Expatriate Performance Appraisal

Diploma Thesis from the year 2002 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,0, University of Linz (Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften), language: English, abstract: Inhaltsangabe:Abstract:§The focus of this study is on employee performance evaluation in the international context, while the main part is dedicated to the two most important features in expatriate performance management - goal setting and performance evaluation.§The thesis consists of eight chapters. Chapter 1 explains the main causes for the existence of internationally employed managers and states the purpose of this thesis. Chapter 2 focuses on the definition of expatriates and on the utilization of international managers. Chapter 3 links the expatriation issue to international human resource management and investigates its role during the expatriation cycle and in the process of expatriate performance evaluation. Chapter 4 presents the most important stages of the expatriation cycle and their influence on expatriate performance. Chapter 5 concentrates on the salient differences of performance management and performance appraisal. Chapter 6 aims to provide definitions for success and failure, and deals with expatriate failure rates. Chapter 7 is the center of this thesis and comprehensively explains the heart of every performance management process - goal setting and performance evaluation. The last chapter summarizes the findings of the master thesis, and is concerned with the limitations of these findings and their role in future research.§The aim of this theoretical study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of expatriate performance appraisal, based on existing literature, to show its limitations, and to provide a solid basis for further research.§Inhaltsverzeichnis:Table of Contents:§TABLE OF CONTENTS2§INDEX OF FIGURES4§INDEX OF TABLES5§1.INTRODUCTION6§1.1Economic Background6§1.1.1International Economic Trends6§1.1.2Austrian Foreign Trade8§1.2Trends in Expatriation10§1.3Purpose of the Study10§1.4Structure of the Thesis11§2.THE BUSINESS OF EXPATRIATION12§2.1Definitions12§2.2Reasons for Expatriation13§3.INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT15§3.1A Strategic Approach15§3.2International Staffing Issues17§3.2.1Scope of Internationalization17§3.2.2Headquarters Orientation19§4.THE EXPATRIATION CYCLE21§4.1Selection Process22§4.1.1Selection Criteria22§4.1.2Selection Process24§4.2Training25§4.2.1Training Modes25§4.2.2Cost of Training26§4.3Host Country Experience27§4.3.1Expatriate Adjustment Process27§4.3.2Culture Shock27§4.4Repatriation29§4.4.1Adjustment, Change & Expectations29§5.PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT & APPRAISAL32§5.1Definition of Performance Management32§5.2Definition of Performance Appraisal34§6.SUCCESS AND FAILURE36§6.1Definition of Success36§6.1.1Factors Contributing to Success37§6.1.2Domestic versus International Success37§6.2Definition of Failure38§6.2.1Factors Contributing to Failure38§6.3Cost of Failure39§6.4Failure Rates40§7.EXPATRIATE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL42§7.1Goal Setting and Expatriate Performance44§7.1.1Job Description46§7.1.2Expatriate Involvement48§7.1.3Specificity of Goals49§7.1.4Hard and Soft Goals49§7.1.5Difficulty and Duration of Goals51§7.1.6Number of Goals53§7.1.7Goal Setting - An Ongoing Process53§7.1.8Performance Goals in the International Context54§7.1Evaluators of Expatriate Performance55§7.2.1Traditional Top-Down Appraisal (Supervisor)56§7.2.2Self-evaluation57§7.2.3Upward Appraisal (Employee)59§7.2.4Peer Evaluation60§7.2.5Other Evaluators61§7.2.6360 Degree Feedback Process61§...