This paper identifies four critical cross-cultural management competencies
derived from a larger study that examined the expatriate career management
practices of twenty Australian business enterprises with a physical presence in
the East Asian business region.
Results point to the need to reassess existing cross-cultural management
competency development practices pursued by Australian business enterprises,
so that interactional management skills and transactional management com
munication skills are enhanced. Other cross-cultural management compe
tency constructs identified included transformational management skills. In
addition, while foreign language skills were also identified, the result was
marginal.
Evidence from this study confirms the need for stronger attention by Aus
tralian organizations to cross-cultural management competency development
as well as more informed means of developing Australian expatriate managers
prior to international career appointments.
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