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Volume XVI (2005)
Book Review: Training in Developing Nations:
A Handbook for Expatriates
Owen G. Mordaunt
Department of English, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182-0175
John L. Daly, ed. Training in Developing Nations:
A Handbook for Expatriates. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E.
Sharp, 2005. 218 pp. $29.95 (paper).
Apparently many expatriates returning home from their
training experiences in Third World countries have felt deficient
in their abilities as trainers. Contributing to this lack
is the fact that there is a dearth in pertinent information and
methodologies to assist trainers in their preparation for service
in developing countries. Training in Developing Nations:
A Handbook for Expatriate (TIDN) attempts to meet
this need. It is “designed to provide useful insights and helpful
tips for international trainers and technical consultants”
(p. vii) preparing to carry out professional training in developing
nations.
The idea for this type of book was formed shortly after
the editor was selected as a Fulbright Senior Scholar to the
African country of Swaziland where he spent ten months as
a technical advisor and trainer. In preparing for the stint in
Swaziland, he was unable to find “relevant preparatory
materials” (p. viii) to help him prepare for his mission.
In the “Introduction,” Daly provides the reader with an
overview of the text after stating that people with no Third
World training experience will find in this text “helpful tips”
while preparing for “training and travel” (p. xi). He also
mentions that this text could serve as a valuable resource
for assessing one’s previous training in developing countries“with training provided by others” (p. xi). He affirms
that the material in the text reflects the insights of experienced
trainers who are highly educated academics, who have
had considerable training and field experience. This text,
he believes, will serve both those beginning training and
those who are experienced.
The text consists of three main sections. Part I is titled“Practical Strategies for Training in Developing Settings.”
Chapter 1 by William Marjenhoff deals with issues of safety,
security and being comfortable in developing nations. The
author lists some essentials necessary to one’s preparation
prior to one’s departure. And on arrival at one’s destination,
one should be alert to criminal activity at airports, alert to
being taken advantage of by taxi drivers, the police and even
the government officials. Some of these fundamentals may
seem unnecessary to the nonchalant person who is trusting
of everybody; but to ensure one’s protection and well-being,
these are indeed necessary, and commonsense is key.
Stories on the infringement of the personal safety of travelers
abound.
In Chapter 2 Daly offers seven tips to enhance expatriate
trainers’ effectiveness when operating in underdeveloped
managerial contexts. For example, one should not assume
that communication will be smooth just because English is
the official language of a government. In Swaziland, while
English is the official language, it is not the dominant vernacular;
siSwati is. Also, the variety of English one speaks
may be somewhat challenging to the trainees of the host
country. Moreover, when one is communicating with a
Swazi, the word “yes” does not always mean an affirmative
nod. Since this response is prevalent in many African contexts,
non-Africans can misinterpret this response. One
should be careful and learn to read between the lines to ensure
that adequate communication is taking place. Knowing
something about basic communication patterns of the
host country is important. Daly does a good job of apprising
prospective technical consultants or trainers of the possibility
of facing culture shock relevant to a breakdown in
communication when they relocate to a Third World country.
Therefore focussing on the suggestions he offers may
serve you well.
Being a female trainer in many international settings
presents many challenges because the place of women does
not equal that of men. In Chapter 3, Barbara Liggett discusses
such challenges based on her wide experiences working
with international students. Her advice is invaluable,
not only to expatriates women trainers but also to men as
well. She concludes the chapter by emphasizing that the“struggle—the challenge of gender—is present for educators
and for students. The struggle, itself, however, can be a
catalyst for creating a circle of learners, worldwide” (p. 47).
Perhaps if women like Barbara Liggett made a point of connecting
with some women from developing countries who
are in key positions, to get their perspectives on gender issues,
they would gain added insights into how to handle
gender issues.
Marketing strategies for training initiatives in developing
nations is the topic of Chapter 4. Since there is very
little information at our disposal relevant to marketing strategies
in the training area, Daly’s discussion is of utmost
importance. He has made an excellent point in putting the
onus of “getting the word out” to the host nation sponsors
on the trainers themselves. This is an effective way of enhancing participation and improving attendance on the part
of host participants.
Part II deals with training in specific fields. In Chapter
5, Ambe Njoh, draws attention to three historical perspectives
designed to improve administrative effectiveness in
developing countries: classical administrative reforms
(1950-mid-1960s), institution building (mid-1960-early-
1970s) institution development (mid-1970-present), and
elaborates on their strengths and weaknesses. Information
about these initiatives should be of interest to trainers because
an awareness of the how administrative reforms in
developing countries work can help prepare trainers for what
to expect in the host country. According to Njoh, the institution
development model has potential for effecting changes
consistent with administrative objectives. A person interested
in this area would need to explore this field. Someone
going to a specific country would need to have some background
on the country’s administrative structure in order to
prepare to offer adequate training.
According to Willy Holleweg dit Wegman, “economic
development is key to human development (HD) and poverty
alleviation” (p. 85). Chapter 6 is a reflection of Holleweg
dit Wegman’s long experience as a trainer and represents
much of the thinking about economic development theory
from a European perspective. He insists that training based
on the local setting’s needs and solutions and aid funds
should be allocated accordingly. “Developing countries, and
African countries in particular, will never reach an acceptable
overall development if the people are not trained in an
appropriate manner” (p. 110). And an adequate number of
local trainers should be trained. Holleweg dit Wegman gives
examples of case studies on the successes and failures of
job creation through small and mid-level enterprises. This
is an important chapter to read for those interested in economic
development.
In Chapter 7, Joyce Barrett gives a frank presentation
of the need for effective and efficient media training in developing
countries. Her essay is easy, quick reading, humorous
and full of insights on the media training, based on
her approaches to teaching as well as her experiences with
students in Third World countries. She does emphasize ethics
as an important element in journalism. This chapter
should be required reading for persons planning to be media
trainers overseas. There are apparently moral issues needing
to be addressed in this field.
Chapter 8 is concerned with the preparation of expatriate
trainers who will give instruction in group-counseling
skills and knowledge to mental health workers in developing
countries. The authors stress the pre-training of expatriate
trainers prior to their posting in overseas training contexts.
Also, the host country and community need to be committed
to the undertaking, so they need to make available
information on local traditions and customs, etc., that will
assist the trainer who is going to have to develop a rapport
with trainees. The reader is informed of the current state of
group leader training overseas and then presented with a
best practices model for group leader training and how this
model can be applied to developing countries. The authors
recommend an extended period of service and encourage
some flexibility on the part of the trainer. The mental health
area needs attention, more so with the devastation of the
AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan is Africa. This chapter provides
helpful information to those planning to work in mental
health.
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played
a significant role in the provision of assistance to the citizens
of Third World countries. In Chapter 9, Willy Holleweg
dit Wegman offers an elaborate model showing the operation
of NGOs. He stresses the training of experts based on
needs assessment. The information in this chapter is invaluable
to trainers interested in NGOs. The information sheds
light on how crucial proper training is on account of the
short duration of funding from donors. Training has to be
quick but thorough. The example of a fictitious developing
nation, the author uses, can provide insights to trainers.
Cherie Onkst and Eknath Naik’s contribution to this
text (Chapter 10) is of great importance in view of the HIV/
AIDS epidemic, which has ravaged much of the developing
world. In this chapter, Onkst and Naik suggest strategies
relevant to the training of local health care professionals.
First, characteristics of health care professionals are
mentioned. Since they are considered the cream of society,
the role of health professionals is vital; so in working with
them, the expatriate should give them due respect and treat
them as equals in the sharing of knowledge and ideas. Next,
communication styles of the host country are explored since
they are crucial to a positive working relationship with the
local professionals. American communication is generally
two-way, whereas the communication style of many developing
world contexts is one-way, or top-down. Also, since
learning styles vary from culture to culture, the trainers need
to take these factors into consideration when training local
experts. Other issues such as the implementation, content,
length, and the evaluation of the training programs are presented.
Emphasis is placed on the people being served and
trained, so training methodologies should be tailored to the
needs of the target audience and should be flexible so as to
be adapted to different situations and different cultural settings.
It should be noted that expatriates themselves vary
their styles or approaches according to their personalities.
Part III is a chapter on observations and conclusions. In this
concluding chapter, Daly not only reviews the findings from
previous chapters in the book, but he also explores future
trends and challenges germane to training in Third World
countries. Key factors in improving training include, sufficient
institutional support, cultural awareness, adaptability of the trainer, patience on the part of the trainer, and future
training trends and challenges.
To conclude, it is necessary to suggest that this book
will not provide all the answers that an expatriate trainer
needs in preparing to work abroad. A trainer needs to try to
find as much information as possible on the country of his/
her future sojourn. Embassies may provide some information
on their respective countries, but much of this is sketchyBook Review: Training in and prepared for tourists. Texts on culture and intercultural
communication can be valuable resources. Many of these
texts are used in colleges and universities, but, unfortunately,
books specific to the cultures of many developing countries
still need to be written. Publishers nonetheless may be reluctant
to publish books for which there is no large market.
We need to remember that books alone do not give a person
deep insights into a culture. Culture is like an iceberg: what
you see is not all a culture is. Therefore, when you are living
in another culture, you have to constantly try to learn as
much as possible about the culture and strive to be an effective
intercultural communicator, especially when dealing
with people face to face.
Training in Developing Nations is indeed an engaging
text, and I have to agree with the editor that it “will help the
reader gain firmer grasps on training in developing nations”
(p. 198) although I refer the term “should” to “will.” The
reader should always bear in mind that in whatever field
training is conducted, the training should be tailored to the
needs of the culture receiving the training and not to the
needs of the industrialized world.
Volume XVI |
