7OS05: Managing People in an International Context CasAssessment

Assessment

Introduction

Your knowledge and understanding of the material covered in this specialist unit will be assessed through your answers to four questions.

You will write four answers of approximately 1000 words to the questions posed and submit them together in a single document. This constitutes your assessment for this unit. The total word count for the assessment will therefore be 4000 words, plus or minus 10%. The bibliography, list of references and essential appendices (if applicable) are not included in the total word count – but the latter must be kept to a minimum.

You must demonstrate within the submitted evidence (through headings and sub-headings) which learning outcomes and assessment criteria have been cited. We are unable to moderate your work if this is not included.

As this is an Advanced Diploma, it is important that you are able to demonstrate not only good knowledge and understanding of the material associated with each learning outcome, but also the ability to develop an original argument and justify it persuasively with reference to wider reading. Examples of approaches taken in a range of organisations are also an effective means by which to justify your arguments.

Case Study

You work in a senior people management role in a UK-based clothing retail and distribution company that specialises in sportswear. It is called Fitter Threads Ltd and has grown considerably in recent years with the successful development of a big online store. The business model involves commissioning, sourcing and shipping products from factories based in developing countries for distribution, in the main, to customers in Europe and North America. Profit margins are excellent, but in recent years, as the company has expanded rapidly and new suppliers have been engaged, managers have been concerned about reliability of supply. Orders are not always delivered to the warehouse on time, and there have been justified complaints made by customers about a decline in product quality.

Senior managers have thus made the decision to acquire some garment factories in Asia and to start managing them directly. It is a risky decision, as the company has no experience at all of managing operations overseas, but it is considered strategically necessary in order to permit further expansion of the core business. Three manufacturing sites have been identified, all of which have established factories which already supply Fitter Threads Ltd, based in different countries. Deals have been done and in the next few weeks all three will become wholly-owned subsidiaries of the UK-based company. A long-term approach is being taken as far as people management strategy is concerned. Change will be introduced steadily over the next two years as investments are made in the new manufacturing operations with a view both to expanding them and upgrading plant and equipment. Meanwhile a two-pronged approach will be taken to the development of international managers:

1. i) Three experienced Fitter Threads Ltd personnel will be appointed to join the established management teams in each of the sites. This means that a total of nine UK nationals will be expatriated (potentially with their families) to work at senior levels in the newly acquired operations for a period of three to five years.

1. ii) Three experienced managers from each of the Asian factories will be invited to work in Fitter Threads Ltd’s UK operations over the coming year with a view to learning about the company's systems, its culture and, particularly, its expectations in respect of people management. This means that nine people (again potentially with their families) will temporarily be 'inpatriated' from Asia to the UK.

Senior managers are particularly concerned to ensure that their new operations observe corporate norms in areas such as business ethics, environmental protection, health and safety, employee voice and fair recruitment practices. These all currently accord with 'best practice' principles as this term is generally understood in the UK. Managers are aware that such norms are presently very often not observed in their newly acquired operations as this is not common practice in the garment industry in the countries they are investing in. They understand that this will be challenging, but are very concerned not least for public relations reasons, to ensure that basic standards are maintained globally across all their sites in the future.

You are asked to provide advice to Fitter Threads Ltd's senior management team. For the purposes of this assessment, you are free to choose which three locations in Asia you wish to research and write about. You must, however, choose three different countries.

Your final report should be 4000 words (+/- 10%) in length and should address each of the following questions fully and directly

Questions

1. Discuss what you consider to be the most important people-related ethical issues that Fitter Threads Ltd may have to grapple with in its newly acquired Asian operations. Which of these will potentially carry the biggest reputational risks? Justify your answer with reference to examples.

2. Drawing on published 'cultural mapping' models (e.g. Hofstede, Hall and Hall, Basanez etc) set out the major differences managers going to work in the Asian operations will expect to encounter both in work and in the wider societies they will be living in. Which do you consider will pose the biggest challenge in terms of the 'culture shock' they and their families are likely to experience?

3. Draw up an initial outline of a plan for the effective induction, orientation and socialisation of the nine people and their families who are going to be 'inpatriated' from Asia to the UK? What would be your top three recommendations? Justify your answer.

 4. Critically discuss the challenges Fitter Threads Ltd will face in balancing the need to maintain global approaches to people management and the management of change, with the need to manage according to local norms and expectations in their new overseas operations. Illustrate your answer with an example.

Summary of the Assessment Requirements

The assessment requires the student to produce a 4,000-word (+/– 10%) report, consisting of four individual 1,000-word answers based on a detailed case study involving Fitter Threads Ltd. This report assesses the student’s understanding of specialist HR, ethics, culture, global people management, and international operations topics.

Key Requirements

• Four answers (approx. 1,000 words each) submitted as one combined document.
• Clear headings/sub-headings showing where each learning outcome and assessment criterion has been addressed.
• Demonstration of:
  • Advanced knowledge of HRM and international management concepts
  • Critical analysis and original argumentation
  • Application of theory to real organisational examples
• Use of relevant wider reading, models, and references
• Appendices kept to a minimum and not included in word count
• Analysis based on a case study involving expatriation, inpatriation, overseas operations, and ethical standards in Asian manufacturing contexts
• Selection of three different Asian countries for the purpose of analysis

Questions to be Fully Answered

1. Ethical issues and reputational risks in the newly acquired Asian operations
2. Cultural differences using recognised cultural mapping models, and identification of the most challenging aspects of culture shock
3. Plan for induction, orientation, and socialisation for nine inpatriated Asian managers and their families, plus top three recommendations
4. Balancing global vs. local people-management approaches, including a critical discussion and example

How the Academic Mentor Guided the Student (Step-by-Step Approach)

Step 1: Understanding the Assessment Context

The mentor began by helping the student interpret the case study and clarify:

• The nature of Fitter Threads Ltd’s operations
• The strategic shift toward owning overseas factories
• The implications for HR, ethics, culture, and global management
  This ensured the student fully understood the background before writing.

Step 2: Breaking Down the Requirements

The mentor guided the student to divide the assessment into four distinct but interrelated sections, aligning each with learning outcomes.
Clear instructions were given to use headings/sub-headings so that assessors could easily see where each requirement had been addressed.

Step 3: Selecting Three Asian Countries

The student was advised to select three countries with:

• Contrasting cultural dimensions
• Clear HR, ethical, and operational challenges
  The mentor helped assess available research and choose countries with sufficient academic literature.

Step 4: Structuring Each Question

The mentor offered a question-by-question breakdown:

Question 1 Ethical Issues

The mentor helped the student:

• Identify core people-related ethical issues (e.g., working conditions, child labour, excessive hours, discrimination, health and safety, wage practices).
• Evaluate which issues could cause major reputational risk.
• Support arguments using real-world examples from global garment industries.

Question 2 Cultural Mapping & Culture Shock

Guidance included:

• Selecting and applying models like Hofstede, Hall, Basanez
• Structuring the comparison logically (e.g., power distance, time orientation, communication styles)
• Identifying the biggest cultural difficulties for expatriates and their families

Question 3 Inpatriate Induction & Socialisation Plan

The mentor assisted in crafting:

• A structured induction plan covering organisation culture, UK workplace norms, legal systems, family support, accommodation, and cultural training
• Three justified top-priority recommendations
• Evidence-based reasoning

Question 4 Global vs. Local HR Balance

The mentor guided the student to:

• Discuss the tension between global standardisation and local adaptation
• Provide a real example (e.g., McDonald’s, Toyota, Unilever, or similar global companies)
• Offer critical evaluation rather than descriptive writing

Step 5: Ensuring Academic Quality

The mentor emphasised:

• Using peer-reviewed sources and current HR models
• Avoiding descriptive writing and focusing on critical analysis
• Demonstrating originality and argument quality
• Proper referencing and linking theory with practice

Step 6: Reviewing Learning Outcomes

The mentor checked that each section clearly demonstrated:

• Ethical awareness
• Cultural competence
• Strategic HR understanding
• Knowledge of global people-management practices
• Ability to apply theory to real organisational scenarios

Step 7: Final Polishing

The mentor helped the student refine:

• Coherence across the four answers
• Academic tone and clarity
• Logical flow of arguments
• Compliance with word count and formatting requirements

Final Outcome

By following this structured mentoring process, the student produced a coherent, critical, well-supported 4,000-word assessment aligned fully with the requirements.

What Was Achieved

• Each question was answered thoroughly, with theory applied to the Fitter Threads case.
• The learning outcomes and assessment criteria were clearly referenced through headings.
• The student demonstrated higher-level thinking, critical reasoning, and original argumentation.
• Ethical, cultural, HR, and strategic management considerations were explored in depth.
• Real organisational examples strengthened the analysis and justification.

Learning Objectives Covered

Through this guided approach, the student demonstrated the ability to:

• Analyse ethical challenges in global operations
• Apply cultural models to international business scenarios
• Design strategic induction and socialisation processes for global mobility
• Evaluate global vs. local HRM strategies and propose balanced solutions
• Build persuasive, referenced, academically rigorous arguments
• Integrate case study data with relevant theory and wider reading

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