Managing Performance Abroad: A New Model for Understanding Expatriate Adjustment

In a global economy full of multinational firms, international human resource management (including expatriation, career management, and talent management) is a growing topic in the business and management literature and in universities. A thorough understanding of the adjustment of expatriates to their new environment is critical not only for selection and preparation of potential expatriates, but also for the management of expatriate performance. Managed well, expatriates can be key contributors to organizational success while abroad and even after repatriation. Poor understanding and management of expatriate issues, on the other hand, may lead to underperformance and increased turnover of expatriates and repatriates. Managing Performance Abroad summarizes and extends what is known about the topic of expatriate management and adjustment, covering all the major authors and presenting a new approach to the adjustment process.

At present, expatriate adjustment is only covered as a chapter in books on international HRM and HRD. Much of this literature relies on outdated concepts and evidence. Furthermore, most business research and management publications use an expatriate adjustment model that was originally published about two decades ago. This book is the first dedicated solely to the subject of expatriate adjustment, enabling readers to formulate research questions and hypotheses and to develop expatriation policies and support systems that optimize the performance of expatriates. It presents a re-formulation of the model underlying management research about expatriate adjustment, providing guidance for researchers and practitioners alike.