customers.
2. The selection of personnel for overseas assignments is a complex process. (see
slides 9-16 & 9-17). The criteria for selection are based on the same success
factors as in the domestic setting, but additional criteria must be considered
related to the specific circumstances of each international position. There are
five expatriate success factors: 1) job factors; 2) relational dimensions, such as
cultural empathy and flexibility; 3) motivational state; 4) family situation; and
5) language skills. The relative importance of each factor is highly situational
and difficult to establish.
3. The need to ascertain whether potential expatriates have the necessary cross
cultural awareness and interpersonal skills is too often overlooked. (see slide
9-18). In one study, the results found that the greatest predictive value of
success in an overseas assignment was in the expatriate characteristics of
stress tolerance and extraversion.
C. Expatriation Performance Management (see slides 9-19 & 9-20)
When staffing overseas assignments with expatriates, many other reasons, besides
poor selection, contribute to expatriate failure among U.S. multinationals. A large
The following is a synthesis of the factors frequently mentioned by researchers
and firms as the major causes of expatriate failure:
• Selection based on headquarters criteria rather than assignment needs
• Inadequate preparation training and orientation for the assignment
• Alienation or lack of support from headquarters
Under the Lens: Tales from Trailing Husbands
Stay-at-home men who accompany their wives on overseas postings are looking for
support, Spouses Trailing Under Duress Successfully is an expatriate network-cum-social