Success Of International Assignments Research Articles

Expatriate Adjustment dan Job Performance di Perusahaan Multinasional

Global staffing is an important aspect of the human resource management, and international assignments play vital role for expanding and building global skills. Many factors affecting the success of international assignments, cross-cultural adjustment received the most attention from researchers. International experiences of expatriate can influence expatriate adjustment because expatriate’s international experience involves living, thinking and learning new set of business practice in foreign business environment. This study focused on international experiences and mentoring behavior on expatriates adjustment. Firstly, this study explored international experiences and mentoring behavior on expatriate adjustment. Secondly, this study explored expatriate adjustment on job performance. The results of this study explained that international experiences and mentoring behavior has positive influence on expatriate adjustment and expatriate adjustment has positive relationship on job performance.

International adjustment of Brazilian expatriates in the United States of America

ABSTRACTThe adjustment of expatriates to host countries has been identified as a determinant of their success in international assignments. The literature on expatriates is largely based on cases of expatriates from developed economies; however, given the current global market scenario, companies from developing countries are also assigning expatriates to international assignments. The purpose of this study was to understand the international adjustment of Brazilian expatriates working for Brazilian multinational subsidiaries in the United States of America (USA). The study used an exploratory approach of in-depth interviews with open-ended questions conducted with 11 Brazilian expatriates working for 11 different Brazilian multinationals in the USA. The contributions of this study are twofold: (1) exploration of the adjustment perspectives of expatriates of Brazilian multinational companies, and (2) exploration of the effects of variables from the USA context, as host country, on the international adjustment of expatriates. Findings show that Brazilian expatriates perceived that rules and laws of the USA had a great effect on their international adjustment, while cross-cultural differences influenced leadership styles and interpersonal relationship.

Expatriate support and success

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review empirical research on the relationship between organization-based social support and the success of international assignments (IAs).Design/methodology/approachFour search engines were used to obtain empirical studies relating organization-based social support to success criteria. Studies were compared based on type of theoretical foundation, criteria of success, source of social support and study design.FindingsThe reviewed studies draw on three theoretical paradigms – based on stress, social capital and relational exchange. The results demonstrate that expatriates receive social support from multiple organization-based sources and that these sources’ proximity to the expatriate influences the relationship between social support and success. Regarding geographical proximity, sources in the home and host countries fulfil different supportive functions and therefore stimulate different success criteria. Additionally, the success criteria stimulated by organizational support depend on the type of supportive practices offered. The impact of support from organizational members is further influenced by their hierarchical proximity to the expatriate, with supervisory support relating most strongly to success. In addition to proximity, characteristics of the expatriating employee and the assignment (e.g. expatriate motivation and assignment hardship) influence the value of social support. Finally, social support relates most strongly to expatriates’ satisfaction, commitment, and adjustment and these frequently mediate its effect on expatriates’ retention and performance.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough only organization-based sources were considered, this review demonstrates that a multidimensional perspective is warranted when examining the effects of social support during IAs.Practical implicationsThis review provides insights into the ways organizations could and should assist (self-initiated) expatriates when aiming for specific outcomes.Originality/valueThis in-depth examination of social support in the work environment of expatriates combines several theoretical paradigms and investigates multiple criteria of success.

Antecedent factors for success in international assignments: the case of expatriates in Peru

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relative most important antecedent factors related to success in international assignment (IA) in specific context such as Peru. It reviews the full range of individual, organizational and contextual factors associated with success in IA as well as discusses the importance of context in expatriate research. Combined with limited interviews, synthesis is offered and the most relevant determinant factors are identified. Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with 45 participants who currently hold IA positions or have broad experience in overseas positions. The interviews were conducted in the English and Spanish languages. A priori coding system classification technique based on a content analysis methodology was administrated for the purpose of analyzing and codifying the interviews. Findings – The findings reveal that a combination of individual, organizational and contextual antecedent factors are relevant for explaining success in IA. However, only nine of the 32 factors were found to be the most determinant to success. In particular, cross-cultural competencies, spouse adjustment, motivational issues, time on assignment, emotional competencies, previous international experience, language fluency and social relational skills, as well as contextual cultural differences and organizational recruitment and selection practices, were found to be the most associated to success in IA. The relative importance of the antecedents are discussed related to the context. Research limitations/implications – Because of the nature of qualitative design, a single factor may affect the interpretation and generalization of the findings. In addition, the ample and broad conceptualizations and definitions of the antecedent factors examined from different viewpoints may cause theoretical overlapping and cross-over definition biases, which may result in misleading findings. Therefore, the authors encourage future research to continue examining the full range of antecedent factors employing different methodological approaches by integrating context in a more systematic manner. Practical implications – The paper reviews the implications for IA selection design and process implementation, cross-cultural training and development. Originality/value – To begin with, this paper fills a need to study the antecedents of IA success and determine their relevance. In particular, and to the best of the knowledge, this is one of the few studies that include multi-level perspective: individual, organizational and contextual factors. This comprehensive approach aids in better understanding of the role and relevance of the respective antecedent factors that leads to success in IA with an aim to integrate context in the equation. Second, the sample consists of expatriates in particularly in Peru which gives information about adjustment of expatriates in Peru.

Beyond conflict: the role of life-domain enrichment for expatriates

The employment of expatriates has become an increasingly important part of professional business careers, and thus factors that influence the success of international assignments have increased in importance. Among these factors, the interaction of life domains plays an important role. This study applied recent advancements in the domestic literature on the interplay between different life domains to the expatriates' situation. These advancements affect the scope of the life domains considered, the different directions of interactions between life domains and the inclusion of a positive perspective on the interplay. Among a sample of expatriates in the development cooperation sector on four continents, this study investigated the impact of life-domain enrichment on expatriates' assignments. Results showed that life-domain enrichment accounted for variance in job satisfaction, turnover intentions and accomplishment of role-related expectations, beyond what was accounted for by life-domain conflict. These findings underscore the need to consider life-domain variables and processes when examining expatriate adjustment. Implications for training and support of expatriates are discussed.

Ajustamento intercultural de executivos japoneses expatriados no Brasil: um estudo empírico

O ajustamento intercultural tem sido considerado fator determinante do sucesso em missões internacionais e o conceito-chave do modelo de ajustamento internacional de Black, Mendenhall e Oddou (1991a). O objetivo deste artigo é analisar o ajustamento intercultural de executivos japoneses expatriados. Realizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa com 37 executivos japoneses expatriados, em 21 empresas de diversos setores no Brasil. Apesar de a literatura considerar os expatriados japoneses exemplos de sucesso, devido às baixas taxas de falhas em missões internacionais, os resultados mostram que eles não se ajustam, pois recebem pouco ou nenhum treinamento intercultural, permanecem distantes dos locais, além de acumularem estresse no trabalho e não poderem falhar. Este artigo contribui para o melhor entendimento do construto do ajustamento intercultural e reforça a necessidade de rever o modelo de Black, Mendenhall e Oddou (1991a) para outras nacionalidades.

PR practitioners in international assignments

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on the degree of success in international assignments that public relations (PR) practitioners experience and explores the influence of both organizational culture and national culture.Design/methodology/approachPR practitioners in the USA and South Africa were surveyed.FindingsResults show that there is no difference between PR practitioners from the USA and South Africa with experience in international assignments, in terms of degree of success in international assignments and of level of preparedness for international assignments. It was also found that there is no significant correlation between national culture or organizational culture and the degree of success in international assignments for those respondents with international experience.Research limitations/implicationsThe response rate was limited and therefore the results cannot be generalized. Future research would be to further extend this study to include additional countries.Practical implicationsThe results support the concept that a PR practitioner with an organic organizational culture and a long‐term orientation of national culture will be better prepared to engage in international assignments than a practitioner with a mechanistic organizational culture and a short‐term orientation of national culture.Originality/valueThis study adds to the literature on international PR practice, and compares the practice in a developing economy, South Africa, to a developed economy, the USA.

Desperate housewives – social and professional isolation of German expatriated spouses

The spouses of expatriates have repeatedly been identified as a major component in the equation for success of international assignments. Their commitment, cooperation and contribution to the emotional, physical and mental well-being of the expats facilitate the successful completion of corporate missions across cultural and national borders. Yet, for spouses to be this positive influence on the expat, several requirements need to be met, such as a chance to maintain a sense of identity and self-worth through the possible continuation of their own careers as well as either the maintenance of old or creation of new social support networks for the duration of the corporate mission. This requires a strategic international human resource management (IHRM) effort of assigning companies that goes beyond the immediate needs of ordinary relocations. This research report answers questions about how traditional global players in Germany deal with these issues. The results draw a rather dark picture as the IHRM strategies of these German corporations display a severe lack of support to find employment either on or after the assignment and show little effort to facilitate the (re-)creation of a social support network. Consequences and future research questions are delineated.

CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE AND INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENT EFFECTIVENESS.

The success of international assignments is important for organizations' survival and development by offering a competitive advantage to companies in today's fast changing global economy. Although ...

Expatriate Women's Success in International Assignments: Exploring the Relationship Between Family Issues and Human Resource Policies

ABSTRACT This study examines the effect of family issues on expatriate women's international assignments. Among all other factors, the study focuses on spouse, spouse's employment and children and how HR policies of companies could support expatriate women's work/family balance. It has suggestions to improve HR policies for training and other arrangements towards expatriate women and their families in international assignments.