Expatriates as catalysts: what and how Vietnamese locals learn from self-initiated expatriates

Fee, A; Gray, SJ

Expatriates as catalysts: what and how Vietnamese locals learn from self-initiated expatriates

Fee, A

Gray, SJ

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Publisher:: Emerald
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 2020, ahead-of-print, (ahead-of-print)
Issue Date:: 2020-05-26

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Fee, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0598-0776
dc.contributor.author	Gray, SJ
dc.date.accessioned	2020-06-02T22:50:25Z
dc.date.available	2020-06-02T22:50:25Z
dc.date.issued	2020-05-26
dc.identifier.citation	Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 2020, ahead-of-print, (ahead-of-print)
dc.identifier.issn	2059-5794
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/141073
dc.description.abstract	<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title><jats:p>In an era when expatriates are increasingly used as strategic conduits for developing capabilities in local business units, we identify what and how host-country nationals in a developing economy learn from self-initiated expatriates whose assignments focus on organizational capacity development objectives.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title><jats:p>Semi-structured interviews with 23 Vietnamese host-country nationals rendered a sample of 138 learning episodes for qualitative content analysis. Respondents were employed in Vietnamese government and non-government organizations and worked closely with multiple self-initiated expatriates in a variety of professional contexts.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title><jats:p>Host-country nationals develop a broad array of primarily “soft” capabilities. This learning is typically informal and vicarious in nature. While learning tends to arise incidentally through day-to-day activities, host-country nationals facilitate this by structuring their formal and informal interactions with expatriates to maximize their learning potential.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Research limitations/implications</jats:title><jats:p>While the study's exploratory design and specific context limit the transferability of our results, analysis of a sample of specific learning episodes allowed us to map “hotspots” of particular activities and contexts in which certain learning outcomes transpired.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Practical implications</jats:title><jats:p>Our results put into sharp focus the overlooked roles of expatriates as models (to be observed), mentors (to be consulted) and collaborators (to be partnered with) who can catalyse valued learning opportunities for local colleagues.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title><jats:p>We provide a comprehensive account of the nature and extent of informal learning that host-country nationals accumulate during interactions with expatriates, and so contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the experiences of host-country nationals in international business.</jats:p></jats:sec>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Emerald
dc.relation.ispartof	Cross Cultural & Strategic Management
dc.relation.hasversion	Accepted manuscript version	en
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1108/ccsm-08-2019-0145
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here http://hdl.handle.net/10453/141073. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.	en
dc.title	Expatriates as catalysts: what and how Vietnamese locals learn from self-initiated expatriates
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	ahead-of-print
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Management Discipline
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2020-06-02T22:50:18Z
pubs.issue	ahead-of-print
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	ahead-of-print
utslib.citation.issue	ahead-of-print

Abstract:

PurposeIn an era when expatriates are increasingly used as strategic conduits for developing capabilities in local business units, we identify what and how host-country nationals in a developing economy learn from self-initiated expatriates whose assignments focus on organizational capacity development objectives.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews with 23 Vietnamese host-country nationals rendered a sample of 138 learning episodes for qualitative content analysis. Respondents were employed in Vietnamese government and non-government organizations and worked closely with multiple self-initiated expatriates in a variety of professional contexts.FindingsHost-country nationals develop a broad array of primarily “soft” capabilities. This learning is typically informal and vicarious in nature. While learning tends to arise incidentally through day-to-day activities, host-country nationals facilitate this by structuring their formal and informal interactions with expatriates to maximize their learning potential.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the study's exploratory design and specific context limit the transferability of our results, analysis of a sample of specific learning episodes allowed us to map “hotspots” of particular activities and contexts in which certain learning outcomes transpired.Practical implicationsOur results put into sharp focus the overlooked roles of expatriates as models (to be observed), mentors (to be consulted) and collaborators (to be partnered with) who can catalyse valued learning opportunities for local colleagues.Originality/valueWe provide a comprehensive account of the nature and extent of informal learning that host-country nationals accumulate during interactions with expatriates, and so contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the experiences of host-country nationals in international business.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/141073