For multinational enterprises (MNEs), expatriate managers are vital to implementing strategy and driving success in global markets. These leaders, assigned to new locations to manage initiatives for their company, are tasked with bridging corporate objectives and local market needs, making their assignments critical to organizational success. Yet, high turnover and incomplete assignments among expatriates remain persistent and costly challenges. These failures can drain millions of dollars in productivity, rehiring costs, and strained stakeholder relationships. Conventional wisdom suggests that success hinges on selecting the “right” expatriates — those with extensive international experience and high cultural intelligence.
