International Assignment
entry by Julie M. Marx, Global Family Expert at Expat Valley
A defined period of work-related relocation to a country other than the employee’s home country, typically initiated and supported by an employer. Assignments vary by duration, structure, and the degree of support provided to the employee and accompanying family.
Comparable terms
Expat assignment (HR/mobility, informal) · Global assignment (HR/mobility — often used interchangeably) · Overseas posting (diplomatic, military — implies more formal state-sponsored relocation) · Foreign assignment (older HR usage, now largely replaced) · Secondment (HR/legal — specific to temporary transfer within or between organizations)
Why this matters
The type, length, and structure of an assignment shape risk, opportunity, and family impact. Clarity on expectations and supports at the outset reduces later conflict. It is the basic unit around which much global mobility policy is built.
Cross-references
AE (Transitions & Mobility); SIE (Transitions & Mobility); Global Mobility Policy (Professional Support Roles); Assignment Success (Transitions & Mobility); Assignment Failure (Transitions & Mobility); COLA (Transitions & Mobility); TA (Transitions & Mobility). The AE and SIE entries describe the two primary categories of internationally mobile worker, distinguishing organizational from self-initiated relocation. Global mobility policy governs the terms of the assignment; COLA and TA are the two most consequential financial components of the standard assignment package; assignment success and assignment failure together define the outcome spectrum the assignment is navigating.
Sources
Black, J.S., Gregersen, H.B., & Mendenhall, M.E. (1992). Global Assignments. Jossey-Bass. The definitive HR/mobility text establishing much of the standard terminology for corporate international assignment management.
For more recent treatment of assignment types including short-term and commuter assignments, see: Brookfield Global Relocation Services. (Annual). Global Mobility Trends Survey. Industry standard benchmark report
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