University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
New Directions in Expatriate Research
Book

New Directions in Expatriate Research

Michael J. Morley, Noreen Heraty and David G. Collings
Palgrave Macmillan, 2006
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Editorial Rating

5

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

Michael J. Morley, Noreen Heraty and David G. Collings rightly indicate that globalization, joint ventures, strategic alliances and other forces in contemporary business make the subject of expatriation and expatriate management important. However, this compilation will probably interest academics more than businesspeople seeking guidance, because the discussion in most of its essays is more analytical than practical. The authors are academicians and their book addresses scholarly concerns. They make frequent allusions to research, but provide few examples of actual business experiences. Unfortunately, their writing has a rather pedantic, bookish personality as well, leading getAbstract to recommend the book primarily to other scholars in this area. However, businesspeople who need to know about the impact of expatriate assignments on their companies and their employees may want to accept these educational insights on their own terms. Academic information is considerably superior to no information at all.

Summary

Why Send Your Employees Abroad?

Companies depend more and more on expatriates, yet being an expatriate is tough. Human resource managers need to pay more attention to finding and developing people who can carry out international strategies. Companies often prefer to send their employees abroad rather than hire local people because expatriates have certain advantages:

  • They know the corporate culture.
  • They're somewhat more willing to accept direction from headquarters.
  • They understand and are committed to the company's goals.
  • They can duplicate abroad the standard operating procedures of their headquarters.
  • They can build good communication between home and the field.

The number of female expatriates is far lower than the number of male expatriates. Because international experience is often a criterion for promotion and advancement, companies that do not take steps to increase the number of women on international assignments may find it difficult to diversify their management ranks.

Expatriate ROI

Expatriates are expensive and adjustment to a new culture can be time-consuming. Companies must provide high...

About the Authors

Michael J. Morley is assistant dean and director of the Graduate Center of Business at the University of Limerick, where Noreen Heraty is a lecturer on human resource management in the Kemmy Business School's department of personnel and employment relations. David G. Collings is a lecturer in human resource management and organizational behavior at the Sheffield University Management School, U.K.

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