TRAINING PROGRAM FOR MIDDLE MANAGERS

Training Program for Middle Managers

Training Program for Middle Managers

Introduction

Global assignment of Middle managers has been a traditional method of operating far flung commercial empires since the days of Robert Clive and the British East India Company. The importance of transferring knowledge, skilling remote or local Middle managers and instilling best practice throughout a multinational organization has long been recognized as a source of competitive advantage for those firms able to expand successfully (Glenn 2001). The failure of rate of global assignments, and indeed international expansion, has throughout history been nothing less than fantastic.

The Training Program

The devised program has been designed for potential expatriate candidates and their partners, to be conducted by independent consultants for multiple firms simultaneously. It is culturally non-specific because it seeks to provide tools that can be applied in a range of cross-cultural situations. Clearly there are limits to the range of non-specific instruction; however the aim is not to provide lists of norms or stereotypes, but rather to teach recognition of unfamiliar cultural circumstances, no matter the national, ethnic or religious environment.

The program is intended to be starting point for those employees and firms contemplating global assignment. As such, the program will lay the foundations of service policies, employment contracts and job descriptions, as well as remuneration and repatriation agreements. The program will also provide practical advice for both firms who must manage from afar, and expatriates who must deal with local situations whilst keeping the home office happy (Mahmoud 1999). An inescapable factor in global assignment is a change in cultural environment for the expatriate, and the inevitable feelings of unease or stress commonly associated with coping with this change. There is arguably little any course can do to offset this hurdle, yet pre-departure training allows opportunity to raise the candidates awareness of this problem, arguably increasing their ability to cope.

The program is not intended to be intensive, nor is it intended to be long. It is structured for 15 to 20 candidates with their partners and will be conducted over the course of a day. The program is divided into three, 2 hour sessions; therefore the participants will also be divided into three equal groups and rotate through each session in turn. Partner's well be kept together within groups to ensure they gain the same insights.

Steps

One of the first steps of effective training is to uncover each employee's current skill set. The next step is to find out which skills and knowledge of the job the employee needs training. Organizations do pre-employment tests for each prospective employee, and then during the course observations are made to see where they stand in that particular course. This determines what amount of training and coaching is needed for that employee. Another way that organization assesses training needs is through direct observation. Middle managers may observe performance deficiencies while watching an employee do his or her job and recommend a particular online training class. Changes in policy, procedure, regulations, and products can also necessitate ...