Maple Shoes Ltd
Name:
Institution:
Maple Shoes Limited
Question One
The challenges that are likely to result from the expansion of the Maple Leaf Shoe Company are several. The first challenge would be controlling the operating plant from the main headquarters, which will be the main manufacturing Industry located in Ontario. The distance between the operating plant and the main one is approximated to be 4,000 kilometers. This challenge is going to be difficult, but since there is no alternative, considering all the strategies set up have failed, it has to be done.
The next issue is the costs incurred during the setting up of the new operating plant. According to Robert, land needs to be bought and secured. Another cost demanding factor is the purchase of the machinery required in the plant. The expenditure of flying out managers from the head office and a senior human resource one are also budgeted in the expansion. The company will also hire local staff from the region who will assist them in the learning the culture of the Mexican people. The greater challenge in terms of managing the finance will be planning and executing the expansion. This has to be done as economically as possible and as forwarded by McDonald.
As the meeting was nearing its end, Jane requested a time allowance of two weeks to assess the legal and cultural aspects needed to be considered if the expansion were to be successful. The two-week period was granted. The specifics to be included in Jane’s report include the strategic plans to be implemented during and after the expansion and the legal and cultural aspects that may arise during the process.
Question Two
The Manager and the Human Resource specialist who will be stationed at the operation plant, as expatriates should posses certain qualities that will ensure its success. They will need to have the cross-cultural skills. This is the ability to work with people from different cultures. Considering, the expatriates will be in a foreign country, they will need to learn the local language in order to interact with the locals. The skill needed is the ability to learn a new language over a short period. This will enable them to adapt to the new lifestyle with ease and guarantee the success of the operational plant development. The next crucial attribute is cultural sensitivity. The potential candidates for these positions should exhibit a degree of international culture awareness. The determining factor being that they should have previous experience from dealing with workers from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Question Three
In setting up an Expatriate Performance Appraisal program, a few needs should be considered. Firstly, the form itself should not be considered as an issue, it could be either from the local country or the new location. Secondly, a few expat-related items need to be taken into account when drafting the appraisal. They include:
- How the expatriate is adapting to the new task
- The reasons as to why they are willing to take up the task
- The ease through which they are fitting into the new culture
- How well the local people understand the skills taught
These factors reflect on the performance level of the assigned expatriate and allow whoever is in charge of the appraisal to form an opinion on the efficiency of the individual.
Question Four
Jane had the responsibility of strategizing on the systematic steps the industry would take as they expanded the company to Mexico. She would have to demonstrate that she is a strategic thinker by
1. Being open minded to the valuable perspectives
The board members had all tabled their opinions concerning the issue of expansion as directed by the consultant. Jane, as a Human Resource Manager, should portray an open-minded character that welcomes the perspectives from other contributors and weigh their pros and cons before ruling them out.
2. Adept to inculcating emotion and logic into thinking
Jane should rely on both emotion and logical reasoning as she plans the strategies. She should not rely on emotion alone as she did after the meeting, after failing to agree with the consultant’s findings. Logical reasoning will enable her to avoid overlooking any loopholes that might be present with the plans. Emotional thinking will enable her to plan based on other important factors such as the employees and the effects the plans will have on them during the expansion process.