Knowledge that Transforms

Today's world-class companies such as Nokia employ effective employee performance management (PM) practices. They have realized that seeking sustaining competitive advantage from the effective management of human resources is of utmost importance. Until today, however, there has existed little understanding about how these companies manage the performance of their critical personnel group, the expatriate employees. A key finding of the case study of Nokia Telecommunications is that the performance of different types of expatriates in varying situations is, and should be, managed dissimilarly. Reflecting this finding, it is suggested that companies should develop alternative PM tools.

This article examines the utilization, underutilization, and misutilization of expatriate skills in overseas assignments. Using quantitative data from 268 expatriates from six Fortune 500 multinational corporations, the research first examines expatriates' utilization of eight distinct skills and how patterns of skill utilization influence important job attitudes. Then, using qualitative data from the expatriates, the research examines the subsidiary-level, corporate-level, and country- level factors which facilitate (or inhibit) skill utilization. The study highlights the idea that effective skill utilization depends not only on the selection and training of expatriates themselves, but also upon the level of skill and teamwork among host country nationals and the quality of support provided by the MNC as a whole.

Significant demands are imposed on corporate management of multinational corporations (MNCs) to develop a strategic orientation of their global human resource management systems (SGHRM). This strategic orientation, which should balance the need for both global stability and local flexibility, necessitates a more pronounced multicultural management membership. The competency- based SGHRM system proposed in this paper combines an innovative global management staffing practice of inpatriating foreign managers with the extant practice of expatriating domestic managers. The competency-based criteria are used to identify global manager candidate pools capable of executing an integrated global management system

To achieve aggressive growth goals, many global companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of developing leadership talent—those individuals who demonstrate the ability to become the company's future senior executives. This article focuses on the efforts of one $8 billion consumer products company that has proven itself a leader in global leadership development. It describes how the company is developing its leaders around the world. In-depth observations were made over a period of several years, during which time the author served as both an inside participant in the decision making process and an outside observer of the company's progress.

Why do some fast-track managers derail? Why do some recover and return to the fast track? This study investigates these questions by analyzing managerial skills and self-awareness during different career stages. The results suggest that derailers have significantly lower skill profiles than do successful managers at all career stages. The study also identifies specific skills that managers need to be successful in their careers; furthermore, it reports that derailers overestimate their skills in comparison to successful managers at all career stages. The results imply that one can avoid derailment or recover from derailment by developing both self-awareness and specific managerial skills.

Short-term business travel is an underutilized method for developing some of the skills that are necessary to be a global leader. International business travel can place executives in situations where they can develop global mindsets; however, most executives cocoon themselves during international trips and wind up wasting opportunities to enhance their global skills. When properly designed, international business travel can be leveraged as a strategic management development tool. Throughout the article, case examples are given to illustrate how international travel can aid in developing global leadership skills.

What is the overseas experience really like, and why is it so significant? Based on interviews with returned expatriates, Osland uses Joseph Campbell's metaphor of the hero's journey to analyze expatriate stories and answer these questions. The resulting framework outlines the predictable stages in the expatriate journey and articulates for the first time the complex, transformational nature of the expatriate experience and its inherent paradoxes. In addition to helping expatriates make sense of their experience, this framework furnishes prospective expatriates with more realistic expectations and provides practical lessons for companies and human resource professionals who want to handle expatriates more effectively.

This article describes the development of an executive-level global competency model at 3M. The work on this model was completed in partnership with the company's top executives and a global team of in-house professionals. The competency model itself consists of 12 competencies and generalizable behavioral anchors for each competency. The applications for the work include the assessment of the level of readiness of candidates for the company's top 500 global positions, development of incumbent executives, and improved objectivity in the placement of future leaders. The article concludes by outlining some key lessons learned from this ongoing work.

Short-term business travel is an underutilized method for developing some of the skills that are necessary to be a global leader. International business travel can place executives in situations where they can develop global mindsets; however, most executives cocoon themselves during international trips and wind up wasting opportunities to enhance their global skills. When properly designed, international business travel can be leveraged as a strategic management development tool. Throughout the article, case examples are given to illustrate how international travel can aid in developing global leadership skills.

At a general level, there appears to be almost universal agreement that the nature of the employment relationship is undergoing fundamental changes that have potentially enormous implications for how companies attract, motivate, and retain talent. This article is intended to assist HRM professionals in understanding, evaluating, and responding to those changes. The results of a study that evaluates current thinking regarding the nature of the new employment relationship by systematically analyzing the content of relevant articles are reported. Implications of the results for the management of employee relationships are discussed, and specific recommendations are provided.