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In the global economy, however, companies depend ever more on international business travellers to spend a great deal of their working time collecting and interpreting information, much of it tacit, about overseas markets and operations.

Common reasons for business travel are to negotiate and close deals, raise finance, sell products and services and manage relations with global stakeholders. But in spite of the growing importance of this group, very little is done in HR departments to support them, develop their career and use their knowledge.

Support is important because international managers are almost constantly on the move and have to contend with two jobs: their work functions at home and their international assignments.

Travellers say they need strong information networks from their HQ in order to be able to deal with enquiries wherever they happen to be.

The international business traveller: a neglected but strategic human
resource
Denice E Welch, Lawrence S Welch and Verner Worm
International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol 18 No 2,
February 2007