Pre-assignment orientation

Many global corporations believe that certain types of academic training predispose managers for international assignments. The world's top-rated business schools generally provide inputs in international management. Examples in Europe are the London Business School in the UK, INSEAD in France, IMD in Switzerland, the Instituto de Empressa in Spain, and SDA Bocconi in Italy. Top-rated US business schools include Wharton, Harvard Business School, Sloan School of Business, MIT and Carnegie-Mellon University's Business School. Well-known business schools in other parts of the world include the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines; Australian Graduate School of Management; University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business; the Chinese University of Hong Kong; and the National University of Singapore Graduate School of Business. These business schools attract an international community of students and faculty. By the time they graduate, the students have already experienced life in a culturally diverse enclave.

Companies often formally assess a potential expatriate's strengths and weaknesses for cultural adaptability. A favoured method is to use instruments such as the CCAI mentioned in the ICAS case study. These instruments identify areas in an expatriate's cross-cultural competencies that require bolstering. Accordingly, appropriate training is provided. Such training should be custom made, keeping in mind an individual expatriate's special needs. Ultimately, an expatriate's fit into a new culture depends on that individual's effort to assimilate with an entire society.

Customized individual training is usually complemented by general awareness training programmes. These programmes educate expatriates heading towards a particular country about the customs and behaviour patterns of that country. Expatriates come to know how people in the country they are going to relate to each other socially.

Pre-assignment orientation is essential. Aeppel (1996) has observed that European companies such as British Petroleum, ABB Unilever, Volkswagen and Bayer AG operate regional assessment centres comprising both host-country representatives and specialists, to select and orient expatriates. Swank (1995) has recorded that Ford uses international human resources teams with local representatives, to conduct assessments and prepare expatriates for their overseas assignments.