Filtration Inc. has a defined set of procedures to deal with expatriate work assignment orientation. When it was determined that James was a strong candidate to go overseas, it was arranged for James and his wife to go to Chicago for orientation training. The training began with a day-long session conducted by Filtration Inc.'s International Personnel function. James thought the training was exceptionally well done. Filtration Inc. brought in experts to discuss pay, benefits, moving arrangements, and a multitude of other issues dealing with working for the corporation in an international assignment. Part of the orientation process was a “look-see trip,” the normal length of which was seven days. The trip was quickly arranged to begin two weeks later. The Randolfs “cry extremely excited. This would be Lily's first trip back to China. They even extended the duration of the trip to 10 days to do some investigation on their own time.
There was a considerable mix-up in the planning of the “look-see” trip Although the Personnel Department in Pauley wanted to arrange the entire trip, Controls' Asia-Pacific regional office in Singapore insisted it was better for them to handle it locally. The Randolfs were supposed to have a rental car available upon arrival, but discovered that no arrangements had been made and they were forced to secure their own car. Their itinerary indicated that they had reservations at the Shanghai Inn, but they soon discovered that no reservations had been made there, either.
In Shanghai they went sightseeing on their own for three days. Afterwards, they were scheduled for seven days of official activities. They spent the following two days with an on-site consultant, who was on retainer from the JV and who showed the potential expatriates around the city. Her tour consisted of what she perceived a typical American might most like to see.
The wife of an expatriate herself, the consultant didn't speak Shanghainese or any other Chinese dialects. Travel with her was somewhat of a nightmare. .As opposed to discussing the planned locations with the Chinese driver at the beginning of a day, she directed the trip one step at a time. She would show the driver a card on which was written the address of the next location and say “go here now” This approach caused considerable delays due to the inefficiencies of transferring the city numerous times and touring in a disorderly sequence. They were shown American- style shopping, American-style restaurants, and potential living accommodations. The Randolfs were told that leasing a good apartment commonly required a “kickback.”
After visiting the JV's factory near Shanghai, they traveled to the regional headquarters, Controls Asia-Pacific, in Singapore to participate in an extensive orientation workshop. Again the topics included compensation policies and other matters of interest to potential expatriates, this time from the perspective of Controls Inc. James and Lily both noted a significant contrast in dealings with the regional Controls Inc. personnel staff as opposed to the “first rate” Filtration Inc. International Human Resources people. The former was by far a less polished and informed operation. Even as they de parted Singapore for the United States, they were still unsure that the move was right for them. They spent the next several days reflecting on the trip and discussing their decision. They were discouraged by the lack of maintenance apparent in the factory, which was clearly inferior to U.S. standards. Things were dirty, and little effort was expended on environmental controls. The days seemed awfully gray. However, they had quickly become enamored with the Shanghai people, and this became a key factor in their ultimate decision to accept the position. As the result of their interactions with the Chinese partners and Shanghai area residents, James and Lily truly felt the promise of exciting, new, deep, long-lasting relationships.
Once they were firmly committed to the assignment, they attended a two-day orientation on living and working in China. This was provided by Prudential Relocation Services Inc. in Boulder, Colorado, and was tailored to the needs and desires of the participant & Optional curriculum tracks included the history, culture, political climate, business dentate, and the people of the region. James focused his training on a business-related curriculum, which was taught by professors from a local university. Additionally, whenever an expatriate returned from China to the home office on home leave, James was given an opportunity to interface with him.
Between November (1992. and January (1993., James worked an exhausting schedule, alternating two-week periods in Pauley and at the J\J in China, where lodging and meals were provided in a hotel. During this time, his wife, Lily, remained in Lake- wood preparing for their permanent relocation to China. Also, Filtration Inc. held scheduled, intensive Mandarin language courses in Chicago, which James planned to attend, but due to his work schedule he was unable to take advantage of the opportunity. Finally, in January, James attended the language school for a week. Fortunately, he and Lily already spoke some Cantonese, another Chinese dialect. After James was finally on-site full time in February, he hired a language tutor to supplement this training. The orientation procedure concluded with a checklist of things that James and Controls were to accomplish after the commencement of his on-site assignment. Although all of these checklist items were eventually accomplished, priorities on the job didn't allow them to be completed in a very timely manner.
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