Open Access

Jaqueline Schwickert

• Due to globalization more and more companies open up subsidiairies across national boundaries. To struggle with high growth, customer focus and personnel exchange those companies ask themselves whether it is necessary to develop corporate processes and standards across borders or not. IMS Gear, a medium-sized company, headquartered in Donaueschingen with subsidiaries in China, USA and Mexico wants to optimize its excisting compensation system regarding standardization. The purpose of this thesis is to check whether an international standardized compensation system at IMS Gear GmbH is reasonable or in which extent elements of the German compensation structure could be applied in the foreign locations. By researching compensation systems, the internationalization strategy of the company and its current status as well as analyzing cultural and legal differences at the locations this thesis provides a discussion about advantages and disadvantages of global standards and local differentiations. As a result this thesis concludes that IMS Gear is a multinational company which acts in some points global but is still not on a level where global standards in all sectors are meaningful and accepted by all locations. Therefore some recommendations are given which show further steps the company should take to improve the current situation.