Validity of Context-Specific versus Broad Individual Differences in International Assignments

previous research in expatriate selection has employed broad-based personality factors to test the value of personality variables as predictors of performance during international assignments. in contrast, this study focused on developing and testing the incremental validity of context-specific competencies. drawing from the literature on expatriate management, a measure named the global competency self-assessment was created involving context-specific competencies deemed important for international assignments. using hierarchical regression, results from fifty-seven expatriates in the dominican republic showed that these context-specific competencies predicted performance above and beyond the broad-based big five personality factors.