Foreign executives: contexts and implications for practice
Findings from research on FELOs can be applied to organisations in other emerging economies. The initial fieldwork study was conducted in Malaysia and further data was collected in Singapore, Korea, Indonesia, China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. The insights gained are relevant to emerging market firms, business practitioners, government-sponsored development initiatives as well as executive search firms.
However, country and industry contexts need to be taken into account. Simply distinguishing between foreign and local organisations (see here) is not enough. In addition, it is important in all cases to take LOCAL perspectives seriously (through gaining the participation and perspectives of representatives from local organisations). Research must carefully distinguish between global- and country-level influences on the FELO phenomenon, and organisational, group, and individual levels of investigation. FELO typologies assist in identifying which combinations produce successful outcomes (and those which are likely to fail).
Contexts:
Asia (Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, China, South Korea)
Middle East (Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saud Arabia, Gulf States)
Other economies (Russia, Brazil)
FELO research 