Mark E. Mendenhall

Expatriate training and development: Where do we go from here?

What will be the cutting-edge training technologies for expatriate managers and their families in the next ten years? A variety of approaches to the development of expatriates have been developed and new, innovative programs are currently on the drawing boards. Both current and future developments are discussed in this article. Three areas that are emerging for HR managers who work in the international HR area are: (1) In-Country, Real-Time Training; (2) Global Mindset Training; and (3) CD-ROM/Internet-based Training.

Defining the content domain of intercultural competence for global leaders

Purpose – Research on expatriation and global leadership has been characterized by wide variations in defining what constitutes intercultural competence. Greater progress can be achieved if a comprehensive definition of the intercultural competence domain can be established, particularly with regard to the specific context of global leadership. This paper aims to focus on the issues.Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct an extensive review of the global leadership and expatriation literatures, integrating and synthesizing prior theoretical and empirical efforts to develop a comprehensive domain definition for intercultural competence in the context of global leadership.Findings – The domain of intercultural competence in the context of global leadership comprised three dimensions – perception management, relationship management and self management. Each dimension is characterized by facets that further delineate aspects of intercultural competence.Research limitations/implications – The domain...

Leveraging travel as a tool for global leadership development

Short-term business travel is an underutilized method for developing some of the skills that are necessary to be a global leader. International business travel can place executives in situations where they can develop global mindsets; however, most executives cocoon themselves during international trips and wind up wasting opportunities to enhance their global skills. When properly designed, international business travel can be leveraged as a strategic management development tool. Throughout the article, case examples are given to illustrate how international travel can aid in developing global leadership skills.

Non-Linearity and Response-Ability: Emergent Order in 21st-Century Careers:

Over the past two decades there has been a shift in the career literature from the view of a career as being a linear progression of job responsibilities within an industry, to that of a ‘boundaryless’, competency-based exploration that evolves in unexpected ways. This article argues that core constructs from ‘new science’ (non-linearity, interdependence and emergence) can provide a useful theoretical foundation for understanding the current dynamics of career behavior. The article also discusses implications of these constructs for career development practice and its contexts.

The overseas assignment: A practical look

Abstract You have heard all the nightmares—and, maybe, some good reports—about an overseas assignment. But if one should come your way, what must you consider in deciding whether to accept it?

Strangers in a Strange Land The Relationship Between Expatriate Adjustment and Impression Management

This article explores the theoretical relationships between impression management and expatriate adjustment. Linkages are delineated and propositions are offered for future research testing. Finally, issues germane to practitioners are derived from the article, and suggestions are offered regarding the enhancement of cross-cultural training program design.

Mary Parker Follett: prophet of chaos and complexity

The writings of Mary Parker Follett can inform the current debate regarding whether or not concepts from the field of nonlinear dynamics should be incorporated into the social sciences. The paper argues that Follett’s writings serve as an ideological bridge between these two camps, and also reflect a rich understanding of nonlinear dynamics in social phenomena. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications that Follett’s writings hold for social scientists today in the area of research methodology.

The effects of HR policies and repatriate self-adjustment on global competency transfer

A growing body of literature has emphasized the important role of international assignments in helping create a more globally competent management cadre. Indeed, the competencies acquired through international assignments can often be a significant source of competitive advantage for firms. However, for employers to derive benefits from a repatriates newly acquired global competencies, they must work to ensure the successful transfer of those competencies to subsequent job assignments. This study specifically examined the degree to which a firms HR policies and practices influence the transfer of global competencies acquired through an overseas assignment. In addition, we examined the impact on competency transfer of the repatriates capacity and desire to adjust to the repatriation job assignment, which has been a largely neglected element in this stream of research. The relative predictive effects on competency transfer of both the firms HR policies and the employees self-adjustment were determined via hierarchical regression. Results showed a large incremental change in predicted variance when firms HR policies were entered after employee self-adjustment. Conversely, employee self-adjustment showed only minimal incremental change in predicted variance when entered after HR policies. A deliberate and proactive consideration of a firms HR policies and practices, therefore, seems of primary importance in deriving benefits from an employees overseas assignment, while the employees self-adjustment experiences are also important but relatively less so.

On the Need for Paradigmatic Integration in International Human Resource Management

This paper examines three paradigms that influence both management research and management practice today: logical positivism, nonlinear dynamics, and hermeneutics. Their past and present influence on the IHRM subfield of expatriation is delineated.

Conceptualizing the global competency cube: a transnational model of human resource

Presents a conceptual framework that attempts to bridge the lag between strategic need and international human resource (IHR) support practices. Looks at the idea of competencies being an alternative to the traditional construct of jobs. Presents a model consisting of three balanced transnational competencies. Concludes with a series of HR applications of the model.