Global Workforce Management

This course provides an integrative framework for understanding the business and legal challenges that are associated with effective workforce management around the world. As more and more companies try to leverage the benefits of a global labor market, it is critical to understand the challenges that managers must deal with as they try to coordinate work practices across country settings and prepare individuals for global assignments. Toward that end, students will examine how international labor markets compare in terms of labor costs, labor supply, workplace culture, and employment law. High-profile news events from developed and emerging economies will be used to illustrate the complex cultural and regulatory environment that multinational firms face in such areas as talent management, performance management, offshore outsourcing, downsizing and industrial relations. The last segment will focus on the individual and organizational factors that promote successful global assignments.