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53© The Author(s) 2017 J. Glückler et al. (eds.), Knowledge and Networks, Knowledge and Space 11, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-45023-0_3 Chapter 3 Interpersonal Networks in Foreign Assignments and Intercultural Learning Processes Erika Spieß Globalization and Foreign Assignment Due to the pressures of competition resulting from the globalization of markets , international experience has gained importance, and in fact become a vital asset (Carpenter, Sanders, & Gregerson, 2001 ; Landy & Conte, 2008 ). Multinational companies, in particular, regard foreign assignment experience as a market advantage (Spreitzer, McCall, & Mahoney, 1997 ). For employees, international pro- fessional experience in this context has become a prime prerequisite for becoming an executive (Daily, Certo, & Dalton, 2000 ). This growing trend to send staff on foreign assignment is accompanied by a need to know what has to be done for expatriates to adjust successfully. Employees work- ing in a foreign country are confronted with major changes in various areas, changes requiring their preparation prior to the foreign sojourn and support during it. If this does not occur, there is a risk that employees may feel stressed, be unable to work effectively, and, if worst comes to worst, have to end their sojourn prematurely. The different phases of a foreign assignment (Kühlmann & Stahl, 2001/ 2006 )— preparation, sojourn, and return—harbor certain risks. Due to time constraints, preparation is often inadequate or does not occur at all. The risks associated with the assignment are country-specifi c as well as of a private nature. Western expatriates in China experienced a “classic” culture shock (Selmer, 1999 ) and transferees uninter- ested in the country of assignment had diffi culty adapting and, consequently, being effective for the company (Selmer, 2001 ). The larger the cultural distance to the country of origin the more diffi cult a foreign assignment may turn out to be (Wang, 2002 ). There is the danger of culture shock limiting an expatriate’s ability to do E. Spieß (*) Department Psychologie , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) , Leopoldstraße 13 , 80802 Munich , Germany e-mail: erika.spiess@psy.lmu.de