Working effectively and living contentedly in a foreign country: what human capital do expatriates require and develop?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the human capital (HC) expatriates require and develop during an international assignment (IA) to work effectively and live contentedly in a host country.Design/methodology/approachQualitative research entailing interviews with 78 expatriates and repatriates across the globe, investigating the competencies they developed and the HC they gained during their IAs.FindingsFive interrelated competence clusters were derived: cultural competence (CC); interpersonal competence; intrapersonal competence; global business competence; global leadership competence, each containing competencies crucial for expatriate success.Research limitations/implicationsThis study relied on self-reports by expatriates and repatriates. Future research should also include senior/line managers and chief human resource officers from a range of organizations across the world to gather their assessments on the competencies and HC of expatriates and repatriates.Practical implicationsLine/HR managers can use the designed “Expatriate/Repatriate Human Capital model” to assess an individual's overall readiness and capacity to perform effectively in a foreign country and culture and consecutively identify and select the right candidates to undertake IAs.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by presenting a HC model called the “Expatriate and Repatriate Human Capital Model; the body of competence”. The model identifies and defines the competencies/knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) required for intercultural effectiveness and expatriate success and serves as a tool for the selection, training, development and performance evaluation of expatriates and repatriates, in order to aid the accomplishment of individual and organizational objectives.

Delayed Graduation and Overeducation in Italy: A Test of the Human Capital Model Versus the Screening Hypothesis

Exploiting the human capital versus screening hypothesis frameworks, this paper studies the link between delayed graduation and overeducation, and their effect on wages, by using the ISFOL-Plus data. The evidence lines towards predictions based on the signalling model. However, as to the determinants of overeducation the coefficient of delayed graduation is significant only for delays of 3 years or more and also controlling for the entire set of covariates. This suggests that delay conveys a signal of low skill.

Taxing Top Earners: a Human Capital Perspective

An established view is that the revenue maximising top tax rate for the US is approximately 73%. In contrast, the revenue maximising top tax rate is approximately 49% in our quantitative human capital model. The key reason for the lower top tax rate is the presence of two new forces not captured by the model underlying the established view. These new forces are strengthened by the endogenous response of top earners’ human capital to a change in the top tax rate.

The employability skills discourse and literacy practitioners

This chapter shows how the human capital model of knowledge that is embedded in transnational and national policies has led, in literacy programmes, to a focus on skills at the expense of wider goals. However, practitioners have resisted this discourse of deficit to some extent by a shared understanding of what is good practice, clear views of their underpinning value system and creative ways of delivering pre-set outcomes.