Setting Up Your Affiliates Abroad

In Unit 1 you built a comparison of two countries as global talent bases for recruiting. In this assignment, you will revisit those two countries and imagine that your company wants to set up operations in both, but the Board of Directors is not sure which one to set up first. You are the global human resource director, and the board has asked you to prepare a white paper on the strategic human resource issues the directors need to consider before making their decision.

For this assignment you will create a two- to three-page paper that describes your company, its mission, and the reason for operations in your chosen countries. You will also include an analysis of the two countries in terms of the company mission and HR needs, and you will make a recommendation regarding which country to establish first with your supporting rationale.

Step 1: Create a company profile.

You may choose to create any type of company—product-based, service-based, or not-for-profit. Please do not use your current employer or an existing company as your model. Assume your company is medium-sized, successful, growing, and wants to lead the market with a model human resource strategy.

• If you choose a product-based company, you will set up manufacturing or distribution centers, similar to the case you worked on in BUS3040.
• If you choose a service-based company, you will set up representative offices in the countries that will deliver your service to the local area only.
• If you are a not-for-profit organization, you will set up an office to deliver either products or services to the local market.

Step 2: Consider HR needs.

Once you have selected your company type and described it, consider the human resource needs of the company as a start-up in your chosen two countries and answer the following questions in your analysis:

• What type of staff will you need to hire for the initial stages of operations?
• What mix of local versus headquartered staff would be ideal?
• What cultural issues will be important to consider in the host country?
• What human resource organizational structure will be most appropriate to set up a working relationship at the initial stage of operation?
• How much of the human resources-related work will be conducted from the headquarters versus the local affiliate?
• Where and how will you retain employee records for the newly hired staff? What HR information systems might be used in your global ventures?
• Will you have a local human resource function? If not, when might it be appropriate to establish a local human resource presence?
• What human resource policies would be essential at the initial stage of operation?
• What will be your guiding principle for administering policies at the local level?
• Would you prefer to set up the human resource function in person or have the manager of the local operation set it up?
• How often will you communicate with the staff and how would you choose to communicate? In person? E-mail? Letter or memo?

The two countries I have to work with are Canada and Tanzania. The company name is KitchKreations and it is a for profit company that sells small kitchen appliannces (toaster, pots pans, blenders..etc..) and other kitchen supplies..(silverware, dishes, towels, etc…)