Expatriate success may depend on a ?learning orientation?: Considerations for selection and training

TLDR

Managers are increasingly sent abroad to support globalization, but unsuccessful expatriate assignments are costly and damaging, and few companies have adequate selection and training processes. The study proposes learning orientation as a valuable dimension for assessing and training expatriate managers. Employees with weaker learning orientation withdraw from challenging situations, whereas those with stronger orientation adapt and persist. Adopting this learning orientation approach benefits employees and families and boosts the organization’s likelihood of international success. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Abstract

To support globalization, managers increasingly are sent to live and work in other countries. An unsuccessful expatriate assignment is costly for the organization and damaging to the individual's career, yet few companies have adequate processes for selecting and training expatriate managers. The concept of "learning orientation" is proposed as a valuable dimension for assessment and training. Employees with weaker learning orientation tend to withdraw from situations that could result in low judgment of performance; those with stronger learning orientation adapt and continue. The described approach can benefit employees and their families and can increase the organization's chance for international success. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.