Preparing Managers for Foreign Assignment: The Expatriate Profile Program

Managers often have little knowledge concerning the cross‐cultural and organizational changes they can expect to encounter when they are sent abroad. Describes a personal computer program designed to make managers more sensitive to the adjustments that are needed due to the cultural distance distinguishing the new and their home country. It also explores contrasts between characteristics of their previous assignment and their new assignment, emphasizing how differences in organizational centrality, influence and size may require them to develop a different managerial approach.