Are international staff hard to manage?

Explains that while some non‐governmental organization (NGO) managers report that international staff are more difficult to manage than national staff, others report the opposite. Such different perceptions stem from different expectations of staff from different cultures. Describes a study in which NGO managers working in field programmes were surveyed on their perceptions of the differences between national and international staff. International staff were regarded by respondents as being: more likely to act on their own initiative; less likely to need close supervision; and more demanding of themselves and of others. Those reporting that international staff were more difficult to manage were more likely to have more than five years’ work experience in developing countries. This may be explained by managers adapting to the culture in which they work. Such a cultural adaptation on the part of managers may in turn explain why relief workers often report that they are dissatisfied with their managers.