ABSTRACT
Does taking an expatriate assignment benefit careers? This chapter explores this question as it highlights how very few organizations have a formal career management process in place. In the absence of a formal program, many potential expatriates might question whether it was truly worthwhile to accept an assignment from a career perspective. This chapter addresses post-expatriation outcomes (i.e., outcomes attained after the assignment) with regard to career development, using the perspective of both the organization and employee. Through analyzing the career-related objectives organizations and individuals aim to accomplish through expatriation, the authors report evidence supporting a positive relationship between the international experience of top management teams and the firm performance of multinational corporations (MNCs), as well as noting that there may be several critical mediators.
