Modern Management 4

1 . I chose to interview an information technology manager . Some of the challenges the manager is facing right now include staffing and the implementation of a major new system while at the same time having to maintain the legacy system

Staffing is a serious concern for the manager I interviewed . The database administration team has been short two people for almost a year with a specialized job and a tiny market , finding personnel has been difficult . The last time the database administration team required additional personnel , the manager had to acquire an

H1-B visa to allow a foreign worker the manager is contemplating taking the same route this time if he can 't find a native worker even though it 's expensive and means an extra year 's wait , the position really needs to be filled

A second challenge the IT manager I interviewed is facing is the difficulty of replacing a critical system - in to replace the system , the new system has to be put into place while the legacy system continues to be maintained . This poses special challenges because the manager 's team is already short-staffed the manager has hired contractors to fill the gaps in his development and implementation teams , while experienced personnel continue to maintain legacy systems part time . This is not an ideal solution because of the perception that the contractors are better paid (which is true ) and have fewer responsibilities (which is not true unfortunately , the contractors do not have the expertise to adequately support the legacy systems . The manager has tried to appease his experienced workers by offering overtime pay , incentives for achievement and off-cycle raises however he has already had one developer leave for a better opportunity

2 . Factors I would consider in deciding whether or not to take a foreign assignment include the length of the assignment , support offered by the company for relocation , and orientation programs in the foreign country as well as re-orientation when I returned

The length of the assignment would be the most serious concern when I was deciding whether or not to take a foreign assignment . While temporary assignments of a week or two are simple to arrange , stints of 6 months or more in a foreign country would be more complicated I would have to move my things , arrange for storage and make banking arrangements

Relocation support from the company would be essential - finding a living situation in a foreign country would be complicated and expensive , and if it were my first foreign assignment I wouldn 't necessarily know how to do it . Having relocation support to move the possessions I wanted to bring , find an apartment and arrange for a car and other facilities would be essential . Provision of a living allowance or a company-provided apartment would be a serious incentive for taking a foreign assignment as well

Another important factor in a decision to take a foreign assignment would be orientation and re-orientation programs , particularly for a lengthy assignment . Having an introduction...