iXpatriate
iXpatriate is a German web portal for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It supports simple, fast and targeted preparation abroad . The web portal for international competence is geared towards the specific needs of such companies. The operator is the Chair of Marketing at the Technical University of Dresden .
Goals of the portal
The portal helps delegates from SMEs to develop intercultural competence . It is intended to contribute equally to corporate value creation and intercultural appreciation. This portal has two main goals:
- Interculturally effective action : The portal is intended to help those seeking advice to successfully cope with intercultural contact situations. This is usually a necessary condition for a posted worker to be able to meet the goals set by the company.
- Interculturally appropriate interaction : With the help of the portal, those seeking advice can break down false expectations and stereotypes before they are posted. In this way, they can communicate respectfully and sensitively with residents of the destination country.
Functions
The portal offers the following functions to prepare for an assignment abroad:
- Reports from expatriates with international experience
- Research of competent contact persons
- Building networks between SMEs operating abroad
- Research of providers of preparatory courses ( intercultural training , language courses, etc.)
- general country information
With the help of the portal, those working abroad can find out about the social and business customs of their destination country for a period of time. All information can be researched as required using a search mask. Possible search criteria are target countries, industries, areas of activity and intercultural contact situations. iXpatriate supports the establishment of contact with suitable advisors virtually through forums and chat rooms. In addition, personal contact can be organized.
Scientific basis
In large multinational companies (MNEs), employees with international experience often pass on their knowledge internally. This allows false expectations of inexperienced colleagues to be corrected before a posting. Small and medium-sized companies, on the other hand, usually cannot fall back on internal know-how. To overcome this size-related disadvantage, SMEs have to internalize the intercultural knowledge management that the big ones have externalized. The iXpatriate information portal aims to support SMEs in this process of networking . Experience gained by various SMEs abroad is to be made available to other companies. It is important to note that it is not objective knowledge but knowledge gained through experience that is particularly valuable for internationalization and that narrative knowledge transfer is superior to strongly codified knowledge.
The topics and problems dealt with in the portal and the way in which information is conveyed are adapted to the specific wishes and requirements of German SMEs.
Sponsor of the project
iXpatriate is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) with funds from the European Social Fund (ESF).
The project was awarded the third prize at the award ceremony of the Xenos Prize 2005 “Promotion of respect, tolerance and understanding in companies” awarded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor and the employers' association Gesamtmetall .
literature
- Hoffmann, S. and Müller, S. (2007a): External Knowledge Management to Increase the Efficiency of Postings by SMEs, in: Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft, 76 (6), 99–123.
- Hoffmann, S. and Müller, S. (2007b): Promotion of intercultural competence in SMEs through the exchange of experiences. The information portal “iXpatriate.de”, in: Wirtschaftswwissenschaftliches Studium, 36 (6), 326–329.
- Johanson, J. and Vahlne, J. (1977): The Internationalization Process of the Firm. A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments, in: Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 8, 1, pp. 25-34 .
- Müller, S .; Gelbrich, K. (2001): Intercultural competence as a new kind of requirement for posted workers: Status quo and perspectives of research, in: zfbf, 53rd year (2001), No. 5, pp. 246–272.
- Schreyögg, G. and Geiger, D. (2005): On the convertibility of knowledge: ways and wrong ways in knowledge management, in: Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft, Vol. 75, 5, pp. 433–454.
- Welge, MK and Holtbrügge, D. (2000): Knowledge management in multinational companies: results of an empirical study, in: Schmalenbach's journal for business research, Vol. 52, 8, pp. 762-777.
Web links
- iXpatriate - The portal for foreign competence in SMEs
- Xenos Prize: Promotion of respect and understanding in companies