Selection Characteristics of Cross-Border Managers: Understanding Social and Business Impact - Paper #536

The paper reports results from a study designed to test the efficacy of a bi-polar taxonomy of personal value orientations that measured a manager's values associated with their 'National Identity' and their 'Cross-Border Business Focus'. The underlying elements of these respective value orientations appear to be linked to assisting the selection and placement of managers for cross-border business assignments. The results reported here have been derived from the responses of 658 managers; employed by; (i) An American transnational logistics firm; (ii) a Western European transnational logistics firm, and (ii) a Western European insurance business. Responses were received from managers who were both experienced and inexperienced in cross-border business activity, and who currently work in 17 different international (Asian and Western) locations. Overall, 88.5% of respondents were male; 98% were over the age of 30 and 69% possessed degree level qualifications. In addition, 88% of respondents had had at least two cross-border management appointments. Some interesting findings were derived. First; results identified a single factor solution for both National Identity and Cross-Border Business Focus. Overall results suggest that those labelled 'Transnationalists' may prove to be the most appropriate appointees for medium to long term cross-border assignments. The importance of this study exists in the extra information that can be provided to HRM professionals for the purpose of selecting and placing candidates; not simply for cross-border business roles, but for particular types of cross-border business roles.