Why would a global firm primarily staff foreign positions with expatriates? How can a global firm prepare employees and their families for international assignments?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Filling foreign positions with expatriates assumes that home-office perspectives and issues should take precedence over local perspectives and issues and that expatriates will be more effective in representing the views of the home office. Generally, expatriates are used to ensure that foreign operations are linked effectively with parent corporations. Pre-move orientation and training of expatriate employees and their families are essential before the global assignment begins. The pre-move orientation needs to be aggressively undertaken so that the expatriate understands cultural dos and don'ts and is immersed in the language. Many organizations have established a formal buddy system to alleviate the stress new expatriates and their families normally endure, to reduce the time it takes for expatriates to operate at peak productivity. Buddies often inform expatriates of host-office norms and politics, invite them into their homes, introduce them to friends and networks, and help bolster their credibility in the office.