Spotlight emerging markets – How important are the costs of expatriation?

The 2011 report on Mobility Challenges in Emerging Markets by Cartus aimed to establish baseline practices used by multinationals in emerging locations. The report highlights the variety of markets perceived as emerging and that companies have a strong need to succeed in these markets. Moreover, it seems that when dealing with emerging markets the question of expatriation costs becomes secondary. Take a look at the arguments.

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Do international assignments add value to your career?

When deciding on whether to accept an international assignment one of the main questions to ask is ‘will it add any value to my career?’ This very question was posed as part of a recent investigation of two scholars. Monika Hamori and Burak Koyuncu looked into the relationship between international assignment experience and career advancement and discovered some unexpected results.

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The value of inpatriates: Some managerial implications from my recent study

When we speak of international assignees and their value, we tend to think about an expatriate employee moving from headquarters (HQ) to one of the company’s subsidiaries. A key purpose of this expatriation is the sharing of knowledge and connecting HQ to its subsidiaries. However, the role of connectors can be fulfilled not only by HQ staff transferred to a subsidiary, but also in the other direction.Thus, contrary to the term ‘expatriate’, an inpatriate is an employee that is transferred from a foreign subsidiary to the HQ.

Why do international assignees stay? – Findings from a recent study

The retention of expatriates and repatriates has been and continues to be a major concern for multinational companies. However, so far the focus of researchers and managers alike has been to understand why international assignees leave the organization. In my latest study in collaboration with Maria Kraimer and Anne-Wil Harzing (2011) we decided to take a look at the retention concern from a different angle and explicitly investigate what makes international assignees stay.

Getting the right people: Soft vs. hard skills. Which matter more for going abroad?

The debate about soft skills versus hard skills is not new in people management. These soft skills are usually differentiated from more technical skills, specialized knowledge and proficiency (also called hard skills), which traditionally have been the main focus of recruiters. However, which types of skills are more important for international assignments?

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