Mara is looking to send one of her team members on an international assignment to China to train a group of employees located at her company's office in Beijing. As part of the assignment, the chosen employee will have to undergo a three-week diversity training program to help him/her learn about his/her new environment. Bryan, one of Mara's colleagues, is interested in taking up the assignment.
-Which of the following, if true, would increase the likelihood that Bryan will be selected?
A) Bryan's application was rejected the last time he applied for an international assignment.
B) Bryan has trained several employees in the last six months.
C) Bryan has had little exposure to Chinese culture.
D) Bryan displays striking contradictions between his public persona and his private self.
E) Bryan is quite sociable and can "think on his feet."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Of the Big Five traits, openness to experience would be most important to effectiveness in international assignments. Open people are more likely to be culturally flexible-to "go with the flow" when things are different in another country. If Bryan is sociable and can "think on his feet," then this would strengthen his chances of being selected. Just because his application was rejected the last time he applied for an international assignment does not mean he will be given a chance this time around. Similarly, it cannot be argued that he is the right person for this job just because he has trained people in the past. The fact that he sometimes displays striking contradictions between his public persona and his private self does not influence his chances of being selected.

Mara Is Looking to Send One of Her Team Members