This unit is designed to provide people practitioners with the necessary knowledge and understanding to effectively manage people in an international context. It covers contextual factors, convergent and divergent approaches, expatriate management, and the challenges of international people practice.
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Your 5OS04 assignment questions will closely follow these assessment criteria. Here's what the marker is looking for in each one.
Cover the key contextual factors affecting international organisations: multinational structures (centralised vs decentralised), international resourcing challenges, language barriers, legal frameworks across jurisdictions, customs, national differences, technical capability and infrastructure, economic conditions, dominant culture and local awareness. Include Hofstede's cultural dimensions as a framework for understanding cultural diversity. The marker wants you to demonstrate understanding of the complexity of operating across borders, not just list factors.
Cover the drivers and benefits for both the organisation and the individual: transfer of technological and business knowledge, skills and behaviours; enhanced equality, diversity and inclusion; facilitation of control; improved communications; competitive advantage; talent management; increased cultural awareness; business growth. For individuals: career development, networking, expansion of professional connections, financial and non-financial benefits. The marker wants assessment — weigh up which drivers are most significant and how benefits are realised in practice.
Explain the factors affecting convergent approaches (standardising key people practices across international operations — a 'one country' approach) and divergent approaches (allowing national subsidiaries to implement their own country's practices). Cover the advantages and disadvantages of each, including handling conflicting requirements between head office and local operations. The marker wants you to show understanding of when each approach is appropriate and the practical challenges of implementing either.
Cover Perlmutter's orientation framework (polycentric, ethnocentric, geocentric, regiocentric) and the practical factors for selection: identifying required qualities and behaviours, EDI awareness, emotional resilience, ability to cope with change, wellbeing, duty of care, language, personal contexts, contractual terms, and cross-national HRM considerations. The marker wants you to assess — meaning evaluate the relative importance of different factors and how they interact.
Cover how core and specialist people practices are affected by local employment legislation, regulations, and cultural differences. Include variations in employee relations, diversity and ethical practice, discipline and grievance procedures, performance management, and reward approaches. The marker wants you to explain the underlying reasons for variation — not just state that differences exist, but show why they are necessary and sometimes unavoidable.
Cover cross-cultural comparisons, comparative HRM models, isomorphic approaches, and variations in national values, culture, belief, and behavioural patterns. Include institutional differences: the role of the state, financial sectors, legal systems, approaches to education and training, and labour force characteristics. The marker wants critical evaluation — assessing how these differences affect strategic and operational decisions in people practice.
Cover how the people practice function supports business strategies across regional boundaries. Include differing role expectations between countries (administrative, supportive, guiding, executive), supporting leadership and management, developing and operating people practice systems, and refining policies to support international working. The marker wants practical understanding of how the HR function adapts its role when operating internationally.
Cover how cultural and institutional differences affect the use of parent company policies by subsidiary companies, partnerships, or supplier/customer organisations. Discuss the range of factors and choices that influence whether parent company practices are adopted or adapted locally. The marker wants thoughtful consideration of the tensions between global consistency and local appropriateness.
Cover the benefits of using expatriates: short-term projects, specialist skills requirements, speed, commercial pressures, training and career development, and return on investment. Also address the disadvantages of relying on local employees (skills gaps, timeframes, cultural requirements). The marker wants evaluation — a balanced judgement of when expatriate deployment is the right strategic choice and when alternatives might be more effective.
Cover the selection process: personality traits, family situation, performance history, job skills, cultural suitability, personal aspirations, and career planning. Then cover preparation: different contractual models, relocation administration, L&D support, social and domestic considerations, pay and benefits, health provision, travel, accommodation, and family support. The marker wants a thorough, practical explanation of the end-to-end expatriate management process.
Cover the policies and processes needed to support returning expatriates: reintegration into organisational career systems, cultural readjustment, wellbeing management through changing professional and personal contexts, job role considerations, career direction, and providing practical advice, guidance, and support. The marker wants you to show understanding of why repatriation is a critical — and often neglected — phase of the expatriate cycle.
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