Haiti Presentation

HAITI
GEMBA3
IMBA 6120 – Human Resource Management

Group 10:
Khuram Babar | Marie Ducheine | Bethany Miller
Keitha Minchew | Dormel Strickland

AGENDA
• COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

• STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT

• EXTERNAL HR FACTORS

• PARENT COUNTRY & CULTURAL GAP ANALYSIS

• RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

• SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION:
THE COUNTRY
• Located in the West Indies
• Occupies 1/3 of Hispaniola (2/3 occupied by
Dominican Republic
• The least developed country in the West
• Population: 8.5 Million
• The first Caribbean state to achieve independence


HISTORY

• 1492: Christopher Columbus lands and claims the island of Hispaniola for Spain. The Spanish build
the New World's first settlement at La Navidad on Haiti's north coast.
• 1697: Spanish control over the colony ends with the Treaty of Ryswick, which divided the island
into French-controlled St. Domingue and Spanish Santo Domingo.
• 1791-1803 A slave rebellion is launched by the Jamaican-born Boukman leading to a protracted
13-year war of liberation against St. Domingue's colonists and later, Napoleon's army which was
also assisted by Spanish and British forces.
• 1804: The hemispere's second Republic is declared on January 1, 1804 by General Jean-Jacques
Dessalines. Haiti, or Ayiti in Creole, is the name given to the land by the former Taino-Arawak
peoples, meaning "mountainous country."


CULTURE
• A mixture of French, African and native Taino
elements
• Religion: 95% Christian
• Music: Compas (similar to American Jazz)
• Food: influenced by French cuisine and African
staples. Rice and beans is the de facto national dish
• Sports: soccer is most prevalent


POLITICAL SYSTEM
• Independence: January 1804
• A Presidential Republic, multi-party system
• President Rene Preval: head of state (elected by
popular vote)
• Prime Minister Michelle Pierre-Louis: head of
government (appointed by President)
• Current government put in place by Constitution of
1987


GOVERNMENT
• Executive Branch
– Chief of state: President Rene Preval
– Head of government: Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis
– Cabinet: Chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president
– Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prime
minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National Assembly
• Legislative Branch
– Bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate and the Chamber of
Deputies
• National Holiday
– Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
• Capital
– Port-au-Prince


STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
• HAITIAN EXPATS

• INVEST IN HAITI

• HAITI’S NEEDS

• US INVOLVEMENT

• FOREIGN INVESTMENT


STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT:
HAITIAN EXPATS
• US/Haitian relationship is primarily socio-economic
• 90% of expats remit money to relatives in Haiti –
critical to many families’ survival
• Send $350M/year to Haiti (~15% of Haiti’s GDP)
• Haitian expats bring a wealth of skills and education,
particularly in the arts, music, food and culture


INVEST IN HAITI
• Utilities & infrastructure improvements needed
• Gov’t & NGO programs for education, healthcare,
security, employment training
• Thriving art/music/religious culture
• Improving legal system
• Openness to trade agreements
• Extreme tourism potential


HAITI’S NEEDS
• Leadership:
– Unstable government = security fears and cycle of
impoverishment
• Infrastructure:
– roads, power, telecommunication inadequate
• Agricultural development: most of island is
deforested
• Foreign aid/investment: for healthcare, education,
security, developing equitable government programs
for employment


US INVOLVEMENT
• Emergency response / disaster relief
• Healthcare (established hospitals, contributed inoculations, human
resources, wellness education, water system improvements)
• Legal assistance (women’s and children’s issues, labor issues,
America’s Development Foundation)
• Trade agreements (HOPE, textile trade agreements)
• Supporting democracy through economics,
education, and security


FOREIGN INVESTMENT
• Security (UN security forces)
• Trade agreements (CAFTA, CARICOM, others)
• Financial investment (IMF)
• Education and Ministry
• Business (particularly in machinery, services, factory
labor)


EXTERNAL HR FACTORS
• ECONOMIC FORCES

• LABOR MARKET

• LABOR UNIONS

• LEGAL SYSTEM

• COUNTRY CULTURE

• SPECIAL CONCERNS


EXTERNAL HR FACTORS:
ECONOMIC FORCES
• Current Economic State is attributed to:
– Political instability,
– Shortage of good land,
– Environmental deterioration,
– Lack of a functioning legal system,
– Migration of the skilled population,
– Lack of public investment in human resources.


LABOR MARKET
• 2/3rds of the work-force does not have a formal job.
• The unskilled labor force works in the following
sectors:
– Agriculture 66%
– Services 25%
– Industrial Markets 9%


LABOR UNIONS
• Workers do have the right of association.
• Unions are on in the formal sector.
• The labor laws under the union stipulate:
– Minimum wage of 70 Gourdes ($1.70 U.S.)
– Minimum working age of 15.


LEGAL SYSTEM
• Legal framework is based on the French and Roman
legal systems.
• The system is corrupted as political and financial
pressures influence poorly trained individuals within
the legal system.
• Additionally, the legal system suffers due to several
iterations of the country’s constitution.


COUNTRY CULTURE
• Distinction between men and women.
• Men monopolize the job market.
• Women are considered to be domestic providers.
• However, the women controls the husband’s
earnings.


SPECIAL CONCERNS
• The new constitution states that “the government
makes the constitution, the laws, the regulations and
agreements.”

• The population is reluctant to serve as a juror due to
intimidation.


PARENT COUNTRY AND
CULTURAL GAP ANALYSIS
• US/HAITIAN DIFFERENCES

• IDEAL EMPLOYEE TRAITS

• TRAINING/KNOWLEDGE
SHARING


CULTURAL GAP ANALYSIS:
DIFFERENCES US/HAITI
• Haitian culture is distinct and less familiar to
Americans than other cultural groups
• Haiti’s population is 95% made up of African
descendants
• The estimated population is 8 million
• Haitians are very concerned with the treatment of
Haitian refugees in America
– Policy of returning Haitians but not Cubans


• Government:
– The Haitian government has undergone profound change
over 20 years that has affected the policies, economics,
and social standing
– The Haitian government is plagued with corruption
– It is typical and expected to give bribes to Haitian
government officials for business dealings
• Haiti is ranked 154 out of 181 economies for difficulty in doing
business
• It is difficult to do business in terms of maneuvering through the
policies and procedures


• Economic Standing:
– Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere
– Haiti is targeted by U.S. businesses because it has the
lowest wages in the western hemisphere
– Poverty is rampant throughout the country
• More than 50% of the country is below $1/day wage
• Social Conditions:
– The quality of life is substandard
• There is unequal access to resources, infrastructure, social capital,
health care and education
• The basic Haitian does not have basic needs met
• It is ranked 146 out of 177 countries on the human development
scale


• Idea of Self vs. Others:
– The American culture is very self focused
– The Haitian culture is focused on the community
• “Men-nan Men” is “Hand in Hand” where communities work
together and resources are shared


• Family Structure:
– Less than 40% of Haitians are married
• Marriage is expected among middle class and elite
• A larger percentage are in committed relationships that are
recognized by the community
– The male is the wage earner
– The women are caregivers
• There are very few opportunities for women in the workforce


• Social Etiquette:
– Greeting someone has significant meaning
• It would be rude to not exchange pleasantries
– Religion is not a taboo subject
• It is expected to be discussed in the workforce
• The official religion is Catholicism
– Social disabilities are shameful and there is a social stigma associated
• Almost 10% of the population has disabilities
– Haitian women do not smoke or drink
• Men are not excessive in alcohol consumption


IDEAL EMPLOYEE TRAITS
• Recognition of tremendous cultural differences
– Education, Socialization, Economic
• Acknowledgement of the differences of Haitians
from other Caribbean people and distinct from
African Americans
– Show empathy for the Haitian experience
– Not all creoles are alike: Haitian Creole vs. Portuguese
Creole


TRAINING
• There are several areas that should be a focus for
training
– Haitian government policies and procedures for doing
business
– Sensitivity training
– Cultural emersion training
– Security training
– Language: French and/or Creole


RECOMMENDED TRAVEL
MATERIALS
• PRE-DEPARTURE

• TRAVEL

• SECURITY

• BASIC INFORMATION

• ACTIVITIES

• STAFF DEVELOPMENT


RECOMMENDED MATERIALS :
PRE-DEPARTURE
• Cultural Awareness Training
– degree of interaction required in the host culture and the
similarity between the individual’s native culture and the
new culture
• Package A – Information Sharing (less than a week)
– Expatriate and the host country which has similar cultures
– Low interaction and length of stay in the host country is short-lived
» Type of training offered: area briefings, cultural briefings, films, videos,
books, use of interpreters and survival level language training


PRE-DEPARTURE
• Cultural Awareness Training cont’d
• Package B – Affective Approach (1 – 4 weeks)
– Expatriate and the host country which has different cultures
– Moderate level of interaction and the length of stay in the host country is
anticipated to be between two to twelve months.
» Type of training offered: culture assimilators, role-playing, critical
incidents, cases, stress reduction training and moderate language
training
• Package C – Immersion Approach (approx 2 months )
– Expatriate and the host country which has vastly different cultures
– High interaction and the anticipated length of stay is one to three years
» Type of training offered: assessment center, field experiments,
simulations, sensitivity training and extensive language training.


PRE-DEPARTURE
• Preliminary Visits
– Aids in determining if the assignment is appropriate for
the expatriate and their families.
– Factors which will aid in the adjustment and final decision
of accepting the assignment will be:
• Gaining the proper legal documents for exiting/re-entry into the
United States
• A tour of Haiti
• Overview of housing
• Overview of the education system
• Spousal Employment
• Transportation.


PRE-DEPARTURE
• Preliminary Visits cont’d
– Prior to the preliminary visit
• Apply for visa
• Apply for work permit
• Driver’s license (if stay longer than 90 days)
• Employment contract
• Open bank account
• Language Instruction
– Further host country language training
– Language of the corporation


PRE-DEPARTURE
• Assistance with practical, day-to-day matters
• Relocation assistance
– Hire relocation services professional
• Housing assistance
• Education assistance


TRAVEL
• Haiti Tour
– Port-au-Prince/Cap-Haïtien and the North coast/Jacmel
and the South coast
• Carnival
– Every year on the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before
Ash Wednesday
• Music
– Compas bands : Tabou Combo, T-Vice, and Carimi
• Cuisine
– Rice and beans - de facto national dish


SECURITY
• High crime and civil unrest
• Travelers are advised to hire a reliable guide
• Hire a driver when touring in Haiti
• Do not wander in the streets at night in Port-au-
Prince


BASIC INFORMATION
• Personalized guide book of important
addresses and phone numbers should be
provided to the expatriate. The entries will
include:
– U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince,
– Hospitals; Hôpital de l'Université d'État in Port-au-
Prince.
– Emergency phone numbers for the police, ambulance
and fire department.
– Recommended book “U.S. Expatriate Handbook”

BASIC INFORMATION
• Personalized guide book contains:
– Major hotels; Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince,
Hotel Cyvadier in Jacmel and Cormier Plage in
Cap-Haitien.
– Lost stolen credit cards
• Mastercard
• Visa
• American Express
• Dinner’s Club
– Major banks /Currency Exchange

ACTIVITIES
– Water sports
• Kyona and Ibo beaches (Ibo is on Cacique Isle) are best
for swimming, snorkeling, spear fishing, sailing,
boomba racing in dugout canoes and water-skiing.
• La Gonâve is a popular location for fishing
– Spectator sports
• Football is the favorite national sport
• Basketball


ACTIVITIES
– Other
• 9-hole golf course - Pétionville Club.
• Tennis courts - Club Med in Montraus, El Rancho,
Habitation Le Clerc, Ibo Beach, Ibo Lake, Kaloa Beach,
Pétionville Club and Royal Haitian hotels.
• National parks of La Visite and Parc Macaya offer
excellent hiking opportunities. “
– Restaurants
– Malls & Museums


STAFF DEVELOPMENT
• Expatriates are used for training because of a lack of
suitably trained staff in the host location
• The ability to transfer knowledge skills in a culturally
sensitive manner perhaps should be an integral part
of the pre-departure training programs
– particularly if training is part of the expatriate’s role in the
host country.
• Training should also be provided for employees
– Short-term assignments
– Non-standard assignments/commuting
– International business travelers


SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
• SUMMARY

• CONCLUSION


SUMMARY & CONCLUSION:
SUMMARY
• History & Culture
– High poverty, low employment and poor infrastructure
• Strategic assessment
– Unstable government. Manufacturing, textile and oil industries
present
• Gap Analysis
– Vast differences in the environment versus their native country
• Pre-Departure Training
– If spouse and child are accompanying, then spousal employment,
housing and education are matters that should be considered for a
successful assignment


CONCLUSION
• Government stability is paramount
• Resources for self-sustainment are needed in Haiti
– Farming
– Education
– Medical
• Business investments benefit from human capital
– Increase wages & employment necessary
• Pre-Departure training is important
– Length of stay > 1 month - 1yr & wide difference in culture
– Potential increases for successful performance


KEY TAKE-A-WAYS
• Haitian culture is community focused vs US culture is
self-focused
• Potential for economic development
• External assistance and diasporas remittances are
essential to keep the economy afloat
• Language training is important in the ability to self-
sufficient
• Staff Development
– Maintained by former expatriates turned instructors
– Serves as a pool of resources for international assignments
– Fosters innovation & organizational knowledge

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