論文
What is Required for a Successful Overseas Assignment?: An Empirical Examination of Japanese Expatriate Competence and Effectiveness in China
2011 年 12 巻 2 号 p. 42-60
詳細
2011 年 12 巻 2 号 p. 42-60
This study examines the relationship between competencies required for successful overseas assignments and Japanese expatriates’job performance. Data from 404 expatriate managers working in 19 Japanese multinational corporations (MNCs) in mainland China were analyzed. Principal component factor analysis identified four clusters of competencies: Management Talent (MT), Performance Maintenance Leadership (PML), Behavioral Flexibility (BF), and Local Culture Literacy (LCL). Hierarchical regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between these four clusters of competencies and self-reported job performance, controlling for the influence of age, previous overseas experiences, and perceived reason for the assignment. The results of the analysis suggested that in the Chinese context, three of these four competency clusters: Management Talent, Performance Maintenance Leadership, and Local Cultural Literacy are significantly related to individual job performance (IJP) of Japanese managers. For the sub-sample of top level Japanese expatriates just one of these clusters, Management Talent has a significant relationship with performance. For senior managers Management Talent and Performance Maintenance Leadership have a significant relationship. This study extends the expatriate literature by providing empirical evidence for the relationship between competencies and effective job performance, suggesting that competencies for successful overseas assignment are contingent on the host-country context and the managerial rank of the assignee. In addition, by sampling expatriates from Japanese MNCs, this study complements existing research that has been conducted mainly with U.S. and North-Western European MNCs. The findings provide practical implications for the selection, training, and career planning policies and practices that Japanese MNCs need to design in order to increase the success of their expatriates in China.
