Key to mission accomplishment

The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors needed for the development of global human resources for leadership assignments in foreign subsidiaries. The paper aims to find an answer to enhance the expatriate mission accomplishment rate at subsidiaries abroad. This study examines the development of global human resources. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with eight senior HR managers from three financial institutions in Taiwan, while data from 28 expatriates in overseas subsidiaries were collected via asynchronous e-mail interviews. Conventional content analysis was used to code categories directly from the data. The study found that organizational policies do not focus on developing global human resources. To portray a global image, the focus is on staffing overseas subsidiaries with foreigners and Taiwanese who can speak English. Development to prepare staff for expatriation is limited to pre-departure training focused mainly on language and cultural awareness. However, organizational support during expatriation and repatriation is important. Expatriates view a security briefing as crucial, and a familiarization visit helps them decide whether to accept expatriation. Organizational policies favor those that were not expatriated in terms of career progression deter managers from accepting international assignments. The study highlights best practices for developing global human resources, taking into account herd mentality and social perspectives. Social support, social learning, and social capital are instrumental in developing global human resources as these hasten cultural adjustment.

To read the entire article, click here to download.