Managerial Behaviors and Job Performance: A Successful Manager in Los Angeles May Not Succeed in Hong Kong

Abstract

Few studies have attempted to examine how American managers actually manage while on assignment in foreign countries or the effectiveness of these managerial behaviours. This study compared the self-reported managerial behaviours of American expatriate managers in Hong Kong to a sample of American managers in the U.S. and Hong Kong Chinese managers in Hong Kong. The results from the study indicated that American expatriate managers in Hong Kong exhibit very similar managerial behaviours to the sample of managers in the U.S. However, while these managerial behaviours were positively related to job performance for the managers in the US, they were not related to job performance for the expatriates in Hong Kong, nor were these managerial behaviours related to job performance for Hong Kong Chinese managers in Hong Kong.