Question

As his plane lands at the Santa Maria International Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica, Ed Moore reassures himself that he made the right decision in accepting his first international assignment in this Central American country. The new job will be a promotion, the first time Ed will be entirely responsible for an entire plant, and it will give him international experience, which he hopes to use to continue his advancement in the company. Ed Moore has worked for his present employer, Jestin Apparel,As his plane lands at the Santa Maria International Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica, Ed Moore reassures himself that he made the right decision in accepting his first international assignment in this Central American country. The new job will be a promotion, the first time Ed will be entirely responsible for an entire plant, and it will give him international experience, which he hopes to use to continue his advancement in the company. Ed Moore has worked for his present employer, Jestin Apparel,requires a long bus ride daily. Both Ed and Susan want their children to become “citizens of the world” and they both feel this opportunity may be good for personal development. Although the family vacationed in Europe once before, their international experience was very limited and none of the Moore family members speaks another language. Ed will be the new plant manager for the Costa Rican manufacturing facility of Jestin. This plant sews together pre-manufactured garments and exports the finished product back to the United States. The previous plant manager relocated to San Salvador to open a new, larger facility for Jestin.Most of the 230 employees are young females, although a number of young men and older women are also employed at the plant. The workers receive an hourly wage which is considerably higher than the average wage in Costa Rica. By most reports the workers are happy with their jobs at Jestin. Turnover at the plant is mainly due to young women getting married and starting a family, or young men moving to the capital for better wages. Although the quality and efficiency of the plant are considered acceptable by management, Ed has been instructed to try and improve both areas. Ed is known as a rather tough manager, who feels that the best way to motivate employees is through a combined program of threats and incentives. Corporate management felt that Ed’s somewhat autocratic style of management would be effective in Costa Rica. Susan was employed in the United States as an assistant human resources manager, even though she had no formal training in that area. She enjoyed her job and she was hoping that she would be able to work in Costa Rica in a similar capacity. The Turrialba plant already had a bilingual HR manager who was familiar with Costa Rican labor laws and regulations; however, it was felt that perhaps Susan could first learn Spanish and then assist the HR manager. Ed’s salary as plant manager will be more than their combined incomes in the United States, and the family will be provided with free housing, a maid, and company provided transportation. The family will live in extreme luxury by local standards. As the plane touches down in San Jose, Ed remembers the trip the family made to Costa Rica three months earlier. The company had sent the family to Costa Rica to preview the country and to acquaint them with Costa Rican culture. The Moore’s enjoyed the cultural tours and the whitewater rafting experiences, however, the children still protested against the move. Leaving friends in the United States is not easy, and they know that they will be giving up the comforts they have become accustomed to in the United States. Ed hopes the assignment will only be for a couple of years, although no plans have been made for his repatriation back to the United States. As the plane comes to a halt at the gate, Susan looks at Ed and the worry in her face tells him that not all the Moore’s are confident that the decision was a good one.

1. How significant a factor will family happiness be when it comes to Ed’s success in this new job

2. How do you think the Costa Rican employees will respond to Ed’s management style?

3. Was Ed the best choice for the position? What criteria should be used in selecting expatriates?