The selection of international business managers: part 1

Purpose – The paper seeks to examine how potential international business managers used to be selected for overseas assignments and analyses selection methods currently employed, commenting on their validity. Design/methodology/approach – The various methods are compared in an attempt to draw up a list of required competencies on which there is a fair degree of consensus. A comparison is also made between the requirements of the traditional expatriate manager and the new breed of young international managers who operate in the global marketplace. Included is the author's own experience in this field. The use of psychometric and personality tests, along with reliance on interviews and past performance, is also assessed. In addition, the increased use of assessment centres and their resulting advantages are highlighted. The concerns and expectations of young potential international managers faced with careers involving considerable time away from the home base are examined, in particular the problems of dual careers, future employment on repatriation and family concerns. Surveys by multinational companies are cited in support. Findings – There is very often no apparent correlation between traditional methods of selection and actual performance. Recent research and the resulting practice put more emphasis on selection methods that attempt to assess the ability to work effectively and live harmoniously in a multinational, multicultural environment. Originality/value – Against a background of a likely reduced pool of potential managers, the paper emphasises selection methods aimed at reducing the margin of error in the recruitment of international managers.