Inpatriates and Expatriates: Sources of Strategic Human Capital for Multinational Food and Beverage Firms

The accelerating pace of globalization makes the strategic role of human resource management increasingly important for global companies. MNEs as key drivers in the process of globalization are becoming much more differentiated networks. This enables them to source the optimal combination of inputs from the global market. Inpatriates and expatriates are MNE's strategic sources of human capital, through which knowledge is developed, carried, and exchanged within the MNE's network. This essay discusses the ways in which inpatriates and expatriates can provide competitive advantage for MNEs in the food and beverage industry, and how these MNEs should mange these strategic resources in a competitive global market.