International training and management development: theory and reality

An Ecosystems Perspective on International Human Resource Development: A Meta-Synthesis of the Literature

There has been significant growth of interest in both international human resource development (IHRD) and ecosystems research. Both literatures highlight important characteristics of each concept; however, to date, they have not yet been linked. We propose an ecosystem perspective as an important framework to understand IHRD. Ecosystems emphasize interdependencies, actor centrality, bargaining power, and relationships between actors as important in shaping IHRD. We utilize a meta-synthesis of the IHRD literature to identify content and process dimensions of an IHRD ecosystem. We conclude with a discussion of implications for IHRD research.

Developing international managers: the contribution of cultural experience to learning

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate cultural experience as a learning strategy for developing international managers.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using an integrated framework, two quantitative studies, based on empirical methodology, are conducted. Study 1, with an undergraduate sample situated in the Asia Pacific, aimed to examine the relationship between cultural experience and intercultural capability (IC), an original theoretical construct representing the critical factors of international managers. Study 2, employing a more culturally experienced postgraduate sample from Ireland, sought to confirm the findings from study 1 and further test the relationship of cultural experience with the factor of cultural adaptation.

Findings

– Results identify aU-curve relationship of cultural experience and cultural adaptation for inexperienced students (study 1). A more linear, but less significant relationship between the above two with a maximum level of adaptation for more experienced students was found in study 2. This implies that there is a relationship between cultural experience and IC, within the limitations of the sample. However, whilst cultural experience is a major variable in developing IC, findings are that universities and industry training managers need to use a blended learning approach when developing international managers, hence, combining cultural experience (experiential learning) with didactic methods.

Originality/value

– This is an original theoretical construct representing the critical factors of international managers.

To Know or Not to Know, Is That the Question? Exploring the Role and Assessment of Metacognition in Cross-Cultural Contexts

Findings from research in educational and cognitive psychology have shown that metacognition, defined as the awareness, monitoring, and evaluation of one’s knowledge and cognitive processes, exerts substantial influence on individual performance. The majority of this research, however, has only examined metacognitive skill as it applies to academic settings, and has largely overlooked its applications to other contexts, such as cross-cultural performance. To better understand the role of metacognition in cross-cultural contexts, as well as the means by which it should be assessed, two studies were conducted that jointly explored the construct validity of a well-established self-reported measure of metacognition (i.e., the Metacognitive subscale of the Cultural Intelligence Scale; CQS), as well as its relative utility in predicting cross-cultural performance. Results from Study 1 indicated that self-reported metacognition (as measured by the CQS) is distinct from personality, but highly correlated with the other subfacets of self-reported cultural intelligence. Analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) further revealed that peers ( n = 206) were more accurate in rating participants’ cultural intelligence than were participants themselves ( n = 206). Results from Study 2, which explored the criterion-related validity of the Metacognitive subscale of the CQS, in particular, demonstrated that self-reported metacognition did not predict international students’ adaptation ( n = 50). These findings are discussed in light of other research that has called into question the validity of self-reported measures of metacognition, in general.

Selbstselektion statt Personalauswahl? Auslandsentsendungen in der deutschen chemischen Industrie

Am Beispiel der deutschen chemischen Industrie, einer mittelständisch, aber international orientierten Branche untersuchen wir, in welchem Umfang bei der Abwicklung internationaler Aktivitäten auf Auslandsentsendungen zurückgegriffen wird. Wir zeigen, dass dies deutlich seltener geschieht, als angesichts der wissenschaftlichen Literatur zum Thema Expatriates vermutet werden könnte. Bei der Auswahl der Expatriates folgen die Unternehmen oftmals nicht den seitens der Wissenschaft unterbreiteten Ratschlägen für eine erfolgreiche Personalauswahl, ohne dass daraus jedoch ein erhöhtes Risiko des Scheiterns von Auslandsentsendungen erwächst; denn die Personalauswahl erfolgt oftmals auf Basis von Selbstbewerbungen potentieller Kandidaten, durch die ein wichtiger Erfolgsfaktor von Auslandsentsendungen, die Motivation der Expatriates, sichergestellt ist. Es ist deswegen keineswegs irrational, wenn Unternehmen auf aufwändige Auswahlprozeduren verzichten.