With a growing number of organizations engaging in international collaborations, the topic of careers of expatriates pursuing international assignments has gained mass interest. Today, there are only a few managerial and professional careers in the developed world which are not international to some extent. Think of, for instance, temporary expatriate assignees, international business travelers and a growing cadre of global managers. Working in another country, with people of different cultural backgrounds and even often doing a new task, are all significant learning and developmental experiences. Studies of international assignments have suggested that they have potential to help individuals to improve professional, management and intercultural skills, to enrich personal lives and to create a valuable network of personal relationships [1]. Yet, the exact effects of international assignments on expatriates’ careers are still unclear. On the one hand, expatriates who return to their home organizations may be faced with rapid career advancement [2]. On the other hand, studies show that international assignments may be harmful for careers of some employees [3] [4]. With this article we aim to explore what the consequences of international assignments are for careers: Should employees stay or should they go on international assignments to attain a career progression?
