Friendly & Fresh Foods Heads Off to China: The Challenge of Developing Human Resources and Talent Management Policies that are Culturally Responsive and Aligned with Different International Business Strategies: An Experiential Exercise
Abstract
In Friendly & Fresh Foods Heads Off to China participants explore how management policies—especially human resource/talent management policies—should be designed to complement the selected business strategy (differentiation or cost leadership) and to reflect the national culture in the territory targeted for business expansion. In the exercise, a U.S. niche grocery chain plans expansion into China. Teams recommend policies that would increase the likelihood of success under two dramatically different business models, identify cultural factors that should be considered, and present a final recommendation of what business strategy to adopt and which cultural adaptations would be key.