Unit 17

1. What are the benefits and advantages to an executive and his or her

family of working abroad for several years?

It is great opportunity to an executive to get a great experience and to

learn a foreign culture. Also it can help you to get higher on the career

stage. In addition your trailing spouse might get a good financial help

from the company you work at like in Motorola, which has 2,000

expatriate employees worldwide, offers trailing spouses up to US$7,500

a year for education.

2. What are the possible disadvantages and dangers?

Failed postings are a great risk in expatriate placements, and one that few companies take precautions against. Not only are the costs of returning a recently-moved employee and family high, it can damage relations with local clients.

Family breakdown or maladjustment is the most cited reason for an employee to have to be repatriated.

The most frequent reason for employees turning down expatriate appointments was concern about their spouse's career. If your company's high-flier is married to another high-flier with a different company, can you entice them to set off to foreign parts?

3. Companies should prepare and support families in overseas postings. Why?

I think that company should support its employee in overseas posting, because it is too hard to grow roots in a foreign country, which has its own law, social behavior and organizational structure of government burocracy. Shell International Petroleum, the Anglo-Dutch oil company which has 20 per cent of its employees serving in overseas appointments, reimburses 80 per cent of the costs of vocational training, further education or re-accreditation up to US$4,200 per assignment.

But, as Shell found, many potential expatriates are hungrier for information and advice than they are for funding. Its spouse employment centre has helped more than 1,000 couples prepare for placements overseas. The centre recommends schools, medical facilities and housing advice and provides up-to-date information on employment, study, self-employment and voluntary work. This support, fully funded by Shell, has been found to be very cost efficient.

4. According to the article, is an overseas posting becoming more or less popular for ambitious managers? Why?

For one managers it is a good way to promote on a career ladder, to

receive more interesting tasks, and also to expand the responsibility

sphere. But for others it not an exit. For other part of managers this

removal from the homeland, is recession of a moral spirit. Unfortunately

not all can quietly transfer moving and without problems grow roots in

the new territory. And also the most frequent reason for employees

turning down expatriate appointments was concern about their spouse's

career. If your company's high-flier is married to another high-flier with

a different company, can you entice them to set off to foreign parts?

5. Which company seems to be the most generous in its financial support for expatriate couples?

Motorola, which has 2,000 expatriate employees worldwide, offers trailing spouses up to US$7,500 a year for education. This is broadly interpreted by the company - a spouse can, for example, use the money to invest in starting up a business. Shell International Petroleum, the

Anglo-Dutch oil company which has 20 per cent of its employees serving in overseas appointments, reimburses 80 per cent of the costs of vocational training, further education or re-accreditation up to US$4,200 per assignment.