Cross- cultural Communication This page intentionally left blank

The changing role of international managers
The role of those who are in management positions in the international 
environment has widened considerably. Their responsibilities may now 
cover entire regions and therefore they have to be able to adapt quickly to 
operate in several different cultures. Many may be involved in relatively 
short- term assignments, often working without the support of their families 
or other colleagues, sometimes in isolated and potentially dangerous parts 
of the country. For these people, the importance of cross- cultural training 
is all the more urgent as they are often required to undertake visits at short 
notice. In addition, international managers are now younger and include 
more women amongst their number.
Methods used for selection for overseas assignments
Although there is a measure of general agreement as to the desired compe-
tencies of those living and working overseas, precise measurement during 
selection is much more difficult to carry out. In the commercial field, European 
companies have used the Overseas Assignment Inventory (OAI), one of the few 
validated screening methods specifically designed to assess the adjustment 
capability of an individual being considered for an international assignment. 
This instrument and the accompanying interview process can help identify 
individuals who may have difficulty in adapting to a foreign culture.
Occupational psychologists also claim to be able to provide information 
on a number of psychological stress factors, such as the ability to:
adapt to life in different cultures;
adapt to different working practices;
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Selection and Preparation for Foreign Assignments 103
interface effectively with colleagues in the host country;
cope with living away from one’s family or partner if unaccompanied or, if 
accompanied, to cope with spouse/partner’s career or domestic conflicts;
reduce lack of confidence and concern about the unknown.
Psychological assessments can be used to achieve a more comprehensive 
view of the ability to adapt to a new culture. These are useful predictors, but 
are not always infallible. Some of the standard psychological inventories, 
such as the Jackson Personality Inventory, are of limited use for screening 
for overseas assignments. They tend to show low coefficients of reliability 
and are predominantly culturally biased towards North Americans or West 
Europeans.
Another method that can be used is the  Myers- Briggs Type Indicator 
(www.myersbriggs.org), which uses four dimensions to identify the ways in 
which people differ: introvert or extrovert people, those who gain information 
through the senses or by seeing relationships, those who make decisions either 
by logical deduction or because it ‘feels right’ and those who like to make 
definite conclusions or to seek further possibilities. These are helpful in estab-
lishing personality types and desired profiles for an overseas assignment.
Another method that can be used for assisting selection is the Mendenhall 
and Oddou model (1991). This attempts to link specific behavioural tendencies 
to probable international performance. The evaluation of a person’s potential 
strengths and weaknesses helps focus attention on his or her cross- cultural 
ability, thus complementing any technical assessment. It also attempts to 
predict the ability to cope with the unfamiliarity of another culture.