Expatriates are often sent on foreign assignments with the goals of widening the international horizons of an organization and also to broaden intercultural experiences. The move to sell American wine in France is one that requires knowledge on the differences between the American market and the French market. In the practical sense, the expatriates will have to adjust and this is one of the most important factors that require an effective training program. The adjustment is a process where the expatriates learn about the local market factors and interact with the locals to help reduce uncertainties related to cultural differences. For an effective training program, the 4-level training and development program is critical.
The 4-level training and development programs involve four levels of reaction, knowledge/learning, behavior, and results. The reaction and learning levels are based on internal criteria as they focus on what occurred within the training program while the behavioral and results levels are considered external because they assess changes that are likely to occur back on the job (Landy & Conte, 2016). The first level of reaction involves measuring the reaction of the expatriates to training and the perception of the effectiveness of the training in relation to their role. The second stage involves learning as a result of the training and the knowledge the individual acquires in relation to whether the individual has grasped the concepts dealt with in the training program. The third level involves measuring the learner’s behavioral change and performance after the training. The fourth level involves the final results of the training or what is expected out of the training measured in terms of production, quality, and cost metrics. The 4-level training and development is thus an important strategy for training expatriates, considering that the impact of training may differ at various stages of the posting of the individuals (Joshua-Gojer, 2012). It helps to orient the individual to the posting by focusing on personal perceptions and the work processes in relation to the market environment.
References
Joshua-Gojer, A. E. (2012). Cross-Cultural Training and Success versus Failure of Expatriates. Learning and Performance Quarterly, 1(2), 47-62.
Landy, F.J., & Conte, J. M. (2012). Work in the 21st Century: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
