Charles Darwin Theory Analysis of Chapter 4 - 1293 Words

While reading up to chapter 6, the reader can formulate that most of Darwin’s hypothesis is being derived from the idea of variation. He goes into debating that the abundance of traits and adaptations are the prime factors that often separates a type of species from each other. He then gives justification on how exactly species changed as time progressed. We later learn from Darwin that often the differences in organisms become visible more within domesticated groups and also species that are present all throughout the physical world. Difference in colours, formations, and organs along with bodily traits all distinguish an abundance of unique species from the other. Genetics are the device that enables the formation of variations,†¦show more content†¦Heron has described how one pied peacock was eminently attractive to all his hen birds.† In Darwin’s theory of natural selection, it was often discovered that when it came to natural selection, he only used examples consisting of healthy factors. He wanted his findings to be as accurate as possible which resulted in using superior organisms. In Chapter 4, Darwin carefully breaks down the means of natural selection. There he best describes it as when nature can have such an effect on organisms, that it becomes quite comparable in the results in changes, almost like animal breeders. We can observe that many of Darwin’s arguments on the theory of natural selection is based on organisms being able to create an abundance of offspring than usual. This takes place in order to substitute parent organisms. Also, sources that are needed in order to help sustain life are unfortunately scarce. This results in an increase in competition and promotes a difficulty for survival. Darwin often talks about how certain distinctive organisms develop atypical traits, which leads to the impact on both their subsistence and how much they are able to breed. He states that it is the organisms who posses superlative traits , are the ones that leave the most offspring. Over time these qualities are able to come to predominate and which may result in the development in new species, also known as evolution. Difference in colours, formations, and organs along withShow MoreRelatedThe Critique Of Karl Marx Essay1549 Words   |  7 PagesIn â€Å"Marx: Anthropologist,† Thomas C. Patterson provides archival research and contemporary analysis to defend the assertion that Karl Marx was one of the first urban anthropologists and a progenitor of emic ethnography in western culture. Patterson also aims to correct prior misinterpretations of Marx’s work in a polemic manner, addressing deficiencies in early analyses through careful argumentation and relevant evidence to contrary inferences. Patterson’s stated purpose is to answer the questionRead MoreThe Five Boons Of Life By Mark Twain1388 Words   |  6 Pagesfame and riches he finds himself in the same condition of depre ssion and deep longing. When he asks for the gift of death he is told it was given away to a child and the only thing left for him is the cruelty of old age. As I read through the first chapter, I immediately thought that love would be the gift of value. However, I quickly found out that this was a story of life without hope, life that believes there is nothing worth living for. The story feels depressing and it makes me want to take theRead MoreThe Big Bang Theory, The Theory of Evolution, and the Bible Essay2843 Words   |  12 Pages This essay provides background and analysis into the subject of science versus religion and analyzes how significant discoveries (namely the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution) have swayed generations of people into attempting to understand the science behind the universe’s, as well as our own, origin. It is not an explanation as to why one side is correct over the other, but simply an explanation of the trending upward of the demogr aphic of those who prefer to believe scientific hypothesesRead MoreEvolution Theory and Christian Faith1936 Words   |  8 Pagesevolution teory and christian faith 1 . HISTORY OF THE EMERGENCE OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION The roots of evolutionist thinking appears contemporary with dogmatic belief that try hard to deny creation . 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Furthermore, I found out that this chapter lacked some useful information which should have been discussed e.g. it did not emphasis much about leadership styles and strategiesRead More Evolution: Science and Religion Essay2032 Words   |  9 Pages Evolution: Science and Religion In 1895 Charles Darwin published a book describing his theory of evolution, and his theory of the natural selection process. This theory caused much uproar in the religious community because Darwin’s theory went against the story of creation portrayed in the Holy Bible. His theory claimed that all life currently in place had evolved and adapted from a single organism in the beginning. 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The book does, however, contain a number of factual errors and inaccuracies.[3] An illustrated edition of the book was released in November 2005.[4] A few editions in Audiobook form are also available, including an abridged version read by the author, and at least three unabridged versions. [edit] Awards and reviews The book received generally favourable reviews, with reviewers citing the bookRead MoreChange in Human Development and the Minds Birth of Creativity1999 Words   |  8 PagesCHAPTER 1: Introduction to the theme: change in human development and the minds birth of creativity. *Searching life on other planets *Technologies advancing Chapter 2.: Early tools of technology that shape mankind *human weather adaptations *Curing diseased for future generations *Space travel and human repopulation * human migration from earth Chapter 3 In this chapter we talk about planets and the galactic scale. 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Health Benefits Of Regular Exercise - 1266 Words

In recent years society has become increasingly aware of the need for physical fitness to gain a better health outlook and improved physique. Almost with every facing direction, whether it is on television, social media, magazines, or by the office water cooler advice on improving health can be given without solicitation. Most of the advice is advocating using a fitness monitor that encourages an active lifestyle that merits serious attention. Tasks consists of moderate to vigorous ambulatory activities, such as walking, biking, or running. Cardio and Strength training, along with dietary balance are incorporated to achieve the optimal fitness goal. All Fitness gadgets use one major premise which is that regular exercise increases stamina, releases stress, prevents or controls certain chronic diseases and improves overall appearance. There are many health benefits to regular exercise. The physical aspect of exercise can help prevent excess weight gain and help the shedding of existin g weight. Engaging in physical activity burns calories. The intensity level of the activity determine how many calories are burned and that is closely related to the consumption of food. The more that is burned should be more than the amount of calories ingested. This will cause a deficit of calories and the body will begin to burn fat. An intense exercise regimen is not always needed to reach that calorie deficit. Simply by becoming more active throughout the day revs up the metabolism andShow MoreRelatedHealthy Aging917 Words   |  4 PagesAs people grow older, leading an active lifestyle is more important than ever. Regular exercise helps seniors maintain health, boost energy, and improve confidence. The good news is, no matter your age, your health, or your fitness level, you can benefit from moving more. 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Per the course PowerPoint (cite with year 2013), exercise is the â€Å"planned, structured and repetitive body movement accomplished to maintain or improve one or more components of physical fitness.† The fitness levels determineRead MoreChildren s Participation During Early Childhood Exercise Programs1679 Words   |  7 Pageschildhood exercise programs plays an important part in the development of the human body, both physically and mentally. Regular physical exercise in youth’s plays an important part of their childhood as it has many beneficial health outcomes associated with growth and development connected with adulthood. These health outcomes include increasing production of bone mineral content (BMC), and the decre ase of depression, obesity and cardiovascular disease risks. Early life exposures to exercise influence

Internal and Outsourced Information Technology-Free-Samples

Question: Discuss about the Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing Business Functions. Answer: Introduction Outsourcing is an allocation of particular business process to a specialist external service provider. Many a times, the organizations are failed to handle all aspects of a business process internally. Moreover, some techniques are temporary and the organization does not intend to hire in-house professional to implement the tasks. When the task is outsourced to the service provider, the service provider will take the responsibility of performing the tasks as well as maintaining organizations assets. The existing studies indicate that outsourcing is a known practice among both private and public organizations and it is treated as the major aspect of business strategy. As put forward by Tayauova (2012), the process of the outsourcing can be looked upon as the strategic move among the business. The authors claim that this technique could attempt and decrease the total cost of maintaining or maximizing the productivity. The studies indicate that outsourcing could allow the organization to focus on the fundamental activities of the business. For last two decades, the researchers have supported this phenomenon as one of the significant ways for minimizing the cost; nonetheless, the total impact of this practice remains explained conundrum. In order to conduct the literature review, some specific journals on outsourcing have been selected. However, this selection has been done based on the theme found in the literature. As put forward by Liu and Wang (2014), the outsourcing usually known as offshoring carries some advantages and disadvantages but in most of the cases, the benefit overshadow the drawbacks of outsourcing. The existing studies have discussed about the following advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing. Swiftness and Expertise-In many cases, the business activities are outsourced to vendors who are specialized in their field. The outsourced vendors also have some particular equipments as well as technical expertise, which are better than those at the outsourcing organization are. Hence, the business activities are effectively completed with a better quality in short time. Focus on the core instead of the supporting ones- Outsourcing the supporting processes provides the organization with more time to strengthen their fundamental business process. This means the organization could outsource its supporting services, and put special attention to fundamental aspects of the business. Risk-Sharing- As put forward by Dolgui and Proth (2013) one of the significant factors determining the consequence of an organization is risk-analysis. This means outsourcing certain aspects of the business process helps the organization to shift some particular responsibilities to outsourced vendors. Hence, the outsourced vendor is a specialist, they could develop the plan of risk mitigating the factors more effectively. Minimized operational and recruitment costs- It is observed that outsourcing elude the need to hire individuals in-house, here recruitment and operational costs can be reduced to a large extent (Jensen 2012). This is one of the significant advantages of offshore outsource. Disadvantages of outsourcing- The studies claim that the major disadvantages of outsourcing are the managerial control over the outsourced operations, threat to security, confidentiality, hidden cost, quality issue as well as reallocation of the existing team. In this context, Sass and Fifekova (2011) commented that the major disadvantage is related to the loss of control over the outsourced operation stems from the reason that manage the external source needed for particular skills. On the other side, Nassimbeni, Sartor and Dus (2012) commented that almost every outsourcing contract has the terms of security as well as the confidentiality; however, the implementation and the audit always remain difficult. Particularly, in financial services, the requirements keep information known to investment bankers away from the traders, brokers and other individuals who try to use such insider information. The studies have discussed that outsourcing organization will be motivated by profits. As the contracts will fix the pr ice, a significant way for business organization to increase profit is to decrease the cost. Hence, Liu and Wang (2014) mentioned that even though the outsourcing organizations gain the benefits from such business practices, the organizations always cannot the expected result; this is because of the communication gap is the major factor. Likewise, Al-Mutairi and Al-Hammad (2015) commented that one significant reason to outsource can be treated as the expectation of receiving better services from the outsourcer than from internal organizational staff. The studies claim that outsource has to be selected in a specific manner to ensure that there is no negative influence on quality of products and services manufactured, else the organization could lose its position on the market. Apart from all these drawbacks, studies have emphasized on the fact the organizations could sign a contract with the outsourcing organization that could cover the details of the service that will be providing. Hence, anything not covered in the contract will be the fundamental for the organization to pay additional charges. For instance, it is observed that an analyst could purposely exclude costs to favor one decision such as selecting one provider versus another, selecting in sourcing over outsourcing. While digging into the fact that the outs ourcing is often related to firing employees mind and it is a significant issue for the organizations top management team to decide about the relocation of existing employees. Theories related to outsourcing As put forward by Narayanan et al. (2011), outsourcing consists of different activities as many frameworks that are implanted in different theoretical approaches could describe well as each phenomenon. Many studies on outsourcing have usually been affected by three different approaches namely resource-based view, core competency approach as well as transaction cost theory. It is studied that resource-based view in outsourcing develops from a propositions that an organization that lacks significant organized resource and capabilities could seek for a provider from the external environment to overcome the weakness. As put forward by iek, and Ozer (2011), the most significant use of resource-based theory in outsourcing technique remains as the perception stage for defining the decision making framework. Hence, Kang et al. (2012) mentioned that organizations should plug gaps in resource and capabilities in most cost-effective way to maintain a distinctive product as well as its competitive edge. The existing studies have claimed that a core competence can be considered as a cluster of attributes that an organization possesses that in turn enables it to gain competitive edge. However, if the organization is to focus on its core competence as the fundamental basis of its sustainable competitive advantages, the activities that do not constitute a core competence for the organization can be given to outside companies who can provide these at much lower cost. On the other side, the transaction cost theory has been established to facilitate an analysis of the comparative cost of planning and monitoring the task completion with the help of alternative governance structure (Plugge, Bouwman and Molina-Castillo 2013). The unit of analysis in transaction cost theory is considered as transaction, which occurs when a service is transferred across an isolated interface. However, the decision maker should weigh up the production as well as the transmission costs included with the execution of the transaction within their organizations. Scope of the Literature In the literature review, the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing functions have been covered. In addition, to understand other facts related to outsourcing business process, outsourcing business theories have been covered in the literature review. The areas that have been covered in the literature are comprehensive, as each piece of information has been provided with the evidences. It is comprehensive because the evaluation of the papers has been done keeping the major focus of the study in mind, which is the evaluation of benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing. In order to conduct the review of literature, 10 journals related to advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing. However, the selection of journals are limited to more recent materials; this means in order to increase the relevancy of the discussion, only recent studies have been considered. In addition, the review of literature does not focus on the methodological approach or any quantitative approach. Nonetheless, the search for literature related to discipline has been broadened. Literature Review Objectives The objectives of the literature revolved around examination of benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing business functions. Thus, considering the purpose of the study, the following objectives have been formed. To establish an understanding about outsourcing business process To critically evaluate advantages and disadvantages of business outsourcing To analyze the potential impact of outsourcing on business Different theme development Many studies have been performed on the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing business functions and each of the study consists of different themes; however, the major focus of the studies remains same. For example, the study conducted by Kang et al. (2012), includes the theories of outsourcing and how they can be applied to business context. On the other side, the study conducted by iek, and Ozer (2011), focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of business outsourcing. Likewise, the research conducted by Al-Mutairi and Al-Hammad (2015), revolves around the issues of business outsourcing. However, all studies selected for the literature included the themes that are relevant to or related to the recent contexts. If outsourcing business can be implemented effectively to the real-context, the business will be more profitable. This is compared to the businesses that use internal strengths to conduct the supporting activities Quality and currency of the literature The quality and currency of literature sources utilized in the perception of review is ascertained to be high of high quality and recent as possible. Quality of the paper selected for the literature The sources selected for the literature review carries the highest standard and the authors with years of experience write the papers not only in business but also in business writing. Most of the articles referred to the review are well-known international business journals. The authors have conducted several journals in the same context hence to known to produce desired quality. For example, iek and Ozer) stayed the supervisor for global MBA students at Manchester Business School and Al-Mutairi and Al-Hammad stayed as the lecturer in an African University also. Such exposure enables the production of very high quality work. Currency of the selected journals The secondary information for conducting the literature review is recent, with articles and publication is not later than 2011. Therefore, this criteria ensures the kind of information used in the study is up to date and relevant to the research context. However, the paper by Narayanan et al. (2011) is the oldest of all that have been used in the analysis with the context being discussed from it is not being dynamic in the recent business trends. Literature review source validity and reliability The sources used for the implementation of the literature review are certainly reliable as exemplified by the sort of quality authors whose have been cited. The discussion on the recent themes makes the papers valid and they can be relied upon because of the fact that some papers used in the present study have also been cited in other literature review in the field of outsourcing business activities. Research Gap and Contribution Based on the literature developed in the study, it can be mentioned that existing papers lacks the discussion on the interaction between outsourcing and its impact on the business in the recent time. The existing literature review have emphasized on the benefits, drawbacks and theories of outsourcing but the studies did not focus on how those benefits and drawbacks are affecting the organizations. Most of the articles cited in the literature review lead towards the process about how the advantages can be gained outsourcing. The contribution found in the literature was the article conducted by Al-Mutairi and Al-Hammad (2015) on the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be mentioned that the advantages and disadvantages outsourcing in business have the explored the depth in the literature review. The advantages of outsourcing revolve around the time saved for focusing the core activities of the business. This means the outsourcing organization can develop their fundamental business by outsourcing the supporting activities; this helps them to save additional cost and time. References Al-Mutairi, A.O. and Al-Hammad, A., 2015. Advantages and Disadvantages of Maintenance Outsourcing in Manufacturing Companies: With Special References to Jubail Industrial CityKSA.European Journal of Business and Management,7(20). iek, I. and Ozer, B., 2011. The effect of outsourcing human resource on organizational performance: the role of organizational culture.International journal of business and management studies,3(2), pp.131-144. Dolgui, A. and Proth, J.M., 2013. Outsourcing: definitions and analysis.International Journal of Production Research,51(23-24), pp.6769-6777. Jensen, P.D.., 2012. A passage to India: A dual case study of activities, processes and resources in offshore outsourcing of advanced services.Journal of World Business,47(2), pp.311-326. Kang, M., Wu, X., Hong, P. and Park, Y., 2012. Aligning organizational control practices with competitive outsourcing performance.Journal of Business Research,65(8), pp.1195-1201. Liu, S. and Wang, L., 2014. Understanding the impact of risks on performance in internal and outsourced information technology projects: The role of strategic importance.International Journal of Project Management,32(8), pp.1494-1510. Liu, S. and Wang, L., 2014. Understanding the impact of risks on performance in internal and outsourced information technology projects: The role of strategic importance.International Journal of Project Management,32(8), pp.1494-1510. Narayanan, S., Jayaraman, V., Luo, Y. and Swaminathan, J.M., 2011. The antecedents of process integration in business process outsourcing and its effect on firm performance.Journal of Operations Management,29(1), pp.3-16. Nassimbeni, G., Sartor, M. and Dus, D., 2012. Security risks in service offshoring and outsourcing.Industrial Management Data Systems,112(3), pp.405-440. Plugge, A., Bouwman, H. and Molina-Castillo, F.J., 2013. Outsourcing capabilities, organizational structure and performance quality monitoring: Toward a fit model.Information Management,50(6), pp.275-284. Sass, M. and Fifekova, M., 2011. Offshoring and outsourcing business services to Central and Eastern Europe: Some empirical and conceptual considerations.European Planning Studies,19(9), pp.1593-1609. Tayauova, G., 2012. Advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing: analysis of outsourcing practices of Kazakhstan banks.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,41, pp.188-195.

Regiocentric Approach to International Human Resource free essay sample

The purpose of this report is to explore the regiocentric approach to International Human Resource Management and discuss the impact the use of this approach would have in the case of expanding to a new location. The Expatriate Management Cycle is covered to identify any considerations that may have to be made during the process. The report evaluates the use of a regiocentric method for an international start-up situation. This report was written to inform the Managing Director of DBS Engineering Ltd of any issues that may occur during the expansion and to assess their current choice of using a regiocentric approach to business. This evaluation was carried out by researching secondary resources on management approached to IHRM and the Expatriate Management Cycle. Significant findings were then compared drawing out any benefits or disadvantages of regiocentric practice and identifying any issues that may have to be faced during the process. It was found that the regiocentric approach choses to group countries by similarities such a geographic area: North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Regiocentric Approach to International Human Resource or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This approach combines the benefit of grouping operations to improve efficiencies and also allows for some extent of multi-cultural management; however it does not accept the idea of moving people out with their specific regions. This can limit learning and experience to some extent. It was found that overall the regiocentric approach is very viable in this situation with many benefits. There is however potential for sending a Parent-Country National to a new start-up no matter the region, to ensure the organisation maximises efficiency. Table of Contents Introduction4 The Regiocentric Approach4 Expatriate Management Cycle6 Strategic Planning6 Selection7 Preparation8 Performance Management9 Repatriation10 Conclusion11 References13 Introduction The author of this report is the HR Manager in DBS Engineering Ltd, a multinational organisation which has plans to expand further afield. The intention of the author is to examine the regiocentric approach to globalisation, which the company has already adopted and to analyse how this approach is likely to affect the management of expatriates in a start-up situation. Benefits and disadvantages of applying the regiocentric approach in a start-up environment will be discussed, looking in to each stage of the expat management cycle. Considerations that must be made during this process will be identified with significant recommendations provided. Conclusions will then be drawn of the overall effectiveness of the regiocentric approach in this circumstance. This analysis will be carried out by researching secondary information such as scholar articles, newspapers and textbooks. The Regiocentric Approach The regiocentric approach can be described as â€Å"using managers from various countries within the geographic regions of business. Although the managers operate relatively independently in the region, they are not normally moved to the company’s headquarters† (Dlabay, Scott, 2008, p278). Geographical regions are areas which can be grouped by similarities whether cultural or geographical. An example of this is â€Å"A U. S. company that focuses on the countries included in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) the United States, Canada and Mexico† (Keegan and Green, 1997, p12). Similarly, if a US parented, Regiocentric Company has an Italian subsidiary; it is likely native Europeans would be recruited to manage it. (Dlabay, Scott, 2008, p278). This approach can be used as an alternative to the commonly accepted ethnocentric or polycentric approaches. According to Sparrow, Brewster and Larris, (2004, p164) â€Å"under an ethnocentric HRM perspective, subsidiaries will be staffed with expatriates in key management positions. Ethnocentric organisations will integrate their ways into foreign subsidiaries by sending out parent-country nationals. A polycentric orientated Organisation would take the opposite approach in which, â€Å"the MNC treats each subsidiary as a distinct national entity with some decision making autonomy. Subsidiaries are usually managed by local nationals (HCNs). Sparrow, Brewster and Larris, 2004, p164). The Regiocentric approach combines both these methods by obtaining the efficiency benefits of a standardised, polycentric approach whilst recognising the need for adapting to the differences in business culture globally, allowing for subsidiaries to react to their specific environments. â€Å"A single European strategy, for example, recognizes the similarities in European markets and operations, and seeks to gain efficiency by treating the company’s European subsidiaries as single strategic unit. At the same time, a different strategy may be enacted by the same MNC in Asia. †Ã‚  (Stahl, Grigsby, 1997, p71). This example is particularly relevant currently as the BBC had quoted in September 2011 that â€Å"The European Commission has predicted that economic growth in the Eurozone will come to a virtual standstill in the second half of 2011. † Whereas the Asian Development Bank claims â€Å"it now expects 14 countries, including China, South Korea and Indonesia, to grow by 7. 2% on average in 2012. † (BBC, 2011). Therefore with economic growth continuing in Asian subsidiaries may be looking to expand or recruit as opposed to their European counterparts who are likely to be downsizing to survive the recession. Expatriate Management Cycle The expatriate management cycle portrays the iterative process of planning an international assignment. This involves; selecting the right candidate(s) for the job, preparing the chosen expatriates and if necessary their families, managing the performance of expats whilst they are on assignment and finally preparing them to return to their home country once the assignment is complete. The stages of the management cycle can differ depending on many variables, such as; the length and nature of assignment, the expatriates’ experience of the culture and language, the host-countries cultural expectations. Strategic Planning Planning is essential before any international assignment to increase the likelihood of success. â€Å"HR planning is the process of assessing demand for labour against the potential supply. It is an important tool in putting the business strategy into practice, and in informing organisational capability. † (CIPD, 2011). This is specifically important in a start-up situation as the organisation has to consider the size of their expansion and how many employees in total will needed. Before this however, DBS engineering limited must consider where it plans to expand to as the location can have a great implication on the expatriate management process. If the organisation is planning to move into another country but in the same region, for example a UK based company moving into France with a regiocentric approach, they can choose to recruit employees from all over Europe including sending Parent Country Nationals (PCN’s) from the UK headquarters. Sending a PCN to a European subsidiary would have many benefits during start-up in fact Harris, Brewster and Sparrow (2004, p146) say it is â€Å"Appropriate for entry into international business†. Training local employees on the business operation, quality standards, strategy and any necessary technological skills is essential during start up and a PCN has the best experience to do this. Dlabay and Scott (2008, p276) suggest sending a PCN â€Å"is useful when prior experience is important (†¦) the goal is to prepare host country employees to manage the business†. However, sending a PCN can often dishearten local employees as it can be seen as discriminatory or ignoring a talent-pool. If the UK based company planned to expand into Dubai, with a regiocentric approach it would be unusual to send an expatriate from entities in the European area, they would instead recruit within the Arab region. Whilst this means the new entities are not receiving knowledge from a manager with personal DBS Engineering experience, there are other benefits. By resourcing employees from the Arab region (North Africa and Western Asia), cultural and language barriers would become less of an issue as most Arabic citizens speak classical Arabic as well as their countries own dialect. (UCL, 2011). Also the majority of the Arab population share the Islamic religion and therefore share beliefs. This is likely to help save costs as training and development does not need the same level of intensity, also with a lower risk of culture shock an expatriate is less likely to leave the assignment, reducing chances of project failure. On this basis the organisation must consider whether to recruit Host Country Nationals (HCNs) or Third Country Nationals (TCNs). In a start-up situation it could be recommended that the best person from the widest viable pool should be selected based on industry experience. Selection Once the purpose of the international assignments has been established in this case the need for skills and transferring business practice to local employees the ideal candidate(s) can be identified. â€Å"The selection decision for international assignees is critically important. Errors in selection can have major negative impact on the success of overseas operations†. (Briscoe, Schuler Claus 2009, p137). As with all selection processes it is important to identify candidates with the right qualifications, skill levels and experience; however the international aspect increases the importance of the individual’s personal characteristics. Briscoe, Schuler Claus (2009) suggest 4 areas should be taken into consideration: * Candidate maturity; life experience is invaluable. * Able to handle/speak foreign Language * a positive outlook on assignment. Appropriate personal characteristics, e. g. adaptability to new environments. In this stage the selection method must be chosen. As there is no existing subsidiary where the expatriates are going and the recruitment area is wide the organisation may wish to use online applications to cheaply reach a wide audience. Once a smaller pool of applicants is formed, interviews can be carried out via phone or inter net conferencing, however, it is important to be aware of cultural differences in interview situations (CIPD, 2011). The use of psychological testing may want to be avoided as there use â€Å"does attract some controversy. This is particularly true in international settings† (CIPD, 2011). Preparation Preparation for an international assignment is of utmost importance to reduce the risk of failure. This includes Pre-departure training, practical considerations and cross-cultural adjustment. The Spouse of expatriates may also have to go through training. Expatriates must be trained in issues such as the host-country’s background: e. g. history, politics and economics; cultural differences including language training; and any relevant laws or behaviour expectations. For example, Saudi Arabia has strict regulations on women being fully covered (Doumato, 2008); this is true even in comparison to some other Islamic nations such as Tunisia where women are expected to dress modestly but are allowed to reveal skin. These issues may deter women from wanting to work in such countries from fear of discrimination. The importance of this training becomes increased in a start-up situation as there are no current local employees to form a buddy system, in which expatriates could speak to a local associate about any integration problems they are experiencing. Practical implications must be thoroughly planned during this stage. This involves organising housing and visa’s. If family are moving with the expatriate this could mean arranging schooling and helping spouses find work. Rewards must also be arranged. The expatriates could be coming from many different countries and their reward packages must all reflect what they were earning before to ensure the assignment is attractive. It also must be suitable to the where they are moving, to ensure they can afford the cost of living. The headquarters must also decide on how communication is going to be held between expats and their office. Performance Management As the international assignment is for a start-up subsidiary, the performance of expatriates will likely be monitored by the home-country managers. Performance management can be complicated in an international setting â€Å"For instance, notions of what constitutes adequate quality control checks can vary widely from one country to another, import tariffs can distort pricing chedules, or a dock strike in one country can unexpectedly delay supply of necessary components to a manufacturing plant in another country (Dowling, Welch Engle, 2008,p270). The success of the international assignment can be measured by comparing the result of the assignment to the original objectives of the parent company and that of the expatriates. For a start-up situation the project is likely to have been a success if the business is up and running efficiently with the local e mployees fully trained and aware of how the business is run. Also healthy relationships with local buyers/suppliers should have been built. Expatriates should feel they have gained experience, improved their skills and furthered their career opportunities. Repatriation â€Å"Repatriation involves the move of the international assignee and family back â€Å"home† from the foreign assignment. For many expatriates and their families, the move â€Å"back home† is even more difficult than the original move abroad. Even so, it is often overlooked or minimized in the management of the total expatriation process†. (Briscoe, Schuler Claus 2009, p188). In this situation the expatriates have witnessed the subsidiary develop from the start and may have become very attached to it, this means they may not want to leave. It has been found â€Å"the process of repatriation is not a satisfactory experience for most managers, who on their return often experience culture shock, lost career opportunities and even unemployment. † (Edwards Rees, 2006, p174). Also for expatriates who may be returning to the same organisation in their home country there may not be a position present for their new level of experience and they are likely to have lost relationship connections. These issues often lead to expatriates leaving the organisation on return, after the organisation has invested in sending them abroad to improve their skills at the increased expatriate rate of reward. â€Å"It is widely accepted that the cost of expatriate turnover are considerable, very few firms have formal repatriation programmes to assist those involved† (Brewster, Sparrow Vernon, p10). This suggests the risk of losing employees could be improved by creating a good repatriation process, making sure the employee is welcomed back to their home subsidiary with an appropriate management position. Conclusion The regiocentric approach is an interesting mix of both ethnocentric and polycentric approaches. The organisation can benefit from reduced costs of training as the culture shock for expatriates should be less extreme. It allows for the great benefit of HCNs working on the project to bring local market knowledge into the subsidiary but also with the advantage of having TCN’s who can bring different experiences into decision making and ideas for a fresh outlook. However if a new subsidiary is opening in different region from the parent company the regiocentric approach would not allow for a PCN to go and help orientate the new employees on how the currently successful business carries out processes. Whilst this allows for local people to achieve higher management positions it could result in the new subsidiaries lacking efficiency. It could be recommended that a PCN is sent out for the first year of start-up to train employees and a find a replacement for themselves. It is important for the HR department at Headquarters to take all the expatriate management cycle steps seriously, investigating options to make clear decisions, to increase the chance of success.