Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

Hardship allowances are financial incentives offered to expatriates who are assigned to locations

with difficult living conditions, such as:

Political instability

Limited access to healthcare or education

Extreme climates or high crime rates

This payment compensates for a decrease in living standards, not for economic fluctuations or salary

variations.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Global Compensation and Benefits / Assignment Allowances:

“A hardship allowance is provided when the host country presents challenging or uncomfortable

living conditions compared to the employee’s home country. It serves to offset the perceived or real

reduction in lifestyle quality.”

Exchange rates are handled via other mechanisms (e.g., COLA), and net salary changes are part of

balance sheet calculations, not hardship pay.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

The correct visas for an intra-company transfer of a professional employee are the L-1 (for the

employee) and L-2 (for the spouse/dependent). The L-1 visa is specifically designed for employees of

multinational companies being transferred to a U.S. parent, subsidiary, or affiliate for a long-term

assignment.

L-1A: for executives and managers

L-1B: for employees with specialized knowledge

L-2: for spouses and dependents of L-1 visa holders, often with work authorization

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Global Talent Acquisition and Mobility / International Assignment Legal

Compliance:

“The L-1 visa is commonly used for intra-company transfers of managers, executives, or those with

specialized knowledge to a U.S. office. The L-2 visa allows accompanying family members to reside

and, in many cases, work in the U.S.”

Other visas listed (B-1/B-2, F-1/F-2, J-1/J-2) are for temporary business, students, or exchange

visitors—not suitable for work relocation.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

India ranks high on power distance, a cultural dimension that indicates acceptance of unequal power

distribution in society and organizations. In such cultures:

Clear hierarchies are respected

Employees often expect direction from senior management

Reporting lines are strictly followed

Therefore, organizations in India are more successful when operating within a formal, defined

hierarchy.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Workforce Relations and Risk Management / Hofstede’s Cultural

Dimensions:

“High power distance cultures, such as India, emphasize structured hierarchies and defined reporting

relationships. Employees are less likely to challenge authority and more likely to expect top-down

communication.”

In contrast, countries like Denmark or Australia exhibit low power distance and favor flat

organizational structures.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

While performance management systems can support engagement and change, their core function

is to evaluate and develop employees to ensure alignment with business objectives. Global

organizations use them to:

Set measurable expectations

Provide consistent performance feedback

Identify development opportunities

Align performance with strategic goals

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Talent and Organizational Development / Performance Management:

“Performance management systems serve to align individual objectives with organizational strategy,

drive performance, and support development. Globally, they help ensure consistency in how

performance is measured and improved across different markets.”

Sanctions and discipline are secondary functions and not the primary strategic reason for adopting

global systems.

A Greenfield venture is a form of foreign direct investment (FDI) where a parent company creates a subsidiary in a foreign country by constructing new facilities from the ground up. This approach offers the multinational organization complete control over the design, technology, and operational processes, allowing it to build a facility that precisely fits its strategic needs. It is contrasted with other entry modes that involve acquiring or partnering with existing entities. The term "Greenfield" metaphorically refers to starting a project on a piece of undeveloped land.

A. Brownfield projects involve acquiring or leasing pre-existing facilities and redeveloping them, not building entirely new ones from scratch.

C. Franchise operations are a contractual arrangement where a business licenses its brand and model to a franchisee, not a direct investment in building facilities.

D. Mergers and alliances involve combining with or partnering with existing companies, which is fundamentally different from creating a new operation from the ground up.

1. Hill

C. W. L.

& Hult

G. T. M. (2021). International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. In Chapter 13

"Entering Foreign Markets

" the text distinguishes between Greenfield ventures (establishing a new operation) and acquisitions (acquiring an existing firm).

2. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. (2015). Mastering Strategic Management. In Chapter 8

Section 8.2

"Types of International Strategies

" a Greenfield venture is explicitly defined as a foreign operation that a firm creates entirely from scratch.

3. Meyer

K. E.

& Estrin

S. (2001). Brownfield entry in emerging markets. Journal of International Business Studies

32(3)

575–584. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490985. This article's abstract and introduction clearly differentiate between Greenfield investment (new facilities) and Brownfield entry (acquisition of existing assets).

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

A Realistic Job Preview (RJP) gives candidates a balanced view of the role, including both positive and

challenging aspects. This helps set accurate expectations, leading to:

Better job fit

Reduced turnover

Increased job satisfaction

Especially in high-volume, high-turnover roles like call centers, RJPs help filter out candidates who

may struggle with the job’s demands.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Talent Acquisition and Mobility / Recruitment Strategies:

“Providing realistic job previews reduces early-stage attrition by aligning candidate expectations with

the actual work environment. This approach improves quality of hire and employee engagement.”

OJT and peer interviews are onboarding or selection tools, while tours do not address expectation

alignment.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

In collectivist cultures (e.g., China, Japan, Mexico), hiring decisions are often based on:

Group harmony

Interpersonal relationships

Organizational fit and loyalty

Thus, relying heavily on individual test scores is uncommon and may even be perceived as culturally

inappropriate.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Global Talent Acquisition and Mobility / Cultural Considerations in

Selection:

“In collectivist societies, recruitment emphasizes team fit, recommendations, and cultural alignment

over objective metrics like standardized test scores. Trust and loyalty are valued more than individual

achievements.”

In contrast, individualistic cultures like the U.S. place more emphasis on merit and quantifiable

performance metrics in hiring.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

A home-country-based balance sheet aligns pay with the employee’s home market, but in

multinational settings, this can cause inequity among expatriates from different countries.

For example, a German and a Brazilian expatriate on the same assignment may receive very different

compensation packages, simply due to home-country salary levels, despite doing the same job.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Global Compensation and Benefits / Expatriate Compensation

Approaches:

“The home-country balance sheet approach often results in perceived inequities across multinational

teams, especially when compensation varies widely based on country of origin.”

A headquarters-based approach is more consistent across assignees, helping manage fairness and

parity.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

While HR plays a key role in developing and executing diversity initiatives, the success of any D&I

strategy depends on active leadership by senior management. Their responsibilities include:

Setting the tone at the top

Allocating resources

Embedding diversity in strategic planning

Without visible commitment from top leaders, D&I efforts may be seen as symbolic or lacking

authority.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Strategic Global Human Resources / Diversity and Inclusion Strategy:

“Senior leadership commitment is the cornerstone of an effective global diversity initiative. It signals

organizational values and drives change from the top down.”

HR facilitates execution, but ownership lies with executive leadership.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanatio n:

At the International stage, the organization has taken its first steps into foreign markets, often by

exporting goods or establishing small overseas offices. HR’s role is still minimal, primarily

administrative, and typically involves a few senior managers transferring knowledge to foreign

operations. There's little integration between the home and host operations.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Strategic Global Human Resources / Global Development Stages:

“In the international stage of globalization, the organization centralizes major decisions at

headquarters while foreign operations function largely as extensions. Knowledge and policy transfer

is typically carried out by a few key managers, and HR involvement remains operational and limited

in scope.”

This contrasts with more advanced stages (e.g., Transnational), where HR becomes strategically

integrated across geographies.