Summary:

This chapter has outlined the findings from the first major case study, ManCo, and highlighted the nature and use of international management assignments within this company. Expatriate assignments within ManCo were typically for a period of two to five years, although some might extend beyond this for specific reasons. Managers who were sent on assignment were those who were identified as top performers and high-potential employees, and had been with the firm for a number of years prior to the assignment. Out of ten AE managers who were based within EngCo, six of these agreed to be interviewed. These managers had been employed with ManCo for an average of fourteen years, and operated at middle and senior management level. With regard to their roles with EngCo, it was found that managers were assigned here for a combination of

121| P a g e purposes, including knowledge transfer, management development, and coordination and control. Within each of these roles, several functions were performed. Knowledge transfer comprised of several objectives, which included knowledge dissemination, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge facilitation. AE managers’ management development roles included the development of leadership skills, and the development of global perspective. The third role, coordination and control, involved the consolidation and standardisation of key processes, and the socialisation of local employees. All of the AE managers interviewed performed varied combinations of all three roles.

It was made clear that global management assignments served several individual, organisational and business purposes. Moreover, the need for and use of international assignments within ManCo was found to be shaped by several individual, organisational and environmental factors. The main individual driver was the particular developmental needs of the manager being sent. Organisational factors included ManCo’s company structure, internationalisation strategy, and the strategic importance of the particular subsidiary. Environmental factors, on the other hand, included the nature of the local competitive market. Within the UK HQ, EngCo, the use of international assignment was primarily influenced by the strategic importance of this particular unit, intense competition from local competitors, and the wider transformation of organisational processes. In addition to this, managers assigned for developmental purposes were sent here in order to gain more knowledge of the specific line of business products.

Interviewees were also asked about the way in which their assignment objectives were measured, and about the key outcomes of their UK assignments. All of the managers interviewed, stated that their assignments were managed and monitored at the level of regional and or divisional headquarters. While one or two managers maintain contact with the global HQ, this was limited and typically related to specific job tasks. Although organisational objectives were handed down from the global HQ, these were monitored by superiors within ManCo’s divisional HQ in the US, with which managers maintained varying levels of contact. The level of contact with this office was influenced by the nature of the role performed by the expatriate manager and seniority of his/her position. The extent to which the outcomes of assignees’ objectives were achieved was monitored both formally, through the performance appraisal process, leadership engagement surveys, and organisational metrics, and informally through on-going discussions with the supervisors within AE managers home offices. With regard to the impact of their roles within EngCo, interviewees indicated that these were observed in increased levels of understanding, improved relationships between the home and host country unit, and increased organisational presence and competences within the local subsidiary environment.

122| P a g e Interviewees were also asked about the extent to which expatriate use has changed during their time with the organisation. The majority of interviewees stated that they had noticed a reduction in assignments from 2008 onwards, and attributed this decline to the economic recession in the US at the beginning of this year. Interviewees stated that many assignments were cut as a costsaving measure but that the number of assignments began to increase again after improvements in the economy after 2010. Assignees also highlighted the increased focus on global leadership within the company, and hence expatriates were increasing being used not only to enhance managers’ leadership skills, but to develop local leadership within foreign subsidiaries. Managers stated that main reason for this was the shifting nature of the company’s global business, as well as a new organisational strategy which placed global leadership at the forefront. They observed that whereas in the past more than fifty percent of the company’s business was based within the US, the majority of business was now to be found in more remote and unfamiliar territories. The outcomes of this as it related to the use of international assignments included, a gradual shift away from the top- down approach resulting in the use of more TCNs and inpatriate assignments, and the increasing use of the assignments primarily for the purposes of management development.

In line with the research questions, this chapter has highlighted the use of international management assignments within ManCo, how the objectives of assignments are fulfilled at a micro-level, key factors influencing the use of assignments, and key changes observed in their use over the years. The following chapter will go on to explore similar topics but within the context of the second major case study firm, the US MNC MedCo.

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CHAPTER FIVE: PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS FROM SECOND

MAJOR CASE STUDY: MEDCO

5.1 Introduction

In this chapter, the key findings from the second major case study, MedCo, will be presented utilising a structure similar to that used in chapter four. A brief overview of MedCo and its UK subsidiary HealthCo, as well as a short description of those managers who were interviewed will be provided. Next, the assignment purposes will be examined in some detail and followed by an exploration of assignment objectives and processes. Following this, the monitoring and outcomes of these assignments will be outlined and finally, the changes to the nature of expatriation within this firm, as observed by interviewees, will be highlighted before summarising.