Expatriate Training and Support
© 2005 All Rights Reserved - Michael Beitler
Please feel free to send this article (unedited) to anyone and everyone who might be interested.
Expatriate Training & Support
Michael Beitler, Ph.D. www.mikebeitler.com By necessity, much of the responsibility for success in international markets falls upon expatriate managers. Expatriate managers are managers working in countries other than their home countries. Successful implementation of a global business strategy requires expatriate managers with cross-cultural management skills. High Failure Rates
Expatriate managers, especially U.S. managers working in foreign countries, experience very high failure rates. Black and Gregersen (1999) report the following alarming findings:
1. Nearly one-third of U.S. managers sent abroad do not perform up to the expectations of their superiors.
2. Up to 20 percent of all U.S. managers sent abroad return
Expatriate Training & Support www.mikebeitler.com
2
© 2005 All Rights Reserved - Michael Beitler
Please feel free to send this article (unedited) to anyone and everyone who might be interested. early because of job dissatisfaction or difficulties in adjusting to a foreign country.
3. One-fourth of U.S. managers completing a foreign assignment left their company within one year after repatriation (often joining a competitor).
Perhaps, what is even more disturbing than Black and Gregersen 's findings is the fact that we have known about these appalling failure rates for many years.
In January of 1990, a Training & Development Journal article stated, "Up to 40 percent of U.S. expatriate managers fail in their overseas assignments" (Hogan and
Goodson, 1990).
In that same article, Hogan and Goodson described how the Japanese companies had achieved a dramatically better success rate with their expatriate managers. They discussed one survey that stated "86 percent of multinational corporations in Japan had failure rates below 10 percent for their
Please feel free to send this article (unedited) to anyone and everyone who might be interested.
Expatriate Training & Support
Michael Beitler, Ph.D. www.mikebeitler.com By necessity, much of the responsibility for success in international markets falls upon expatriate managers. Expatriate managers are managers working in countries other than their home countries. Successful implementation of a global business strategy requires expatriate managers with cross-cultural management skills. High Failure Rates
Expatriate managers, especially U.S. managers working in foreign countries, experience very high failure rates. Black and Gregersen (1999) report the following alarming findings:
1. Nearly one-third of U.S. managers sent abroad do not perform up to the expectations of their superiors.
2. Up to 20 percent of all U.S. managers sent abroad return
Expatriate Training & Support www.mikebeitler.com
2
© 2005 All Rights Reserved - Michael Beitler
Please feel free to send this article (unedited) to anyone and everyone who might be interested. early because of job dissatisfaction or difficulties in adjusting to a foreign country.
3. One-fourth of U.S. managers completing a foreign assignment left their company within one year after repatriation (often joining a competitor).
Perhaps, what is even more disturbing than Black and Gregersen 's findings is the fact that we have known about these appalling failure rates for many years.
In January of 1990, a Training & Development Journal article stated, "Up to 40 percent of U.S. expatriate managers fail in their overseas assignments" (Hogan and
Goodson, 1990).
In that same article, Hogan and Goodson described how the Japanese companies had achieved a dramatically better success rate with their expatriate managers. They discussed one survey that stated "86 percent of multinational corporations in Japan had failure rates below 10 percent for their
References: Beitler, M.A. (1999). Learning and development agreements for mid-career professionals Beitler, M.A.(2000) The role of the contract learning in the learning organization. HR.com, September, 2000. Beitler, M.A. & Frady, D.A. (2002). E-learning and E-support for expatriate managers Bennett, J.M. (1986). Modes of cross-cultural training: Conceptualizing crossExpatriate Training & Support www.mikebeitler.com Bhawuk, D.P.S. & Brislin, R. (1992). The measurement of intercultural sensitivity using the concepts of individualism and collectivism Black, J.S. & Gregersen, H. B. (1999). The right way to manage expats. Harvard Business Review, March-April, 53. Copeland, L. & Griggs, L. (1985). Going international. New York: Plume. Dallas, S. (1995). Rule No. 1: Don 't diss the locals. Business Week, May 15, 117-26. Earley, P. (1987). Intercultural training for managers: A comparison of documentary and interpersonal methods Harris, P.R. & Moran, R.T. (1991). Managing cultural differences. Harrison, J.K. (1992). The individual and combined effects of behavior modeling and the cultural assimilator in cross-cultural management training Harrison, J.K. (1994). Developing successful expatriate managers: A framework for the structural design and strategic alignment of cross-cultural training Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture 's consequences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. Hofstede, G. (1993). Cultural constraints in management theories. Academy of Management Executive, 7(1), 81-94. Hogan, G.W. & Goodson, J.R. (1990). The key to expatriate success. Training & Development Journal, January, 50-53. Jordan, J. & Cartwright, S. (1998). Selecting expatriate managers: Key traits and competencies Kelley, C. & Meyers, J.E. (1992). The cross-cultural adaptability inventory. Kluckhohn, F. & Strodtbeck, F.L. (1961). Variations in value orientations. Mendenhall, M. & Oddou, G. (1985). The dimensions of expatriate acculturation: A review Oechsler, W.A. (1999). Global management and local systems of employment relations Trompenaars, F. (1998). Riding the waves of culture: Understanding diversity in global business (2nd ed.) Tung, R. (1981). Selection and training of personnel for overseas assignments.