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2021 | OriginalPaper | Buchkapitel

1. Introduction

verfasst von : Iris Koleša

Erschienen in: Becoming an International Manager

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

International assignments have increased in both scale and scope over the last few decades. However, they have remained largely under-exploited for business internationalisation purposes: especially in emerging market contexts. This chapter outlines the main trends related to international assignments together with their different formats, roles, and employee segments engaged in them. It also discusses how the changed firm–employee relations reflect in international employee mobility and vice versa. It identifies the deficiencies in international assignment research and highlights the lack of an in-depth explanation of emerging market firms’ and their employees’ assignment implementation- and management-related choices as determined by multilevel factors as one of the main shortages of international assignment literature. It then defines the focus of the monograph, the research objectives, and the methodological approach used in the empirical study (together with its limitations). It also outlines the theories employed in the study to explain the multilevel interactions among the variables and contexts of international staffing in emerging markets and emerging market firms. It concludes with a summary of the main contributions presented in the monograph and an outline of its structure.

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Nächstes Kapitel Conclusion
Fußnoten
1
Since the sending country is not necessarily an organisation’s or the assignee’s home country, I use the term ‘sending’ country (or market, entity, and unit) instead of the ‘home’ country (or market, entity, and unit) to indicate the direction of mobility. Use of the term ‘home’ as an implication of direction is namely especially vague in the context of entities with international ownership and/or personnel structure. In this monograph, the term ‘home’ is thus only used when organisations or individuals reference a country as part of their identity. ‘Host’ and ‘receiving’ country, market, entity or unit are used interchangeably as they have no identity-related implications, however.
 
2
While external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, international conflicts, and other crises limiting the possibilities and willingness for international employee mobility may slow down these trends and change the assignment patterns [also into those of mobility of work rather than workers (see e.g. Dickmann 2021)], their impact on long-term managerial mobilities is less likely going to be pronounced due to these assignments’ central role in relationship management within the organisation and with its external stakeholders.
 
3
Researchers have noted an increase of international employee mobility in all directions: both intra-firm (i.e. between the different units within the MNE) and in terms of the development level of the sending and receiving market target locations (Groysberg et al. 2011; Kong and Wu 2016; Noorderhaven and Harzing 2009; Worldwide ERC 2017).
 
4
The first-year costs of sending employees on international assignments have been estimated at three times the base salaries of their domestic counterparts at the minimum (Wiederspahn 1992). However, the costs of international assignments are not merely monetary: they involve costs of adjustment to a new mode of operation and environment (see e.g. Black et al. 1991)—by both the firm and the assignee. These costs often also include the costs of adjusting to a new role and identity and can exceed the resources available to entities at their initial stages of establishment or internationalisation and the smaller or emerging market entities.
 
5
Most research on emerging market-related assignments focuses on assignments from developed rather than emerging markets (see e.g. Harvey et al. 1999, 2001; Horwitz and Budhwar 2015; Stanley and Davidson 2011; Tan and Mahoney 2004).
 
6
For a detailed outline of emerging market and emerging market firms’ features see Part I of the monograph.
 
7
The difference in the number of interviews and interviewees emerges because one of the interviews was conducted with two firm representatives simultaneously. The same applies to the interviews in the case study.
 
8
See Sect.. 13.​5 for interview guides at firm (Sect. 13.​5.​1) and individual (Sect. 13.​5.​2) levels of analysis.
 
9
Sensemaking is a subjective activity aimed at understanding and giving meaning to the events and actions occurring over time (Smith 2002). For definitions of other relevant terms see also Sect. 13.​1.
 
10
For a definition of both approaches see Sect. 13.​1.
 
11
For detailed methodological notes, please contact the author.
 
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Metadaten
Titel
Introduction
verfasst von
Iris Koleša
Copyright-Jahr
2021
Buch
Becoming an International Manager

Print ISBN: 978-3-030-87394-3

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-030-87395-0

Copyright-Jahr: 2021

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87395-0_1