International assignment experience at the top can make a bottom-line difference

This article addresses the question of whether international assignment exp erience in the top management team makes a bottom-line difference. Based on the premise and observations that executive international assignment exper ience is rare, valuable, and hard to imitate, we suggest that in the right organizational context, it can create competitive advantage. The authors sh ow how such experience can benefit companies and executives financially and discuss how companies can help ensure a supply of international seasoned c andidates for future executive positions. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.