AN ESSENTIAL APPROACH TO MITIGATING EXPATRIATE CHALLENGES: EXAMINING EFFECTIVE SELECTION AND TRAINING STRATEGIES FOR EXPATRIATES

Many companies face challenges with expatriate success, often resulting in early returns or less-than-ideal job performance. In today’s interconnected world, multinational corporations (MNCs) increasingly rely on expatriates to manage their subsidiaries, as these professionals often bring a deeper familiarity with the company’s techniques and processes compared to local staff. The struggles faced by expatriates highlight areas of improvement needed in both the selection process and pre-departure training. This study aims to explore how well MNCs implement effective selection and training strategies for expatriates, and to assess how they evaluate these methods. It draws on the concept of culture shock alongside established models for expatriate selection and training, particularly Ronen’s Model for selection and Black and Mendenhall’s Framework for training. The research involved expatriates currently working in MNC subsidiaries. Interestingly, the findings revealed a discrepancy between theoretical ideals and actual practices. While many MNCs fell short of the recommended selection and training methods, there were proud exceptions that truly excelled in these areas. Additionally, respondents shared a wealth of perspectives regarding the selection and training processes, which adds valuable insights into how these practices can be refined for better success in the future.