M.Phil. (Personal and Professional Leadership) / Globalisation has dramatically impacted the way business is conducted. As business becomes more global, there is a growing need for employees, especially managers, with the right skillset to be successful in this international environment. Given the scarcity of internationally skilled employees, companies will have to look at new sources of potential talent. “Adult third culture kids” (ATCKs) are such a source of talent, as they have already acquired some of the skills necessary to be successful internationally, because of the way they had grown up. It appears, however, that ATCKs are an untapped talent source. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of managers within multi-national corporations (MNCs) regarding the potential of ATCKs as a source of talent. The study aimed to establish if awareness existed within MNCs of the ATCK phenomenon, and to explore some of the reasons for the apparent under-utilisation of this source of talent. A qualitative approach with a case study design was chosen to answer the research question, as this was deemed the best method to obtain an in-depth understanding of the perceptions within MNCs of the potential of ATCKs. Five research participants from five different MNCs were identified, based on their expertise in human resource management (HRM). Data were collected by means of individual, semi-structured interviews and supporting field notes. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse this data. Three dominant themes pertaining to the research question were identified. The findings of the research revealed that there is limited awareness of ATCKs within the MNCs selected for this study. Research participants acknowledged the characteristic skillset of ATCKs to be a valuable asset to their organisations. Possible reasons for the under-utilisation of this source of talent are the limited awareness of the ATCK phenomenon and the lack of knowledge of the actual contribution of ATCKs in the workplace.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:12664 |
| Date | 22 October 2014 |
| Creators | Molteno, Louise |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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