Skills for successful international assignments to, from and within Asia and the Pacific: implications for preparation, support and training

Abstract

First makes the case that effective preparation, support, and training for international assignments to, from or within Asia and the Pacific need to be based on sound models of the skills required to meet the challenges of those assignments for the assignees themselves, their families accompanying them, those managing them, and the hosts with whom they are working. Then presents the characteristic ecologies encountered on these international assignments; identifies coping with ecoshock, developing strategies to effectively complete essential tasks in a new ecology, and maintaining motivation as the three key challenges faced in those ecologies; and describes the skills useful in dealing effectively with these challenges. Finally, presents the implications for intervention programmes to assist assignees in acquiring these skills and an illustrative training programme outline.

Citation

Fontaine, G. (1997), "Skills for successful international assignments to, from and within Asia and the Pacific: implications for preparation, support and training", Management Decision, Vol. 35 No. 8, pp. 631-643. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251749710176190