Presented By:-

Dhananjay Kumar
Jaipuria Institute of management, Noida
Introduction of the
Case
December 10,1998: The Job Offer
 John and Joanna Lafferty were newly married couple.
 Purchase a new flat in Toronto and share a bottle of
wine with friends who had come to see their new
apartment.
 John is development economist specializing in Latin
America
 Joanna worked as a human resource management
consultant
 John worked with Toronto based NGO ; Focused on
research, Fund-raising and government lobbing on
issues related to Central American political Refugees.
 After joining in that NGO; He gained reputation as “ a
Introduction Contin……..
 John’s work with refugees in Canadian NGO; caught
the attention of United Nations High Commission for
refugees.
 On 10th December ; U.N has offered a job to john for
EL- Salvador .

December 17,1998: The Decision

 The EL-Salvador assignment would be for 2 years.

 John as a program officer responsible for organizing
the repatriation of Salvador refugees from various
refugee camps back to El-Salvador and developing the
programs to ensure protection and well-being of such
refugees.
 On the other side; 2 questions would weigh heavily
on Joanna’s mind:-
ii. What about the political instability of the area?
iii. What about the career of joanna’s?

 Cause joanna gathered information that the civil war

in El-Salvador had come to an end in 1992 with a
U.N.-Brokered peace treaty between the ARENA
(republican nationalist alliance)and FMLN(Marxict-
led farabundo marti national lebration front).
 Regarding career; she thought that may be it is a
opportunity for her to develop her human resource
consulting skills in an International context.
 After much discussion, they decided that John would
accept the assignment.
January-March,1999:Predepature
Arrangements
 It was recommended in Assignment that they send the
married staff in such a way so that the first employee
settled in the job before spouse and/ or family arrived.
 Between the time of one month of span : Johanna has
prepared herself
As she learn the Spanish language, read and learn as much
about Salvadoran history and politics as she could.
May,1999: Joanna’s Arrived in El-Salvador
 John met Joanna's with Maria how is the house met of the
house .
 Joanna’s felt guilty many of the times like :
When she came to know that john paid Maria 6 $ per day.
Maria use to wash the cloths in the cement tub.
When Maria refuse to take lunch with her on the same table.
 She feel guilty because she cannot do any
work herself cause if she do it by itself then
she cannot hire local people for house work
and the local people was in the need of
money.
She also told always that, she felt guilty as
she is maid and House mate (Maria) lives in a
tin shack in a ravine 2 blocks from her house.
But in the argument john said ;my
Salvadoran neighbors tell me that if I paid
Maria or the gardener more they won’t
respect me.
Question 1
Is Joanna suffering from culture shock ?
What elements of the Salvodor culture
seem most difficult for her to adapt to ?
Joanna was suffering Joanna’s dependence on
from culturestyle
Apartment difference… domestic
She was servant…
not allow to do
Washing clothes anything by herself
Payment to domestic  Washing her car

servant  Gardening
 She was not able to get
Attitudes towards
a good job for herself.
domestic servant
QUESTION 2.
SHOULD JOANNA HAVE DONE ANYTHING
DIFFERENTLY IN TERMS OF HER PREPARATION
FOR THE MOVING TO EL SALVADOR?WHAT DO
YOU THINK SHE SHOULD DO NOW?
ANSWER NO. 2
Joanna has done enough preparation before
coming to El Salvador, such as :
 read and learn things about the history and
politics
She took classes of Spanish
She consulted her friends, Joan, to have some
insight about the country
She could have learn little more about the
culture especially about the lifestyle of people.
She should have tried to get a job in Salvador
before shifting.
QUESTION 3
HOW COULD JOANNA FURTHER HER CAREER
AS A HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANT WHILE
LIVING IN EL SALVADOR? WHAT SKILLS COULD
SHE DEVELOP?WOULD THIS SKILL BE
TRANSFERABLE IF SHE MOVED BACK TO
TORONTO? TO ANOTHER COUNTRY?
ANSWER NO. 3
Joanna should have taken some short term
course on human resource management in
Salvador.
She should try to interact more with people
and try to speak Spanish (to have idea about
their lifestyle).
Joanna’s this skill will also help her when she
goes back to Toronto to handle any client
from central America.
She will be a value add to her international
human resource
QUESTION 4
IF YOU WERE JOHN WOULD YOU HAVE TAKEN
THE JOB IN EL SALVADOR?IF YOU WERE JOHN
WOULD YOU HAVE AGREED TO GO?
ANSWER NO 4
If I were Joan I would have definitely accepted
the job,
 chance to know another culture
Growth in terms of career
Assignment was for two years
QUESTION NO.5
DO YOU THINK INTERNATIONAL CAREERS ARE
FEASIBLE FOR DUAL CAREER COUPLES? WHAT
ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER FOR
THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED?
ANSWER NO.5
No, it is not feasible unless and until both the
partners have good career options available in
that place.
Psycological factor: when you have to go for your
career even incomparible environment becomes
compatible. Professional lonely mind needs to
work, which is happening in the form of guilty feel
with joanna in the case.
Important issues to be considered:
Wife’s career, children education, social
environment etc.
QUESTION NO.6
WHAT CAN COMPANIES DO TO MAKE FOREIGN
ASSIGNMENTS MORE SUCCESSFUL FOR
COUPLES AND FAMILIES? IS THE HAPPINESS
OF EMPLOYEE’S SPOUSE THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE COMPANY?
ANSWER NO. 6
Yes, as far as present day corporate
environment is concerned because it affects
the mental status of the employee concerned
in following ways:
If the partner is not happy as in the case, the
employee would also not be happy with his
personal life that might affect his professional
life and hence the company.
If the couple wont stay together it might lead
to frequent leaves and even lack of
performance if things are thought from awider
perspective.
QUESTION NO.7
WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD YOU
MAKE TO INTERNAL ORGANISATIONS AND
COMPANIES SENDING EMPLOYEES TO
POLITICALLY UNSTABLE REGIONS? DO
COMPANIES HAVE A REESPONSIBILITYFOR THE
PHYSICAL SAFETYOF EXPATRIATE EMPLOYEES?
DOES THIS RESPONSIBILITY EXTEND TO
LOCALLY HIRED STAFF AS WELL?
ANSWER NO. 7
WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING THINGS:
2.THE COMPANY SHOULD DESIGN THEIR OWN
APARTMENTS WHICH AN EMPLOYEE CAN LIVE
IN TO OVERCOME THE COMMUNITY AND
SOCIAL PROBLEMS.
3.TO TAKE CARE OF EMPLOYMENT OF THE
PARTNER ALSO ALONG WITH THE CHILDREN
EDUCATION AS IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
ISSUE OF CONCERN FOR THE FAMILY OF
EXPATRIATE MANAGER.
QUESTION NO.8
DO YOU THINK JOANNA SHOULD PAY HER
CLEANING LADY AND THE GARDENER MORE
THAN THE STANDARD $6.00 PER DAY? WHY
OR WHY NOT?
ANSWER NO.8
Though it has not been mentioned in the case
that paying extra money to the made did a
harm to the economic balance of the society,
so there will not be any harm as such to her
being there.
 But it wont work because even after doing so
she had that guilt feeling of not sharing it with
john.
In case she shares the same with john, he
would again oppose it. So, she should not pay
her maid any extra money.