Working effectively and living contentedly in a foreign country: what human capital do expatriates require and develop?

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the human capital (HC) expatriates require and develop during an international assignment (IA) to work effectively and live contentedly in a host country. Design/methodology/approach - Qualitative research entailing interviews with 78 expatriates and repatriates across the globe, investigating the competencies they developed and the HC they gained during their IAs. Findings - Five interrelated competence clusters were derived: cultural competence (CC); interpersonal competence; intrapersonal competence; global business competence; global leadership competence, each containing competencies crucial for expatriate success. Research limitations/implications - This study relied on self-reports by expatriates and repatriates. Future research should also include senior/line managers and chief human resource officers from a range of organizations across the world to gather their assessments on the competencies and HC of expatriates and repatriates. Practical implications - Line/HR managers can use the designed “Expatriate/Repatriate Human Capital model” to assess an individual's overall readiness and capacity to perform effectively in a foreign country and culture and consecutively identify and select the right candidates to undertake IAs. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the literature by presenting a HC model called the “Expatriate and Repatriate Human Capital Model; the body of competence”. The model identifies and defines the competencies/knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) required for intercultural effectiveness and expatriate success and serves as a tool for the selection, training, development and performance evaluation of expatriates and repatriates, in order to aid the accomplishment of individual and organizational objectives.