Managing non-standard international experience: evidence from a Finnish company

Purpose – This paper extends the increasing debates about the role of international experience through mechanisms other than standard expatriation packages, in particular through the use of short-term assignments. It explores the different forms of short-term assignments (project work, commuter assignments, virtual international working and development assignments) and the different sets of positive and negative implications these can have for the company and the individuals concerned. The integration-differentiation debate is reflected here as elsewhere in IHRM, with the company moving towards greater centralization and control of its use of these assignments. Design/methodology/approach – Since the research is exploratory, we adopted a qualitative approach to get a more in-depth understanding on the realities the corporations and the assignees are facing. The study was implemented through a single case study setting in which the data were collected by interviewing (n=20) line managers, human resource management (HRM) staff and assignees themselves. In addition corporate documentation and other materials were reviewed. Findings – The present case study provides evidence about the characteristics of short-term assignments as well as the on the management of such assignments. The paper identifies various benefits and challenges involved in the use of short-term assignments both from the perspectives of the company and assignees. Furthermore, the findings support the view that a recent increase in the popularity of short-term assignments has not been matched by the development of HRM policies for such assignments. Research limitations/implications – As a single case study, limitations in the generalizability of the findings should be kept in mind. More large-scale research evidence is needed around different forms of international assignments beyond standard expatriation in order to fully capture the realities faced by international HRM specialists Practical implications – The paper identifies many challenges but also benefits of using short-term assignments. The paper reports in-depth findings on HR development needs that organizations face when expanding the use of such assignments. Social implications – The paper identifies many challenges but also benefits of using short-term assignments. The paper reports in-depth findings on HR development needs that organizations face when expanding the use of such assignments. Originality/value – Empirical research on short-term assignments is still very limited. In that way the paper provides much needed in-depth evidence on why such assignments are used, what challenges are involved in the use of such assignments and what kinds of HR-development needs are involved.

The Corporate Gini Index (CGI) determinants and advantages: lessons from a multinational retail company case study

This article identifies and compares the determinants of CEO compensation to median employee earnings with those of the Corporate Gini Index (CGI). Using a multinational retail company, the article posits that the CGI is an advantageous corporate alternative pay inequality measure that concerns CEO pay multiples to median employee earnings, which regulators should consider using and disclosing in proxy statements. Although CGI and the official measure of multiples of CEO pay to median employee earnings share some of the challenges, the advantages of CGI as an alternative measure are greater. Our findings suggest that the CGI is a much better measure of corporate income inequality bringing clear benefits at both micro and macro levels of intervention.

The Mystery of Privity: Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada v Robinson (1915)

This article examines a little known decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council: Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada v Robinson (1915). The examination is historical and it provides a different insight into the understanding of privity of contract, a doctrine central to contract law. The examination reveals a process of trans-Atlantic legal migration in which English law was applied to resolve an Ontario case. The nature of the resolution is surprising because it appears to conflict with the better known decision of the House of Lords, Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company, Limited v Selfridge and Company, Limited, which a similarly constituted panel delivered in the same week. This article argues that there was a greater malleability in the resolution of cases concerned with privity than was thought to have existed. It is also argued that the power of Canadian railway capitalism is a significant factor in understanding the legal resolution of the case. Finally, it the article considers the use of English and American precedents relevant to the case. The application of English precedents to the case led to a resolution not entirely befitting Canadian conditions.

The impact of outward investments on parent company's employment and skill composition

This paper investigates the impact of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) by Italian multinationals on their total employment and skill composition. Specifically, by comparing data on 108 Italian manufacturing firms that became multinational (for the first time) in the period 1998–2004 with a counterfactual group of 2500 national firms that remained national in the same period, we provide descriptive and econometric evidence that the internationalisation of production activities did not reduce domestic employment in the parent companies neither for investments in developed or developing countries. As far as the skill composition is concerned, results reveal that only firms investing in Central and Eastern European countries experience some skill upgrading relative to firms that remained national.

Gustafsbergs barnhusinrättning : en internatskola för mindre bemedlade pojkar under perioden 1865-1885

Uppsatsen behandlar Gustafsbergs barnhusinrättning, en skola för pojkar som dessutom var Sveriges första internatskola. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka vilka kriterier man hade på undervisningen på barnhusinrättningen från 1860-talets mitt och fram till mitten på 1880-talet samt vilka eleverna var som vistades där under den perioden. Detta görs utifrån frågeställningarna hur barnhusinrättningens stadgar såg ut under senare delen av 1800-talet, hur en kurs/läroplan under den aktuella tidsperioden såg ut och hur ämnena var fördelade, samt vilken bakgrund de elever som gick på barnhusinrättningen under den aktuella tidsperioden kunde ha och vad de ägnade sig åt efter examen från skolan.För att kunna genomföra undersökningen användes tillgängligt arkivmaterial angående Gustafsbergs barnhusinrättning, framför allt på arkivet på Gustafsbergsstiftelsen men även på Bohusläns föreningsarkiv.Undersökningen visade att stadgan och kursplanen angav att eleverna skulle delas in i tre klasser, en nedre, en mellersta och en övre. Utifrån denna indelning placerades elever i åldrarna mellan 6-16 in, dock rådde särskilda krav på blivande elever som skulle bli antagna till skolan och likaså på intagna elever för att de skulle kunna examineras. Examinationerna kontrollerades utförligt. Undervisningen på skolan skulle motsvara det statliga läroverkets fem lägre klasser. Läroämnena som skulle ingå i undervisningen och dess fördelning är tydlig både i stadgan och i kursplanerna. Ämnena skulle fördelas på 32 timmar i veckan, då tillkom ytterligare timmar för vidare studier vilket innebar ett ganska pressat schema. Diverse olika kriterier ställdes således på de olika klasserna, men också på lärarna vilka förväntades följa uppsatta riktlinjer för hur de skulle arbeta när det handlade om tidsfördelning bland klasserna och gällande olika ämnen. Kvaliteten på undervisningen och lärarna eftersträvades av skolan att hålla hög klass för att ge eleverna chans till vidare studier.Vilken bakgrund, och hemförhållanden, de elever som gick på barnhusinrättningen kom från blir tydlig med hjälp av barnhuslängden och ansökningar till barnhuset. Alla barnen hade gemensamt att de var fattiga och således kom från påvra förhållanden, de var alla hemmahörande i Bohuslän. Många gånger var det den enda lösningen de anhöriga kunde se för att ge barnet en chans till en framtid. Eleverna i undersökningen gick, i de allra flesta fallen, vidare till olika yrken som till exempel inom handel och kontor, länsman och sjöman. Vidare studier förekom också liksom emigrering till Amerika.

A study visit to a vitual company

To integrate study visits to different workplaces in higher education implies important benefits for the course quality. The study visit gives the students a better understanding for the real situations they will meet in working life. However for practical and economical reasons is that not always possible. The purpose of this project is to create a virtual company that shall replace the real one for study visits. The goal is to create a realistic picture and that intended use of it can come as close as possible to a real study visit. It is also important to facilitate linking theory and practice. The virtual company is built up by pictures, videos and text. All material is made available on a web page and when entering the students will meet a layout of the company. From that position is it possible to walk around and look at videos from different workstations. Besides that can they also listen to interviews with managers and representatives of staff as well as reading reports concerning productivity and the work environment. The focus of the study visit is work sciences, therefore the material also include some visualized information about work hazards. On the web page there are also a number of tasks for the students to carry out. Until the autumn 2011, 132 students at Dalarna University have visited and produced reports from the virtual company. They were studying in programs for mechanical engineering, production technicians and human resource management. An evaluation among some ten students showed that the study visit to the virtual company is flexible in time and effective, but that students wish to have even more detailed information about the company. Experiences from four years of use in a number of classes show that the concept is worth further development. Furthermore with production of new material the concept is likely to be applicable for other purposes.

The role of entrepreneurial networking on internationalization of a micro-sized Born Global Swedish fashion company : A narrative ethnographic research

Background: In recent studies a lot of attention is drawn to the connection between networking and entrepreneurship. Many scholars consider successful business and networking inseparable. Taking into consideration the topicality of the two notions discussed above the authors of this thesis decided to conduct the research dedicated to these phenomena in the field that interests them most – in the field of Swedish fashion. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to gain a deeper insight into entrepreneur’s experiences to point out the role of entrepreneurial networking in the process of internationalization of a micro-sized Swedish fashion company and to contribute to the research in this field by telling its unique story. Method: To achieve the purpose of the research a narrative ethnographic research was conducted. This research strategy was chosen because it suits the purpose best by giving an opportunity to get fresh insights into the field of entrepreneurial networking from the point of view of the entrepreneur. The data collected has a narrative nature therefore narrative analysis is used to present it. The methods of gathering the data are face-to-face interview and documents. Conclusion: we can define the most important role of entrepreneurial networking on the internationalization process of Odeur as an effective accelerator and a tool to fulfil the knowledge and expertise gaps in certain areas through other actors in the network.

Identity and image – the story of expertise in a manufacturing company

This thesis is an investigation on the corporate identity of the firm SSAB from a managerial viewpoint (1), the company communication through press releases (2), and the image of the company as portrayed in news press articles (3). The managerial view of the corporate identity is researched through interviews with a communication manager of SSAB (1), the corporate communication is researched through press releases from the company (2) and the image is researched in news press articles (3). The results have been deducted using content analysis. The three dimensions are compared in order to see if the topics are coherent. This work builds on earlier research in corporate identity and image research, stakeholder theory, corporate communication and media reputation theory. This is interesting to research as the image of the company framed by the media affects, among other things, the possibility for the company to attract new talent and employees. If there are different stories, or topics, told in the three dimensions then the future employees may not share the view of the company with the managers in it. The analysis show that there is a discrepancy between the topics on the three dimensions, both between the corporate identity and the communication through press releases, as well as between the communication through press releases and the image in news press articles.