An intranet-based employee manual for expatriate preparation in Thailand

Expatriate Education for Thailand

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Developing an Effective International SBU Intranet-based Employee Manual Outline and Intranet Listing for Thailand

The average cost of sending an employee and his or her family on an overseas assignment is between three and five times the employee's predeparture salary; consequently, it is important for these expatriate employees to be prepared for their assignment to the maximum extent possible (Sims, 2002). While there are a number of strategic approaches available to assist in the planning and management of international human resources, an intranet would be a particularly useful vehicle to assist XYZ Import and Export Company's ("XYZ") expatriate employees become familiar with their new country of assignment, in this case Thailand (Schippmann, 1999). According to this author, "Intranets are effectively leveling the playing field and allow open access to even the most remote (either in terms of distance or platform compatibility) users" (p. 236). The ability to manage a corporate intranet from a U.S.-based company to provide timely information to expatriate employees just makes good sense. Such an intranet can be easily updated, and can provide for an expatriate employee bulletin board and discussion forum to help promote a sense of community and family for those on extended and far-flung assignments -- and Thailand is just about as far-flung as they come. While many employees may encounter a small degree of "culture shock" on assignment to, say, Western Europe, the fact remains that many things in this region of the world are comparable in many ways to things in the U.S.; by sharp contrast though, not only is Thailand further away in distance, it is completely different in thought and behavior than anything many Westerns have ever encountered before. Therefore, forearmed is forewarned and XYZ expatriates will need to know everything in the intranet content and much more as well. These potential limitations and barriers to implementation are discussed further below.

Potential Limitations and Barriers to Implementation.

It is very easy to install and operate a corporate intranet; indeed, it can be accomplished by human resource managers with little or no previous experience (Schippmann, 1999) and at little cost to the enterprise (Ashbaugh & Miranda, 2002). Rather, the challenge of effectively managing cultural diversity in Thailand involves much more than assessing the degree of cultural congruence and developing plans to minimize (or otherwise manage) the cultural gap by designing a new human resources management system (Jackson, Luo & Schuler, 2003). Rather, this initial educational process is just the first step and further efforts will be required to ensure that organizational structures do not create additional barriers to cross-cultural collaboration and serve to develop a workforce with the competencies needed to work effectively amid cultural diversity (Jackson, Luo & Schuler, 2003). According to Sims, "Cross-cultural, technical, and language training programs will probably be required. The complex and differentiated tapestry of labor laws and rules from country to country and provisions for reassimilating the expatriate when he or she returns home are some of the other issues the organization has to address in its IHRM planning efforts" (p. 364). The proposed intranet outline and brief content description for each segment for Thai expatriate employees of XYZ is provided below.

Intranet Content Outline

Thailand: Background and Overview. This section provides a concise but comprehensive overview and history of this Southeast Asian country, including its population, literacy rates, life expectancy and so forth.

Important Local Laws and Customs. Many customs in Thailand are drastically different than those in the U.S., and it is important to become familiar with these customs to avoid embarrassing yourself and XYZ, and to avoid potential legal problems as described above. In addition, every society is different and U.S. citizens are not exempt from local Thai laws. It is important for you to familiarize yourself with these local laws to avoid legal entanglements that may be beyond the scope of the company's and the U.S. consular staff's ability to assist you. Check back often for important updates!

Other Useful Handbooks, Forms and Information. This section provides links to valuable online resources, including a copy of the XYZ Employee Handbook (which contains important relocation information for XYZ employees depending on their position), the IRS and other useful sites about living in Thailand today.

Educational Resources. Thailand in general represents a unique educational opportunity, of course, but there are a number of formal education resources available to help XYZ expatriates continue or begin a new course of study. This section provides some useful links to educational resources sites in Thailand and elsewhere.

Recreational Activities. You are in luck! Thailand has some of the world's best recreational opportunities for both you and your family, and most of these are very reasonably priced or even free with company sponsorship. Be sure to check these out!

Social- and Family-Related Services. Thailand is just about as far away from the United States and still be on the Earth as is possible, and XYZ recognizes that distant assignments place unusual stresses on employees and their families. Join the XYZ expatriate forum today! Make new friends, help others (and be helped) with the difficult Thai language, share tips about where to eat and visit, and much more!

Intranet Content Sections

Important Local Laws and Customs

According to Gross and Lepage (2001), "Those familiar with Asian cultures understand that while oftentimes one hears of 'Asian values' and the like, Asia is comprised of many different nations and cultures, each with its own unique characteristics. Cross cultural sensitivity and understanding is important; Western expatriates must be careful not to stereotype "Asians" and instead consider and understand the specific culture with which they are working" (p. 1).

In this regard, there are a number of unique Thai customs that are very important for newcomers to the country to learn right away to avoid embarrassment or even potential imprisonment (see section on "Local Laws" in this Intranet). Many of these customs are based on the religious practices that are found throughout Thai life, but others involve some aspects of Thai life that are largely unknown or misunderstood in the West. For example, Thais will readily shake hands with Westerners because they understand that this is the custom, but the vast majority of Thais continue to practice the traditional wai when meeting each other. The wai, or bowing of head with palms of hands together showing respect, depends on an individual's status (Steinfatt, 2002). Younger people will place their hands together at a point and touch the tops of their foreheads when performing the wai to the elders and will bow deeply; however, peers place the hands at the tip of the nose and only bow slightly. Finally, those in a superior social position such as elders or high-ranking businesspeople will place the tips of their hands at the base of their chin, and will only bow slightly (Van Esterik, 2000).

As noted in the Background and Overview of Thailand above, Thais are almost completely Buddhist in their religious beliefs, and many Thai males spend a portion of their lives as monks before rejoining mainstream society; it is traditional for these monks to spend their mornings going from home to home in what appears to be a "begging" ritual, but this should not interpreted this way. In fact, Buddhist gain merit by helping to feed these monks and almost everyone's sons participate in the practice (Tiyavanich, 1997).

The current monarch, King Bhumibol (pronounced "Poom-A-Pome") Adulyadej and his queen are enormously popular figures in Thailand and their pictures adorn virtually every Thai household (Maisrikrod, 1999). The king's picture is featured on every denomination of Thai money (the "baht"), and expatriates should avoid at all costs defacing Thai currency -- even by instinctively stepping on a dropped bill to prevent it from blowing away. Stepping on a picture of the Thai king or queen is a criminal offense (Maisrikrod, 1999).

Another easy way for Westerns to inadvertently offend Thais is by pointing the bottom of their foot at them when sitting (an enormous insult), gesturing with a curled finger (which means "let's fight") rather than come here (Thais signal "come here" by keeping their right palm down and making a fanning motion) (Askew, 1997). Expatriates should understand that Thais reserve their left hands for sanitary purposes and conduct all exchanges with their right hands.

Some other general (and common sense) prohibitions in Thai culture include:

1)

Do not kiss in public;

2)

Do not scream in public (especially the words "yet" which is a vulgarity in Thai);

3)

Do not appear nude in public, even on the beaches;

4)

Do not hit someone in public (common sense);

5)

Do not appear dirty in public (common sense, Thai culture is very clean);

6)

Do not disrespect holy sites (take your shoes off before entering any temple or wat);

7)

Do not show the bottom of your feet in public (do not point the bottom of your feet at anyone or anything holy);

8)

Do not touch anyone on the top of their head, even young people (Wong, 2003 & pers. obs.).

All XYZ expatriate employees are expected to abide by both the laws of Thailand and of the United States and it their responsibility to know them; in cases where there appears to be a conflict between the two, expatriate employees should check with their Thai-based supervisors.

Other Useful Handbooks, Forms and Information.

The CIA World Factbook is replete with up-to-date information on Thailand:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/th.html

Living in Thailand: Thailand Expatriate Resources:

http://www.thailandtravelsearch.com/directory/Travel/Travel_Related/Expatriate_Resources/

Global Workshop: Detailed information on doing business in Thailand and important customs. http://www.globalworkshop.com/askthailand.html

Thailand -- Customs and Etiquette: http://www.1800miti.com/league/page412.html

Valuable Expatriate Links: http://www.hobotraveler.com/expatriate.php

Educational Resources

XYZ expatriate employees assigned to Thailand can take advantage of the company's tuition reimbursement program as outlined further in the General Employee Handbook (PDF copy available for viewing here) [hyperlink to Employee Handbook] by taking online courses through the University of Phoenix (http://www.uopxonline.com/) and other approved institutions. In addition, a number of English-speaking educational resources are available in the Bangkok area, including the International Community School (http://www.icsbangkok.com/)

and Sacred Heart Convent School (K-12) (http://www.icsbangkok.com/).

Recreational and Educational Activities

XYZ's main headquarters is in Bangkok; while there are numerous recreational activities available nearby, you should make a point of visiting some of the more interesting historic and recreational sites to the north (for example, Chiang Mai -- http://www.chiangmai1.com/) and south of the city as well (see Pattaya below). A number of Bangkok's most important "must sees" are its historic wats ("wat" is the Thai word temple); these include Wat Arun, the Royal Palace, and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wong, 2003) Likewise, exotic Pattaya is just about an hour's drive away and Kasumphol buses provide regular service. The discos, beachfront hotels and restaurants, and open-air bars on Beach Road in Pattaya are world-famous, and parasailing, fishing boat rentals, skiing and other water activities are provided (Steinfatt, 2002). The sunsets are breath-taking and the prices are extremely reasonable by American standards. Foreigners should be aware, though, that many of the beef-based dishes are prepared using water buffalo, making them tasty but an adventure in chewing.

Social- and Family-Related Services

XYZ provides a phpBB-based customizable Open Source bulletin board package for its expatriate employees assigned to Thailand (Creating communities, 2005). The phpBB features a user-friendly interface, simple and straightforward administration panel, and helpful FAQ. Please register here [link to forum registration provided by phpBB] to participate in the forums offered below; if you would like to host an exist forum or host a new one, please contact the XYZ Intranet Manager here [email link to XYZ HRM intranet manager]. [Some sample forum entries are shown below; new posts and screen names would appear in the right-hand column in an actual forum board; underlining indicates hyperlink to board.]

Frequently Asked Questions and Rules for the XYZ Forum

Frequently asked questions about the forum and some rules for posting. .

Moderators: [XYZ intranet manager's screen name]

Personal Advice from Others

Got a personal problem? Maybe other members can give you some useful advice.

Moderators: [These are assigned by the XYZ intranet manager based on volunteers; however, they could be assigned to specific employees if insufficient volunteers are available.]

Making Friends

Meet other expatriate employees of XYZ and their family members here!

Moderators:

General Discussion about Thailand

Post your ideas! Have a discussion on anything about life in Thailand...

Moderators:

Help Each Other with Thai

This is where XYZ members can help other members with questions about Thai grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation...

Moderators:

Current News

Talk about what's going on in world news now.

Moderators:

Special Places of Interest

Have you found a great place to eat or visit that you would like to share? Post your best places to visit and enjoy Thailand here.

Moderators:

Hobbies and Interests

What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time? Painting, fishing, stamp collecting... Share your hobbies and interests and find other XYZ forum members with similar interests here.

Moderator: