International Marketing
INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS
B. Sebastian Reiche & Anne-Wil Harzing
Version September 2008
Published in A.-W.K. Harzing, & A. Pinnington (Eds.), International Human Resource Management (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
Copyright © 2007-2010 Sebastian Reiche and Anne-Wil Harzing. All rights reserved.
B. Sebastian Reiche, PhD Assistant Professor IESE Business School Department of Managing People in Organizations Ave. Pearson, 21 Barcelona 08034, Spain Tel: +34 93 602 4491 Fax: +34 93 253 4343 E-mail: sreiche@iese.edu
1
Chapter 7: International Assignments
B. Sebastian Reiche and Anne-Wil Harzing
1. Introduction 2. Staffing policies PCNs, HCNs or TCNs: (Dis)advantages and statistics Factors influencing the choice between HCNs and PCNs 3. Motives for international transfers Why do companies assign employees abroad? Edström and Galbraith’s typology Coordination through international assignees: Of bears, bumble-bees and spiders International assignees as knowledge agents 4. Alternative forms of international assignments Inpatriate assignments Short-term assignments Self-initiated assignments Virtual assignments 5. The international assignment process Selection and preparation Selection criteria: prescriptions for good practice Expatriate selection in practice Preparation Expatriate adjustment during the assignment Repatriation
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6. Dimensions of assignment success Expatriate failure: Is it just a myth? Multidimensional nature of assignment success 7. Summary and Conclusions 8. Discussion Questions 9. Further reading References
Learning Objectives After reading this chapter you will be able to Understand and evaluate different staffing options that are available to MNCs Differentiate between the main motives for using international assignments in MNCs Identify different forms of international assignments and assess their distinct advantages and disadvantages Explain why the selection, preparation and repatriation form an integral part of
B. Sebastian Reiche & Anne-Wil Harzing
Version September 2008
Published in A.-W.K. Harzing, & A. Pinnington (Eds.), International Human Resource Management (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
Copyright © 2007-2010 Sebastian Reiche and Anne-Wil Harzing. All rights reserved.
B. Sebastian Reiche, PhD Assistant Professor IESE Business School Department of Managing People in Organizations Ave. Pearson, 21 Barcelona 08034, Spain Tel: +34 93 602 4491 Fax: +34 93 253 4343 E-mail: sreiche@iese.edu
1
Chapter 7: International Assignments
B. Sebastian Reiche and Anne-Wil Harzing
1. Introduction 2. Staffing policies PCNs, HCNs or TCNs: (Dis)advantages and statistics Factors influencing the choice between HCNs and PCNs 3. Motives for international transfers Why do companies assign employees abroad? Edström and Galbraith’s typology Coordination through international assignees: Of bears, bumble-bees and spiders International assignees as knowledge agents 4. Alternative forms of international assignments Inpatriate assignments Short-term assignments Self-initiated assignments Virtual assignments 5. The international assignment process Selection and preparation Selection criteria: prescriptions for good practice Expatriate selection in practice Preparation Expatriate adjustment during the assignment Repatriation
1
6. Dimensions of assignment success Expatriate failure: Is it just a myth? Multidimensional nature of assignment success 7. Summary and Conclusions 8. Discussion Questions 9. Further reading References
Learning Objectives After reading this chapter you will be able to Understand and evaluate different staffing options that are available to MNCs Differentiate between the main motives for using international assignments in MNCs Identify different forms of international assignments and assess their distinct advantages and disadvantages Explain why the selection, preparation and repatriation form an integral part of