Reference no: EM133894662

Problem

Based on the Scenario

You work as a people management professional in a UK manufacturing company operating in the pharmaceutical sector. Your organisation is based on a single site where it employs 3000 people, most of whom are employed in well-paid professional, technical and administrative roles. There are large teams working in research and development, marketing, and production. While your company has been highly successful at exporting its major products, aside from some sales representatives, it has never employed many people to work overseas previously and has not been involved in any international ventures.

This situation is about to change. Your company is about to become a wholly owned subsidiary of a much larger Japanese corporation which has interests in pharmaceuticals as well as health foods and the manufacture of specialist medical equipment. Your site will soon be expanded considerably and become more diverse in terms of its manufacturing capability.

As a result, your core People Management team will double in size over the coming two years and will need, in part, to start focusing on meeting the needs of a larger international corporation headquartered in Japan. The parent company will be expatriating members of its management team to oversee UK operations and there will also be opportunities for established members of the UK based team to work for periods in Japan alongside colleagues there who specialise in people management.

Consequently there is a need for your team to develop its international people management knowhow quite rapidly and to adapt its practices to meet the needs of this new situation. You are asked to lead the project team, working to make this upcoming period of transformative change proceed smoothly and successfully. Your initial task is to organise a two-day training event for all members of the People Management function who are based on your site with a view both to explaining some of the likely challenges which lie ahead and to prepare everyone to meet them effectively.

Your manager asks you to brief her about your plans for this training event by responding to the following 11 questions relating broadly to what needs to be covered. At this stage all that is required is a brief outline of your initial thinking, but it is important that this is appropriate, thoughtful, well-informed and well-justified.

You may, if you wish, choose a different Southeast Asian country to discuss. However, you should discuss this with your assessor first and ensure that you have their approval to do so.

Explain convergent or divergent approaches to inform people management policy and practice choices.

A. Explain the difference between convergent and divergent approaches to managing people practice across different countries.
B. Explain the potential tensions that may arise from each approach. Get the instant assignment help.
C. Explain factors which can help to resolve potential tensions in preparation for the takeover.