JultikaUniversity of Oulu repository

Expatriates are an increasingly important part of global organizations. As multinational corporations establish new subsidiaries, they require an individual or group of individuals to setup and oversee the proper operation of these companies in accordance with the global strategy. Expatriates allow parent organizations to transfer crucial knowledge, corporate philosophy and culture to a subsidiary, as well as acquire important information from the host country. The effective management of expatriates needs to include a performance measurement system with appropriate criteria. The purpose of this study is to analyze the criteria utilized by researchers in the measurement of expatriate performance. The analysis will be conducted through the parent company’s point of view. The focus will be on whether or not the criteria currently used meets the objectives set forth by the parent organization as a primary stakeholder. This study will utilize a systematic review of past research. The proper protocols and procedures were followed to ensure an unbiased group of articles were selected. The articles were analyzed to examine the objective, purpose and type of expatriate performance measurement criteria they utilized. The articles were also evaluated according of a parent company stakeholder checklist outlining the most important aspects to the parent organization. The results of the study concluded that a research gap is evident. The measurement criteria utilized by the overwhelming majority of researchers does not meet the basic objectives set forth by the parent organization. A universal measurement framework for international assignments is absent, both in practice and in research. A small percentage of researchers are aware of this discrepancy and over reliance on a self-evaluation of performance when it comes to expatriate research. In conclusion, the study shows a gap in the current expatriate research and suggests a more detailed look at the measurement criteria used by the researchers in this field. The current criteria utilized fails to meet the basic objectives of the parent company.