Importance of international training and development International training and management development are always closely associated in the

management literature. Gregerson et al. (1998) proposed four strategies for developing global managers: international travel; the formation of diversied teams; international assignments and training. These four strategies relate to expatriation management, particularly integrating international training and management development. Training aims to improve current work skills and behaviour, whereas development aims to increase abilities in relation to some future position or job, usually a managerial one (Dowling et al., 1999, p. 155). A truly global manager needs a set of context-specic abilities, such as industry-specic knowledge, and a core of certain characteristics, such as cultural sensitivity, ability to handle responsibility, ability to develop subordinates and ability to exhibit and demonstrate (Baumgarten, 1992). These characteristics and skills are considered as important international competencies and all can be developed through effective international training and management development. International training refers to training for international assignments. There are three broad types of international trainings in MNEs. They are: (1) Preparatory training for expatriates: once a person has been appointed for an international assignment, pre-departure training is normally used to ensure the candidate has adequate skills and knowledge that are necessary for working abroad effectively. (2) Post-arrival training for expatriates: after an expatriate has gone abroad, further on-site training is often used to familiarize the expatriate with the local working environment and procedures. (3) Training for host-country nationals (HCNs) and third-country nationals (TCNs): Training should be provided to HCNs and TCNs to facilitate understanding of corporate strategy, corporate culture and socialization.

Importance of Cultural Sensitivity Training Cultural differences do not exist only on the geographical level. The ramifications of cultural diversity affect a company or a corporation at all levels. Bigger corporations that boast of employing people all over the world have to do a great balancing act to pacify people coming from such varied cultural backgrounds. Often cultural values are close to people's hearts. Hence, even a small inter-cultural difference can trigger an altercation and destroy the peace in a corporation. However, the issue of cultural sensitivity does not limit itself to workplace level only. Since, bigger corporations have businesses outside their home country, it is imperative that they learn the cultural sensibilities of countries through which they operate. The focus has now shifted from 'we', 'us' to 'them'. Although, there is an increasing curiosity to learn the cultures which matter to us, there exists a feeling of supremacy, which could hamper this process. Unfortunately, the 'learn our way' mantra also does not work in the egalitarian world of today. If you wish to flourish, you have no option but to understand the cultural sensitivities of others. Cultural insensitivity may not just lead to embarrassing moments for the offenders but may also cause losses for the organization in the form of lost deals or loss of competent workforce. Marketing is the aspect of business which gets worst hit by the cultural differences. If you fail to understand the cultural values of the other cultures you will most likely end up hurting the sentiments of a large population. Needless to say, this might bring losses to your business in uncountable ways. Remember the ruckus over Microsoft Windows 95 in India, or the tumultuous response to McDonald's ad campaign in China? These two are the classic examples of how cultural insensitivity results in a

complete fiasco. Since then, organizations all across the world have taken steps to impart cultural sensitivity training to employees. This training is also imparted to students to help them understand and respect different cultures all over the world. Training Activities The course of cultural sensitivity training includes studying various important aspects of a particular culture. Since, language is often a barrier while understanding other cultures and communicating with people of that culture, language training often forms the crux of training activities. Language training helps the candidates to overcome inter-cultural communication problems. Besides, the candidates are also briefed on the common faiths and beliefs in that particular culture. The study of demographics and politics also forms an integral part of training. General knowledge about the culture and its followers helps to broaden the scope of understanding of a particular culture. In short, cultural sensitivity training help a person to understand and respect other cultures as his own. In large corporations, it enables the employees to interact with each other irrespective of the cultural diversity in the workplace. This eventually results in the growth of the company.

GOALS OF SENSITIVITY TRAINING

According to Kurt Back, "Sensitivity training started with the discovery that intense, emotional interaction with strangers was possible. It was looked at, in its early days, as a mechanism to help reintegrate the individual man into the whole society through group development. It was caught up in the basic conflict of America at mid-century: the question of extreme freedom, release of human potential or rigid organization in the techniques developed for large combines." The ultimate goal of the training is to have intense experiences leading to life-changing insights, at least during the training itself and briefly afterwards. Sensitivity training was initially designed as a method for teaching more effective work practices within groups and with other people, and focused on three important elements: immediate feedback, here-and-now orientation, and focus on the group process. Personal experience within the group was also important, and sought to make people aware of themselves, how their actions affect others, and how others affect them in turn. Trainers believed it was possible to greatly decrease the number of fixed reactions that occur toward others and to achieve greater social sensitivity. Sensitivity training focuses on being sensitive to and aware of the feelings and attitudes of others. By the late 1950s another branch of sensitivity training had been formed, placing emphasis on personal relationships and remarks. Whether a training experience will focus on group relationships or personal growth is defined by the parties involved before training begins. Most individuals who volunteer to participate and pay their own way seek more personal growth and interpersonal effectiveness. Those who represent a company, community service program, or some other organization are more likely ready to improve their functioning within a group and/or the organization sponsoring the activity. Some training programs even customize training experiences to meet the needs of specific companies.

Reasons for not providing adequate training The common reasons why Western MNEs neglect preparatory training for international assignments are: . Training is not thought to be effective;

. Lack of time; . The temporary nature of most assignments does not warrant budget expenditures for training; . Lack of knowledge of how to carry out training and what courses should be offered (lack of training experts and expertise); . No need for training because there is a belief that technical skills are the only ones needed to carry out assignments abroad; and . The right people do not need to be trained. Concluding remarks International training and development is one of IHRMs most crucial activities and the potential benets of effective training and development are widely acknowledged. By reviewing the existing literature and presenting the ndings of his recent empirical research, the author argues that while there is growing recognition of the signicance of international training and management development, the majority of MNEs do not pay adequate attention to training and developing international managers. It is customary for MNEs not to provide adequate pre-departure or post-arrival training for expatriates, spouses, partners or families, or training for HCNs and TCNs. When pre-departure training is provided, the training duration is normally short. The major components of pre-departure training advocated in the literature include cultural awareness training, language training, orientation (brieng on host environments, job roles) and sensitivity training. Other components, mainly formal training courses, such as management and technical skills, have been suggested by academics, but not been well implemented. It has been argued that the components of training programmes should vary according to country of assignment, type of job, duration, purpose of transfer and the time available. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence showing MNEs are following this advice. There is also a general weakness in international management development, reecting the lack of long-term strategic considerations and disregard for the potential value of individual working International training and MD 663experience. MNEs normally disconnect international experience from international management development. Therefore, based on the existing evidence it is concluded that there is a large gap between international training and development theory and how MNEs practice it in reality. There are major implications for both HR practitioners and researchers. Currently, training and management policies and practices are ineffective and have resulted in frequently reported high expatriate failures and MNEs experiencing a severe shortage of international managers. In order to succeed in a globally competitive environment MNEs need to effectively train expatriates and their spouses, HCNs and TCNs, and develop and nurture a truly global management team. Moreover, this study reveals a lack of empirical studies on international training and development. The paucity of literature makes it difcult to draw more denitive conclusions on how MNEs have implemented international training and development. Academics need to conduct further research on how international training and development is being implemented by contemporary MNEs.

TRAINING FOR CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

Training is used to stimulate cultural understanding, but the type, cost, and intensity of cross-cultural training varies widely. Having surveyed international management training programs in Europe, Japan, and the U.S., Rosalie Tung (1982) observed 6 types of training in use: 1. Environmental briefings typically provide descriptions of a nation, including information about climate, topography, infrastructure, population and housing. 2. Cultural orientations typically provide information about cultural institutions, habits or values of the nationtypically these orientations are to the dominant culture. 3. Cultural assimilators are used to expose participants to likely intercultural encounters. 4. Language training. 5. Sensitivity training helps the individual recognize how values affect behaviors. 6. Field experience is gained when the individual lives in the assigned country and experiences some of the challenges that lie ahead.