TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– In order to identify expatriate roles in a subsidiary it is necessary to go beyond those functions which are subservient to the headquarters. This paper sets out to prescribe a new spectrum of development roles with respect to varying capabilities and development needs of local employees.Design/methodology/approach– The roles of expatriates are analyzed based on seven case studies conducted with top automobile manufacturers in Thailand: Toyota Motor Thailand; Hino Motors (Thailand); Honda Automobile (Thailand); Isuzu Motors (Thailand); BMW (Thailand); DaimlerChrysler (Thailand); and Auto Alliance (Thailand).Findings– Four types of expatriate roles – commander, conductor, coach, and connector – are proposed; the roles correspond to the degree of task readiness and managerial capabilities of local employees.Practical implications– The paper provides a tool that will help expatriates understand their roles according to the technical skills and managerial capabilities of local employees.Originality/value– The paper offers practical advice for diagnosing expatriate roles and their training prior to assignment to a subsidiary.
VL  - 46
IS  - 5
SN  - 0025-1747
DO  - 10.1108/00251740810873743
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740810873743
AU  - Petison Phallapa
AU  - Johri Lalit
PY  - 2008
Y1  - 2008/01/01
TI  - Managing local employees: expatriate roles in a subsidiary
T2  - Management Decision
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 743
EP  - 760
Y2  - 2024/09/21
ER  -