitude of expatriate managers may
deteriorate when they encounter situations that they find perplexing or are unaware of in diverse
cultures and may be more positive when they feel settled and comfortable in their home and
work situation. ). Hence, if they are in harmony with their new or the host environment and
situations they can easily overcome their difficulties while working and living there.
Furthermore, manager's duties may change when they work in a different situation and culture.
Therefore, they have a great responsibility to confront the expected challenges that their
companies may face. Moreover, cross-cultural psychology has concentrated on the individual
level, because it has a significant impact on individual behaviour. Cross-cultural psychology is
basically focused on understanding individual differences, challenges and complexities in the
workplace which have an immediate impact on expatriate managers during the process of
international business, especially when they do not have the ability to overcome their problems.
Hence, it may cause them considerable anxiety. Therefore, self-confidence plays a crucial role in
reducing anxiety and overcoming barriers (Xia, 2009). It is possible that as a result of facing too
many challenges in their career, expatriate managers may feel confused and emotionally drained.

Communication and teamwork

Business communication is an inevitable activity between the expatriate manager and his
workforce either in the home country or the host country. Business communication can be
difficult between the staff in the working environment it becomes more complex when the
manager works in a different geographical area from their company as it is case with expatriate
managers (Mackenzie, 2010). Moreover, they may have communication and network problems,
particularly when they may not have a good quality network to communicate with their staff in

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the original country. Employing and working with dishonest people is another challenge that
expatriate managers may face. It may possibly be difficult for expatriate managers to find and
recruit honest employees. Therefore, managers need to find appropriate people to recruit in order
to work as a team, seeing as teamwork is an effective way of working together harmoniously.

Ethics

Ethical values are one of the most important aspects as regards the workplace and it is essential
that staff are aware of the company’s ethical values and adhere to them at all times. While
managers may support ethical principles it is much more difficult to apply them in specific
situations (McNeil and Pedigo, 2001). Even if they apply those ethical principles some
individuals may violate them. In particular, some people from certain cultural backgrounds may
conceal their real identity and might pretend to be someone else or a professional in a certain
profession.

How HR can ensure international assignment success

With the rise of the global workforce and with international assignments becoming a norm, HR
leaders and employers are constantly working to ensure successful assignment outcomes.
International assignments can be one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences in an
individual’s career. Yet international assignments are expensive for the employer – and a
surprisingly high number of them fail. There are various reasons for this, but culture shock,
failure of the employee to perform in their new post and dissatisfaction with the assignment itself
are cited as common causes. How can you best prepare employees for international assignments
– and help them make the assignment a success?

1. Make a business case for international assignments

Sending an employee to live and work overseas is expensive. Is there a case for doing this?
Would a local hire be better, or is there absolutely nobody else for the job? If there is nobody
locally, does the individual have the right skills and mindset? Are they open to living and
working in different cultures? What benefit will their overseas experience bring to the company
when they return?

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2. Consider the individual’s position

Employers need to be sensitive to personal situations when considering sending someone

overseas. Posting an LGBTQ individual to, say, a conservative Muslim country is not
impossible, but requires serious consideration and extra support. The same applies to an
employee’s partner and family; is there anything that might put them at risk in the new
destination?

3. Manage expectations

Employees need to be prepared for the fact that life during international assignments will be
different, and not necessarily glamorous and exotic. There will be cultural barriers to overcome,
as well as homesickness and culture shock to deal with. Families and spouses need to be
prepared for the changes. New relationships will need to be built in the workplace and a new
structure fitted into. Going with realistic expectations is better than plunging into international
assignments unprepared, and having it turn out to be a disappointment.

4. Prepare for cultural immersion

Embarking on a programme of cross-cultural training is invaluable before taking up international

assignments; individuals learn to understand their own mindset and prejudices as well as what to
expect in the new culture. There are less formal ways to prepare, too. Would-be assignees for
international posts could should be encouraged to build up a picture of the new culture by
reading literature, newspapers and blogs. They should listen to podcasts and even watch movies
to put together the jigsaw of everyday life in the new place.

5. Arrange mentoring schemes

A cross-cultural mentor might be a colleague in the new office, or a co-worker who is in the
destination, or has experience of it. Ideally, new expat workers should have a mentor in the new
destination and one at home; it is very easy for expatriates to feel cut adrift from the familiarity
of their old office and colleagues. Typical discussion points with a mentor might include
management style, hierarchy, gender issues, meeting etiquette, negotiating and decision making.
Essentially, though, a mentor should be a sounding board on whom the expat can rely when
problems crop up.

6. Encourage a positive attitude

Even having a few simple memos and pointers can help newly landed expats through difficult
times. Learning not to compare their old culture with the new one; remembering that the new
culture is different but not necessarily wrong; understanding different approaches to time
management; and starting out with the basic assumption that people in the new culture are
friendly and welcoming, even if there are hiccups in communicating with them. This is all part of
cross-cultural communication training.

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7. Offer language training

Even if English is the international language of business, and even if English is the language of
the workplace in the new country, a basic conversational command of the destination language
will go a long way towards integrating into society and overcoming culture shock. This is
important for trailing spouses, too; culture shock can be even worse for a spouse who has less
structure to their day and lacks the confidence to build a life of their own.

8. Keep communication focused

Mentoring aside, a company should have a formal reporting scheme while the employee is
abroad on assignment. Checking in regularly is the best way to stay appraised of how the
assignment is progressing, what new ideas and useful information have been picked up, and
dealing with any problems before they escalate. Companies should make the most of the
assignee’s time abroad by encouraging them to share their experiences – by blogging, for
example, or participating in video conferences.

9. Provide support for sufferers of culture shock

Culture shock is a serious condition; it can lead to depression, a sense of isolation and even
illness. Almost everybody suffers from culture shock in some way. Most people get through it
but some fail to adapt, feeling lonely, resenting the new culture, maintaining an illusion that
everything back home is superior. Acknowledging culture shock and finding small ways to deal
with it should all be part of preparation for life abroad, for example, working to establish a
network of friends, both expats and people from the new culture; keeping busy; and making an
effort as a family to explore the new culture; visiting markets, trying out restaurants and
arranging enjoyable activities for weekends, like a trip to the beach. Craving the comforts of
home is not wrong; it’s normal.

10. Remember that reintegrating is just as important

Many of these issues apply to the end of international assignments. A posting abroad can be a
life-changing experience and it’s not uncommon for individuals to return home with new skills
and ambitions to find that they are different – and that their old friends, colleagues and
workplace have changed, too. Some of the positives of an overseas posting are increased
confidence, a broader world view, better empathy and more creativity when it comes to problem
solving. Employers need to harness these new qualities, not just expect the individual to slot
back in. Preparation should be made several months before an assignee returns. What new skills
do they have? How do they see themselves fitting in? What opportunities might be available for
them? Fail to prepare and the chances are, they’ll take their new skills elsewhere.

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 Conclusion
These are demanding and challenging times for mobility experts. The number of international
project assignments is increasing and calls for special arrangements. However, these are also
great times to demonstrate your expertise. To make things easier, look at what you already have:
Some solutions are already available for internationally mobile employees in your company and
can be used for international project assignments as well. In the long run, mobility managers
should focus on finding and implementing appropriate international project assignment solutions
to ease the initial pain mainly caused by the additional workload. As is often true in global
mobility, there is no-one-size-fits-all approach, but many options to tailor your (almost) perfect
one. Language barriers and cultural differences, expatriates were able to adapt to the Kurdish
business culture and adjust culturally. Having performed this research and evaluated the
feedback, several recommendations have been proposed. It may well be beneficial for MNCs to
give expatriate managers useful background information before moving to the host country.
MNCs need to prepare and train their employees and managers to overcome the language barrier
prior to sending them to a foreign country. It could be argued that expatriate managers need to

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adapt their behavior to fit into a new environment as this can help them to overcome any
obstacles while working in a new location

Bibliography

Help from internet following websites links have been used in the completion of this project.

 www.linkedin.com

 www.igi-global.com

 www.shrm.org

 www.tmaworld.com

 www.humanresourcesonline.net

 www.indianexpress.com

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