of CCT to provide some type of comparison bases for post-training assessment.
In addition evaluation strategies need to be developed during phase 3, that is,
the decision on how to evaluate CCT’s short-term and long-term goals needs
to be made at the same time as these goals are established.
Evaluation of short-term goalsEvaluation of expatriates at the conclusion of the CCT program involves developing
outcome measures that assess the extent to which cognitive, affective, and
behavioral changes have occurred during CCT. Cognitive outcomes are usually
used to determine whether the expatriates knew more than they did prior to par-
ticipating in CCT. Cognitive outcomes such as the acquisition of cross-
cultural knowledge and the awareness of the appropriate cross-cultural skills and
behaviors, measure what cross-cultural knowledge expatriates learned in the pro-
gram. Typically, paper and pencil tests or online tests are used to measure cogni-
tive outcomes. Affective outcomes, such as attitude and motivations, measure
expatriates’ perception of the CCT program and his/her attitude toward individ-
uals from other cultures. This information is collected through personal inter-
views or group discussions. Behavioral outcomes are used to assess the change in
the level of cross-cultural skill such as intercultural communication skills and
language skills. The extent to which expatriates have acquired cross-cultural skills
can be measured by observing performance in a cultural simulator or in a role
play. Although all three of these outcomes are relevant to CCT’s short-term goals
discussed earlier, the type of global assignment will decide which outcome(s) will
be used in evaluating expatriates at the conclusion of the CCT program. For
example, short-term goals for people sent on a technical assignment, which does
not require significant interactions with the host nationals, need to focus on cog-
nitive outcomes, such as acquiring practical information(e.g., information on the
shopping and the transportation system in the host country). In contrast, the
short-term goals for people sent on the developmental/high potential assign-
ments, and on strategic/executive assignments, which require significant inter-
actions with host nationals to successfully complete the assignment, must focus
more on affective and behavioral outcomes such as acquiring intercultural skills.
Evaluation of long-term goalsAs mentioned earlier, the majority of CCT programs emphasize cross-cultural
adjustment as a long-term goal of CCT. Evaluation of expatriates’ adjustment can
be measured through paper and pencil questionnaires, phone interviews, in-
person interviews, or electronic surveys. Studies have shown that cross-
cultural adjustment is positively related to performance or professional effectiveness
on the assignment (Caligiuri, 1997). Professional effectiveness can be measured
through performance appraisal, which is done by those who are able to observe
Training and Development of International Staff 295