ABSTRACT
Having the right people in the right place at the right time is vital to the long-term performance of any firm. This is true to an even greater degree for firms that compete internationally. Global firms face all of the same challenges as domestic organizations, plus those unique to adapting to different cultures, countries, and people (Torbiörn, 1997). For example, issues related to human resources (HR) are complicated enough within a single country, but increase geometrically when the workforce exists across countries. It is the human element that is perhaps the most variable and uncertain of the numerous resources a firm needs to implement a global competitive strategy. After all, talent cannot be owned by the firm, so it creates a set of unique challenges for building, maintaining, and leveraging this resource (Coff, 1997). Indeed, many firms cannot grow internationally in the manner they wish due to talent challenges (Miller & Guo, 2014; Scullion & Collings, 2011). At the same time, firms that are able to do so effectively are likely to see above average returns. Thus, talent, or as it is often called, human capital resources, is an important determinant of competitive advantage for most firms, but even more so in global firms.
