Spain Hong Kong a Business Expansion

Diversity is an important part of the modern workforce. This is because the modern world is a global world where businesses expand and grow across multiple countries and continents. Because of the growing demand of diverse clients and customers, businesses need to adapt and hire accordingly. Tom must make important decisions for the families and employees going to Hong Kong and Spain. From training to familiarization, there are several things to consider for the big move.
One of the first interactions is Steve. Steven suggests training for both the families and the employees. Joy suggests things be separate to allow the families of the employees to familiarize themselves to the new country. Carla provides an excellent suggestion of adding a contact person for those in the group having difficult adjusting. However, this may be a budgetary concern, so it does not fly with Tom. Joy is asked for advice for the Hong Kong office but does not feel comfortable suggesting anything because she is not completely familiar with the customs and culture there even though she spent a year for work there.
Tom suggests the existing New York training can apply for Hong Kong as per Drew’s advice. However, Joy is unsure this is a good idea. That is a fair thing to say because of the clear culture differences in Hong Kong versus a city like New York. While Hong Kong and New York are constantly compared, there are key cultural aspects that will not be handled well in Hong Kong.
An article details the past of Hong Kong. “Culturally, a solid – some would say stolid – British colonial veneer was laid over an overwhelmingly Cantonese society. Little genuine social contact existed across racial, ethnic and class barriers” (Wordie, 2015). Even though some people in Hong Kong receive an American education and many are ‘Westernized’, there are still some things to consider in Hong Kong that a Hong Kong native or someone living there for a long time will be able to understand. The best way to explain this is through the diversity hires within the team.
People in Spain speak Spanish. One of the employees is Carla Baskil who hails from Puerto Rico. Because she is from a Spanish-speaking area, she and someone like her can help in the business location in Spain. As everyone attests, communication is an integral part of any business. Language barriers can hurt a business and prevent it from growing. Customers and clients want to communicate effectively with employees. Therefore, having employees that speak the language can help grow a business by promoting high-quality communication.
Another key aspect to diversity is culture. Sometimes cultures do not mix well because of their blatant differences. For example, Asian cultures often have a ‘for the group’ mentality whereas Western cultures have an ‘for the individual’ mentality (Nikolaou & Oostrom, 2015). Therefore, a decision for the KAPResources Consulting Firm to hire someone like Joy Hanu from Hong Kong was a great decision that can then be carried over to the Hong Kong location. Although she is not entirely familiar with Hong Kong culture, she is wise enough to understand that certain actions may not be worthwhile like using New York training for Hong Kong employees. These kinds of diversity-inspired actions allow for the global expansion of the company to run more effectively than not hiring diverse employees (Nikolaou & Oostrom, 2015).
Regarding recommendations, there are certain things to consider. The main recommendation would be however, to hire a contact for the families and the employees to talk to after they make their move. This can be done from within the company. For example, Joy Hanu is already someone that experienced Hong Kong for a year.

She or someone like her would make a great transitional person for the families and employees moving to the Hong Kong location. The same can be said of Carla. While Carla may not be familiar with the culture of Spain, she can help with potential language barriers and provide some assistance regarding sites and places for the families to visit to acclimate themselves. This would be a great opportunity for them as well as help the employees traveling to these locations. “Many MNEs have sophisticated programs for developing their top talent and building a strong internal pool of future global managers by providing their high-potential employees with opportunities to gain broader experience through international assignments with various functions around the business” (Menipaz & Menipaz, 2011, p. 449).
Recruitment is also a concern as they will be hiring people that live in Hong Kong and Spain. “MNEs can recruit internally from among their current employees or look to external sources. Nurturing a strong pool of talent, both within and from outside the MNE, has become a competitive advantage for many global MNEs” (Menipaz & Menipaz, 2011, p. 449). Recruitment practices must focus on high-quality employees that speak both English and Chinese. This will enable a smoother transition regarding training practices and acclimation.
In conclusion, diversity is an important part of any global enterprise. It allows for growth and expansion and opportunities regarding versatility. Diverse employees may speak additional languages and understand a culture that may not be understood by someone not familiar with these kinds of environments. Tom should hire a contact person for the families and recruit bilingual employees in Hong Kong and Spain.



References
Menipaz, E., & Menipaz, A. (2011). International Business: Theory and Practice. Sage.
Nikolaou, I., & Oostrom, J. K. (2015). Employee Recruitment, Selection, and Assessment: Contemporary Issues for Theory and Practice. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Wordie, J. (2015, October 23). Big Lychee vs Big Apple: is Hong Kong really an Asian New York? Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1870789/big-lychee-vs-big-apple-hong-kong-really-asian-new-york