Preparing yourself for an international assignment: a few simple steps can help make the overseas assignment a successful one for the manager as well as the firm - includes outline of stages of preparation - includes bibliography

Business Horizons, Jan-Feb, 1994 by Howard Tu, Sherry E. Sullivan

As more U.S. companies expand their business overseas, the need to send employees on international assignments will increase. Many companies use overseas assignments as a means to assess which individuals should be promoted to top4evel positions. Unfortunately, up to 40 percent of expatriate managers terminate their assignments early, costing their companies between $50,000 and $150,000 and derailing their careers. Moreover, 50 percent of those who do not terminate their assignments early function at a low level of effectiveness.

Why do so many expatriates fail? Primarily because they neglect to prepare for such assignments. Despite the high failure rates and associated costs, most companies do not train managers for international assignments. So what can a manager do to prepare for an overseas assignment? This article contains practical suggestions for designing a personal training program.

Decide Whether an Expatriate Assignment Is Really for You

Television and the popular press often provide idealistic views of international assignments. The "Our Man in Havana" ideal has caused many individuals to campaign for an expatriate assignment, only to be frustrated and disappointed by the actual experience.

Expatriates usually progress through three major stages: entry, disillusionment, and adjustment/termination. In the entry stage of an international assignment, the expatriate is usually entranced by a new culture and the excitement of travel. This phase is quickly followed by a period of disillusionment. The expatriate no longer finds it romantic to try to converse with a limited vocabulary, or to finally locate a place of business only to find it temporarily closed during "High Tea," or to find the way around a new city without proper directions. Expatriates in this stage experience culture shock and long for the familiarity of their home country. Generally, about three to six months after the beginning of their international assignment, expatriates either have terminated the assignment early and returned home or have begun to adjust to life in the host country.

Who is more likely to pass through the stage of disillusionment and successfully complete the assignments? Research indicates that individuals with such personal characteristics as adaptability, flexibility, and tolerance for ambiguity are more successful on international assignments than are individuals without these characteristics. Expatriates must be able to work with diverse groups of people, including government officials, labor organizations, and employees of foreign subsidiaries. They must be able to work in a culture that is different from their own. They must be able to recognize and accept societal and business norms that may seem alien or unethical.

You must be the final judge of whether you have the willingness, motivation, and personal characteristics to become a successful expatriate manager. To help you determine your suitability, some of the questions you should ask yourself include:

* Are you flexible?

* Can you adjust to change?

* Are you willing to put the time and energy into learning a new language and new culture?

* Do you easily become frustrated by things that are not done the way you are accustomed to having them done?

* Do you currently work well with people of other cultures?

* Do you perceive that an international assignment will have a positive effect upon your career?

* Are your spouse and family supportive of your decision to pursue an international assignment?

Before you decide if an international assignment is really for you, you should carefully weight its costs and benefits by reviewing your career goals, engaging in self-analysis, and discussing such opportunities with your mentor and family. The Figure gives you some ideas of how to do this.

Begin Preparing Now Before You've Actually Been Given an International Assignment

Once you have determined that an international assignment is the proper career choice for you, you should begin preparing for your assignment by developing a whole range of new attitudes and behaviors. Learning new behaviors and attitudes takes time, especially if your goal is to adjust to a culture that is very different from your own. For example, training for an assignment in England can be minimal, whereas training for an assignment in Japan, China, or the territories of the former Soviet Union should be extensive. A helpful rule to use when determining the amount of training you'll need for an international assignment is that the more different the host culture is from your native country, the greater the quantity and quality of training you'll need to be prepared for the assignment.

Make Sure Your Technical Skills are Excellent

Most expatriates are chosen for an assignment because they possess knowledge and skills that the foreign nationals do not have. Because experts and support systems usually available to managers are often not present at foreign locations, expatriates must have all the technical skills necessary to complete the assignment by themselves. Further, expatriate managers are usually their own bosses, having to make decisions that stateside would typically be made by their supervisor. Therefore, expatriate managers must be able to complete their assignments with little or no help from above or below in the organizational hierarchy.