Developing global leaders through international assignments : An identity construction perspective

Purpose – International assignments, which are used as an integral part of global management development, are challenging in terms of one's managerial competencies and self‐concept. However, not much is known about how managers develop during international assignments, or about the process of their identity construction. The purpose of this paper is to show the need for studying international assignments from an identity construction perspective and to build up an interdisciplinary framework for this kind of study. Design/methodology/approach – The paper offers a new and an eclectic approach on expatriation by reviewing and combining current literature on expatriation, identity and career. Findings – As a result of the theoretical discussion the paper notes that more empirical research is needed about the consequences of foreign assignments on individual managers’ identity and subjective career and suggests narratives as a promising strategy to capture the fluid process of identity construction during expatriation. Originality/value – The value of the paper for academics is that it opens up new avenues for research on international management development and international assignments in particular.