One Way or Another? How Multinational Companies Manage Expatriate Performance
Episode Description
In this episode, Ben discusses an open-access research article on expatriate performance management in multinational companies. Drawing on a large international comparison, the episode explores how organisations from different countries design and use expatriate performance management systems, and why there is no single “best” model. Instead, the episode highlights the importance of strategic alignment between staffing approaches, performance expectations, and international governance.
What This Episode Covers
• why expatriate performance management still varies significantly across countries
• how strategic assumptions about control and coordination shape performance systems
• differences between Japanese, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic approaches
• why some performance management practices have converged globally while others have not
• why alignment matters more than copying so-called best practices
Three Key Takeaways
• expatriate performance management reflects deeper strategic and cultural assumptions, not just HR technique
• global mobility practices show crossvergence rather than full convergence or divergence
• there is no superior system — effectiveness depends on internal consistency and strategic fit
Why This Matters
For global mobility professionals, this episode underscores that expatriate performance management should not be treated as a technical add-on. It is a strategic instrument that influences behaviour, expectations, and assignment outcomes. Understanding this helps organisations design systems that actually fit how they use expatriates.
Referenced Article (Open Access)
Bader, A. K., Bader, B., Froese, F. J., Sekiguchi, T. (2021). One way or another? An international comparison of expatriate performance management in multinational companies. Human Resource Management, 60, 737–752. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22065
Host
Hosted by Benjamin Bader, Professor of International HRM and co-founder of Mastering GM®.
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