ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the European context of talent management, and considers some evidence of the nature of talent management (TM) in European organizations. The differences include organization structure and management control systems and processes, with European companies putting stronger emphasis on socialization and American firms concentrating more on formalization and centralization. European companies have a longer history of moving people across the boarders due to the small size of their local markets, which helped them to observe the impact of cultural and societal diversity on organizational behavior. The importance of networks and political manoeuvring might be an important factor that makes the French perceive an international assignment as more risky – it may put them at an informational and networking disadvantage. Future research on TM in European organizations should examine the need to balance organizational and individual perspectives, and to understand the perceptions of different talents in different contexts.
