CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 1

How effective is cross culture training of expatriate workers in Cayman?

Melody Martin

GR 509

International College of the Cayman Islands

Dr. Alicia Law

September 18, 2016

CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 2

Abstract

Due to globalization, cross-cultural training is a growing importance for businesses in

their HR functions of recruitment, training, and retention. This paper examined the importance of

cross culture training, its benefits and the proper procedures in which cross culture training

should be implemented within an organization's on boarding process. The research findings

consisted of articles and reviews conducted by other parties to elaborate further on the cross-

culture evolution. The paper further researched companies in Cayman that conduct global

recruitment or global business transactions by interviewing and surveying the employees and HR

professionals to identify how their experiences with global human and/or business transactions

have evolved over the years. The research determined how effective current on boarding

programs/processes have been and to potentially locate any weaknesses. By determining the

importance of the training and potentially the lack thereof, the results can then be communicated

to local employers to make them aware and encourage them to improve and/or implement such

training programs to assist with retention, a vital HR requirement.

CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 3

Introduction

With the continued increase in globalization of businesses and organizations in the

business world today, you can expect the increase in companies relocating employees and/or

recruiting expatriate employees. This expectation is very evident in the Cayman Islands as it is

reported by the immigration department that there are currently over 22,000 work permit

employment certificates awarded to expatriate employees to work in the Cayman Islands

(Immigration.gov.ky/ Statistics, 2015). With that many foreign employees coming to work in

such a small unique country such as Cayman, is it a necessity to have them properly prepared to

adapt to the culture?

Due to the shortage of skilled labor in the local developing workforce of the Cayman

Islands, we continue to see an increase in almost every industry for the need to recruit global

talent. Global recruitment for the Cayman Islands includes countries such as the United

Kingdom, Jamaica, Philippines, Canada, United States of America, Honduras etc.

(Immigration.gov.ky/ Statistics, 2015). In regards to the stated countries, their cultures can

greatly differ from that of Cayman. "Cayman Kind" is a term that adequately describes the

people of the Cayman Islands. Caymanians have a distinctive reputation for being devout

church-going people, who emphasize and display kindness, community, and hospitality. With

such attributes, you can understand why it is rated one of the Caribbean's top destinations

(Department of Tourism, 2016). These traditions can be considered completely different from a

lot of countries especially with our mother country the United Kingdom. Although the UK is also

a very diverse country, their people can be described as very stiff, doesnt make eye contact well,

very formal, vulgar language is accepted etc.; all quite the contrary to kind (UK guide, 2016).
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 4

Such vast differences in cultures might allow some conflict when people of those countries have

to interact, especially on a business level. It is critical that employees who fit the global business

criteria, whether relocating or conducting overseas business transactions have a successful initial

six months with the company as the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)

identifies on-boarding to be a crucial time period for retention; that is the point where an

employee determines whether or not they will stay in a post (Maurer, 2015). Therefore, it is

essential for anyone relocating to Cayman or conducting business outside of Cayman; that they

are adequately prepared by being educated, informed and trained.

Studies are showing that in this present day, all companies should be practicing some

form of cross culture training for their staff members in order to aid to their success. Within the

Cayman shores, companies such as Dart Enterprises have paved the way in training by

implementing structured culture training programs to prepare new employees not only for their

new job, but also their new home. According to Cultural Candor (Cultural Candor, 2016) such

training can increase the following desired objectives:

Productivity and efficiency by 30%

Competitive market advantage by 24%

Profit margin by 27%

International negotiation success by 32%

International clientele base by 25%

Employee satisfaction by 30%

The training could also decrease unwanted aspects in a business such as miscommunication and

early return rates of expatriate employees (Cultural Candor, 2016). Businesses such as Fosters

Food Fair-IGA who employs 52% expatriate workers, have no form of culture training, yet
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 5

companies such as Dart which is mainly complied of a Caymanian workforce has taken the

initiative (Interview results, see Appendix B). Are companies in Cayman more like Fosters? If

so, why have they not taken the initiative to explore the new training ground?

In regards to relocating expatriate employees, companies should be looking out for the

best interests of their employees by setting them up for success during the on-boarding process

before they even make the move to the new country. It is important that "training" is emphasized

in this process because training will entail information and teach skills to allow employees to

adapt to the new environments. Due to the evolution of the World Wide Web, it is noted that

information is much more accessible and knowledge can be gained by one's own effort.

However, culture trainings conducted by HR professionals can focus on key areas that are more

related to the country at hand rather than just googling random bits of information. An HR

professional would not only be able to deliver the material but also be able to discuss matters and

relate it to situations that are relevant to not only the industry but to the specific company

practices (Caudron, 1991).

The main purpose of this research study was to determine the need for cross-culture

training programs in Cayman by completing the following objectives:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of cross-culture training?

2. Does cross-culture training ensure expatriate relocation success?

3. Are companies in Cayman without a cross-culture training program at a disadvantage?

4. If companies in Cayman implemented the training program, what should it consist of?

These were all necessary questions to obtain supporting results to determine if companies should

invest time and resources into implementing cross culture training programs for expatriate
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 6

employees. Many companies fall short by thinking the only training provided should be related

to the business. However, many modern day HR professionals differ in perspective as many of

the current initiatives revolve around training (Caudron, 1991). This is evident in many of the

professional societies such as SHRM, which are now putting major emphasis not only on

training but now specifically culture training. This is shown in many of their recent seminars,

conferences and articles (SHRM, 2016).

With all of the mentioned aspects of cross culture training programs, why aren't more

companies in Cayman putting it into practice? Is there really a significant link between cross

culture training and retention of expatriate employees in Cayman?

CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 7

Literature Review

Culture can be defined as the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people

for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them,

(Lederach, 1995 p.2). Expatriate can be defined as an employee who is sent to live abroad for a

defined time period. An expatriate is expected to relocate abroad, with or without family, for as

short a period as six months to a year; typical expat assignments, however, are from two to five

years long, (Expatriate definition from financial times lexicon, n.d., p.1). Throughout the paper,

the term training is focused and described as a planned activity that the company tailors to

provide the relocating employee with key information and/or instructions to increase the

employees transition and performance (Business Dictionary, 2016). The definitions provided

will allow for clarity on how culture and expatriate are demonstrated throughout the paper.

Throughout the findings on available or related information on cross culture training, it

is continually expressed that the aim for this specific training is to develop an understanding of

both business and day-to day living essentials of the new host culture to assist the expatriate

employee and their family to adapt to their new lives. Reports show that in order to successfully

relocate an employee, you must first prepare them on all aspects of the new country as 10-80

percent of them who have relocated, returned home prematurely (Spong &Kamau, 2012). Based

on the collaboration research the following aspects were deemed important to consider for the

training and were included in the survey given to the 52 research participants:

Language training

Immediate concerns

Area specific knowledge

Cultural specific knowledge

CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 8

Non-verbal communication

Culture sensitivity

Emotional reaction

Skills acquisition

As companies continue to maneuver their way into the global arena, it is essential that they

include and emphasize the importance of cross-culture training. The training will cover all

aspects of business by not only preparing management and employees, but also their family

members by maximizing their cross-culture adjustment which will play a major influence on

preventing pre mature returns to the home country (Bross, Churchill & Zifkin, 2000). Such

training should also be conducted prior or in the early stage of an employees relocation in order

to make it successful. Not only is the training fruitful for the employee at hand, but also to their

family who may also be relocating with them as they will also encounter many of the same

issues. In many occasions, employees already have experience with the new country as they

could have travelled therefor work prior to relocating. Therefore, it is possible that they will

adapt easier than the family members who on the other hand, may have very little or no

experience and would then require more training or preparedness than the employee (Bross,

Chruchhill & Zifkin, 2000).

Some of the benefits of cross culture training are evident when there is a need for home

and host managers to understand what the expatriate is experiencing, a need for communication

between offices in different cultures, or a need for managers of different cultures to understand

each other, whether or not there is an expatriate involved (Bross, Churchill & Zifkin, 2000). If

the training programs are proven to have many benefits, it is mainly because when implemented

they are tailored, there is not one cookie cutter method but instead, training should be unique and
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 9

tailored to the individual (Bross, Churchill & Zifkin, 2000). This will allow the training to be

most effective by focusing on issues that particularly relate to each employee, family and

organizational.

However, culture training goes beyond relocation; it includes business transactions with

people of other cultures. Therefore if either situation applies to a company/employee, the training

should happen within a short window of time to assist in the success of the employee (Bross,

Churchhill & Zifkin, 2000). Even with the awareness of the training programs, many

organizations are still hesitant to implementing the programs for several reasons such as

(Zakaria, 2000):

Cross culture training is not seen as a priority in comparison to other administrative tasks;

HR professionals lack global and/or expatriate experiences themselves; and

Financial concerns.

Companies who are not very HR minded and do not fully understand the importance of

resources; will argue that "unnecessary" training is a poor use of budget. However, the cost of

hiring, relocating and then replacing an employee would be considered a more substantial poor

use of budget. The replacement of a failed relocated employee can range from USD$50K- 150K

(Li-Yueh & Croker, 2006).

As countries become more diverse, so do the companies who operate there. It is

necessary that people who are moving, employed and living in those countries are trained in

order to be more competent and thus to deal effectively with the complexities of new and

different environments (Brislin, Landis & Brandt, 1983). Cultural differences are inevitable and

cannot be avoided; however, persons can be trained and prepared for them so that they do not
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 10

come in as a shock. The cultural differences can include, time, language, geography, food,

climate, traditions, beliefs, perceptions, background etc. (Zakaria, 2000). For example, the

consideration of time in some countries such as Germany and Switzerland are extremely

important, however, in Cayman people are considered to be on island time and do not stress

punctuality (Commisceo, 2016).

In order to achieve success, companies and their employees must be willing to adapt to

change. Expatriates that must relocate, have to embrace the new way of living, this transition

would require and involve more in depth training to better prepare and develop the newly

required mindset. This new way of thinking means to equip the expatriates with adequate

knowledge and competencies that will eventually lead to a more stable psychological sense of

wellbeing, and thus become better socialized to their new environment (Zakaria, 2000). Cross-

culture training is not only important for employees, who are relocating, but also for those who

conduct business overseas or for those who are seeking to gain a competitive advantage in the

global arena. In order to gain this advantage, managers who have developed a global competency

become assets and highly demanded by companies who need cultured managers in order to move

forward. These managers would successfully be able to interact with people from other

countries, and have the skills to effectively live and work outside of their own countries. This

form of knowledge and development in the managers can only be achieved through an effective

cross-cultural training program (Bross, Churchill & Zifkin, 2000).

CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 11

Results and Discussion

A survey was conducted by 52 residents of the Cayman Islands. The research study

targeted many different calibers of residents in order to gain a wide range of responses to try and

cover as many industries as possible. As shown in Table 1, 65.4% of the people who completed

the survey have not relocated to another country. However, in Table 2 for those who did

relocate, 42.11% said it was difficult for them to relocate to the new host country. Of the 20

people who relocated 11 of them relocated to the Cayman Islands. The results show that there are

a great number of people who are relocating and are finding it difficult.

When comparing relocation to overseas business, Table 1 & 4, show that only 35% of

people who completed the survey are relocating, but 54% of the people are conducting business

outside of the Cayman Islands with places such as the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland,

BVI, Hong Kong, Dubai, Bermuda, Sinnapore, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Jamaica

etc. Those countries all mainly consist of vastly different cultural norms in comparison to

Cayman especially when conducting business. "Time is Money" a well-known phrase that is

pinned to Americans. They see time as a crucial "product" or "service"(Commisceo Global,

2016). Caymanians can be considered to be on "island time." However, some of these countries

such as Mexico, can have similar culturals norms to Cayman such as business relationships. Both

countries place considerale reliance on personal contacts and relationships. As commonly said in

Cayman, "it's not what you know, but who you know and who knows you." Also, Australia's

largetst religion is also Christianity (Commisceo Global, 2016).

It is equally important to be aware and use the similarities as it is to know the differences.

Over 50% of people said it was easy for them to relocate to another country. Although the move

was easy, being trained on cultures can lead to shorter and easier transactions, smarter business
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 12

transactions and better preparation. Even though it would be easy, if employees are informed of

other cultural norms, they could use this to gain advantage over the other party.

In Table 3, 52 people ranked cultural awareness as the 4th most important practice to

consider when relocating. This aspect was out ranked by salary, cost of living and benefits. The

top 2 answers which scored very closely were Salary and Cost of living. These two factors are

greatly associated with relocating in the Cayman Islands as it is considered one of the most

expensive places to live in the world. Often people are swayed by the perception of Island Living

that they do not consider these noted important aspects of the country. Expatistan- Cost of living

index ranks Grand Cayman as the 3rd most expensive city in the world and 1st most expensive

city in Latin America. Based on the results, it is accurate to say that salary and cost of living

should be main focuses when considering a move to the Cayman Islands (Expatism, 2016).

Residents and employees of the Cayman Islands are more concerned about immediate

concerns aspect rather than the culture. Culture differences in Cayman are not seen as a threat

considering that the country in 2012 was rated number 1 in the Forbes list of World's Friendliest

Countries (Greenfield, 2012) Those same 52 people who voted, ranked the following 5 in order

of most important to least important cultural differences: Immediate concerns, language training,

Area specific knowledge, culture sensitivity and culture specific (see Appendix A). Though it is

not a priority, local employees have identified the need for cross culture training as 95% of

people voted that companies should implement one (see Appendix A). With that being said, the

training is considered it to be more of an added benefit to ease their job and gain advantage but

not so much their main focus.

In a recent interview with the Training Manager of Foster's Food Fair-IGA (Appendix B),

she identified that there is not a real issue with expatriate relocation or adaption to the new host
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 13

country in their organization. She also stated that other than ensuring all work permit documents

are submitted and approved, the company is not involved with any other preparation for the

relocating employee. Instead, she stated, "The real issue with cross-culture and expatriate

employees is when they are working within the organization with people of other cultures," (see

Interview 1- Appendix A). Many cross culture training programs are only conducted during the

on-boarding process to make the day-to day lives of the employee better, however, in cases like

Foster's, the company and its employees would benefit more on improving the working lives. If

employees are frequently educated and informed on the norms/traditions of their fellow

employees, that can reduce conflicts, allow for easier management and introduce a more

cohesive work environment (SHRM, 2015).

The said benefits of the training program have influenced the execution and design for

the Dart Enterprises home grown program. Although Dart's workforce is largely compiled of

Caymanians, the company conducts a lot of overseas business. The overseas business

transactions allow for relocation, overseas communication, negotiations, secondments etc. In a

recent interview with the Learning and Development Coordinator of Dart Enterprises (Appendix

B), it was confirmed that they have a full relocation package and training program. The program

consists of two half day sessions. Session 1 is conducted by a designated local employee in a

classroom where there is a presentation on the history and culture of the Cayman Islands. The

second session is in the form of a tour that explores not only key areas to the Cayman Island's

history but also some of the islands jewels that make Cayman the popular place it is. These

jewels include popular local restaurants, family spots like Rum Point beach and many more.

According to the Learning and Development Coordinator, "The training allows new residents to

gain an early understanding the way the country operates and they will then gain a better
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 14

appreciation. An early frustration among many new residents, is stores not being open on a

Sunday, giving them that cultural history tip on the labor laws and how it differs from their way

of living gives them a heads up that says 'Hey, you're now living the island dream, you dont

have to be about the hustle and bustle anymore.' They get with the program real quick and can

now enjoy themselves rather than being frustrated, (see Interview 2, Appendix B).

Both HR professionals did confirm that neither country conducted cross-cultural training

for dealing with people of other countries. Both companies employed and conducted global

business but did not train people how to successfully interact with people from those other

countries. Any focus on cultures was only of Cayman.

CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 15

Conclusion and Recommendations

In accordance to the research conducted, it can be concluded that cross culture training is

not mandatory nor does it guarantee the success of an employee who relocates. However, it is a

fruitful ingredient of an on-boarding process to assist an employee as much as possible to avoid

major reasons of turnover such as culture shock and homesickness especially of family members;

it can be classified as a preventive measure (Bross, Churchhill & Zifkin, 2000). Cross culture

training will not only allow employees to be successful in their moves but also in their global

business practices when dealing with other cultures (Zakaria, 2000).

Research question 1 sought to determine the advantages and disadvantages of cross-

culture training in Cayman. The advantages were clear, better preparation of employees to aid in

their success, greater retention, greater advantage in the global markets, better working

environments etc. (Zakaria, 2000). There were also some disadvantages such as budgeting and

getting management to support HR in the need for the training program. Many Management

teams and some employees feel that they only recruit and select the stronger more competent and

adaptable employees to take an overseas assignment (Bross, Churchhill & Zifkin, 2000).

Therefore, their need to be trained on a different culture is not seen as a necessity. However, the

pros still outweigh the cons in terms of implementing the training program in Cayman.

Research question 2 sought to determine if cross-culture training ensures expatriate

success. Though cross culture training may not solve all expatriate issues, it can help to reduce a

lot of the frustrations that come along with the relocation. People who are relocating to Cayman

are prepared on specifics such as economics etc. ahead of time but receive most of their cultural

understanding once they have arrived on island as demonstrated through the Dart training
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 16

program (see Interview 2, Appendix B). Also, as a result of Cayman being so small, people can

easily find support from fellow homeland residents. The concept of "Cayman Kind" also plays a

big part in making the relocation process much easier than if people were to relocate to other

countries around the world (Caribbean Destinations, 1998).

Research question 3 sought to determine if companies in Cayman without a cross-culture

training program were at a disadvantage. In the 2 interviews conducted, neither company does

any preparation prior to arriving on island; however, neither mentioned that culture was their

main reason for staff leaving (see Appendix B). Based on the additional research results, no real

issues or concerns have come to light; however, as the country expands globally with major

companies such as Dart Enterprises, it would be clever to continue to train and advance current

employees in cultural knowledge while preparing for future global employees and clients.

Research question 4 sought to establish that if companies in the Cayman Islands

implemented cross-cultural training programs what they should consist of. Due to the Caymanian

culture being a melting pot of many different cultures therefore it is hard to train on specific

norms, however, the training programs should consist of useful information that will give better

understanding of why things are the way they are (Zakaria, 2000). The training should not only

be for employees but also their relocating families because even though an employee may have

no issue, their family member might and that may still cause the employee to make an early

return (Bross, Churchhill & Zifkin, 2000). More people and businesses of Cayman are

conducting business overseas and recruiting global talent, therefore there should be tailored in-

house training methods of how best to deal and interact with people of these foreign cultures

(Bross, Churchhill &Zifkin, 2000). In accordance to the interviewees, both were similar in their

responses that any implementation or improvements of the cross-culture training should involve
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 17

post relocation training. Although the training received prior to relocation is a benefit, having

continued training would alleviate a lot of other frustrations that are caused by working in a

largely diverse environment (see Interviews, Appendix B).

The above results implicate that although cross-culture training may not be a necessity of

relocating employees to Cayman, it can still greatly benefit employees and companies in many

aspects. The main recommendation for cross-culture training would not be to focus only during

the on-boarding process. Instead the cross-cultural training should be constant throughout the

business; tailored specifically to the country, client, employee etc. at hand.

CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 18

References

Beauregard, M. (2012). Cultural Competency Doesn't Happen Overnight. Retreived from:

https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-

and-cultural-effectiveness/Pages/Cultural-Competency--Happen-Overnight.aspx

Brislin, R, W., Landis, D., & Bradnt, M. E. 1983. Conceptualizations of intercultural behavior

and training. In D.D. Landis & R. W. Brislin (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training,

(Vol. 1:1-35). New York: Pergamon.

Bross, A., Churchill, A., & Zifkin, J. (2000). Cross-cultural training: Issues to consider during

implementation. Canadian HR Reporter, 13(11), 10-10,12. Retrieved from

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Caribbean destinations, Cayman. (1998). Retrieved from:

http://www.caymanislands.ky/whoyoufa/traditions.aspx

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from http://search.proquest.com/docview/219765459?accountid=158672

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tember%202015%20.pdf

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cayman?currency=USD

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http://lexicon.ft.com/Term?term=expatriate
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 19

Greenfield, B. (2012). The worlds Friendliest countries. Forbes. Retrieved from

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3/#7c9245d5743a

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guides/mexico-guide

Lederach, J.P. (1995). Preparing for peace: Conflict transformation across cultures. Syracuse,

NY: Syracuse University Press.

Li-Yueh, L., & Croker, R. (2006). A contingency model to promote the effectiveness of

expatriate training. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 106(8), 1187-1205.

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11, 2016, from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-

acquisition/pages/onboarding-key-retaining-engaging-talent.aspx

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proposal/?gclid=CJ73vIbZ9s4CFYwehgodGxINIg

Spong, A., & Kamau, C. (2012). Cross-cultural impression management: A cultural knowledge

audit model. Journal of International Education in Business, 5(1), 22-36.

Tan, J. A. C., Hrtel, C.,E.J., Panipucci, D., & Strybosch, V. E. (2005). The effect of emotions in

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USA guide. (2016). Retrieved from: http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/usa-

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What is training? Definition and meaning (2016). In . BusinessDictionary.com. Retrieved from

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global workforce. International Journal of Manpower, 21(6), 492-510. Retrieved from

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CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 21

Appendix A

Table 1

Table 2
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 22

Table 3

Table 4
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CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 24
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 25
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 26

Appendix B

Interview 1

1. What is your role in the company?

Training Manager at Fosters Food Fair-IGA

2. Does your company conduct global recruitment?

Yes

3. How does your company prepare the relocating employees?

By sorting out immigration documents

4. If there is a training program, what does it consist of? Who is involved?

N/A

5. If there is a training program, have you found it to be successful?

N/A

6. If yes, in what aspects of the business has the cross culture training been beneficial?

N/A

7. During the exit of an expatriate employee, what is the most common reason for leaving?

Roll over and Termination

8. If there is no cross-culture training program, what is the reason your company has for not

creating one?

No budget and they really do not see the need

9. If there is no cross-culture training program in place, do you think there is a need for one

and why?
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 27

Yes, because it can better prepare people to work in our very diverse work

environment and it can decrease conflicts especially with management.

10. If you were to implement or improve your cross culture training program what would it

include?

There's so much I would doOn going cultural events to interact the current

associates. Expansion of information in the internal resources such as

celebrations of country independences. Sensitivity training for management staff

to assist with leading diverse cultures. Collaborative sharing and discussions

amongst management teams to improve understanding and provide support in

difficult situations.

Interview 2

1. What is your role in the company?

Learning and Development Coordinator at Dart Enterprises

2. Does your company conduct global recruitment?

Yes

3. How does your company prepare the relocating employees?

Relocation package, accommodation and transport

4. If there is a training program, what does it consist of? Who is involved?

Yes, there is a day class room session to go over the history of the Cayman

Islands, and a which does a tour of the Island. Both are conducted by selected

local employees.
CROSS CULTURE TRAINING FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS Melody Martin 28

5. If there is a training program, have you found it to be successful?

Yes- the department receives positive feedback that they have a better

understanding and appreciation of the place in which they now live.

6. If yes, in what aspects of the business has the cross culture training been beneficial?

Understanding why business transactions and operations are done differently in

Cayman, such as stores or businesses not being able to open on Sunday.

7. During the exit of an expatriate employee, what is the most common reason for leaving?

Roll over or returning home after a long period of time

8. If there is no cross-culture training program, what is the reason your company has for not

creating one?

N/A

9. If there is no cross-culture training program in place, do you think there is a need for one

and why?

N/A

10. If you were to implement or improve your cross culture training program what would it

include?

To expand from just the on-boarding segment and have more interactive training

to include other cultures once they are settled in. It should have informative a

about the other cultures and role play etc.