HRM roles in cross culture training provision: insights from Israeli companies
| Date | 04 February 2019 |
| Published date | 04 February 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-10-2016-0279 |
| Pages | 273-287 |
| Author | Michal Perlstein,Sylwia Ciuk |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
HRM roles in cross culture
training provision: insights from
Israeli companies
Michal Perlstein and Sylwia Ciuk
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to contribute to cross culture training (CCT) literature by exploring
the HR managers roles in CCT provision and the reasons affecting the given role enactment.
Design/methodology/approach –This exploratory study is based on in-depth interviews with 15 Israeli
HR managers in charge of the provision of CCT in their respective companies and five interviewswith CCT
professionals who provide CCT training for a wide range of companies operating in Israel.
Findings –The study highlights the significant impact of HR managers’awareness and perceptions of CCT
on its provision and discusses a related self-perpetuating cycle of current practice reinforcement that limits
the likelihood of practice improvement.
Research limitations/implications –The limitations of the exploratory design of the study call for
further research on HR roles in CCT provision.
Practical implications –The findings suggest that HR managers partly design and implement practice
according to what they believe are unmet expatriate needs and what they perceive as effective HR tools. The
authors discuss the practical value of raising their awareness not only of CCT designs and methodologies, but
also of the complexities of expatriate adjustment and the opportunities offered by rigorous evaluation of
current practice.
Originality/value –The study departs from the dominant focus in the literature on the content and
methodologies of CCT and instead explores the neglected role of HR managers in CCT provision.
Keywords Expatriates, Qualitative, HRM roles, Cross cultural training, Roles enactment
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In light of a steady use of traditional expatriate assignments and the increased popularity of
alternative assignments (e.g. Brookfieldgrs, 2016; KPMG, 2017) it is not surprising that the
factors that contribute to their success have attracted a lot of attention (e.g. Ananthram and
Chan, 2013; Littrell et al., 2006). In this context, the role of cross culture training (CCT) has
been widely discussed, as part of wider global HR approaches (Ananthram and Chan, 2013;
Menipaz and Menipaz, 2011). Often described as a “practice with potential”(Morley and
Parkinson, 2015), CCT is generally portrayed as comprising practices that focus on specific
or general cultural content (e.g. Caligiuri, 2006; Okpara and Kabongo, 2011) and aim to
shorten the adjustment period by enhancing expatriates’awareness and creating realistic
expectations (e.g. Caligiuri et al., 2001), facilitating the development of positive relationships
abroad (e.g. Okpara and Kabongo, 2011) and helping with assignment related stressors
(Littrell et al., 2006). In this vein, specific CCT constructs have been linked to the
achievement of different cultural adjustment dimensions, such as work (e.g. Chien, 2012;
Haslberger et al., 2013), cognitive (e.g. Haslberger et al., 2013) and inter-personal adjustment
(e.g. Susanto and Rostiani, 2012).
Despite the substantial body of prescriptive and exploratory work on CCT design and
methodologies (e.g. Budworth and DeGama, 2012; Joshua-Gojer, 2012; Lenartowicz et al.,
2014; Littrell et al., 2006; Okpara and Kabongo, 2011; Tungli and Peiperl, 2009), there is
compelling evidence to suggest that the provision of CCT is frequently restricted and
non-comprehensive (e.g. Brookfield, 2015; KPMG, 2017) and often does not meet the needs of
expatriates (e.g. Chien, 2012; Hutchings, 2005). While many explanations for this conundrum
Personnel Review
Vol. 48 No. 1, 2019
pp. 273-287
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-10-2016-0279
Received 18 October 2016
Revised 2 March 2018
1 May 2018
Accepted 4 June 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
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HRM roles in
cross culture
training
provision
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