Read the case study given below and answer ALL the questions. What w.pdf
- 1. Read the case study given below and answer ALL the questions. What works at home does not necessarily work abroad: Impressions from working in Poland Rainer van Daak was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Currently he is working as an international sales manager for a German international electronics company in Warsaw, Poland. He had summarized some aspects of his work and social experience in Poland below. When you go to a country you have to speak the language. Two months after I arrived in Poland, I got sick and couldn't explain what was wrong. None of the doctors could speak German or English. So even if I thought I was only staying six months at that time, I decided I had to learn the language! My Polish js quite good now. At least, I have no problems speaking it but writing is difficult. I'm a bit too lazy to improve my grammar. Polish is a difficult language, even harder than German! I use all my languages at work Polish, German and English. I'm an account manager for three big customers abroad and speaking languages makes my job a bit easier. All my colleagues here are Polish. In my company, I'm the only foreigner in Poland and also the only one in the whole of Eastern Europe! A lot of people want to work for the parent company in US and I know people who have gone to Australia or Singapore. I think people are not afraid to come to Eastern Europe because salaries are lower but I can recommend working in Poland. It's a good experience. There are jobs here and a lot-more people can speak English these days. The working culture is different though. People are not so punctual and projects tend to start at the last minute. I think Germans like to be ready in advance. You can be a German-style manager and push everyone or you can be a friend. People don't take things from your experience. They have their own way of doing things. You can try to suggest doing things in a different way and switching back if it doesn't work. But they don't even want to try. It's really hard for a manager. Polish people are really smart and Polish universities are really good. You see this in the field of electronics. International companies come here to hire Polish developers. Poles are very inventive. They haven't always had access to parts so they improvise and look at things differently. I heard that there are only 33,000 foreigners in Warsaw. had expat friends in Poznan but all left because they felt too isolated. Poles don't know what it means to have foreigners and conflicts about integration in their country. Foreigners go to other countries but it will hange. Prices are going up and salaries will rise too. . . .3/ - Social life is different here. I live in a nice area with a lot of balconies. But I am the only one who enjoys it and has breakfast out there. Polish people close their doors and live in a private way. When I visit my parents, they organise a big party together with my two sisters and I feel like I'm home again. still call Germany home. Thinking of the future I won't stay in Poland. The company is big and always looking for people in Asia or America. My dream is Japan but I don't think I have the patience to learn the language at my age. It's different in the offices in India or Thailand where I would just need English. I was born in Germany and love Germany. But I was there for 35 years and for me
- 2. it's enough. Maybe I will feel different when I'm older but as tong as I still have the chance, I want to continue discovering other countries. Source: International Human Resource Management, Peter Dowling, 6th Edition, 2013, Cengage Learning. Question 1 Elaborate on the numerous challenges faced by Rainer in the management of the sales office in Warsaw, Poland as a result of the staffing approach of his company. (20 marks) Question 2 Recommend to the management the type of training which can be given to expatriates in the future to enable them to adjust to the host country. (20 marks)