You Manage It! 2: Emerging Trends Coping with Terrorism
One of the concomitants of international assignments is the fear that the expatriate and his or her family may be the target of terrorism. Unfortunately, the expatriate may be seen by some political groups and radical religious extremists as representing a foreign enemy, or by local bandits as a rich foreigner ready for plucking. This fear places a lot of stress on the expatriate, particularly in some parts of the world (such as the Middle East and some South Asia regions). Unfortunately, these regions are precisely the ones where multinationals tend to rely on expatriates most, given the lack of local talent or the suspicion that local personnel cannot be fully trusted.
Although some fears may be exaggerated, the danger is often very real. The Worldwide Incidents Tracking System of the National Counterterrorism Center reports approximately 12,000 terrorist attacks per year, resulting in more than 13,000 deaths. This does not include hijackings, muggings, break-ins, and the like, which obviously add to the anxiety. Many multinationals resort to “compounds” as living quarters for expatriates and their families, but these “increased safety measures do not convey feelings of safety but rather can represent latent danger.”
Critical Thinking Questions
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17-20. What can a multinational firm do to reduce the level of stress that expatriates may feel as a result of real or perceived terrorist threats? Explain.
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17-21. Terrorism-related stress tends to foster negative attitudes towards the local population and this may compound the adjustment problems of the expatriate and family. How can a multinational help deal with this problem? Explain.
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17-22. If you were asked to design a set of incentives to induce expatriates to accept an assignment in a risky area, how would you set this up? And once the expatriate accepts the assignment, how would you try to reduce the possibility that the expatriate may return earlier than you would like? Explain.
Team Exercise
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17-23. Form groups of five. Each group will analyze recent cases of terrorist attacks where expatriates were the target. Each team will present its findings to the entire class for approximately 10 minutes, to be followed by an open class discussion moderated by the instructor.
Experiential Exercise: Team
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17-24. Form teams of five members each. Each team represents a group of HR managers from a large petroleum company operating in a high-risk area. Some students are appointed as CEOs. Teams will role-play with the CEO in front of the entire class, explaining how the company will assess risks and how it plans to reduce fears on the part of expatriates concerning a terrorist attack. The CEO is supposed to ask pointed questions from the team as to the proposed approach to assess the risk and the soundness of the plan to deal with the purported risk.
Experiential Exercise: Individual
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17-25. Do some research to learn why many multinationals prefer to send expatriates overseas rather than hire locals in dangerous areas. Based on your research, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using locals versus expatriates in these areas?