MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES
Resits
(This essay comprises 100% of the total course marks).
How can the HRM department prepare and support an expatriate worker for an overseas
work assignment in Qatar?
Write an essay-style assignment outlining how HRM processes such as the management of
expatriates, training, reward and performance management, can be used to support the
(fictional) case of a female manager from a US-based corporation who has been given an
international expatriate assignment to work in Qatar. Your assignment should consider both
the support that can be given to her prior to the start of her expatriate assignment, as well
as during the expatriate assignment. Details of the female manager, the (fictional) company
she works for, and her family situation, as described below.
Melissa Lamont (aged 40), is a senior female manager who works for a large multinational
news media corporation based in the USA. She has been given a three-year international
assignment to work in the corporation’s Middle-Eastern office, which is based in Doha. While
in Doha, Melissa will be the deputy manager of the business and economics team,
responsible for reporting on business and economic issues in the whole Middle Eastern
region. The (male) manager of the team is a Qatari national with 20 years experience
working for the company, 10 of which were in the USA, and 10 in Qatar. There are 50
journalists in the business and economics team that are based in Doha. About 70% of the
journalists in the team are male, the average age of people in the team is 32 years. The team
is made up of a range of nationalities, with 10% being Qatari, 40% being from other Middle
Eastern countries, and 50% being journalists from Europe, and the USA. The business
language spoken within the company is English.
Melissa has worked for the US-based news media organization for 10 years, based in New
York. She has US nationality, and has never worked overseas before. Melissa is married, and
her husband (aged 38) works as a freelance journalist. He, along with their two children, will
move to Doha for the term of her assignment. Melissa’s husband is able to continue his work
as a freelance journalist while based in Doha. Melissa’s children are a girl (aged 8) and a boy
(aged 6), both of whom will attend school in Doha. None of the family have any serious
medical issues, and are healthy. English is the only language Melissa speaks.
(if you make any assumptions about Melissa, her family, or company, that are NOT detailed
in the case, state them in your assignment)
In discussing how HRM processes can support Melissa, make links to relevant HRM
literature, concepts, and examples. In doing so, when you refer to any HRM processes, or
concepts, define and explain them.
This is a 2,500 word assignment (plus/minus 10%).
Your assignment should have a brief introduction and conclusion. There is no need for an
executive summary, or a table of contents, but the use of section headings is encouraged.
You should also include a full Harvard-style reference list, giving details of all the sources
that you have used.
Submission Deadline:
This needs to be uploaded to MyAberdeen by: 18 September 2022 by 9am (DOHA TIME)
Criteria for Assessment: Your essay will be marked against the elements outlined in the
table below and the associated criteria. It should be noted that additional emphasis will be
placed on the ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Argument’ criteria in determining your overall grade:
Element Criteria
Knowledge Knowledge of academic literature, concepts, and examples on the topics
of international HRM, management of expatriate workers, other relevant
HRM concepts on reward, training, and recruitment
Structure/Presentation Essay format required.
Structure contributes to clarity in answering the question.
Logical presentation of concepts.
Clarity of writing
Argument Identification and discussion of key issues and topics
Conclusions summarise arguments.
Sources Reading, understanding and practical application of academic textbooks
and articles and other relevant sources.
Harvard style of citation required as per Business School guidelines.
What are you being asked to do?
• You should offer a framework or definitions of expatriate management
• Refer specifically to the impact of HR interventions such as selection, reward,
learning and development, performance management.
• You should discuss the advantages and merits of expatriate management
• You should note the impact of national culture for managing expatriates
• You should construct an argument based upon your critical analysis of the issues
involved and to support your recommended strategies
• You should note the Qatarisation strategy and its impact for expatriate management
• Your argument should be supported by citation. You must give credit to the works of
others that you use. Any work that you cite, must appears in your bibliography. Any
works that are NOT cited should not appear in the bibliography.