Alan Fish

The transfer of knowledge and the retention of expertise: the continuing need for global assignments

With ongoing globalisation, organisations are increasingly confronted with worldwide competition. In order to build and sustain their competitive advantage, the knowledge and expertise of an organisation’s staff needs to be seen as a critical strategic resource. This paper presents a general overview of knowledge management and discusses the transfer of knowledge and expertise throughout organisations operating on a global scale. A particular emphasis is placed on the importance of global assignments in transferring knowledge and furthermore on the implications for HRM practices to ensure the successful and effective retention of expertise. Practical examples are presented from Robert Bosch AG, a German multinational organisation and its Australian subsidiary. In this paper, the term “expatriate” is used, however the importance of host country nationals as well as third country nationals should not be ignored in the effective transfer of knowledge and the retention of expertise.

An empirical investigation of job burnout among expatriates

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to determine the level of workplace “job burnout” experienced by expatriate managers in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The study also examined the relationship between job burnout and intention to quit, and findings suggest that expatriates are affected by job burnout.Design/methodology/approach – The study has assessed three key job characteristics (role conflict, role ambiguity and role overload) and their association with three dimensions of job burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal commitment). Data were collected from 189 respondents who were stratified via industry, age, size of organization, education and nationality. LISREL VIII was employed to evaluate the fit of the measurement model, and to examine the relationship between “job burnout” and expatriates “intention to quit”.Findings – The results demonstrate that the three job characteristics are significantly associated with job burnout with role conflict being the main reason. Whi...

Assisting cross‐border manager adjustment

Purpose – This research aimed to identify cross‐cultural adjustment interventions to assist the personal wellbeing (psycho‐cultural) and cultural interaction (socio‐cultural) of managers on foreign assignments. Both pre‐departure and in‐country interventions were sought.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was employed and comprised two adjustment measures. Data were collected from 244 Australians in south‐east Asia working in two industry groups – manufacturing/industrial and financial/services. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify adjustment constructs. Pearson correlations, as well as ANOVAs and t‐tests, were employed to explore the effect of industry group, respondent group, number of cross‐border assignments, age and gender.Findings – Eight adjustment interventions were identified and were labelled: quality of life awareness; host business and cultural awareness; family impact awareness; staff and business colleague awareness; home country networks; cultural reinforcement and...

Cross‐cultural Management Competence in Australian Business Enterprises

This paper identifies four critical cross-cultural management competencies derived from a larger study that examined the expatriate career management practices of twenty Australian business enterprises with a physical presence in the East Asian business region. Results point to the need to reassess existing cross-cultural management competency development practices pursued by Australian business enterprises, so that interactional management skills and transactional management communication skills are enhanced. Other cross-cultural management competency constructs identified included transformational management skills. In addition, while foreign language skills were also identified, the result was marginal. Evidence from this study confirms the need for stronger attention by Australian organizations to cross-cultural management competency development as well as more informed means of developing Australian expatriate managers prior to international career appointments.

Integrating Expatriate Careers with International Business Activity

The second in this series on international and expatriate career activity argues for increased attention to developing a strategic link between international business activity and the HRM and career management functions that purport to support such business activity. Looks towards addressing some of the problems potentially experienced by firms in the international marketplace and their expatriates. This is achieved by: (1) overviewing research that is currently under way with respect to the expatriate career management practices of selected Australian organizations; and (2) identifying some of the more important concerns that existing empirical and case study research on expatriate career management has shown in terms of the types of career initiatives to which organizations need to pay attention, prior to an overseas move by their staff, during an overseas appointment, and finally when repatriating staff.

Localization of human resources in the State of Qatar

Purpose – This paper seeks to provide an overview of the concept of “localization” of human resources in Qatar. Relative to the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCCCs), economic development began late in Qatar due to political and economic factors such as the influx of an immigrant labour force and changes in the education system. Now, with one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and the highest per capita income, Qatar has vigorously embraced rapid economic expansion. However, in a small country awash with natural resources, and with a population engulfed by expatriates, the issue of “localization” is a pressing economic and social issue.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews the national human resource situation in this atypical context, and seeks to determine the factors that impact on “localization” in this small, yet important Gulf nation.Findings – There are some common barriers to “localization” throughout the GCCCs. These can be summarized as: an inefficient quo...

Selecting managers for cross‐border assignments: building value into the process

Selecting cross-border managers simply by relying on an assessment of technical competence, isolated and domestic management success as well as perceived commitment to the organization has become inadequate. Multiple value orientations associated with cross-cultural business performance need to be examined as an integral part of the selection process. Value orientations associated with cultural identity, cross-border business focus and personal and professional development, are missing from and need to be taken into consideration when selecting managers for cross-border assignments. A cross-cultural manager typology is developed, which identifies four cross-border manager ‘types’. These ‘types’ are described as (1) transnationalist, (2) internationalist, (3) ethnocentrist and (4) transitionalist. The implications of these ‘types’ for the selection of cross-border managers are then explored within the context of, and interplay between, three value orientations. First, how and why managers value their cultural identity. Secondly, how and why managers value involvement in cross-border business activity. Finally, how these two value orientations are better understood based upon personal and professional development.

Achieving graduate employability through consensus in the South Pacific island nation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to recognise the important technical and business skills and personal attributes necessary to support the “employability” of undergraduate business students.Design/methodology/approach – Senior‐level undergraduate business students and employers were surveyed regarding their perceptions on the importance of certain general business and technical skills and personal attributes which contribute to employability of the students in the industries.Findings – Results indicate that significant differences were shown to exist between students and employers in their perceptions of each of the three “employability” support fields. Results also suggest the overall importance of establishing a platform for the career advancement of graduates.Research limitations/implications – It is recommended that future research or replications among other samples should examine the perceptions of the academics on employability.Practical implications – Based on the findings, specific implicat...

Managing spouse/partner preparation and adjustment

Identifies a number of critical spouse/partner preparation and adjustment factors derived from a larger study that examined the expatriate career management practices of 20 Australian business enterprises with a physical presence in the East‐Asian business region. Addresses concerns expressed by Adler (1991) that attention to the needs of an accompanying spouse is at best only having a neutral impact on spouse adjustment. That is, organizations have largely failed to assist spouses in establishing what Adler (1991) described as “a meaningful portable life”. Reviews spouse/partner preparation and adjustment from the views expressed by Australian business executives, expatriate and repatriates involved in business operations in East‐Asia. The views of spouses and partners were not gathered in this study. Results point to the need for re‐assessment of existing spouse/partner preparation and adjustment. While results are tentative, evidence from this study confirms the need for more attention by Australian organizations to spouse/partner preparation and adjustment, with particular attention to the development of business environment awareness and empathy which may assist in advancing Adler’s concept of “a meaningful portable life”.

What motivates Australian business managers to undertake expatriate appointments in East Asia

Evaluates the findings from a study designed to identify factors that motivate Australian managers to accept expatriate appointments in the East‐Asian business region. These findings derive from 20 Australian business enterprises which have a physical presence in the East Asian business region. Results point to the need for a reassessment of existing Australian business practices in offering overseas business appointments to management staff. While extrinsic issues such as monetary satisfaction are important to the decision to seek and accept an overseas appointment, of more critical importance is how the overseas appointment, advances a person’s international career; and the opportunities the overseas appointment presents for professional development generally. A further consideration is the type and extent of information received by prospective international staff from those who have “gone before”. Overall, confirms the need for less attention to money and perquisites as inducements to accept overseas appointments. Suggests that more attention needs to be directed at the satisfaction of more intrinsic development and career advancement opportunities.