Monsanto’s Repatriation Essay Example

style="text-align: justify">There has been a cloud of controversy surrounding Monsanto in recent years for many of its business practices. The development and marketing of genetic seeds and bovine growth hormone combined with its political lobbying and aggressive litigation practices have made Monsanto a big target for the anti-globalization movement. They also have come under fire from environmentalists and even were under investigation from the U.S. Justice department. The government was investigating whether or not the company’s involvement in the soybean market was breaking anti-trust rules.

Since Monsanto sells their products all over the world, it is no surprise they are a global company. Their operations around the world includes administrative or sales offices, manufacturing plants, seed production facilities, research centers, and learning centers which help educate and support famers of that specific region. By going on the company website you can see they have established some sort of presence in 71 countries and employ approximately 22,000 regular employees around the world.

One of the issues faced by any global company, including Monsanto, is repatriation. This paper will define repatriation and how it effects international business operations. We will also describe Monsanto’s repatriation program and determine if it is successful in solving previously mentioned problems. Finally we will give our opinion on repatriation programs and offer recommendations for Monsanto or any company thinking of implementing such a program.

What is Repatriation? How Does it Effect International Business? Repatriation is the act of reintroducing an employee to their domestic workplace after an extended placement on a foreign assignment. Repatriation has a significant impact on international business because an employee’s direct experience with their firm’s

presence in a foreign environment is representative of the firm’s level of international responsibility and accountability.

There are a variety of management approaches a global firm may exercise when operating abroad. These are ethnocentric, polycentric or geocentric. Each of these approaches has a direct impact on their relationship with the host country. In order for an employee to engage in the chosen management approach while on the overseas assignment, it is crucial that the firm has debriefed the employee and prepared him or her for the general reaction of the country in which they are placed.

Repatriation also impacts international business when key managers are selected for an overseas role who are intended to represent the firm’s domestic capabilities. Therefore it is important that through the selection process the emotional immaturity of the manager is assessed in order to judge his/her ability to adjust to a new culture as well as readjust to his/her home culture. The judgment exercised by senior management when choosing the employee and the impression that employee makes upon foreign counterparts can have a significant effect on corporate international relations.

How Can Repatriation Programs Benefit a Global Company? Repatriation programs, when fully developed and utilized, are an important aspect of human resource management as they provide a bridge between the firm and the employee who has been asked to make significant personal and professional adjustments as a result of the foreign assignment. In order to successfully reintegrate an employee back into his or her home corporate culture, it is necessary for the employer to recognize the changes that have taken place in the employee’s life as well as

that of his or her family.

Repatriation programs serve to provide adequate resources to help them with the stress of this transition. Such resources can include emotional support, relocation services and ongoing communication regarding domestic affairs. It is a widely accepted rule of HRM that an employee with a happy and stable home life makes better and more consistent contributions to the firm. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the firm to provide the employee with the necessary tools to support his or her reintegration. Furthermore, repatriation programs include the opportunity to discuss the employee’s role once he or she returns. Communicating to the employee the multitude of corporate changes that have taken place in regard to policies, titles, projects, teams and general corporate structure while he or she has been away is an important way to be sure the employee is aware of how they will fit back into their domestic corporate environment.

It would be easy to see how an employee might feel that because so many changes have taken place that perhaps a suitable position might not exist for him upon return. Keeping the employee abreast of all changes is an important way to alleviate the stress of returning to his or her home country.

On a professional level, repatriation programs help global firms to build a strong unifying culture. By recognizing the employee’s experience abroad the firm at large gains from the foreign knowledge and perspective of the country of which they are partnered. This sharing of experience allows the company to learn, appreciate and integrate the firm’s multi-national staff members. In addition, repatriation programs allow

the returning employee to share the knowledge they acquired while overseas in order to increase the overall skill level of managers. This provides the employee with an opportunity to teach home staff about their experience abroad while legitimizing their time spent away from the domestic office.

This can perhaps avoid the false notion that perhaps the employee was sent on a multi-year international vacation. Repatriation programs frequently involve ongoing communication with employee regarding how his international assignment is connected to specific business objectives. It is important for the employee to understand that the personal and professional sacrifices he has made are actually an important part of the corporate agenda. Linking the assignment to corporate goals helps keep the employee focused and motivated while away from their familiar support structure.

Arguably the most important reason for global firms to employ well-designed repatriation programs is to provide an incentive for future employees to accept overseas assignments. If an employee is not welcomed back and provided with adequate tools in order to navigate the readjustment, then there is little the firm can do to convince another employee to do the same. Therefore, in an effort to grow overseas programs, generate a unified global culture and maintain happy and productive employees, it is crucial to provide the all-encompassing support contained within a well-organized repatriation program.

Monsanto’s Program In Monsanto’s program, once an employee returns home, they have the opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge gained in the foreign country with colleagues in “special information exchanges.” (Hill, 2011) By sharing this knowledge the company may be able to gain a competitive advantage that it did not

have before the employee returned home. Repatriation programs can have a positive effect on business operations in this manner. More often than not companies do not utilize the knowledge gained by the returning employee effectively and they end up leaving the company within one or two years. (Snell & Bohlander, 2012) Studies have shown the number of expatriates who do so is nearly 50%. (Snell & Bohlander, 2012)

The more prevalent issues associated with repatriation have to due with the personal and family matters. Monsanto pays attention to these issues because if a person is not comfortable with their home life they certainly will not be able to work effectively. The program actually starts before the employee leaves for the overseas assignment. Extensive materials are distributed regarding the potential culture shock when returning home and how many elements of life may have changed including family, friends, and the office environment. (Sims, 2007) The program continues three months after the employee has returned home. Monsanto brings in a trained facilitator to help in the discussions a returning employee has with fellow colleagues in which any and all issues about their repatriation are brought up. (Hill, 2011)

The facilitator also has an outline that makes sure no important aspects are missed during the discussion. This process allows the employee to share any thoughts, feelings, or problems they are experiencing about the move back home with managers, friends, and colleagues that they trust. Receiving input and suggestions from these people can be very beneficial in working through the difficulties a returning employee may face. The program has been quite successful as Monsanto’s attrition rate amongst returning

expatriates has reduced significantly since the program was implemented. (Hill, 2011)