Organizations have to develop an international human resources management strategy when they expand globally. Which do you think is more critical for international human resources management?

Understanding the cultural environment.

Understanding the political and legal environment.

• Please choose one position and give a rationale; examples are also a way to demonstrate your understanding of the learning concepts.
• Peer response below:

Please respond to classmate post below:

As we learned this week international business is not a new concept, trade and commerce across the globe has been happening for centuries.  Today conducting business on the international scale brings about many important considerations for HRM, which is why a strong strategy is important.  In developing this strategy HR managers must consider the host country culture, but more importantly the political and legal environment.  I believe it is most critical to have a strong understanding of the host country’s laws and politics, because this determines whether a business will be viable and legally operated.  While, culture can be learned over time and with experience, the politics and laws must be understood on the front-end of deciding where to conduct business.  The stability of a government includes things like whether the country is in war, has a welcoming environment to parent country nationals, had any trade imbargos or restrictions, and whether the country is safe for a company to send executives to.  Additionally, in order to establish and sustain an international business, there must be compliance with the host country’s overarching laws and policies.  Without placing these things as being critically important, a company could fail, employees could be endangered, or runs the risk of being shut down for not complying with local laws and regulations.  Any of these circumstances would be detrimental to a company,  thus making the understating of legal and political landscape a crucial part of a strong HRM strategy.  I see this as being more critical than understanding the culture becuae if a company is breaking the law this poses a greater harm, than if there is a misucderstanding or cultural norms or beliefs.  I think you could learn to adapt to cultural differences, but if you break. the law, that is pretty cut and dry, and you will have grave consequences.