Expatriate return on investment

While there has been much talk about the value to be gained from international assignments and how to assess the benefits of expatriation (e.g. Collings, Scullion, & Dowling, 2009; Hamori & Koyuncu, 2011; Pinto, Cabral-Cardoso, & Werther, 2012), including its measurement (e.g. Colakoglu, Lepak, & Hong, 2006; Wang, Dou, & Li, 2002), few solutions have been offered. Much of this discussion has led to the term “expatriate return on investment” (ROI) being increasingly used to represent the full range of costs and benefits attributable to global staffing activities, including international assignments and expatriate programs. And yet empirical research on this important topic remains inadequate, if not grossly under-researched, in comparison to the extensive dialogue that has endured for the past decade or more.