Recruiting and Selecting Staff For International Assignments
Recruiting and Selecting Staff For International Assignments
Recruiting and Selecting Staff For International Assignments
Chapter objectives
In Part I, we demonstrated how people play a central role in sustaining international operations. As international assignments are an important vehicle for staffing, it is critical that they are managed effectively, and the expatriates are supported so that performance outcomes are achieved. The focus of this chapter, then, is on recruitment and selection activities in an international context. We will address the following issues:
the myth of the global manager the debate surrounding expatriate failure
(cont.)
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international assignment selection criteria for international assignments dual-career couples are female expatriates different?
management Myth 2: People can acquire multicultural adaptability and behaviours Myth 3: There are common characteristics shared by successful international managers Myth 4: There are no impediments to mobility
Expatriate failure
Definition: Premature return of an expatriate
Expatriate failure
What is the magnitude of the phenomenon?
Suggestion of a falling rate compared with early (1980s) studies Evidence is somewhat inconclusive Discussion about its magnitude has drawn attention to expatriate failure and prompted considerable research into its causes
Expatriate failure
Direct costs of failure: airfares, associated
Varies according to level of position concerned Country of destination Exchange rates Whether failed manager is replaced by another expatriate
Expatriate failure
Indirect costs (invisible)
Damaged relationships with key stakeholders in the foreign location Negative effects on local staff Negative effects on expatriate concerned Family relationships may be affected
Work-related factors
Psychological contract
individuals The U-Curve does not explain how and why people move through the various phases It may be more cyclical than a U-Curve Needs to consider repatriation
Organizational commitment
Affective component: employees attachment
to, identification with and involvement in, the organization Continuance component: based on assessed costs associated with exiting the organization Normative component: refers to employees feelings of obligation to remain
assignment may provoke intense, individual reactions to perceived violations Expatriates tend to have broad, elaborate, employment relationships with greater emphasis on relational nature Expectations and promises underpin this relationship
Selection criteria
Technical ability
Cross-cultural suitability
Family requirements Country-cultural requirements MNE requirements Language
Perceptual dimension
Others-oriented dimension Cultural-toughness dimension
Chapter summary
This chapter has addressed key issues affecting recruitment and selection for international assignments. We have covered:
Four myths related to the concept of a global
manager that there is a universal approach to management; that people can acquire multicultural adaptability and behaviors; that there are common characteristics successful international managers share; and that there are no impediments to mobility. The debate surrounding the definition and magnitude of expatriate failure. (cont.)
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affecting expatriate intent to stay and performance. These included duration of the assignment, willingness to move, work-related factors and the employment relationship. Individual and situational factors to be considered in the selection decision. Evaluation of the common criteria used revealed the difficulty of selecting the right candidate for an international assignment and the importance of including family considerations in the selection process. (cont.)
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that multinationals are utilizing to overcome this constraint. Female expatriates and whether they face different issues to their male counterparts.
It is also clear that, while our appreciation of the issues surrounding expatriate recruitment and selection has deepened in the past 20 years, much remains to be explored. The field is dominated by US research into predominantly US samples of expatriates, although there has been an upsurge in interest from European academics and practitioners. (cont.)
IBUS 618 Dr. N Yang