Waitrose’s International Human Resource Strategy Academic Essay

An Evaluation of Waitrose’s International Human Resource Strategy in China
CW2 Instructions
• You will take the role of a HR manager, taking part in an internal evaluation of your international organisation’s human resource strategy
• As a result produce a recommendations report for the HR Director.
• Please select an appropriate MNC of your choice. You must also select an appropriate joint venture partner in another country.
• Your audit is from an ‘HR’ perspective as it is likely that the business will establish a joint venture in the new market which will require some staff to be recruited locally and also the relocation of some expatriate staff from within your organisation to manage the new venture alongside those of your joint venture partner.

Evaluating your International Human Resource Strategy, Your report should highlight the HR functions as listed below in the joint venture:
• 1. Recruitment and selection
• 2. Training and development
• 3. Reward management
• 4. Performance Management
• 5. Employee Involvement

Report structure （part1-4 take 25% of grade, about 1200 words, part 5 takes 60% of grade, about 2300 words, part 6,7 take 15% of grade, about 500 words）
1. Executive Summary (Do this at the end)
2. Introduction (What my report will deliver)
3. Company profile – Taylor Wimpey
4. Economic Drivers – 1. Economic profile of China, 2. PESTLE/Value-chain/5 Forces of the Host Country
5. HRM strategies for the joint venture:
a. Recruitment and selection
• Where will I hire the workers? From the UK? From China? From other countries? Why?
• How will I do that? (Interviews, tests etc.)
• What positions do I need?
• Use Munro-Fraser/Rodger model for selection analysis
b. Training and Development
• How will I train the workers in my joint venture?
• What kind of training do they need? (language, health and safety etc.)
• Remember the ASK model
c. Rewards management
• What strategy will I use to pay them? (PRP, Skills-based etc.) Why?
d. Performance management
• How will you monitor performance in your joint venture? (How often? 360 degree feedback?)
e. Employee Involvement
• How will you involve engage employees? In what ways can you keep them motivated?
Cultural Issues
• What approach will you adopt? (Ethnocentric, Polycentric, Regiocentric, Geocentric?) Why? Justify your strategy!
• Remember Euro Disney!
• How is China culturally different from the UK? (Think Hofstede/Trompenaars etc.)
• What are some issues for Taylor Wimpey of doing business in China? Guanxi etc.?
6. Conclusion – conclude main findings of your report
7. Recommendations based on your analysis. Detail is recommended.
Use the Appendix for supplementary details.