Ethnocentric is a staffing policy that is used in companies that has primarily international strategic orientation.
This policy is generally adopted by headquarters by sending employees from the home or parent countries to the host country. This approach is used best in some situations such as, a team is sent from the home country to help setting up a new plant as well as train subsidiary personnel to use new system. The benefit of having staffs from home country abroad is that employees may gain experiences worldwide in order to become higher level in management of their headquarters because international managers require broad perspective and international exposure.Polycentric is the policy involved hiring and promoting employees who are citizens of the host countries that the subsidiary is operated.
This policy is best used when companies want to keep hiring cost low. Moreover, employees who are hired at subsidiary level would not have any problem adapting to the culture. Communication is smooth within the operation.Regiocentric staffing policy involves hiring and promoting employees based on specific regional context where subsidiary is located.
This approach is used when regional employees are needed for important positions. However, both employees from host countries and a third country are employed. The disadvantage of using this type of policy is that sometimes employees from home or host countries are not unselected. Instead, employees from a third are selected to subsidiary in which they may face cultural differences.
Geocentric staffing approach is used when companies adopt a transnational orientation. It is best used when companies need the best personnel to work at subsidiary. Employees are selected regardless where they come from. This staffing strategy is reliable for all subsidiaries because best employees are selected and sent from the company’s worldwide network.
