Managing Stress in an International Career

Over the last few decades, companies capture talent from all over the world to increase their competitiveness. However, it is in these displacement processes that the true nature of the talent is put to the test. Why? Previous research showed how an increase in the levels of stress generated by an international assignment could have several negative outcomes for employees and, consequently, for companies. Therefore, it is critical that managers understand the need to manage these assignments well, and to try to alleviate all the tension that an international work assignment could generate. In addition, it must be considered that not only do employees become stressed in these new situations, but managers may also suffer from anxiety when they have to meet deadlines and make quick and often complex decisions. This chapter reviews these issues, providing a definition of stress and discussing the main stressors that may affect managers and employees on an international assignment. This chapter also proposes some resources and strategies for managing stress.