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- Expatriates recruitment and selection for long-term international assignments in portuguese companiesPublication . Martins, Dora; Diaconescu, Laura-MariaLong-term international assignments’ increase requires more attention being paid for the preparation of these foreign assignments, especially on the recruitment and selection process of expatriates. This article explores how the recruitment and selection process of expatriates is developed in Portuguese companies, examining the main criteria on recruitment and selection of expatriates’ decision to send international assignments. The paper is based on qualitative case studies of companies located in Portugal. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 42 expatriates and 18 organisational representatives as well from nine Portuguese companies. The findings show that the most important criteria are: (1) trust from managers, (2) years in service, (3) previous technical and language competences, (4) organisational knowledge and, (5) availability. Based on the findings, the article discusses in detail the main theoretical and managerial implications. Suggestions for further research are also presented.
- Soft skills in expatriationPublication . Silva, Susana; Martins, Dora; Silva, CândidaContemporary competitiveness and globalisation drives organisations to explore new markets, and provide themselves with distinctive features and value added. Additionally, the literature underlines the importance of this global environment impact the processes of managing Human resources in organisations. Therefore, the adequacy of human resources is imperative in the strategy of organisations. This study aims to understand the importance of the international assignment, to understand the soft skills most valued by recruiters and how is their evaluation. To successfully address these aims we conducted a qualitative study. The data collection method used was semi-structured interview and were interviewed ten recruiters of expatriates. Data were analysed according to content analysis procedures The results suggest that soft skills are important features in the international assignment, since that act on factors that influence the success of the assignment. The most important skills are interpersonal relationships, teamwork, communication, adaptability and tolerance to ambiguity. We discuss the main practical and theoretical implications, and offer some suggestions for further studies.
- Expatriates’ Influence on Knowledge Sharing: an Empirical Study with International Portuguese CompaniesPublication . Martins, DoraDespite the abundant literature in knowledge management, few empirical studies have explored knowledge management in connection with international assignees. This phenomenon has a special relevance in the Portuguese context, since (a) there are no empirical studies concerning this issue that involves international Portuguese companies; (b) the national business reality is incipient as far as internationalisation is concerned, and; (c) the organisational and national culture presents characteristics that are distinctive from the most highly studied contexts (e.g., Asia, USA, Scandinavian countries, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Germany, England and Russia). We examine the role of expatriates in transfer and knowledge sharing within the Portuguese companies with operations abroad. We focus specifically on expatriates’ role on knowledge sharing connected to international Portuguese companies and our findings take into account organizational representatives’ and expatriates’ perspectives. Using a comparative case study approach, we examine how three main dimensions influence the role of expatriates in knowledge sharing among headquarters and their subsidiaries (types of international assignment, reasons for using expatriation and international assignment characteristics). Data were collected using semiͲstructured interviews to 30 Portuguese repatriates and 14 organizational representatives from seven Portuguese companies. The findings suggest that the reasons that lead Portuguese companies to expatriating employees are connected to: (1) business expansion needs; (2) control of international operations and; (3) transfer and knowledge sharing. Our study also shows that Portuguese companies use international assignments in order to positively respond to the increasingly decaying domestic market in the economic areas in which they operate. Evidence also reveals that expatriation is seen as a strategy to fulfill main organizational objectives through their expatriates (e.g., business internationalization, improvement of the coordination and control level of the units/subsidiaries abroad, replication of aspects of the home base, development and incorporation of new organizational techniques and processes). We also conclude that Portuguese companies have developed an International Human Resources Management strategy, based on an ethnocentric approach, typically associated with companies in early stages of internationalization, i.e., the authority and decision making are centered in the home base. Expatriates have a central role in transmitting culture and technical knowledge from company’s headquarters to the company’s branches. Based on the findings, the article will discuss in detail the main theoretical and managerial implications. Suggestions for further research will also be presented.
- Expatriates’ influence on knowledge sharing: an empirical study with International portuguese companiesPublication . Martins, DoraDespite the abundant literature in knowledge management, few empirical studies have explored knowledge management in connection with international assignees. This phenomenon has a special relevance in the Portuguese context, since (a) there are no empirical studies concerning this issue that involves international Portuguese companies; (b) the national business reality is incipient as far as internationalisation is concerned, and; (c) the organisational and national culture presents characteristics that are distinctive from the most highly studied contexts (e.g., Asia, USA, Scandinavian countries, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Germany, England and Russia). We examine the role of expatriates in transfer and knowledge sharing within the Portuguese companies with operations abroad. We focus specifically on expatriates’ role on knowledge sharing connected to international Portuguese companies and our findings take into account organizational representatives’ and expatriates’ perspectives. Using a comparative case study approach, we examine how three main dimensions influence the role of expatriates in knowledge sharing among headquarters and their subsidiaries (types of international assignment, reasons for using expatriation and international assignment characteristics). Data were collected using semi‐structured interviews to 30 Portuguese repatriates and 14 organizational representatives from seven Portuguese companies. The findings suggest that the reasons that lead Portuguese companies to expatriating employees are connected to: (1) business expansion needs; (2) control of international operations and; (3) transfer and knowledge sharing. Our study also shows that Portuguese companies use international assignments in order to positively respond to the increasingly decaying domestic market in the economic areas in which they operate. Evidence also reveals that expatriation is seen as a strategy to fulfill main organizational objectives through their expatriates (e.g., business internationalization, improvement of the coordination and control level of the units/subsidiaries abroad, replication of aspects of the home base, development and incorporation of new organizational techniques and processes). We also conclude that Portuguese companies have developed an International Human Resources Management strategy, based on an ethnocentric approach, typically associated with companies in early stages of internationalization, i.e., the authority and decision making are centered in the home base. Expatriates have a central role in transmitting culture and technical knowledge from company’s headquarters to the company’s branches. Based on the findings, the article will discuss in detail the main theoretical and managerial implications. Suggestions for further research will also be presented.
- Expatriates recruitment and selection for long-term international assignments in portuguese companiesPublication . Martins, Dora; Diaconescu, L. M.Long-term international assignments’ increase requires more attention being paid for the preparation of these foreign assignments, especially on the recruitment and selection process of expatriates. This article explores how the recruitment and selection process of expatriates is developed in Portuguese companies, examining the main criteria on recruitment and selection of expatriates’ decision to send international assignments. The paper is based on qualitative case studies of companies located in Portugal. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 42 expatriates and 18 organisational representatives as well from nine Portuguese companies. The findings show that the most important criteria are: (1) trust from managers, (2) years in service, (3) previous technical and language competences, (4) organisational knowledge and, (5) availability. Based on the findings, the article discusses in detail the main theoretical and managerial implications. Suggestions for further research are also presented.
- Knowledge management in multinational companies: the repatriates’ role in the competitive advantage in subsidiariesPublication . Martins, Dora; Tomé, EduardoThis paper addresses the topic of knowledge management in multinational companies (MNCs). Its purpose is to examine the role of expatriates in knowledge acquisition and transfer within MNCs. Specifically it focuses on knowledge acquisition and transfer from one MNC head office located in Germany to two Portuguese subsidiaries as a basis for competitive advantage in their Portuguese subsidiaries. A qualitative research methodology is used, specifically through an exploratory case study approach, which examines how international assignments are important for the role of expatriates In knowledge acquisition and transfer between foreign head offices and their Portuguese subsidiaries. The data were collected through semi structured interviews to 10 Portuguese repatriates from two Portuguese subsidiaries of one foreign MNC. The findings suggest that the reasons that lead to expatriating employees from Portuguese subsidiaries to foreign head offices are connected to (1) knowledge management strategies to development the subsidiary’s performance; (2) new skills and knowledge acquisition by future team leaders and business/product managers in Portuguese subsidiaries; (3) procuring knowledge, from agents in head office, to be disseminated amongst co-workers in Portuguese subsidiaries; (4) acquiring global management skills, impossible to acquire locally and; (5) developing global projects within MNC. Also our results show that knowledge acquisition and transfer from foreign head office, through subsidiaries’ expatriates, contributes directly to the Portuguese subsidiaries’ innovation, improved performance, competitive advantage and growth in the economic sectors in which they operate. Moreover, evidence reveals that expatriation is seen as a strategy to fulfil some of the main organisational objectives through their expatriates (e.g., create new products and business markets, develop and incorporate new organisational techniques and processes, integrate global teams within multinational corporation with a responsibility on the definition of global objectives). The results obtained suggest that expatriates have a central role in acquiring and transferring strategic knowledge from MNC head office to their subsidiaries located in Portugal. Based on the findings, the paper discusses in detail the main theoretical and managerial implications. Suggestions for further research are also presented. The study’s main limitation is the small size of the sample, but its findings and methodology are quite original and significant.
- Intercultural adaptation: an exploratory study with portuguese expatriates in AngolaPublication . Pinto, Ivone; Martins, DoraThis paper aims to present the results of the intercultural adaptation of Portuguese expatriate workers in Angola. More specifically, it explores the perception of the expatriates participating in the study regarding their adaptation to the Angolan intercultural context. Intercultural adaptation presupposes the definition of the degree of psychological and family comfort that the expatriates feel in relation to the new environment as well as the degree of ease or difficulty with which they adapt to the day-to-day and the development of the work in the host country (Ramalu et al., 2010; Chang, 1997). Since intercultural adaptation is a process that involves behavioral, emotional, cognitive and attitudinal changes resulting from interaction with a new and different cultural context, intercultural adaptation behaves as a determinant of the (in) success of the international mission (Ramalu et al. 2010). The well-being of an expatriate results from the acceptance with the new culture, the ability to perform the function in the host organization as well as the ability to relate to the natives of that country (Lee & Vorst, 2010). However, the cultural differences between the country of origin and the host country may result in a set of barriers to which expatriates are exposed. In addition, expatriates are confronted with values, beliefs and perceptions that may differ from those they believe in or from those with whom they are familiar (Geetika & Gupta, 2012). Considering that intercultural adjustment continues to deserve high attention by researchers in international human resources management (Dabic, Gonzalez-Loureiro & Harvey, 2015), and at the same time the trend of expatriation growth in Portuguese companies to the Angolan context in recent years, reinforce the pertinence of this study. To obtain empirical evidence, a qualitative methodology was used. The instrument for collecting privileged information was the semi-structured interview, and 13 interviews were conducted with Portuguese expatriates in Angola. The results suggest that the process of intercultural adaptation of Portuguese expatriates to the Angolan context is not standardized, since three possible behaviors were perceived by the participants involved in the study: (1) existence of an intercultural shock in the initial phase of arrival in Angola but outdated with the international mission; (2) existence of an intercultural shock that has never been overcome; (3) lack of intercultural shock. We conclude that the process of intercultural adaptation of Portuguese expatriates to the Angolan context may be influenced by (1) contextual factors such as the cultural, economic and political differences between the two countries; (2) by factors of an individual nature, such as personality traits of individuals and; (3) factors of an organizational nature, namely the lack of good organizational support practices for the intercultural adjustment of expatriates. Finally, the conclusions suggest that organizations with experience in expatriation may need to reconsider their expatriation policies, with particular emphasis on issues related to intercultural preparation. The main contributions, limitations and suggestions for future studies are also presented.
- Exploring why portuguese companies expatriate, and portuguese expatriates accept international assignmentsPublication . Martins, Dora; Rego, Arménio; Proença, TeresaThis study explores (1) the reasons that lead Portuguese companies to use expatriates and (2) the motivations that led the repatriates to accepting an international assignment. Semistructured interviews were carried out on 44 individuals (14 responsible for organizational management of the expatriates and 30 repatriates), in seven international companies based in Portugal, and analysis of the thematic content was conducted for data processing. Results suggest that the reasons that lead Portuguese companies to expatriating employees are connected to business needs and the control of international operations, while individual motivations are linked to personal and professional ambition, the will to serve the company and organizational pressure. We concluded that Portuguese companies, like most European companies, seem to develop a strategy of International Human Resources Management (IHRM) according to an ethnocentric approach, characteristic to companies in early stages of internationalization. Similarly, the main motivations of Portuguese repatriates are identical to those of other expatriates, though the will to serve the company seems to be more valued by Portuguese repatriates than by expatriates from other countries.