How do assigned and self-initiated expatriate CEOs differ? An empirical investigation on CEO demography, personality and performance in China

TY - CHAP

T1 - How do assigned and self-initiated expatriate CEOs differ?

T2 - An empirical investigation on CEO demography, personality and performance in China

AU - Selmer, Jan

AU - Lauring, Jakob

AU - Zhang, Ling Eleanor

AU - Jonasson, Charlotte

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Purpose: In this chapter, we focus on expatriate CEOs who are assigned by the parent company to work in a subsidiary and compare them to those who themselves have initiated to work abroad as CEOs. Since we do not know much about these individuals, we direct our attention to: (1) who they are (demographics), (2) what they are like (personality), and (3) how they perform (job performance). Methodology/approach: Data was sought from 93 assigned expatriate CEOs and 94 self-initiated expatriate CEOs in China. Findings: Our findings demonstrate that in terms of demography, selfinitiated CEOs were more experienced than assigned CEOs. With regard to personality, we found difference in self-control and dispositional anger: Assigned expatriate CEOs had more self-control and less angry temperament than their self-initiated counterparts. Finally, we found assigned expatriate CEOs to rate their job performance higher than self-initiated CEOs. Originality/value: Although there may not always be immediate benefits, career consideration often plays a role when individuals choose whether to become an expatriate. For many years, organizations have used expatriation to develop talented managers for high-level positions in the home country. Recently, however, a new trend has emerged. Talented top managers are no longer expatriated only from within parent companies to subsidiaries. Selfinitiated expatriates with no prior affiliation in the parent company are increasingly used to fill top management positions in subsidiaries.

AB - Purpose: In this chapter, we focus on expatriate CEOs who are assigned by the parent company to work in a subsidiary and compare them to those who themselves have initiated to work abroad as CEOs. Since we do not know much about these individuals, we direct our attention to: (1) who they are (demographics), (2) what they are like (personality), and (3) how they perform (job performance). Methodology/approach: Data was sought from 93 assigned expatriate CEOs and 94 self-initiated expatriate CEOs in China. Findings: Our findings demonstrate that in terms of demography, selfinitiated CEOs were more experienced than assigned CEOs. With regard to personality, we found difference in self-control and dispositional anger: Assigned expatriate CEOs had more self-control and less angry temperament than their self-initiated counterparts. Finally, we found assigned expatriate CEOs to rate their job performance higher than self-initiated CEOs. Originality/value: Although there may not always be immediate benefits, career consideration often plays a role when individuals choose whether to become an expatriate. For many years, organizations have used expatriation to develop talented managers for high-level positions in the home country. Recently, however, a new trend has emerged. Talented top managers are no longer expatriated only from within parent companies to subsidiaries. Selfinitiated expatriates with no prior affiliation in the parent company are increasingly used to fill top management positions in subsidiaries.

KW - Adjustment

KW - CEOs

KW - Expatriates

KW - Personality

KW - Self-initiated

KW - Top managers

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84987760548&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1108/S1876-066X20160000032002

DO - 10.1108/S1876-066X20160000032002

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 978-1-78635-354-2

VL - 32

T3 - International Business and Management

SP - 49

EP - 79

BT - International Business and Management

A2 - Guo, Ying

A2 - Rammal , Hussain G.

A2 - Dowling, Peter J.

PB - Emerald Group Publishing

ER -