Explain how companies can improve their staffing efforts as they expand beyond their home country
9-5. Discuss the unique issues related to Mea- suring Organizational performance that are presented with the administration of atruly international company
9-1. Describe the means of entry by which an organization can do business in another country
9-2. Explain the elements of International Stra- tegic Alliances that lead to success
9-3. Discuss the stages of International Development
Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
U.S. Immigration Policy and Founders of Entrepre- neurial Startups Few issues are as contentious around the world as is immigration and
foreign-born workers. The whole conversation gets more confused in
the United States when foreign-born students of U.S. colleges and uni-
versities start-up new companies. There are no visas specifically designed
for foreign-born students who start up their own companies. The focus
of most visa efforts revolves around the H-1B for ‘skilled’ foreign workers.
There is a lottery each year for the 65,000 slots and the additional 20,000 slots for
graduates with advanced degrees. All of these slots presume that the person receiving
the visa is an employee who works for an established U.S. company. The founder of a new firm might not be
receiving compensation early on and even if he or she is paid, they are not employees but owners.
According to the Kauffman Foundation while 13% of U.S. population is foreign-born, they make up 24%
of the tech and engineering companies formed and a whopping 44% of those formed in the Silicon Valley.
These entrepreneurs have a long visa battle ahead of them to be able to stay in the United States with their
new companies. They generally apply for a so-called ‘rock star’ visa (Justin Beiberand other artists have one).
Among the founders that failed to secure this visa and left the country was WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum, Snapdeal
founder Kunal Bahl, and Instagram’s technical lead Mike Krieger. Bahl graduated from Wharton and has now
built a business valued at over US$5 Billion with more than 4,000 employees in India.
Addressing how to operate a global company involves a number of difficult operating decisions that
includes the staffing of the company and how foreign-born workers are treated.
SOURCES: “No Country for Startup Founders,” Bloomberg BusinessWeek, February 15–21, 2016, pp. 27–28 D. Stangler& J. Wiens, “The Economic Case for Welcoming Immigrant Entrepreneurs,” EwingMarion Kauffman Foundation, September 8, 2015 (http://www.kauffman.org/what-we-do/resources/entrepreneurship-policy-digest/the-economic-case-for-welcoming -immigrant-entrepreneurs); L. Robbins, “New U.S. Rule Extends Stay for Some Foreign Graduates,” New York Times, March 9, 2016 (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/09/nyregion/new-us-rule-extends-stay-for-some-foreign-graduates .html?_r=0).