International Assignment-Related Challenges for Emerging Market Firms by Assignment Format

Abstract

Assigning firms from emerging markets tend to use a limited number of different international assignment formats. These mostly involve traditional short-term project-based and long-term managerial assignments. Based on the data from pilot interviews in two startups, one high-tech small and medium-sized enterprise, two large, mature emerging market multinationals (one manufacturing and one service firm), and a developed market subsidiary operating in Slovenia, this chapter discusses the different assignment formats used by emerging market firms at the different stages of their growth and internationalisation, the related managerial challenges for each assignment format, and how emerging market firms tackle them. Additional assignment formats, such as expatriation of sole proprietors employed by emerging market firms to preserve good firm–employee and inter-employee relations as well as broaden the pool of potential assignees and optimise assignment-related costs, are also discussed.