Seeking Far-Flung Lands: Polish-Run Quenda in Angola

Małgorzata Kuczara, Michał Rogatko, Aleksandra Wąsowska, Julia Witeńska

Product #:W41385

Supplier:Ivey

Discipline:Human Resource Management, International Business

Setting:Poland, Angola, 2024

Details:Case (PDF) • 10 pages • 2025-06-05

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In March 2023, Quenda Group was considering hiring a new engineer to join its workforce, but the management team was trying to decide whether to continue hiring specialists from Poland or start a new approach of recruiting local Angolan engineers. The Polish-owned private company specialized in construction services for public utility facilities and comprehensive solutions in the field of security and defence. Since its establishment in 2016, Quenda Group had strategically focused on the Angolan market, primarily operating on a business model that included deploying engineers from Poland and other European countries. The management team had to consider the challenges of operating in distant markets and managing expatriate employees. Despite the extensive experience of its two founders, the company was facing a critical decision.

Learning Objectives

This case is designed for courses on international management, international entrepreneurship, and international human resources management at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students discussing the case should have prior exposure to basic international business concepts. The case explores how entrepreneurs navigate cross-country differences; in this case, across the two continents of Europe and Africa. Students will analyze this challenge using the CAGE framework. They will also examine different forms of employment. Various strategic considerations and human resources implications can impact factors such as level of local market engagement, long-term sustainability, and understanding local market trends. After completion of this case, students will be able to

become familiar with the dimensions that describe the distance between countries, such as the four dimensions of the CAGE framework;
apply the CAGE framework to analyze specific business situations in emerging markets;
understand the concept of psychic distance;
get to know the basic concepts related to employee mobility such as migrants, expatriate employees, and self-initiated expatriates, as well as the benefits and limitations of various employment models; understand the challenges associated with recruiting candidates in conditions of significant distance;
analyze recruitment strategies and assess the implications of hiring expatriate employees versus local talent, in the context of operational effectiveness and cultural adaptability.

Seeking Far-Flung Lands: Polish-Run Quenda in Angola

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Learning Objectives