The use of repatriate knowledge in Austrian banks

Abstract

Repatriates are mostly an underestimated resource within a company. Repatriates could contribute to sustained competitive advantage of firms as a rare and imperfectly imitable resource, if firms would fully employ their knowledge. In extant literature, we find four major categories of expatriate knowledge: market specific knowledge, personal skills (Adler 2000, Antal 2000, Downes/Thomas, 1999, Kühlmann/Stahl 1995), job related management skills, and network skills (Antal 2000, Downes/Thomas 1999, Kühlmann/Stahl 1995). In an explorative qualitative case study in Austrian commercial banks, we collected data about the knowledge acquired by expatriates using narrative interview techniques. From the perspective of the interviewed repatriates, the existent categories could be confirmed and an additional category of importance was found that so far was not identified in the literature: the general management capacity of expatriates was substantially enhanced during their assignment abroad.