their desired state for strategic repatriation. A series of recommendations to
address each issue are also suggested. More specifically, these issues include
the following:
1 MNCs believe that all global assignees intend to have long-term careers with the
MNC – when they do not. Individuals have different career goals.
2 MNCs tend to treat all global assignments as if they had the same strategic objec-
tive – when they do not. Some turnover upon repatriation is functional – and
possibly even strategic. Different global assignments should have different repa-
triation strategies.
3 MNCs often do not integrate selection, performance management, and repatri-
ation systems into one strategic process – when it is necessary.
Differences across individual career goalsWhile the repatriation ‘problem’ may be a very strategic concern for MNCs,
organizations should expect some natural attrition – as they would with any
other ‘high demand’ professionals. In some cases, even with the best possible
repatriation program, MNCs will not be able to retain certain repatriates.
Harvey (1982) found that many returnees may have better career opportunities
in multinational companies other than the company that sent them on the
global assignment. He suggested that in such cases, many repatriates would be
likely to leave for ‘both motivational and monetary reasons’ (Harvey, 1982: 54).
As with other individual career decisions, rather than staying, some repatriates
may choose to leave for a better job offer elsewhere and not perceive the organi-
zational exit (initiated by them) as a negative job move.
Clearly, international experience is a competitive asset that may enhance
the opportunities for future career advancement even though this may take
place in another company. A 1998 study of 409 expatriates on assignment to
51 countries found that most expatriates overwhelmingly agree that the global
assignment had ‘a positive impact upon subsequent career advancement either
in the current organization or elsewhere’ (Tung, 1998: 129). In addition, most
of the expatriates in the sample reported that an international assignment pre-
sented them with an opportunity to acquire skills and expertise usually not
available at home (Tung, 1998; see also Suutari and Brewster, 2000 for a dis-
cussion on self-initiated assignments).
Tung’s (1998) study suggests that ‘boundaryless’ careers are becoming the
pattern for international assignees – as with other ‘high demand’ professionals
(such as information technology engineers). A boundaryless career assumes
that individuals will move from one company to another to pursue the best
opportunities for their own professional development. Recently, authors have
suggested that professionals may accept global assignments to gain the additional
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