Provide a brief description of what you will discuss in your proposal. This can include the proposal’s objective, as well as the chosen target country.
No theory required, but [Optional, and more Advanced]: you may briefly set the context using Dunning’s Eclectic Paradigm (OLI Model; Week 8) or the Uppsala International Model (UIM; Week 8) to justify why the company should invest in the country.
Section 1: Cultural Implications
- Analyse the host country, not only describe it. Begin with socio-cultural factors and cultural norms, then connect them to workplace behaviour, the sustainability IT workforce, and the practical implications for a Chinese expatriate. Include political/legal considerations where they affect work, employment, mobility, or management.
- If you plan to use Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions (optional), you should compare the cultural traits of China and your target country, breifly highlighting the key socio-cultural differences between your home country and target country, and more importantly, focus on explaining to what extent the workforce of the knowledged-based industry in China and Target Country are influenced by these socio-cultural characteristics and indicate Risks and Challenges of Expanding into the Host Country brought by the workforce of the industry in Target country and justify instead of hiring locally, why your parent country shuld send you to work in this new FDI project as an expatriate. You may use Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions selectively, not as a list of scores. Choose two or three dimensions that matter most for the selected host country, such as power distance, individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, or long-term orientation. However, the full comparasion chart is expected to be included.
Section 2: Risks and Challenges of Expanding into the Host Country
- Critically evaluate the main risks and challenges of working and managing in the host country. This should include 1) intercultural communication, noise, remote or cross-border collaboration, uncertainty, 2) the expatriate lifecycle from pre-departure to adjustment and eventual repatriation, and 3) Other risks and challenges specifically related to your chosen country.
Section 3: Personal Qualities of International Secondee
- Outline your understanding of the role identified for this new project in the host country of your choice. Take the perspective of someone who is a senior staff that are going to send to be in charge of the success of the new project (cf. Week9 tutorial notes).
- You need to specify the individual employee role, followed by clear definition of their job scope and personal skills, characteristics, etc.
Section 4: Recommended Support from Company
Recommend concrete organisational support that Go Green IT should provide before, during, and after the assignment. The support should directly respond to the risks and personal requirements already identified.
Closing Statement
- Summarise the two most important considerations for success. This should be a short, persuasive ending rather than a new analysis section.
References
- Despite the business focus, academic rigor is essential. The Surrey Business School uses the Harvard Referencing Style; ensure you are familiar with it and apply it correctly. Include in-text citations of all sources, whether academic or practitioner-based (e.g., business or NGO sources such as industry databases or OECD data). All in-text citations must be referenced at the end of the document (the reference section is not part of the word count).
- Use Times New Roman, 12 pt font for your reference list, with single spacing and 12 pt spacing before and after. Start each reference on a new line to clearly indicate it is a separate entry.
