NEW YORK, September 5, 2013 – North American executives get fewer international assignments over the course of their careers than those in Europe or Asia and the disparity was found to hinder global leadership development among U.S. and Canadian organizations, according to a global survey of senior human resources executives at more than 600 organizations.
The survey was conducted as part of a study by The Conference Board and Right Management, the talent and career management experts within ManpowerGroup.
“The significant finding is not so much that North Americans lag when it comes to overseas experience, but that such assignments play such a minor role in preparing Canadian and U.S. executives for global leadership,” said Ric Roi, Head of the Global Center of Excellence for Talent Management at Right Management. “In fact, the disparity among development priorities is striking. North American respondents seem to concede that international postings play a relatively minor role in their global leadership development programs.”
HR executives across the globe were asked which approaches have had the greatest impact on accelerating leadership development at their organizations.
Programs with most impact by region
North America Europe Asia
Executive coaching/mentoring 53% 40% 40%
Action learning/mentoring 48% 40% 56%
Focused skill development 44% 32% 27%
Executive assessments 33% 27% 24%
Rotational programs 27% 25% 40%
Executive education/
academic programs 26% 28% 25%
International assignments 15% 48% 44%
Social learning 4% 3% 2%
“Most organizations today are affected by global trends, even those without a presence in other regions or countries,” said Rebecca Lea Ray, Ph.D. Senior Vice President, Human Capital, The Conference Board. “Globalization has been unremitting in terms of markets, competition, suppliers and partnerships, so it is essential for organizations to have leaders who are up to the challenges of working within diverse cultures, commercial models, mobile workforces and customer preferences.”
According to Roi, international assignments provide a practical way to introduce up-and-coming managers to the demands and intricacies of global business. “They learn to navigate unfamiliar settings, cultures and politics to meet their objectives. It’s really action learning on an international scale.”
The reluctance in North America to putting resources into international assignments is a deep concern to Roi. “It astonishes me that so many smart executives reach their mid-40s without having overseas experience. Nothing can take the place of managing in situ in a region, culture and work setting that is completely foreign. This is how global leadership skills are forged, skills that are desperately needed by U.S. and Canadian companies in the years ahead.”
The findings are drawn from the 2012 survey “Strategic Leadership Development: Global Trends and Approaches.” Participating were 654 respondents from 14 industries.
About Right Management - Right Management is the global leader in talent and career management workforce solutions. As the workforce consulting experts within ManpowerGroup, the firm designs and delivers solutions to align talent strategy with business strategy. Expertise spans Talent Assessment, Leader Development, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Engagement, and Workforce Transition and Outplacement. With offices in over 50 countries, Right Management partners with companies of all sizes – including more than 80% of the Fortune 500 – to help grow and engage their talent, increase productivity and optimize business performance.
About The Conference Board - Founded in 1916, The Conference Board is an objective, independent source of economic and business knowledge with one agenda: to help our member companies understand and deal with the most critical issues of our time. We conduct research and convene business leaders in forums large and small, public and private. The insights captured through our extensive network feed directly back into our research and meeting agendas, ensuring that our activities remain sharply focused on the key issues of the day. The Conference Board works within and across four main subject areas – Corporate Leadership; Economies, Markets & Value Creation; High-Performing Organizations; and Human Capital – to create a unique, enterprise-wide perspective that helps business leaders respond today, anticipate tomorrow, and make the right strategic decisions every day.
