Special competencies needed for expatriates as identified by multinational corporation managers

The purpose of this study was to identify the special competencies needed by an expatriate to enhance the chances of a successful assignment. Participants in this study were seven Multinational Corporation managers directly involved in the selection and/or training process of expatriates within their organization. This study was conducted using a conventional Delphi Technique; a method developed by The Rand Corporation to reach decisions based on group consensus. The initial survey instrument was developed by the researcher based on literature review. The result of the study is an instrument which identifies these special competencies. The participants were able to reach agreement on a stable instrument. This instrument may be used to compare existing training program content to determine if the program addresses the specialized competencies. The results of the study also support existing literature regarding the importance of preparation of an expatriate. These findings were: (a) an expatriate needs to know and understand the basic social, religious, and business customs of the host country; (b) the expatriate family needs to be involved in the selection and preparation phase of the assignment; (c) knowledge of the host country language is important. The participants also indicated that the relative importance of the specialized competencies identified is dependent on the country to which the expatriate is to be assigned.