Reference no: EM132262859
WHICH EXPATRIATE TO CHOOSE?
Purpose:
The purpose of this exercise is to explore skills and abilities useful for expatriate success.
Procedure:
Read the job background note and the candidate bios that follow. Discuss the qualifications of each candidate as they relate to the position. Select the candidate that your team feels would make the best choice for the international assignment. Also answer the three questions which follow the employee bios.
Position Background:
Ozarks Fine Furniture, an American company has recently acquired a furniture manufacturer located in a city outside Bucharest, Romania. Ozarks hope to be able to eventually shift some of its more labor-intensive manufacturing to this new plant. The company is planning on sending one of its employees to Romania for a period of three years to oversee the operation and to make recommendations. The selected employee would be given the title of Executive Director and will be the highest ranking employee in the Romanian company. Three employees have expressed an interest in the position.
Employee Bios:
Jim Watson:?Jim has been with Ozarks since graduating with a B.S. degree in business administration from the College of the Ozarks. He is currently Vice President of Manufacturing, having risen up the organizational structure. Jim is a highly rated employee. He is viewed as conscientious, hard working, and fair-minded. His performance reviews have always been outstanding Jim is generally seen as a likable and easy-going person. He is 27 years old and married to an elementary school teacher. The Watson’s have one child, age two. Jim enjoys hunting, fishing, coaching Little League baseball, reading, and motorcycles. He speaks only English and has traveled internationally to Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, and England.
Sarah Smith:?Sarah has been employed with Ozarks for two years as the Director of Marketing. She reports directly to the CEO of Ozarks and is considered to be a highly intelligent and competent employee. Sarah has an M.B.A. from the University of Arkansas and has previous work experience in advertising and sales. She is seen by her fellow employees as being a nice person, but a perfectionist. Her performance as marketing director has been outstanding. Sarah is 32 years old and married with two children, ages seven and five. Her husband is the owner of a web-based publishing company. She enjoys crafts, computers, skiing, and basketball. Sarah speaks English, French, and Spanish and has traveled internationally to Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, France, Ireland, and England.
Gus Dinu: Gus has been a production supervisor at Ozarks for the past 12 years. He began with Ozarks on the assembly line and has previous experience in auto repair. Gus, age 48, came to the United States as a teenager when his family emigrated from Romania. He speaks English and Romanian, and some Russian. Gus enjoys hunting, fishing, and auto restoration. He is married, with two children, ages nineteen and twenty two. His wife is currently unemployed but worked previously as a receptionist. Gus is a hard working and effective supervisor, although some of his employees view him as too inflexible and moody. His performance reviews are generally very good. Gus has traveled internationally to Romania and France.
Questions
1. What additional information about the candidates might be useful in helping your team make a determination on which candidate to hire (please explain) ?
2. Please select a key question your team would ask each candidate if you were interviewing them for the assignment (please list each question and explain why that question would be relevant to ask)?
3. Which candidate would your team select? Please carefully explain why.