Companies ignore the problem of the 'trailing spouse' - those selfless individuals who follow their partners around the globe at their peril. That was the warning, at a recent conference held in Paris, from Markus Andres, human resources manager for Zurich Insurance.
With the pool of potential employees who are willing to accept overseas postings shrinking, 'the remaining candidates may not represent the hest possible selection,' he pointed out. A recent survey underlined the problem: 74 per cent of human resources managers said their chief global challenge was finding candidates. The most frequent reason for employees turning down expatriate appointments was concern about their spouse's career. If your company's high-flier is married to another high-flier with a different company, can you entice them to set off to foreign parts? Some companies have found innovative solutions. Motorola, which has 2,000 expatriate employees worldwide, offers trailing spouses up to US$7,500 a year for education. This is broadly interpreted by the company - a spouse can, for example, use the money to invest in starting up a business. Shell International Petroleum, the Anglo-Dutch oil company which has 20 per cent of its employees serving in overseas appointments, reimburses 80 per cent of the costs of vocational training, further education or re-accreditation up to 45 US$4,200 per assignment.
But, as Shell found, many potential expatriates are hungrier for information and advice than they are for funding. Its spouse employment centre has helped more than 1,000 couples prepare for placements overseas. The centre recommends schools, medical facilities and housing advice and provides up-to-date information on employment, study, self-employment and voluntary work. This support, fully funded by Shell, has been found to be very cost efficient.
Failed postings are a great risk in expatriate placements, and one that few companies take precautions against. Not only are the costs of returning a recently moved employee and family high, it can damage relations with local clients. Family breakdown or maladjustment is the most cited reason for an employee to have to be repatriated.
Schlumberger, the French-US oil services company, extended its worldwide company intranet to include trailing spouses with home computers. This not only gave the accompanying partner access to Schlumberger's intranet, but also allowed them on to the world wide web.
But the main obstacle for most trailing spouses is the difficulty in getting a work permit. Many multilateral organisations, such as the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), have been able to negotiate work permits for trailing spouses during the course of selecting sites for their offices.
Kathleen van der Wilk-Carlton of Shell thinks companies should begin to flex their muscles: 'If governments can get agreements for work permits for diplomatic staff, it is time for companies to lobby governments for the same rights.'
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Discuss these questions.
- What are the benefits and advantages to an executive and his or her family of working abroad for several years?
- What are the possible disadvantages and dangers?
Reading tasks
A Understanding main points
1. Which of these statements gives the best summary of the text on the opposite page?
a) Fewer young managers want to work abroad than in the past.
b) Companies should prepare and support families in overseas postings.
c) Most spouses of expatriates want to work when they are abroad.
3. According to the text, is an overseas posting becoming more or less popular for ambitious managers? Why?
4. Which company seems to be the most generous in its financial support for expatriate couples?
5. What is the main reason mentioned in the article for the failure of an overseas posting?
6. What are the consequences of failed postings?
Understanding details
Mark these statements (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text. Find the part of the text that gives the correct information.
1. Companies send only the best candidates on overseas postings.
2. Finding the right people for expatriate postings is difficult.
3. High-fliers are the people who most want to work overseas.
4. Shell prefers to give expatriates advice and information rather than money.
5. Most accompanying partners want to be able to work in the foreign country.
6. EBRD organises jobs for the spouses of its expatriates.
Understanding meanings
1 Choose the best explanation for the sentence 'Companies ignore the problem of the "trailing spouse" at their peril'?
a) Some companies have never thought about this problem.
b) It is very important for companies to try to deal with this problem.
c) It is dangerous to send families to some parts of the world.
2 What is the best explanation for the phrase 'can you entice them [high-fliers] to set off for foreign parts?'
a) Can you oblige them to go overseas without their spouse?
b) Can you tell them to go overseas alone?
c) Can you persuade them to go overseas with their spouse?
3 The way in which Motorola's offer of US$7,500 a year for education can be spent is 'broadly interpreted by the company' (line 34). What does this mean exactly?
a) The money must be spent on training to be an interpreter.
b) Education need not only mean formal study.
c) Motorola must give its permission before the money is spent.
Vocabulary tasks
A Synonyms
1. The writer uses the phrase 'trailing spouse' to describe the wife or husband of an expatriate executive. What other phrase is used in the article with the same meaning?
2. The text also refers to 'overseas postings' (line 13).
a) Find three other words in the article with a similar meaning to 'posting'
b) Find two other words in the article that could replace the word 'overseas' in that phrase.
Words that seem similar
1 The words 'cite' and 'site' are pronounced in the same way but have
completely different meanings. Match these definitions to the two words.
a) mention or quote something
b) put a building in a particular location
2 The money Shell spends on giving advice to expatriate couples at its spouse employment centre is very cost efficient. A similar expression is cost effective, but it has a slightly different meaning. Which of the following definitions fits the word efficient and which fits the
word effective.
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a) producing the result that was wanted or intended
b) working well without wasting time, money or energy
Word search
Find a word or phrase in the text that has a similar meaning.
1 available employees from which you can select the ones you want (para 2)
p...................................... of p......................... e................................
2 going abroad to work for your company (para 2)
o...................................... p.............................
3 emphasise or stress an idea (para 2)
u......................................
4 reject an offer of a job (para 2)
t...................................................................... d..............................
5 in all parts of the world (para 3)
w......................................
6 pay money back to someone after they have spent their own money (paragraph 3)
r.......................................
7 giving financial support (para 4)
f.......................................
8 try to prevent something (para 5)
t...................................................................... p.............................. a..............................
9 bring an executive back from an overseas posting, usually because of a problem (para 5)
r.......................................
10 something that makes it difficult to do something (para 7)
.....................................
11 show you have strength and may use it to get what you want (para 8)
f........................... your m.................
12 try to persuade the government to do something or to change a policy (para8)
I.................................
D Complete the sentence
Use an appropriate word or phrase from Exercise to complete each sentence.
1. At the end of every month companies usually.................................. employees for travel expenses.
2. Some people welcome an......................................................................... because they learn more about the world.
3. In most democracies, companies and large interest groups Members of Parliament to try to influence government policy.
4. In tropical countries it is important to............................................ diseases such as malaria or yellow fever.
5. Most large multinationals operate on a..................................................... scale, with activities in almost every country.
6. Most urban transport projects such as metro systems or light railways receive from central government.
7. We had to.................................... ten international managers last year due to family problems.
8. Lack of confidence can be a big................................................................... to success in most careers.
3: .
1. , .
a) Many accidents are caused by dangerous driving. (What?)
b) The problem will be discussed later. (When?)
c) My son is being shown a new video. (What?)
d) That letter was given to him in the office. (Where?)
e) The director was being interviewed when I came in. (When?)
f) The boy has already been sent to bed. (Has?)
2. .
a) Our students are translating a difficult article now.
b) The detective has recorded out conversation.
c) They will change the date of meeting.
d) The robber attacked on old man in the street.
e) I will have read the book by the end of this week.
f) They discuss current vents every day.
3. , .
a) , .
b) .
c) .
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d) .
e) , .
f) , .
4. , .
a) What has happened, Dan? she asks him.
b) The teacher says, Did you speak to the Dean yesterday, Tom?
c) What disobedient children! he cried.
d) She says, Has Jack brought me anything to read?
e) The teacher says, What exercises did you do in writing, students?
f) Why are you so sad? she asks him.
5. , .
a) , .
b) , .
c) , .
d) , .
e) , .
f) , .
