skills and experience that they perceive to be valuable for their advancement
in their career, not in their company (Inkson, et al., 1997; Tung, 1998; Lazarova
and Caligiuri, 2001; Stahl et al., 2002; Suutari and Brewster, 2000).
This trend is even more problematic in countries with a tight job market.
In the US currently, there is increased ‘job-hopping’ and shorter average tenure
(in some cases of highly valued professionals, only amounting to several
months). Data from the US suggest that in the early 1970s a manager worked
for one or two companies in his or her entire career. The US managers of today
are more likely to hold 7 to 10 jobs in their lifetime (Cascio, 1993; Kransdorrf,
1997). The average tenure for the managers has also been dropping continu-
ously. In some professions (for example, accounting and auditing), typical
tenure ranges from 3 to 6 months (Grossman, 1998). Among information tech-
nology managers, the turnover rate have been reported to be 15.5 per cent for
12 months (Cone, 1996). Given these trends among managers and technical
professionals, it is not surprising that some repatriates are interested in chang-
ing companies after their global assignment is completed.
Recommendations for practice. It is a challenge for MNCs to retain their
global leaders who are in high demand and have a high internal career moti-
vation. However, there are things companies can do to increase their repatriate
retention rates. Some recommendations may be borrowed from other indus-
tries, such as the information technology (IT) industry, where the labor market
has enabled IT professionals to job-hop with relative ease. Studies of IT profes-
sionals suggest many ways to retain high-quality employees. These studies sug-
gest the importance of recognition, encouragement, praise, and opportunities
for professional growth (Grossman, 1998). Additional incentives, besides
higher pay and competitive benefits, are suggested for high-potential profes-
sionals. Such incentives include career development, training programs, pro-
motions, better corporate communications, flexible staffing, and stock options
(Comeau-Kirchner, 1999; Fryer, 1998).
Differences across types of global assignmentsShifting focus to the perspective of the MNCs, what research often does not
consider is that while international experience can create core competencies
for competitive advantage, not all global assignees are created or intended to
be equal – in terms of their strategic significance to the organization. A global
assignment is a job context (that is, a position in a host country), rather than a
job description. A Vice-President of Operations in Brussels and a systems engi-
neer in New Delhi are both on global assignments. However, the job descrip-
tions for these two positions are very different. The two assignments have
different goals (strategic vs. functional) and entail different requirements for
their successful completion. In this sense, it is both inappropriate as well as
unrealistic to simply lump all global assignees into a single category – especially
346 International Human Resource Management