MPO II: May 30: Engaging Talent

A graphical way to communicate how the organization’s spirit, beliefs, character, and focus, writ large, can be used to achieve its dream to overcome its “greatest imaginable challenges.”

• Strategic complementarity?
• Complementary skills?
• Compatible management styles?
• The “right” level of mutual dependency?
• NOT an “anchor” partner?
• NOT the other half of an “elephant-and-ant” complex?
• Workable operating-policy differences?
• Workable cross-cultural communication?-

• Clearly defined criteria
• Clearly defined measures
• Training for selectors
• Open advertising of vacancy (internal/external)Panel discussions

• Less defined criteria
• Less defined measures
• Limited training for selectors
• No panel discussions
• Open advertising of vacancy
• Recommendations matter

• Clearly defined criteria
• Clearly defined measures
• Training for selectors
• Nominations only (networking/ reputation)
• Panel discussions

• Selectors’ individual preferences determine criteria and measures
• No panel discussions
• Nominations only (networking/reputation)

1. PCN (Parent-country nationals) are employees whose nationality is the same as that of the firm headquarters — for example, a German employee of a German company who is working at a Chinese subsidiary.

• Benefits
• lOrganizational control & coordination are maintained and facilitatedl
• Promising managers are given intl. experiencel
• PCNs may be the best people for the job because of special skills and experiencel
• There is assurance that subsidiary will comply with company objectives, policies, etc.
• Disadvantages

• lThe promotional opportunities of HCNs are limitedl
• Adaptation to host country may take a long timelPCNs may impose an inappropriate HQ stylelCompensation for PCNs and HCNs may differ

3. TCN (Third-country nationals) are employees whose nationality is different from that of either the headquarters or the subsidiary office. In the above scenario, this might mean an Indian employee working at the Chinese office of the German company.

• BENEFITS
• lSalary and benefit requirements may be lower than for PCNslTCNs may be better informed than PCNs about the host country environment

• DISADVANTAGES
• lMust consider possible national animositieslThe host government may resist hiring TCNslTCNs may not want to return to their own countries after assignment

2. HCN (Host-country nationals) are employees who have the same nationality as the local subsidiary. This could be a Chinese employee working at the Chinese subsidiary of the German company

• BENEFITS
• lLanguage and other barriers are eliminatedlHiring costs are reduced and no work permit requiredlContinuity of management improves, since HCNs stay longer in positionsl
• Government policy may dictate hiring HCNsl
• Morale among HCNs may improve as they see career potential

Disadvantages

lControl and coordination of HQ may be impededlHCNs have limited career opportunity outside the subsidiarylHiring HCNs limits opportunities for PCNs to gain foreign experiencelHiring HCNs could encourage a federation of national rather than global units

work that has three key characteristics: 1) Work that we experience as having “significance and purpose”; 2) Work that contributes to our broader sense of meaning in life; and 3)Work that enables us to “make a positive contribution to the greater good.”

the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization, and put discretionary effort into their work.

a management concept that involves redesigning jobs so that they are more challenging to the employee and have less repetitive work often by allowing greater autonomy, greater meaningfulness and greater engagement.

an increase in job tasks and responsibilities through horizontal expansion, which means that the tasks added are at the same level as those in the current position. NOTE: This is often counter to but disguised as, job enrichment.

Meaningful Work Has Purpose and Fosters Engagement

• You love what you're doing
• The world needs what you're doing
• You can get paid for what you're doing
• What you're good at

VITAF

• Sill Variety
• Task Identity
• Task Significance
• Autonomy
• Feedback

The degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities and involves the use of a number of different skills and talents.

The degree to which a job requires completion of a “whole” and identifiable piece of work – that is, doing a job from beginning to end with a visible outcome.

The degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives of other people, whether those people are in the immediate organization or in the external environment.

The degree to which the job provides substantial freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling one’s work and in determining how to do the work.

The degree to which carrying out the work activities required by the job provides the individual with direction and clear information about his or her performance.

Vertical Loading-Giving employees responsibilities and tasks that were formerly reserved for managers. Primary Impact: Autonomy

Having each employee complete entire jobs or projects. Primary Impacts: Skill Variety, Task Identity, Task Significance.

Combining similar individual jobs into the same natural work unit be it by geography, business type, customer group, etc. Primary Impact: Task Identity, Task Significance.

Designing jobs to provide as much (useful) feedback as possible from the job itself, customers, supervisors, or coworkers. Primary Impact: Feedback.

Having the person doing the job come into contact with the recipient of the service. Primary Impacts: Feedback, Skill Variety, Task Significance, Autonomy.

Managing a company demonstrably, without concealment, motivating all employees to focus on helping the business grow profitability while also increasing the return on its human capital. It means opening up financial statements and providing education to enable understanding of how the company makes money and how their actions affect its success and bottom line while giving them a stake, thus helping everyone to “act like managers.”

. Play a game to get employees thinking about key numbers such as “guess the cost.”

Start Open Book Management with the managers first. Start distributing information and attach a cash reward to its understanding and use.

Play a business game that gets the employees attention.

Set up an ESOP and use it to implement OBM.

Ask employees to show how their job makes money for the firm. Make learning about the business a game.

Play a game that gets your customers or suppliers involved in your business.