Managing Expatriates

Chapter 2

Expatriation and ROI

Recognizing that successful assignments play a vital role in an organization’s ability to compete effectively in the global marketplace, one would think that ROI-based management techniques—or some equally objective method for evaluating and managing assignment success—would be a key strategic tool wielded by most managers of international assignment programs. It is mystifying that this basic management concept is observed primarily in its breach.

—GMAC 2003–2004, Global Relocation Trends Report

For decades, nearly every significant advance in the field of management has required replacing an existing model with a fundamentally different way of thinking: a paradigm shift that completely challenges existing “truths.” ...