Key points of selecting managers of overseas subsidiaries

When selecting the managers of overseas subsidiaries, the first thing to do is to carry out "job analysis", that is, the process of collecting and determining all kinds of important information related to work purposefully and systematically. This kind of information includes specific tasks or activities, required tools and equipment, working environment and necessary qualifications (such as knowledge and skills) to complete this task. Generally speaking, job analysis includes two related activities: 1. Job description, that is, explaining the main tasks, responsibilities and all activities of a job; 2. Job requirements, that is, indicate the qualities and qualifications that an individual must have to complete a task in a specific job.

Secondly, it is necessary to determine the ethnic origin of the managers, that is, which country's citizens should be chosen as the managers of the subsidiaries. Generally speaking, there are three basic sources for international enterprises to recruit managers of overseas subsidiaries, namely, citizens of the home country, citizens of the host country and citizens of the third country. Accordingly, three nationality strategies can be adopted in the selection of managers of international enterprises: "mother country-centered strategy", "local-centered strategy" or "multi-centered strategy" and "global-centered strategy". These three different strategies have their own advantages and limitations.

Managers of overseas subsidiaries often play multiple roles. For the parent company, he is an employee For the motherland, he is an "ambassador" to communicate the two cultures; He is a temporary national to the host country. Managers of overseas subsidiaries with diversified roles should not only contact the government, shareholders, bosses, colleagues, subordinates, customers, suppliers and the general public, but also communicate with organizations and individuals with different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, its work is much more complicated and challenging than the general manager of domestic enterprises. Foreign subsidiaries, the manager of an international enterprise, should not only solve the problems faced by ordinary domestic enterprises, but also engage in more complex and global organization and coordination work. He must make independent analysis and decisions according to local specific conditions, and cannot rely on the guidance of the enterprise headquarters. In addition, the managers of subsidiaries must be good at dealing with some problems caused by cultural and social differences and have strong adaptability to foreign cultures and societies. All these require that the managers of overseas subsidiaries must have certain characteristics needed to work in a multicultural business environment. In order to obtain these qualified talents, international enterprises must strictly select, extensively recruit and carry out necessary training inside and outside the company to form their own high-quality international management team. International management talents refer to human capital that can play an active role in international management, and their quality requirements are basically the same as those of ordinary domestic management talents. However, the particularity of the environment in which international operation is located has special requirements for the quality of the required talents. Generally speaking, the basic quality structure of international management talents should include the following aspects.

(A) excellent ideological quality

Ideological quality includes two aspects: on the one hand, it means having good moral sentiments and a high sense of responsibility, and not losing national dignity and personality when doing business with foreign businessmen; On the other hand, we must have strong political sensitivity, have certain political analysis ability, and be good at using the international and domestic political environment to serve international operations.

(2) the internationalization level of enterprise management

When operating in China, managers can get guidance from superiors and help from experts in various fields. In foreign countries, due to the limitations of time, space, personnel and communication barriers, it is difficult to turn to others for help. To this end, managers must have excellent business ability and management level, and make independent decisions according to local specific conditions. Only in this way can we not lose precious fleeting business opportunities. At the same time, managers can only establish prestige in the company and gain the respect and recognition of foreign colleagues and subordinates if they are competent in their business. In order to get excellent managers in business, international enterprises often choose this company, because by working in this company for a certain period of time, they not only improve their business ability and accumulate management experience, but also get familiar with the company's business environment and understand the company's organizational structure, corporate culture and management philosophy. For example, the managers sent abroad by Japanese international enterprises have generally worked in the company for more than 10 years.

1. International market knowledge

Including demand characteristics, consumption habits and methods, market supply and demand, price level, quality standards, service characteristics and so on.

2. Relevant international environmental knowledge

It mainly includes national economic policies and legislation, such as import and export control, foreign exchange control, foreign investment restrictions and tax policies. ; Geographical conditions, such as climate, natural resources, topography, etc. ; Social and cultural environment, such as customs, education level, values, religious beliefs, etc. Environmental knowledge is an important aspect of talent quality, which directly affects the development and effectiveness of international business activities.

3. Relevant international business knowledge

Including international trade business knowledge, mainly involving specific business operation knowledge and basic knowledge of industry and commerce, taxation, commodity inspection, auditing, customs, insurance, shipping, foreign exchange management and settlement, as well as necessary international financial knowledge and correspondence, negotiation and signing.

4. Understand international practices

International practices are gradually formed in international operations. Being familiar with international practices with the standards or practices followed is helpful to the smooth progress of international business activities and friendly cooperation with foreign businessmen.

5. Work experience in enterprises

The professional ability of talents in overseas subsidiaries depends not only on the level of professional education and professional knowledge. It also depends on their working experience in the enterprise. In the real world, most international enterprises adopt comprehensive personnel strategy, also known as mixed strategy, that is, citizens from the host country are employed as subsidiaries, while citizens from the home country are employed in the corporate headquarters. In the case of regional organizations, the home country, the host country or the third country hold different regional posts according to the specific situation. International enterprises that adopt comprehensive personnel strategy have different combinations of managers due to different products and business strategies. For example, when the regional target market is the key issue in international operation, international enterprises will make maximum use of local people to manage their subsidiaries; When technology plays a decisive role in international operations, enterprises will use more people from the home country in order to quickly obtain technical information and intelligence from the home country and protect technical secrets.

Different combinations of managers in international enterprises may tend to one of the above three strategies to varying degrees, or they may all tend to the same two, but to different degrees.

(C) the adjustment of cultural differences

Any country or nation has its own unique culture. In a cultural background, the extremely common products, technologies, equipment, technological processes, value orientations and behavior patterns may be a change for another culture. As an overseas manager of an international enterprise, he is very sensitive to such cultural differences, even if it is extremely subtle. Western scholars' investigation found that the stubborn and insensitive attitude towards foreigners' views and political situation is often an important reason for the management failure of overseas managers. Overseas managers should not only have a clear understanding of the differences in foreign cultures, but also have enough adjustment ability to adapt to such differences, that is, they can adapt to the lifestyle and behavior norms of the host country in a short time.

Cultural empathy is the ability to understand people's thinking and behavior under different cultural backgrounds.

Cultural prejudice often exists in cross-cultural communication. People often unconsciously accept their own cultural norms and hold prejudices against other cultures, that is, they unconsciously evaluate and measure people's behaviors and other social phenomena under different cultural backgrounds with their own cultural values and standards. People with cultural empathy can greatly reduce their cultural prejudice.

Overseas managers must be able to adapt to the new environment and situation, be keenly aware of the differences between different countries in industry, culture, politics, religion and ethics, and evaluate the differences. According to the economic and cultural situation of the host country, the factors affecting business activities are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, and the management problems caused by cultural differences are treated and handled flexibly.

Adaptability includes work adaptability and social adaptability. The former means that managers working in the host country can quickly establish new working relationships in the new environment; Able to handle daily management problems easily; Good at dealing with people with different cultural backgrounds and values; Able to deal with all kinds of unfamiliar and complicated economic and political problems. The latter refers to the strong adaptability to the social environment outside the working environment, including the living habits, social customs and human feelings of the host country, and can adapt quickly without strong rejection.

Interpersonal skills

Overseas managers, unlike some engineers and technicians, are engaged in machinery and equipment and only stay in the host country for a short time, so even if they don't know the local language, they can complete the task well with the help of translators.

Overseas managers, as senior managers of subsidiaries, do people's work. They have to deal with people in the host country almost every day, including local managers and company workers, as well as customers, suppliers, the government and the public in the host country. In order to establish good relations with people with different cultural backgrounds, find out the problems existing in business, develop and utilize local human resources, develop the company's business activities in the host country and occupy the local market, overseas managers must have the desire and ability to learn and master the local language. Although spoken language is very important, silent language, that is, gestures, spoken language, semantics in context, etc. , can not be ignored. Every country and nation has its own unique "silent language". Mastering and using these "silent languages" is helpful for managers to communicate and express with spoken languages. In order to choose overseas managers who master the language of the host country, many international enterprises often take the host country personnel who are studying in their own country and their own nationals living in the host country as recruitment targets.

Mastering the language of the host country or an international common language is a very important qualification for overseas managers. In principle, overseas managers should be proficient in the language of the host country, at least English. Otherwise, relying entirely on translation at work will not only increase the expenditure of enterprises, but also violate the economic principle in time and efficiency. Because language is the most important part of culture, while learning a national language, we also know its history, culture, customs, ethics and religion. Only when there is no language barrier can all management work be carried out smoothly.

Communication ability is also an important quality that overseas managers of international enterprises must possess. It means that overseas managers must be good at dealing with people with different cultural backgrounds and establish good cooperative relations with them. Therefore, he should not only be proficient in the local language, but also be familiar with the local living habits and social etiquette, and have a deep understanding of the local moral standards and values. He should not have national tendencies, and he should not rely on his own behavior to judge and measure the behavior of other nationalities.

(5) Other quality requirements

In addition to the above knowledge and ability requirements, foreign managers also need a strong sense of responsibility, good physical quality, psychological stability and maturity.

1. Responsibility

Foreign managers must have a strong sense of responsibility, which is the same requirement for managers in any successful multinational enterprise. The responsibilities of overseas managers can generally be investigated and comprehensively judged from the following aspects: honesty, loyalty and integrity; Willing to work abroad; Enthusiasm for work; Attitude towards people.

2. Physical quality

Living habits overseas are different from those in China. Working independently, overloaded and very hard. Therefore, expatriates must have good physical fitness.

3. Mature and stable psychological quality

According to the experience of some large enterprises today, only when overseas managers have psychological stability and maturity can they calmly and firmly seize opportunities and meet various challenges in a complex and changeable foreign environment, thus winning the success of management.

4. Strong sense of competition and pioneering ability.

The competition of international operation is all-round, not only the price, but also the product quality, performance, style, packaging and after-sales service. Therefore, international management talents should have a strategic vision of the future development of enterprise products and the changing trend of the international market, not be content with the status quo and achievements, dare to explore new technologies, new products and new markets, dare to break all old concepts and stereotypes that are incompatible with the development of export-oriented economy, boldly learn from the successful experiences and practices of foreign enterprises, and carry out comprehensive innovation from products to services.

5. The desire and motivation of managers and their families to emigrate

The success or failure of overseas managers working overseas depends largely on their desire and motivation to emigrate with their families, because the motivation and desire of managers working overseas affect their talents. Some managers may not want to go abroad to work, but they have to go for some reason; Other employees may just want to travel abroad for a short time and experience exotic mystery, rather than working abroad for a long time; Some employees go abroad to work just to get the capital of "having worked abroad", because many international enterprises in the United States, Europe and Japan have indeed incorporated the qualifications and experience of foreign management into the necessary conditions for managers' promotion. The above-mentioned personnel are attracted by factors other than "overseas work" itself, and it is difficult for employees with these attitudes and motives to devote all their energy and talents to overseas work, so they are not suitable for overseas work. On the contrary, those who are attracted by "overseas work" and regard overseas work as a way to realize their own value and improve their own ability are the targets for international enterprises to select overseas managers.