Success and failure in international assignments

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on how success and failure for international assignments have been defined, and integrate several proposals for these definitions into a multi-dimensional model that considers task performance, relationship building, contextual performance and retention as all being part of how success or failure should be defined. The authors also discuss two proposed pre-requisites for success – absorptive capacity (operationalized at both the individual and the unit levels) and adjustment. The authors conclude by bringing in literature on performance management and how ideas about performance management must also be integrated into the discussion of the success or failure of international assignments. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews existing proposals regarding the definition of expatriate success and failure, and proposes a multidimensional model of success based on the past literature. Based on this literature the authors also propose two pre-requisites for success and discuss several requisite KSAOs, as well as some suggestions from the literature on performance management. Findings The authors argue for a multidimensional model of expatiate success which includes task performance, relationship building, contextual performance and retention as part of what constitutes a successful assignment. The authors also argue that absorptive capacity and adjustment should be considered as pre-requisites for success, and that principles from performance management should be applied to dealing with international assignments. Research limitations/implications A more comprehensive definition of success and failure should aid research by providing a better dependent variable, and by leading to research on various aspects of this outcome. Practical implications The proposed model and approach can hopefully help practice by clarifying the different dimensions of success and how performance management techniques can be applied to dealing with international assignments. Originality/value There has been a lot written about how we should operationalize the success or failure of international assignments. The present paper reviews that literature and integrates a number of ideas and suggestions into a multi-dimensional model which includes information about pre-requisites for success and relevant KSAOs, along with ideas from performance management to help insure the success of these assignments.

The impact of organizational practices on formation and development of psychological contract: expatriates' perception-based view

“…Pre-departure training is an important factor that can significantly influence the IAC (Reid, 2019). DeNisi and Sonesh (2016) observed that IAC has an important role when knowledge is communicated by the organizations through pre-departure training to the expatriates. Heiden et al (2015) argued that knowledge transmission depends on how effectively the recipient absorbs the knowledge.…”

“…Kumar et al (2019) point out that expatriate adjustment in the host country is weighed by researchers as a crucial factor. Scholars generally consider the expatriate is adjusted if he/she feels comfortable abroad with assigned work, interacting with overseas people and the general environment of the host country (DeNisi and Sonesh, 2016;Varma et al, 2016). Expatriates need "informational support" and "emotional support" for adjustment to the host country (Farh et al, 2010).…”

The impact of organizational position level and cultural flow direction on the relationship between cultural intelligence and expatriate cross-border adaptation

“…The mainstream expatriation literature suggests that the most vital factor to expatriate work success is the multilevel adjustment to fit conditions in the host country (Tung, 1981;Black, 1988;Grinstein and Wathieu, 2012;DeNisi and Sonesh, 2016). The term expatriate is used in the international management literature to "label" employees on different types of foreign work assignments sent by multinational corporations to relocate internationally for a period Expatriate cross-border adaptation (Richardson and Mallon, 2005;Dimitrova et al, 2020).…”

Knowledge management, sharing and transfer in cross-national teams and the remote management of team members: the onsite-offshore phenomenon of service EMNEs

“…The failure to learn from the local employees or transfer knowledge to them exposes them to many risks. For example, as pointed out by DeNisi and Sonesh (2016), the relationship between the expatriate HCNs is essential for the successful outcome of the international assignment. Furthermore, lack of investment in local knowledge creation using their experiences from operating in developed countries exposes the firms to disruptions which many firms are experiencing with the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020.…”