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Managing talents for global leadership positions in MNCs: Responding to the challenges in China

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Abstract

In emerging economies, the shortage of skilled leadership talent is a significant challenge for multinational corporations (MNCs). China has an acknowledged shortage of nationals operating effectively at higher levels of ‘Western’ MNCs. This study shows how those corporations structure their approach to identifying and developing global leadership talents, and to what extent this is adapted to China. Based on Swedish MNCs, we reveal that MNCs do not experience difficulties in transferring their talent management and leadership development approach, and adaptations in China, while limited, do exist for lower levels of responsibility; at advanced leadership levels, there are no adaptations of global leadership standards.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business, Economics and Law, Centre for International Business Studies, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 610, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden

    Christian Schmidt, Sebastian Mansson & Harald Dolles

  2. Faculty of Economics, Informatics and Social Sciences, Molde University College, PO Box 2110, Molde, 6402, Norway

    Harald Dolles

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  1. Christian Schmidt
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  2. Sebastian Mansson
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  3. Harald Dolles
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Correspondence to Harald Dolles.

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Schmidt, C., Mansson, S. & Dolles, H. Managing talents for global leadership positions in MNCs: Responding to the challenges in China. Asian Bus Manage 12, 477–496 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/abm.2013.11

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