This research considers the effective deployment of expatriate managers by international organisations. It is argued that success on international placements is partly dependent upon the identification and development of support for personnel managing such assignments Extant research indicates that the success rates of international assignments are not commensurate with the investments made by organisations. A number of key elements have been identified which, it is argued, if properly supported could ensure a greater degree of satisfaction and success of the `dual' expatriation process. Central to this research is the view that in order for organisations to maximise the skills and abilities of staff sent on international assignments and to minimise the direct and indirect costs of the whole process, these key elements of support should be placed within an organisational policy. This should be framed, communicated, enacted upon and understood by all concerned. This would encompass the He cycle of assignments involving the main phases of pre-departure, post arrival and repatriation. In order to examine this propositional view, this research studied the support given to expatriate managers on international assignments and compares and contrasts it with stated parent company policy in the assistance of their staff placed abroad. A number of methods of enquiry were undertaken. Adopting a Western European perspective, it included the retrospective view by expatriate managers of the support given by their companies in the completion of an international assignment. To examine the extent to which the perceptions of managers of company support on assignments matched declared policy, data from a survey questionnaire of 300 managers from four companies in different sectors was examined. The expatriation policies of four multinational companies were also examined and key personnel were interviewed about the framing and implementation of these policies. Further analysis of perceptions within companies was possible through semi-structured interviews with selected key decision makers. The main contribution of this thesis is the development of a conceptual model identifying a typology of support during the dual expatriation process. This will assist both academic and practitioners to analyse the whole expatriation process and enhance both individual and organisational development.